Just bought BoFA

[Tiberius]

Just nabbed a copy on eBay.  My utmost apologies if I out bid it from anyone from this forum.

Anyways, I'm really excited.  I have some good friends who have never gotten into the Old World, but love LotR and have never gotten into much miniature gaming outside of battle masters when they were kids. I'm really hoping this game can get them excited about miniatures gaming.  Plus I figure I can use a lot of these models as a foundation for even more Warmaster Armies, especially Orcs and Goblins, Wood Elves, and Bretonnians.

It seems such a tragedy this game did not get more attention.  Apparently it came out during the height of my Games Workshop involvement, and still I did not hear about it until coming to this forum a few months ago.  I would have bought it without question back then if only I had heard about it even once.

[cjbennett22]

That goes for me two.  I was "heavy" into warmaster when it came out and then never heard of it and when I did see it in the store it was too expensive to get at that moment.  When I went back it had sold and that was all the store ever had of it.  I have read a few places that they never made any ads for it save 1 in a white dwarf I think and what they made and shipped was it, what each store got was all that they could get to sell.  It was a very weird item produced and "sold" by games workshop, must have been a fortune to get it as it came out during the movies by peter Jackson had started coming out so I know the royalties must have been a mint but oh well.

[jchaos79]

I aquire two sets of BOFA long time ago, because then the hill is complete and also for doubling the armies. BOFA also had a range of very beautiful miniatures

http://www.forum.specialist-arms.com/index.php?topic=4118.0

Today copplestone and magister millitum (elves and orcs for peter jackson aesthetic) seems the best option to play in the middle earth.

There were a MEWM (middle earth warmaster) in a dedicated yahoo group that make a wonderful set of rules, but unfortunately I lost the pdf in some migration of pc to another.

In my opinion playing the basic BOFA game for beginers in wargames seems perfect. No messing with armylist or multiple choices. Just play the scenario a couple of times and then decide if you could go further with another scenario.

The bofa rulebook suggest some scenarios. My advice is not to play the one against Smaug. This game is very unbalance and poorly design, so playing it with people new to wargame world could dissapoint them and also generate a uneasy feeling to the umpire.

My advice is once played the bofa a couple of times move on to a battle but using the light vs dark army again with another game table (obstacles). And avoid fortress and seiges until all the players are veterans.


 

[Tiberius]

I'm glad to hear this is a good "gateway" game.  I'm still not very good with the warmaster rules, so this will probably be good for me too.

Also thinking about this game, I am really glad it came out before the movies.  I absolutely love the book, but was not a fan of the movies.  This makes it so much better.

How do the armies fit in with regular Warmaster models?  I think I've seen a couple places that they are a bit smaller.  I think I read somewhere the the Dwarfs are the worst.  Obviously the goblins are a very different style, but oh well.

Also jchaos, your catalogue is awesome!  I didn't know you had made one.  That will be very helpful in the future.

[jchaos79]

I am also a fan of the book and maybe Angus Macbride imaginarium rather than peter jackson easthetic.

The figures are a little smaller, but in the fury of the battle IMHO they are OK.

About the catalogue, it is open to everyone to share their pictures, paint, ideas conversion or expand open new threads. I will add to the catalogue index.

[forbes]

I really like the BoFA box set - its a real shame that it wasn't promoted more.

Yes the figures are a bit smaller than most metal 10mms, but once on the battle field its not really noticeable.

The wolves are a little disappointing as they are so regular - and with the snouts and tails being cast together you can't easily split them up to be a bit more irregular. But you get loads of them!

[jchaos79]

they make a great substitute for dire wolf in vampire count list or even goblin wolf riders in regular O&G list

[Tiberius]

Just got the box!  The guy before me painted a good portion of the models too, and the hill.  He did a very fine job.  These are all the models he painted:









Very excited to play this!  The models look awesome.  They really did pack a lot of good stuff into the box set.  That hill will now probably be a major part of most warmaster battles I play, and the river bits do look very nice.  If GW could make everything they sell like this, they would have amazing potential.

[jchaos79]

The paint is super. BOFA can be played over and over again with different results so if you are eager to play now do not be stopped by the necessity to paint all huge quantites of goblins or with the time you will loose impetus/impulse of playing.

but just my opinion

[forbes]

Those figures look great, good painting on them, a good score there!

I'm not so sure about the mint green hill. But you can darken that up, or flock it pretty easily.

[Tiberius]

I'm not so sure about the mint green hill. But you can darken that up, or flock it pretty easily.

My thoughts exactly!

jchaos79: I definitely will be playing before they are all painted.  And you are right, there are so many goblins!!!  It sure looks like a blast though.