Many Mithril Pages @ Faerylands

While I'm in the neighborhood, I might as well stop in for a quick pint...I'm afraid I'll have to pay on my next time through however...

I just got an email about the next release and it has some pictures!



These are so awesome and I can't wait to get them!

Huoommmrhuoommm ... anyway ... a bowl of clear clean water, Master Barliman, please. ... hom ... that's what I thought of when I once considered about what to come this year ... when I then said that this year will be exceptional for tiny miniature releases .... huommm ... we so far saw the 'Corsairs' then we saw the light of some brilliant GF-releases, a new MX, not to forget the Christmas figure for 2007, then now the Swan-Knights are about to be released .... rhuoommm ... a good year indeed ... so far ... huooommm ... in case those d****d Easterlings would at least also see the light before winter solistice, this year could be regarded as one of the best of this metal-producing company .... rhuoommm ... cheers

I imagine we've all seen Michael's new online newsletter by now (surely you got it too, Master Tree?). The illustrated horseman I'd already seen - indeed, I've seen pictures of two others, courtesy of The Man (in fact I saw them about six months ago, which is why I've been becoming impatient for their release, and puzzled by all the delays); but this is the first time I've seen the infantry 'men-at-arms' - and they're the ones on which Chris sought minor suggestions from me when he came to designing them, so I'm very pleased to see them at last, and to see that their 'look' matches my hopes!

As Presto says, The Man can certainly do no wrong at the moment - beyond threatening to tap out my financial reserves by producing more figures than I can sensibly afford. For instance, I already have a Dol Amroth force amongst my wargame collection (not GW, I should hasten to add), which I bought and painted long before Chris had ever intimated he might get round to his own range one day. But now I may very well have to replace them...

Rats.

Huoommmm .... sorry .... I always read the newsletter in a version where no pics and such things are opend, pure text so to say .... huoommm  .... I should reconsider that habit of mine.... hom.

Huooommmm  .. thanks a lot for that, Master Jdbrownn55, indeed. ... I do appreciate your offer ...homrhuom ...

Actually, the wargskin rugs are supposed to scare the spiders away. But as you say, it has gone a little quiet round here. Maybe I should instal a duke-box (like a juke-box, except that it plays madrigal music).

While you're about, Master Tree, have you heard any rumours lately regarding when the next batch of Mw347 Dwarves might appear on eBay? They're certainly slower in appearing than even the Mw347s were.

Yes, their are more dwarves. They are the Warband that would have been released, but how many were actually made is the big question. I don't know how many we will see, but I imagine that some others will be sold in the future by Mr. Tubb.

huooommmmm ... sorry, no news about those tiny dwarves .... ahem, I forgot to ask The Man ...
I think it's a good guess, Master Barliman, .... about twenty, I also think, though the Gondorians and orcs in the later armies were more ... huommm .... so, did I really say that, Master Barliman? ... rhuom ... I cannot recall having received and given any details about missing or non-missing dwarves of that army .... huommm ... but my memory might match yours by now.

Fantastic! more dwarves!

I adore the dwarves, although it must be acknowledged that they are well represented in Mithril. In the series "Thorin & Dain" we have a good example of what we can expect from those who appear on the Mw346

Yes, I've often thought it's a pity that the Lothlorien guards in their grey mail and white cloaks aren't represented in the Mithril range. I'm not so sure about 'heavily-armoured' elves, though. Is it ever intimated that they had any heavier sort of armour than mail? I know Chris has often given them plate armour, but I don't think this is actually supported by any of JRRT's writings - or is it? Please correct me if I'm wrong!

when i say "heavy armored" it can most assurely be chainmail.... But most of the elvenchainmails we see in mithril range are "light chain"... There is no need of plate, but chainmail with full chain arms, chain leggings, helms, and gloves (full armor) is very very rarly seen. Most elves have arms unprotected. I have always wondered why almost all elves have "bare arms", ok for wood elves, but there are not only wood elves

I doubt that elves during the Last Alliance, went to war in such a fashion... and the only "war gear" elves we have are in plate armor.... (which is open to debate), and mostly they are personnalities.

When it comes to the "host of valinor" which is outside Tolkien Enterprise Licence, no matter if it is plate or chain type or armor, but I am most certain it is a "heavy gear" covering all the body including arms, hands, and head.

Celebrimbor and Anatar in the last vignette have a good armor for this purpose, though there is indeed some pieces of plates at shoulders and knees.

Gildor Inglorion wrote:

when i say "heavy armored" it can most assurely be chainmail.... But most of the elvenchainmails we see in mithril range are "light chain"... There is no need of plate, but chainmail with full chain arms, chain leggings, helms, and gloves (full armor) is very very rarly seen. Most elves have arms unprotected. I have always wondered why almost all elves have "bare arms", ok for wood elves, but there are not only wood elves

I doubt that elves during the Last Alliance, went to war in such a fashion... and the only "war gear" elves we have are in plate armor.... (which is open to debate), and mostly they are personnalities.

When it comes to the "host of valinor" which is outside Tolkien Enterprise Licence, no matter if it is plate or chain type or armor, but I am most certain it is a "heavy gear" covering all the body including arms, hands, and head.

Celebrimbor and Anatar in the last vignette have a good armor for this purpose, though there is indeed some pieces of plates at shoulders and knees.

nice thing to discuss.

being part of the re-enactment- scene (those freaks doing fighting with swords as part of medieval events) I know, that speed is mostly the key of success. Most close combats are no longe than some minutes as one blow is the final one, which kills or hurts so heavy, that your enemy cannot strike back (sorry, war is a bloody affair). I always thought, that elves must be quickly with their strikes, so that their armour is lighter not to hinder their "speedy" figthing abilities. Wearing mail armour is heavy enough, so that you cannot fight with it much longer than a very few 2 hours- mail seems much lighter to any fighter than plate, which makes you almost immovable. Plate was historically only common for cavalry units and in the latest Middle Ages as the gunpowder weapons became so popular, that mail wa almost useless (and the Royals and the nobility did not want to be killed or hurt heavily ).
As the 3rd Age of Middle Earth is one of secret warfare, where especially the Elves fight with bows and spears striking surprisingly from hidden places, heavy armour would be a "heavy weakness" instead of a protection.
In my mind the evil side is generally better equipped in the 3rd Age than the Free peoples as reflected in Sarumans troops.

Hope to have thrown in some new aspects.

NAMARIE
estel