Dienstag, 12. März 2013

Unboxing: Warriors of Dale

I have finally managed to get some of the newly released Warriors of Dale. GW has been stingy with these. It seems as if most independent retailers as well as GW stores have only got some few copies... I don't think I'll ever understand this company...
 


This box has been a controversial issue in the forums since it contains not the standard number of 12 models but only 10 (for which we don't even have a ruleset in the official books). Many hobbyists have detected some hidden price increase here but actually I don't see how the two additional models should have been forced into this frame. There are 4 warriors with spear, 3 warriors with sword and 3 archers in the box. 7 of them have the option for a shield. The frame is loaded with miniature parts. Especially the cloaks are quite bulky, similar to those of the new Elven cavalry, and take a lot of space. Nevertheless they add a great touch to those models and give them a very dynamic appearance. I really like Weta's Eastern European design and it has been perfectly caught in these models.

Im pretty sure the models will look gorgeous as an addition to an Erebor army, although I would prefer to field some warband of these on their own. I really could imagine these in some scenarios, defending a trade caravan against some Easterlings or patroling Rhovanion for marauding orc bands. I hope they extend the Men of Dale as a playable army some day... Otherwise it will mean a lot of conversion work for me... At least some characters would be nice...




As I already mentioned, the Warriors of Dale have no entry in the rulebooks so far. It's a shame that GW seems to have planned the Hobbit releases in such a sloppy and insufficient way, especially since it degrades the value of the hardcover rulebook... Why should I prefer the hardcover rulebook to the cheap one in the EfGT box set if it not even contains all the new profiles? Not very smart... 

On the other hand, I like GW's solution to this shortcoming. They simply relased the rules with the miniatures. The cardboard stat card that comes with the box contains the profiles of the Warriors of Dale in 6 languages. There's not much on it but some crappy text about their background (which I can't bring into context with the books at all...) and the profiles for warriors and a captain. Actually that is all I needed. I didn't expect some fancy artwork or some new special rules. All I wanted was some regular, well balanced troops and it's a real pleasure that the rules reflect that. Unluckily they don't seem to have the options for horns or flags. I'm curious if this is only because someone in Nottingham has been sloppy again, or if they really are intended to get no flags at all. Since they are guardsmen, I really would have loved some alarm horns or bells sound off...


Fin

2 Kommentare:

  1. Its going to take me some time to get used to the eastern European feel of these troops as that was never how I envisaged them.
    Only 10 figures in the box is annoying from a cost perspective certainly ( I guess that puts then in the same league as the Fighting Uruk Hai (10 figs per sprue there too?)
    As for GW, well sloppyness seems to be the way with them these days - Its seems they are employing too many lawyers to protect their IP than staff who actually get the product and rules out correctly...
    There again until they release the flag and horn model, you can't have them, or any rules for them - they certainly won't want you being creative and constructing your own... they just want to drip feed us everything these days, and only what they supply and when will be allowed... its the 'GW HOBBY' now remember!

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  2. Thanks for the review and write-up of the box contents. Most useful. I will undoubtedly buy a pack or two of these.

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