# War of the Ring Starter Set Rumour



## Red Corsairs (Jun 8, 2008)

Posted on Warseer last week:



> hey folks, just dropping in to say Ive seen WIP on a WOTR starter box to replace mines of moria. The contents are going to be made up of men of Minas Tirith and Orcs. No confirmation on what is in the box HOWEVER in have seen new Wargs that are bigger then the current ones.
> 
> Take with a pinch of salt if you must


So apparently there's a rumor floating about for a new starter set for everyone's favorite system: War of the Ring. The rumor states it will be Gondor vs Mordor, and may have new Wargs/(Riders?), but other than that, it's alarmingly vague.

The rumour states it could be scheduled for release later this year. I would have thought this would mean that we'd have heard something about it by now unlessthey've tried to keep things quiet with this but either way, Harry has backed it up that it's possible so I'll be doing the same as he's another good with getting Rumours correct.

It makes sense though, I would have expected one back in the release, but there wasn't for some reason.

Thoughts? Good? Bad? Indifferent?


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Wow, sounds great, Really looking forward to this even if I aint a fan of Lotr board game, but I hope it is true...


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## GrizBe (May 12, 2010)

Wow.. war of the zzzzz...... sorry, I died of lack of interest halfway through typing.

They really need to do something with LOTR if they want to keep pushing it as a main game... Its litterally only got 1 shelving section in my local GW it sell that poorly compared to 40k and WHFB.


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

meh, honestly not too interested in a war of the ring starter, its a completely inferior broken system that needs allot of thought put back into it by the designers and writers to fix the many many problems with it, it feels too rushed and far to aimed at just selling models than providing a gaming experience.

although if it has allot of models at a good price, it would be interesting for basic LotR players who want larger forces


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

Stella Cadente said:


> meh, honestly not too interested in a war of the ring starter, its a completely inferior broken system that needs allot of thought put back into it by the designers and writers to fix the many many problems with it, it feels too rushed and far to aimed at just selling models than providing a gaming experience.
> 
> although if it has allot of models at a good price, it would be interesting for basic LotR players who want larger forces



Did I hear a complain there? Srsly, instead of "Senior Member" it should be "Heresys main complainer"... :laugh:


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

Doelago said:


> Did I hear a complain there? Srsly, instead of "Senior Member" it should be "Heresys main complainer"... :laugh:


Truly Hilarious, my sides are splitting from laughter, ha, ha, ha.....ha

although in this case I'm complaining because WotR IS an inferior rushed system filled with flaws galore that needs to be repaired....or just rewritten from the start.


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## Red Corsairs (Jun 8, 2008)

It's true, War of the Ring really is an inferior system and really does need redoing. But we all know that's not going to happen so I'll just stick to SBG.

And the starter set rumours really appeal to me for the same reason Stella pointed out... lots of models. If it's true I would guess it'll be £60 for two small forces. Which is fine by me just as an expansion to my current armies.


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

I could see this happening. Last Saturday at the local GW they had received directives that the WOTR display board/introduction game that they HAD to use Mordor and Gondor forces. Could just be a coincidence since all the easterlings used had to be replaced by orcs.


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## Red Corsairs (Jun 8, 2008)

Stephen_Newman said:


> I could see this happening. Last Saturday at the local GW they had received directives that the WOTR display board/introduction game that they HAD to use Mordor and Gondor forces. Could just be a coincidence since all the easterlings used had to be replaced by orcs.


I've heard the same has happened in most GW stores (including the one near me I believe).


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## ownzu (Jul 11, 2010)

i love the starter box thats out atm,skirmish lotr is so much better


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

War of the Ring... 

... *Struggles*

The thing, that is even more point-void than Lord of the Rings SBG? Seriously, the 40k-player-hating part of my revels in this, but I can't help but think, would pouring more money into a hardly cared for system even make a proffit? I mean, seriously, I'll be surprised if GW even makes any worthy proffit for ordinaire LOTR.

Frankly, I wish they would forget WOTR and burn this abomination from the pages of history in something very hot and very radioactive, and concentrate on improving the quality of the ordinary stuff. Last Alliance and so forth.


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## Red Corsairs (Jun 8, 2008)

The thing is they ARE making profit from War of the Ring, I don't know how but it's making them plenty. The reason they made it was to gain more interest in the LotR part of the hobby as they were starting to lose money, but if they'd taken the time it took them to make WotR and worked on a new edition of the SBG with new miniatures and actually focussed on improving the good system they already had, they'd have done fine.

But I'm biassed because I'm a big fan if the Strategy Battle game and GW have pretty much had their middle fingers stuck up at SBG gamers since the release of WotR.

But moving back to the original topic, it would still be nice to see a WotR starter set (hooray for new minis) and it's something they should've done a while ago.


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

bobss said:


> I'll be surprised if GW even makes any worthy proffit for ordinaire LOTR.


actually I remember reading a couple of years back that LotR was still responsible for about a quarter of GW's earnings, fantasy even less, but 40k earning everything else (not including other bits and pieces of course), it has been about the same since reading that, and I wouldn't be suprised if it was equal results before I read that as well.

so its still a very good earner for GW, its just the majority of players plug there ears when people tell them and hum loudly


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

Stella Cadente said:


> actually I remember reading a couple of years back that LotR was still responsible for about a quarter of GW's earnings, fantasy even less, but 40k earning everything else (not including other bits and pieces of course), it has been about the same since reading that, and I wouldn't be suprised if it was equal results before I read that as well.
> 
> so its still a very good earner for GW, its just the majority of players plug there ears when people tell them and hum loudly


A quater? I'm very surprised. Lord of the Rings -I originally thought- was something that would hook the innocent in with, those who would generally fanboy over the films, before they were fed into the machine that is 40k. 

Surely general Hobby tools: Overpriced paints etc would earn a large portion of GW earnings?


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## Red Corsairs (Jun 8, 2008)

> A quater? I'm very surprised. Lord of the Rings -I originally thought- was something that would hook the innocent in with, those who would generally fanboy over the films, before they were fed into the machine that is 40k.


Well even if the LotR games were just to get the Tolkein/LotR fanboys hooked on the hobby, there are thousands more Tolkein fanboys than us wargamers so even if a small amount of them got into the game, it'd still contribute a lot of sales. Probably why LotR makes more money than most people in the hobby think.



> Surely general Hobby tools: Overpriced paints etc would earn a large portion of GW earnings?


Which is why he said ot including all of those products :wink:


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

bobss said:


> A quater? I'm very surprised. Lord of the Rings -I originally thought- was something that would hook the innocent in with, those who would generally fanboy over the films, before they were fed into the machine that is 40k.
> 
> Surely general Hobby tools: Overpriced paints etc would earn a large portion of GW earnings?


One of GWs most profitable and best selling items is Chaos black paint, also they shift about 1 million pots of paint a year(from the whole range mind you), you do the maths.

But stella is bang on about lord of the rings it out sold fantasy,not sure if it still does since the move to plastics but its a far larger seller than it gets credit for and is very popular outside of the uk.


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## Red Corsairs (Jun 8, 2008)

bitsandkits said:


> One of GWs most profitable and best selling items is Chaos black paint, also they shift about 1 million pots of paint a year(from the whole range mind you), you do the maths.


I'm not surprised, the amount of pots of that I've had to buy... :ireful2:


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

bobss said:


> Surely general Hobby tools: Overpriced paints etc would earn a large portion of GW earnings?


allot of people don't buy GW tools and paints anymore though, Vallejo has pretty much become the wanted brand by everyone, with a few mentioning of P3 and MP, and allot of people use car sprays as primers.

and tools are one area especially that alternatives are found, modern GW tools are unsafe, extremely unsafe, I've seen there knives pop out the handles to fly across rooms and there clippers shatter cutting *plastic*, and if we include glue in the tools I know allot of people use Revell glue due to the fine control nozzle, and different brans of super glue are used since GW glue is weak as cat piss.

if we include basing materials in the same area as well, PVA glue you can get from £1 stores, and bird cage sand in massive bags for a small price.

so the money they make from these areas is easy to ignore in my opinion, cus its just a losing battle for them when alternatives exist that are superior and cheaper, the only area they do well in from what I see would be washes, there the greatest thing GW have released in many many many long years


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

I completely agree with stella on the tool front, i was a huge huge fan of the old yellow handled clippers (yeah i get through alot of clippers) they were sharp and strong and lasted ages, the new grey and black handled one lasted about a week in my office, the second pair about a fortnight, so my wife told my to get some knippex clippers, ok they cost £20 but they are German and they lasted 18 months and bearing in mind how many parts we clip thats pretty good. 

I have owned most of my personal modeling tools for well over 10 years and apart from replacing a drill bit here and scalpel blades i dont honestly feel i will ever need to replace them through wear and tear, but that isnt what GW want, they want you to buy new clippers every few years or new knife etc because thats how they make money.


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

All this moaning takes me back to the days when paint was only 1.75. Oh I use the red handled clippers-lasted me since 2002 and still work, even on metal!


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

even I have the yellow handle ones, mind you I bought mine from a model show for £2, exactly same company that made them for GW though, great clippers.


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## jigplums (Dec 15, 2006)

I think Wotr really really needs a starter set. I actually really like the game, but yes i agree that there are "a few" holes in the system that could do with tightening up.

also i've had the black handled clippers since they came out and never had any problems. I do a fair bit of building. prehaps it was a batch fault. Gw dont want product that falls apart they want to be known as the best in the business when it comes to quality. if a product falls apart and doesn't do what it should, gw will do whatever they can to sort it out. if you bought them back they would swap them straight away. last week in gw 2 electricians came into the store specifically to buy clippers because they wanted them for trimming cable ties. They said that everyone in the industry said the gw ones were the best and that they were better than some make i'd never heard of that are £20.


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

jigplums said:


> Gw dont want product that falls apart they want to be known as the best in the business when it comes to quality.


when did they have this sudden and uncharacteristic change of heart?


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

It could be a design flaw in newer clippers that forces kids (the audience that brings the most money) to buy more!


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## Blue Liger (Apr 25, 2008)

Stella Cadente said:


> meh, honestly not too interested in a war of the ring starter, its a completely inferior broken system that needs allot of thought put back into it by the designers and writers to fix the many many problems with it, it feels too rushed and far to aimed at just selling models than providing a gaming experience.
> 
> although if it has allot of models at a good price, it would be interesting for basic LotR players who want larger forces


I agree it's broken there is one combo invoving 3 characters - (from memory Dain and Aragon make up 2 the other I can't recall right now but it essentially makes you beat anything in CC and you don't even need to roll dice as any 1's you can use might points to auto bolster and it's just so broken!


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## Red Corsairs (Jun 8, 2008)

jigplums said:


> I think Wotr really really needs a starter set. I actually really like the game, but yes i agree that there are "a few" holes in the system that could do with tightening up.
> 
> also i've had the black handled clippers since they came out and never had any problems. I do a fair bit of building. prehaps it was a batch fault. Gw dont want product that falls apart they want to be known as the best in the business when it comes to quality. if a product falls apart and doesn't do what it should, gw will do whatever they can to sort it out. if you bought them back they would swap them straight away. last week in gw 2 electricians came into the store specifically to buy clippers because they wanted them for trimming cable ties. They said that everyone in the industry said the gw ones were the best and that they were better than some make i'd never heard of that are £20.


Could've been a batch thing, mine have always been fine but I have seen one pair shatter.

Anyway back to War of the Ring, the flaws with it could be fixed and I think maybe if they did manage to fix all the flaws it has potential to be a very good game. Untill then I think the only use I will see for a WotR starter set will be for extra minis (which alone makes me hope this rumour is true and makes me look forward to it, everybody loves cheap minis in starter sets - especially if the new Wargs rumour is correct)  Unless someone is able to get me back into it somehow...


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