[ot] games workshop TV advert

[wighair]

Anyone else (in the UK) notice the Games Workshop TV ad yesterday? It was for a middle earth based magazine/rules featuring free plastic minatures, paint and dice.

Twelve Orcs for 1.99 - Normal issue price 3.99.

I've no idea what the content is like, but I checked out the minatures at my newsagents this morning. They look pretty good for the money.

I was just amazed that they are advertising on TV. Shocking.

Any one know what the contents of the mag are like? I assume it's some basic skirmish type rules, but I am guessing.

 

[Gizzard]

Twelve Orcs for 1.99

This doesnt sound like the Games Workshop I know. ;-)

Or maybe I am just bitter since they just raised the price of the plastic boxes to $30. And Golfangs Ogres (does anyone use these guys anyway?) went from an unreasonable $50 to an inexcusable $75. Bleah.

 

[Dismas]

OK I bit and brought the first issue (GBP1.99).

It is called Battle Games of Middle Earth.

The first issue comes with 12 goblins (4 Spear, 4 Sword, 4 Bow), 4 pots of paint, a brush, a d6 and some cardboard figures of the fellowship

Inside:

• 'Goblin Ambush' scenario - Aragorn is ambushed by a band of Goblins
• an introduction to tabletop war games
• a step by step guide to painting your Moria Goblins with the paints provided
• an introduction to scenery

Future Issues are GBP3.99 and come out every fortnight. Most issues come with plastic figures and paints, approx every 3 issues you get a metal figure (issue 3 Frodo, issue 6 Aragon).

The combat in the first issue is very basic, future issues provide expanded rules.

I am not a big fan of GW, or their (allegded) business pratices, but I was impressed by the product.

This is, without doubt, being used to bring more people into 'their' hobby, using 'Lord of the Rings' as the lure, I can imagine that GW are happy to work at a slight loss with the hope of bigger future sales.

 

[Zappo]

The standard GW tactic is to make a new game every now and then, discontinue it after six months or so, and see how many gamers convert to WH or WH40K, the real moneymakers. It worked on me. What can I say, I was young and foolish. Heck, I still am.

 

[Zander]

I bought the product too. I don't play wargames but I do use minis for D&D. £1.99 for 12 Moria goblins is a good price - considerably cheaper than the same minis at Games Workshop stores. A box of 24 Moria goblins at GW is £12, i.e. three times the price.

The DeAgostini pack also includes stand-up cardboard minis of the Fellowship of the Ring.

I'm not sure if I'll get the other packs in the series but issue 1 is definitely worth it.

BTW here's a link with more details.

 

[Mark]

I'm not sure if I'll get the other packs in the series but issue 1 is definitely worth it.[/URL]

One can never have enough Goblin miniatures, IMO. Any news on if and when these will be available in the US?

 

[Zander]

One can never have enough Goblin miniatures, IMO.

Too right.

Any news on if and when these will be available in the US?

The promotion is being run in conjunction with a publisher called DeAgostini. AFAIK they only operate in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and Malta. I'm not certain that the LotR-GW series is available in Italy. I don't think DeAgostini has a US or Canadian distributor. However, I have seen issue 1 on Ebay.

Hope that helps.

 

[Mark]

The promotion is being run in conjunction with a publisher called DeAgostini. AFAIK they only operate in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and Malta. I'm not certain that the LotR-GW series is available in Italy. I don't think DeAgostini has a US or Canadian distributor. However, I have seen issue 1 on Ebay.

Hope that helps.

Yup. That helps a lot. Thanks!

Probably about time you Brits got the long end of the stick on a gaming release. My heart goes out to each of you everytime I see a thread on Dragon and Dungeon magazine subscription and news stand timing.