Quest of the Ringbearer: Model Collection Update, Part V

Good morning gamers,

Well, I don't have the 12 Warg Riders that I need to finish Part II or any new Mumaks, Fell Beasts, Spectres, or Rangers to finish up what I need from Part IV, but we're covering the last piece of the Quest of the Ringbearer main scenarios today (Fantasy Fellowship require a slightly different collection), going from Cirith Ungol to Mount Doom. If you have the Battle for Pelennor Fields box set already, you've got a good start on these models. The other models you need are generally quite useful to have anyway - let's get into it!

Part V: Cirith Ungol to Mount Doom

In this section, you're going to see a mix of the actual models and some conversion work (mostly because I either didn't like the model or I didn't think they were worth the $$$ to have the actual one). Many of the models I do have from this set you've already seen on the blog if you've been following the Formations series (it's every first Thursday of the month if you aren't!).

Purchase #33: Shagrat and Gorbag

I love these guys - both in Mordor generally and in the Cirith Ungol Legendary Legion. Gorbag is a very cheap 3 Might hero who can be F5/3A if he's charging 2 warriors each turn. Shagrat provides the hero-thumping power, though he's at his best when he's got a spearman at his back and preferably a friend in the fight (ideally with a spearman at his back too - and maybe a banner nearby). You need these guys for exactly one scenario in the book, but you will probably use at least one of them in any Mordor list you build.

Purchase #34: 15 Mordor Uruk-Hai

I got a box of Mordor Uruk-Hai (6 of them) and promptly started putting Orc bows on them (from Moria Goblins - because their bowmen were disposable before the new Legion dropped). I also had a bunch of Uruk-Hai Scouts from Isengard (some with Uruk-Hai bows, some with no extra gear) lying around so I painted nine of them up to join the horde of Mordor Uruk-Hai. The non-bow-carrying guys have Haradrim bows from the excess of bows I mentioned last time.

Purchase #35: Mordor Orc Taskmaster

You can get this guy as part of the Mordor Command set - and his model is great. I, however, had no interest in paying $40 for an Orc Captain, an Orc Taskmaster, an Orc Warrior with banner, and an Orc Drummer. So, I grabbed an Orc Warrior with two-handed weapon (and a gut - really important detail) that I had lying around and got to work kit-bashing. The whip was made from a bit of thread necklace and the ball on the end of his mace came from the same bead necklace. I love most of the poses of the Mordor Orcs and this one is particularly dynamic.

Purchase #36: Orc armor versions of Frodo and Sam

I mentioned in my review of what models you need that these guys are optional - and I'm exercising my option and not getting them right now. Maybe someday in the future, we'll see.

Purchase #37: Mordor Troll Chieftain

Meet Greg (named after the Taskmaster - which I guess makes the Orc Taskmaster Little Alex Horne) - he's shown up in a bunch of formations articles here on the blog and I love him a lot (thought about taking him to our last THRO tournament, but the Balrog beat him out). I don't field him outside of the Black Gate Opens LL though - I'd rather have Shagrat or a Ringwraith in my Mordor armies. Still, he's a cool model (albeit a lot shorter than he should be now that we have Gundabad Trolls) and I'm glad he's in my collection. I'm looking at getting another one because why not have two Troll Chieftains larking about instead of just one? :)

Purchase #38: Mouth of Sauron F&M

I don't have this guy but am looking at getting him sometime next year. As the cheapest Hero of Valor Mordor has, he's generally used to ally a Mordor contingent into another army (like a Great Beast + chaff - though Razgush may be a controversial alternative if you want Bat Swarms in your list) or in the Black Gate Opens LL (where he's basically an auto-include at most points levels). He's also a pretty good combat mage (though he's on a really short timer).

Purchase #39: 50 Morannons + 3 Morannon Orc Captains

My boys got to these guys right before the photo shoot . . . and my bottle of super glue dried up . . . yeah, they need some fixing . . .

I have a bunch of Morannon Orcs and am looking forward to getting another Pelennor Fields box set (probably next year) to finish off the rest. I need 6 more vanilla Morannons, 8 more shield Morannons, 4 more spear-only Morannons, 4 more spear-and-shield Morannons, 1 more banner, and 2-3 more Captains (I have a two-handed hammer conversion, but technically need shields on these guys) from the box set. I don't foresee needing more than 50 Morannons for anything, so the extra 10-11 I get will be converted into Azog's Lieutenants and some Gundabad Orcs (who I foresee needing a LOT of - and with some help from a Gundabad upgrade pack and a lot of green stuff, I think I can make some pretty good conversions). :)

Purchase #40: King Aragorn on foot

Ah, Elessar - I took this guy to our most recent Grand Tournament here at TMAT and he . . . didn't really perform (#DivaGonnaBeADiva). I don't care though - I love his Legion (though I do think it's better at lower points levels) and I love this guy. So there. :)

Purchase #41: Eomer on foot

This is the old Eomer and while he's okay, I'm looking at getting the new one (will give me a throwing-spear infantry model, a non-throwing-spear infantry model, an armored-horse cavalry model, and a normal-horse cavalry model). We'll see when that trickles up in the priority schema though - there's a lot of stuff vying for my attention.

Purchase #42: Gandalf the White & Pippin

I have Gandalf the White (an old one that's been beaten up quite a bit), but I don't have Pippin - so I'm actually looking at getting the Gandalf and Pippin set that was released with Gondor at War. This WILL trickle up in my priority schema, hopefully for next year.

Purchase #43: Eowyn and Merry

What could be better than pairing the Gandalf the White blister with the Dernhelm blister? Yeah, I need to get this too (hopefully next year).

Purchase #44: 24 Warriors of Rohan + 1 Warrior of Rohan with banner

I have a bunch of these guys now (borrowed some throwing spears for Rangers of Gondor and Warriors of the Dead), but the set will be complete after picking up another Pelennor Fields box set. I love these guys (they're great in a lot of lists - but particularly the Defenders of Helm's Deep and Men of the West Legendary Legions) and I've been getting some great mileage out of them recently (both as foot models in the aforementioned Legions, as well as dismounts for my Riders of Eomer LL/vanilla Rohan lists).

Conclusion

Here's how the standings look - all five sections lined up in a row:

• Current Model count: 
• Part I: 42/42 (100%)
• Part II: 43/55 (~78%)
• Part III: 27/27 (100%)
• Part IV: 129/162 (~80%)
• Part V: 81/115 (~70%)
• TOTAL: 322/401 (~80%)
• Estimated cost remaining: ~$550

We'll be back next month with the first of two Fantasy Fellowship collection updates - just in time for a new project I'm undertaking! Until next time, happy hobbying!