I am a little late with my post on the unboxing of Battle of Pelennor Fields (as most people revealed them last weekend), but better late than never, being out of town and then sick delayed my unboxing.
I picked up my copy of Battle of Pelennor Fields right after our Middle-earth seminar at the NOVA Open. At first I was not going to purchase the starter set, but just the new Rules Manual, but while waiting in line for sales to open, I changed my mind. I figure for the extra cost of $90, all the models that were included were well worth it. The plus side is, I never owned a Fell Beast nor Warriors of the Dead, and my Riders of Rohan and Morannon Orcs are still in Arizona. So the majority of the models included in the box set, I currently do not have with me. The Winged Nazgul an Troll alone are $100, so all the other models are basically free.
Here is a description from Games Workshop site on what is all included.
Miniatures
Good
- Théoden, King of Rohan on Foot and Horseback: this character is supplied as 2 models, 1 on foot and 1 mounted and charging. Both models feature options for a helmeted or unhelmeted head, and both are clad in heavy armour, and armed with his sword, Herugrim. On foot, Théoden holds a shield; mounted, that shield is stowed;
- 12 Warriors of Rohan: foot-soldiers who make up the rank and file of the armies of Rohan. 4 models are armed with bows, 4 with hand weapons and shields, and 4 with spears and shields;
- 12 Riders of Rohan: horse-masters beyond compare, renowned for their great skill and bravery. 4 are armed with spear and shield, 4 with bows, 2 with swords and shields, and 2 with axes and shields;
- 20 Warriors of the Dead: restless spectral images of their former selves. 14 are armed with hand weapons, and 6 with spears.
Evil
- The Witch-King of Angmar on Fell Beast: the greatest of the Nazgûl, and Sauron’s most deadly lieutenant, the Witch-King of Angmar carries a sword, wears the Crown of Morgul and attacks with the Fell Beast’s teeth and claws;
- A Mordor Troll: spearheading attacks and breaking down fortress walls, this enormous creature wears heavy armour and is armed with a hand-and-a-half hammer;
- 36 Morannon Orcs: hailing from the Black Gate these are a stronger breed of Orc than those who man Sauron’s other bastions. They wear brutal-looking, thick armour – 18 carry hand weapons and shields, and 18 carry spears and shields.
Rules
This box contains the complete, unabridged 208-page hardback Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game Rules Manual, packed with essential rules, guides and information covering Open, Narrative and Matched Play with your Middle-earth miniatures. Everything from the basic fundamentals of movement and combat through to fielding siege engines and casting magical powers is here, in an easy to follow format with annotated diagrams and photographs demonstrating the flow of battle. It even features beautifully-painted example armies, providing inspiration for your own collections.
As well as this, there’s a 16-page booklet – this contains the scenarios and profiles you’ll use in conjunction with the Rules Manual to recreate the Battle of Pelennor Fields with the miniatures in this box. 4 Scenarios are included to play through – Charge of the Rohirrim, Théoden’s Last Stand, The March of the Dead and The Battle of Pelennor Fields – each of these in turn adds more and more miniatures from the box, increasing the scale of the battles as you play.
Accessories
A selection of gaming accessories are included, necessary for play:
- 12 6-sided dice;
- A 12" Rohan range ruler;
- A 12" Mordor range ruler;
- A double-sided sheet of punch-out tokens, used in game to denote effects and statuses of models.
