Games Workshop

Shadow and Flame

For those boring old farts like me who read Lord of the Rings way back in the hippy Sixties, the latest cinematic version is fine as far as it goes, but it misses out a number of incidents and characters that feature in the original tale. Equally there are now dedicated gamers who are far more versed in the characters and history and Middle Earth and its inhabitants than I ever was, simply because of the gaming possibilities that lie within.

So good news for all you gamers out there, those kind gnomes at Games Workshop have come up trumps and produced the Shadow and Flame strategy game book, which is packed with information and rules allowing you to fight those amazing combats you are dying to stage. As my son said after he had literally snatched the book from me and locked himself in his room for a few hours…. "Have you seen Glorfindel …..He's so cool!"

Glorfindel is of course a super skilled and courageous elven warrior…in case you were not sure.

The format of the book is the familiar, professional Games Worshop production, A4 Soft back, packed with superb pics of amazing models, painting tips, character descriptions and special rules. So if you want to pit your Hobbits against the weird powers of the Barrow Wights, check out the effect of Tom Bombadil's singing on a goblin, grab Shadow and Flame, a bargain at £8, as soon as possible.

Of course to fight the games you need the figures and again Games Workshop have come up trumps with a range of Dwarves representing the forces of Ballin in his attempt to literally carve a kingdom in Khazad Dum, with the tragic results that are so graphically recounted in the first of the LOTR movies.

Received for review is a set of Ballin's personal Khazad guard, and the Man himself, all portrayed armed with war axes and storming down on the evil hordes. These figures are excellent, with great detail, especially in the Nordic and runic designs that decorate the helms and equipment. The facial expression on the models is clear, and very realistic. These models simply shout the desperation of a determined if hopeless last stand and are to be highly recommended. There are a total of 9 models in the set which retails at £20.

For those who favour the forces of the Dark Lord and want to really give their army an "edge", how about a Ringwraith, mounted on a flying "fell beast" just as featured in the Two Towers movie at the fords of Issen, and designed by the sickeningly talented perry Twins. The model features a wraith , which to be honest I found a little disappointing and lacking in threat, a standing Frodo, and the beast itself. This seem to be a sort of wyvern, the body is cast in metal and in five sections, with the huge outspread wings, produced in plastic. I suppose that with such a fearsome and threatening mount there is little need for the wraith to be portrayed on a more active posture, but even so I think that just a little extra work would have improved an already excellent vignette. This boxed set retails at a hefty £30, but hey just think of that "edge"

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