I got involved with this hobby about 6 months ago. I had read up about it and I wanted to see what it was like. So, even after I was advised by everything from blog posts to GW staff members to avoid the hobby and stick with 40k, I started my Isengard army. Ever since then, I've been playing and painting and having a blast with all of it, dispute the game being, "dead".

But recently I've been thinking about the long term shelf life of the game. The Hobbit range, (as a whole) failed for GW, and while I don't think it was a financial disaster for them, the game certainly didn't sell as well as they had hoped. That's down to a large variety of reasons, but I feel like this is the first time the hobby has been in real danger of getting the specialist game treatment. The short is, if GW and New Line don't renew the contract, LOTR SBG will be over.

But at the same time, I have hope that another game will come along that will be similar to it. When the samirilian (I know that's not how it's spelled) I bet that the contract will go to a new manufacturer who will produce a similar game.

The other way that I think this game will survive is with 3d printing. Currently, 3d printing isn't quite there yet, but I have faith that in 4-5 years time, when this game is officially discontinued, someone will make some good printable models using the same sculpts as the official GW ones.

To conclude, we are going through dark times but I'm confidant that GW discontinuing the game we love will not be the end.

Sorry if this seemed like the ramblings of a mad man. I'm typing this in the dark, on a phone, just before bed so I apologise profusely about any spelling errors or other oddities in this post. Thanks everyone.

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"In the month of the dragon,
In the dark of the moon,
Can you see the reflection?
In the mirror of doom."

I'm for one not to worried about GW ending support for the game. I think it will still be a while before we run out of models to buy and like you said 3D printing could bring it back. I am a big collector so I am doing a bit of fear buying right now on some of the old metals that I'm missing but other than that...

I think the support that the GBHL community and the rising DCHL will do a lot to keep the game going through this rough time. When I got into the hobby about 5 years ago I was also told that it was going to die soon and to stay away but thanks to some great eBay sellers I was able to get cheap models and start my collection. eBay will have models for us for a good long time to come and those of us passionate about this hobby will work to keep it on the table.

I appreciate your optimistic attitude towards the "death" of our game and if we all keep the positive in mind when looking to the future I think we can save a lot of heartache and sadness.

You came in quite late into the game. I'm not sure if the whole 3D printing out of production models is exactly legal, I'm sure there will be problems with that.

As for worrying about the end, the community saw the end coming after the lack of support with An Unexpected Journey. It's like that old dog that you don't want him to die, but you know it has to happen anyway. All good things come to an end, doesn't mean the communities should come to an end.

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My Lotr backlog: 305/952[][][][][][][][][][]32% completed
Painting Lineup: Mumakil x2, Rohan Heroes x8, Haradrim, SKoDA

I have LOTR figures from the 70's. GW dropped the LOTR licence the first time in the 80's. I do not need GW to continue gaming LOTR. Good riddance. They are about to screw over 40K for six months to a year for the waste of time new version of fantasy.Don't become dependent on GW you will only be disappointed. Games WorkShop staff are salesmen selling what the company wants to push. Find or create an independent club. This group is GW centric but still worth while for the most part.Find and make friends.The One Ring has an active trading community and don't forget ebay.

On a more positive note The Fantasy version of Lion Rampant will be out in December.A very easy conversion.

Group of at least 12 every Sunday




https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Well, I have no idea how legal it will be but I highly doubt that New Line or GW will care if a few guys print a couple models that they haven't mode in years. If the worst comes to the worst, they'll remove the blueprints.

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"In the month of the dragon,
In the dark of the moon,
Can you see the reflection?
In the mirror of doom."

This really isn't a problem for most people in the hobby. Most of us already have armies and sourcebooks to play with. We haven't had any support from GW for a good couple of years now, but we host our own tournaments, produce our own magazine, and to a lesser degree our own figures. We have guys who can create profiles and scenarios. We have sculpters and painters. We have promoters. The future is actually pretty bright. The only issue is for people just coming into the hobby, who unfortunately will have to resort to the second hand market in order to get the minis. Not much we can do about that.

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You don't have to be great to start. But you do have to start to be great.

I don't think It is difficult as it might seem.You can still find Heritage LOTR figures if you look hard and trade. A lot of People bought LOTR when the movies were hot. There is a lot out there. I was very late collecting Mithril. It took years to find the Prancing Pony figures.



Strider and the hobbits still in the blister. The card players.



The Heritage Strider and Frodo. Metal Magic and Reaper figures. I believe the wizard is from the company J.R.R. Martin used for the book versions the Game of Thrones figures. Dark Sword I think.

I also like my ukfreddybear hobbit farmer and tree men.

The wargame figures are much easier to come by than some of the role play figures.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

That's a problem I have now. Normally, a warband is cheaper for me to make then in 40k or Fantasy but then when it comes to the hero, I lose the money I saved by having to buy expensive OOP models. I'd still say it's cheaper then other tabletop games but I'm worried for people who come in after me. I've not been part of this community for too long but I really love it, the game and generally everything to do with LOTR and it's horrible to think that someone later on down the line will have to try and follow the same steps with less support from the manufacturer.

_________________
"In the month of the dragon,
In the dark of the moon,
Can you see the reflection?
In the mirror of doom."

Mithril miniatures and reaper are my saviors and counts as from wargames factory

My hope is that someone with a brain will get the licence and make something better with it as the IP owners would probably like so see some royalties coming into their coffers instead of watching some organisation allow the minis/games to slip into the background. Having all the LoTR figures already I have no great need for more. All I would like at present is more time to do things with them but that's not going to happen any time soon - when it does, I foresee using KOW2 or similar rules instead of WOTR for large battles.

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Published ebooks:
Instrument of the Empire
A Note of Defiance
Phantom Ships, Ghost Flotilla
More to come!

I am not new to LotR or the Hobbit, but I never collected much besides the first starter set. I never fully appreciated it until a few years ago, but I was still seduced by other more popular. Now I am the definition of a hobbyist as even though I have my own 6x4 board I hardly get the change to play any games because my friends don't care for miniature games because it requires work. So I am reduced to painting and building which isn't bad per say, but I feel like I wouldn't be resigned to this fate if I could find others that play around here. Another problem is that the closest shop that sells miniatures is 45 minutes away for me, so the scene is not easy access for me.

Wow, long back story, but I guess what I'm getting at is that I'm concerned, but more because of the miniature supply aspect than the game support aspect. Although I would love another company to pick up the license I feel like either GW will keep it to keep it out of the competition's hands or that too much will be asked for the license that it will make it unfeasible for smaller companies. We'll have to see I suppose.

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"Come not between the Nazgul and his prey!"

If I was a miniatures producer I would avoid Middle-Earth. We know this hobby is a niche market, and someone like you Dorthonion and myself already have all the minis we possibly need, we're not going to be buying from another range again!

Also what would this new range be?
-25mm scale, 28mm, 30mm? True or heroic scale, or cartoonish?
-Based on the films or the books?

There are people such as myself who collect only because the minis are based off of PJ's film vision. How many book fans/hobbyist would collect minis not based on the films?

Things would be great for someone like myself if a new company was making an extension of the GW line, won't happen. Independent sculptors will now carry that on or proxies.

Miniatures based on the Silmarillion and Unfinished tales would slightly be a better option, otherwise a new Lotr line would only attract a new generation that couldn't/didn't get involve in the GW era, and the hardcore Tolkien hobbyists.

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My Lotr backlog: 305/952[][][][][][][][][][]32% completed
Painting Lineup: Mumakil x2, Rohan Heroes x8, Haradrim, SKoDA

I wonder if there isn't a market for "collectors editions" of WETA designed miniatures in the 28-32mm scale range.

The "best" - in terms of aesthetics, sculpting and so on figures in the GW range are taken directly from the WETA designs, and rendered realistically. (Morley's Wood Elves for example takes the WETA designs and renders them more heroically). The armour on the Haldir's Elves is a bit ropey, but the figures they inspired are gorgeous.

The first characters we see on screen in The Fellowship of the Ring are the High Elves. Those were the miniatures that inspired me to start this silliness. Problem being they are from the very earliest part of the range, their scale is tiny and the sculpts are decent, but nothing in comparison to some later gems.

Imagine, therefore, a collector's range of High Elves done in metal, in a uniform scale with a real attention to detail sculpting? Something akin to Tom Meier's elves? It would probably work to plug holes in the range for us, and maybe represent an opportunity for a low-rate-of-production range for someone.

Beyond that, I suspect we'll probably see something entirely new, probably akin to FFG's various Star Wars ranges, after 2017.

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Dreaming of getting back to painting...any month now.