Hobbit Bringing a Revival

[Godswildcard]

I'm actually pretty excited about the new Hobbit stuff! The area that I play in only has a couple of LoTR players, but they're top-notch guys who will always get a game in. Shoot, my wife and I have been playing LoTR as our 'geek thing' to do together for years! She plays Wood Elves, I play Dwarves. Looks like I got the better end of that stick!

Also, as referenced earlier, if they release a diorama of the dwarfs getting in barrels, I'm going to squeal. Just sayin....

[Shrapnelsmile]

We desperately need a new affordable sbg paperback rule book in new model box set. My group has all the starter moria models for WoTR and solo sbg rule books on ebay are virtually non- existent.

[ForgottenLore]

I think to establish this as the third system it really just needs more support. I walked into Exeter G.W the other day and it was WHOAH 40K HERE IT IS, the table behind that... WARHAMMER FANTASY COME AND PLAY and then tucked away at the back next to the painting station was... oh yeah we do LOTR too.

this is the reason why I in this thread have brought up the necessity for GW to cement Lotr's popularity with the Hobbit wave's cargo of newcomers to GW and Lotr. One can't expect Lotr/Hobbit sales to remain on the predictably high levels they will reach with the novelty of the movies, but it should not be impossible for GW to keep many new hobbyists and, perhaps just as important, wake up interest for Lotr amongst the wide ranks of WHFB and 40k players.

I've been meaning to comment on this thread for a while and am just now getting around to it. I agree that the key to cementing LotR as a self-sustaining core game is that GW needs to support it properly, but most of the comments I have seen to that effect have run (or at least implied) something like this "If GW wants LotRs to be a long-lasting core game then they need to support it properly when the Hobbit comes out." and that is wrong. If GW wants LotR to be a long-lasting core game then they needed to start supporting it properly 6 months ago.

For LotR to really take its place alongside WFB and 40K, then GW needs to hook basically as much of the movie watching audience as possible, and they aren't going to do that if someone walks into a store (GW or FLGS) and asks about Hobbit related miniatures and the person behind the counter says "The Hobbit? Yeah we've had a couple people talking about starting to play that now that the movie is out." They need to be able to say "The Hobbit? Yeah we have a bunch of guys who play that, as a matter of fact, there is a game going on over here right now." GW needs to be strongly supporting the line RIGHT NOW, re-energizing the existing player base, getting everyone talking about LotR NOW so that when the surge of interest from the new movies hits all of those new potential players will find a thriving community of players who are willing and eager to teach them how to play and get them involved.

Its not like there isn't anything GW can do before the Hobbit films come out. War of the Ring at least introduced several unit types that don't have any miniatures yet, there are a lot of metal figs that deserve to be moved to plastic (Khandish Warriors, Dunlendings, splitting up the last alliance set) All the old SBG source books and such could probably stand to be updated and revised in some fashion, there is a lot they could be doing.

If they wait until November, just before the movie actually comes out, they are going to get a whole bunch of look in interest that will immediately go away when they don't find an existing community to support the game.

[Karak Norn Clansman]

Excellent point, ForgottenLore. (I still of course hope GW will be able to hook a considerable number of new hobbyists and make the game permanently established, although this does not seem too likely.)

[KentishNomad]

I think the prices put off folk that might be attracted to the hobby by the LOTR content tbh.

[Peregrin]

Prices don't help, but FG is correct. I have been willing to break the bank at times when there was a gaming community present to 'suck me in'. Without an established, thriving, helpful community, the Hobbit launch will be more like trying to get steam under a brand new game. It's nice for some of our dwarf and goblin players, but many of the established players won't even be buying the new product. For instance, there most likely won't be a lot of new models for either my own Rohirim or Minas Tirith armies. It's hard to say where Dale will fit. I'm guessing they'll be their own faction, like the Feifdoms.

However, if the new product drew more players in, or if there were just generally more ongoing support for LotR from GW, I would be tempted to bolster my own armies by buying existing product. Either way, GW would end up with more of my cash if they had this ongoing support.

[Greendragon]

**** it. I will do what GW will not! Upon my oath!

GW Exeter store has just decreased it's size, reducing gaming space in favour of storage space O.o. There seems to be only 1 gaming club in East Devon and they focus on FoW and other WWII related systems. My plan is to capitalize on this gap in the market here. Toward September time I'll be running gaming days at a local venue (fairly spacious venue too). My plan is to work with a friend of mine and together light the way to recruit new LotR players or revive those who had lost their way.

I am currently building Helms Deep and an Uruk army, he is building a Rohan army - so thats table one planned. Tables 2 and 3 will most likely be Hobbit focused, i.e the new box set. This leaves plenty of room for us to showcase the rest of what LotR has to offer. For example his Dwarf Army, Harad army or Minas Tirith army. Or my Ents, Mumak or Watcher in the Water and the complete Fellowship. Add to that a CD of LotR music playing in the venue and I think I can pull this off, the LotR day in particular will be of course shortly after the release of the Hobbit box set, so check back for (hopefully) plenty of photos around that time =D

Before you ask as well its not a spur of the moment thing, although it seems it, he and myself have been plotting this day for a while. Supporting the LotR cause! If anybody in this thread lives in and around South West U.K get in touch, you could come help out =D

[Karak Norn Clansman]

I'm in the wrong country and cannot attend.

It seem a clever move. Good luck to you and your friend, Greendragon! I hope it works out well for you.

[GodlessM]

JUst to clear something up, Christopher Tolkein never said he would never support any adaptations of his fathers work (on the contrary when accused of this he denied it publically) but that he would never see any adaptation as being of what his father created. He has been allowing rights to stuff for the past decade now sure.

[Peregrin]

Right on, Green Dragon!
I would be there in a heartbeat if I lived in your area. The trans-continental flight would be a bit much at this point, though.
I'm hoping to arrange some demos at a local venue as well, but space is seriously limited.