Heroes of Rohan, or, Will the Horse Survive?

I moved two projects off the painting bench this week (I’ll save the other one for a subsequent post).   I’m trying to finish off painted figures and refurbish some old ones before the Analogue Hobbies Challenge starts (again, more in a subsequent post)  Here are the three mins (L to R, Eowyn, Gamling, Theoden) from the apparently now defunct Heroes of Helms Deep boxed set.   Since these were all partially painted previously, I’m only going to give myself credit for painting 1 28mm foot figure for the three of them.

Here they are with their backs to a wood, and apparently without their horses.   That pike in the foreground suggests things can’t be good for our heroes.



Oh dear.   A horde of nasty Uruks charge up hill towards our three heroes.   While the Rohirrim seem imperilled, I wonder if the whole GW LOTR range may be in greater danger.  I made a very infrequent trip to the GW webstore and noticed that the whole Tolkien line of licensed products is now listed under the single title/category of “The Hobbit”.  It looks like most of the models from the original LOTR series are still in stock, but I noticed some absences.  With the original three films now a decade in the past, I suspect GW accountants will pull the plug on the range when sales fall to a certain point.  Since they all seem to have vanished from retail, it looks like the GW Webstore or EBay will have to be my sources if I want more of these guys.  It also appears that GW has withdrawn some of the LOTR rules books, such as the War of the Ring book for large-scale battles.



Hmmm, those Uruks need some work as well.  At least some sort of nasty grey wasteland texture on the slotta bases, or should it be green, to show the tender shoots of Middle Earth’s forests trampled under the iron-shod sandals of Isengard?



Bring it on! cries Theoden.  "Those accountant pukes won’t discontinue the Riders of Rohan, not as long as my sword is held high" (which is not the best defensive stance for an oncoming pikeman, but who am I to second guess King Theoden?)



Some versions of the Gamling sculpt have him holding a banner, which frankly I’d prefer.  In this version his left hand (awkwardly cropped from the shot) is sticking out empty handed, which makes him look a bit like a fencer or a back alley knife fighter.  Maybe I should find him a shield?  I like the Eowyn casting.  There is one from the third film (the scene with the Nazgul on the Pelennor Fields) with her wearing armour which would be nice to have as well, but I like this one.  I should find some Viking shield maidens (maybe from the Wargames Foundry line) to keep her company.

These figures bring my 2014 totals to:

28mm Mounted: 13, 28mm Foot: 55, 28mm Artillery: 2; 28mm terrain pieces: 9.

20mm Foot: 33, 20mm Artillery: 2, 20mm Vehicles: 2, 20mm Terrain Pieces: 2

15mm Vehicles: 5, 15mm Foot: 26, 15mm Terrain Pieces: 3

6mm Foot:  120, 6mm vehicles: 4, 6mm Terrain Pieces: 2

Kilometres Run: 1,041