From communitysite TheFellowship.nl comes the news that an expansion set for the Lord of the Rings Risk-boardgame will most likely be in stores in The Netherlands from september onwards. The expansion set will probably include the regions of Gondor and Mordor that aren’t on the current map.
Whether or not it will also be available in the US and other countries at the same time is unsure; the game got released in The Netherlands a few months before it got released in other parts of the world and the same might go for the expansion set.
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Has PJ been sneaking past shots from RoTK in the quick montages that form the FoTR and TTT trailers? Remember the old near-subliminal shots of Sauron decapitating an innocent man of Gondor in the first FoTR trailer? Ringer Spy Raggo put forth the hypothesis in Barliman’s tonight that the footage may in fact have been taken from Return Of The King… [More] Updated!
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Rumour and debate has abounded recently on just how many shots from TTT:EX and RoTK may already have been flashed in front of our noses, in the form of the rapid-fire montages that make up the FoTR and TTT trailers. Ringer Spy Raggo mentioned in Barliman’s tonight the possibility that the venerable near-subliminal shots of Sauron wielding his mace in the first major FoTR trailer which we analysed back in the day – might in fact be an unintentional preview of RoTK goodness. Specifically, the bright blue sky doesn’t look particularly Mordoresque.
But on closer inspection, going through the footage of The Last Alliance in the FoTR Prologue (in the theatrical cut) reveals precisely the same shot…
…but now, with all-important digital colour correction applied; transforming a sunny day somewhere in New Zealand into the darkest shadows of Mordor. So the conclusion to be reached is, alas, that we have no better idea as to the nature of Sauron’s corporeal form (if any) in RoTK than we’ve ever had, since the original “20 Questions with PJ” AICN interview back in August 1998:
We still don’t have a definitive answer. The Sauron of the books is sketchy at best, which makes it hard to turn him into a screen villain to carry 3 movies. Imagine not really seeing Darth Vader for all 3 Star Wars films. You just can’t do it.
We obviously have Sauron’s various emissaries to represent him, but just how Sauron himself appears is still a puzzle we are trying to solve. I agree that you can’t reduce him to being a big guy striding around in black armour – but he cannot be limited to a flaming eye either. It’s tough. We’ll keep working on it.
Updated!
Demosthenes did some digging around and found two key reports from almost precisely 2 years ago, courtesy of Ringer Spy Sylvesterpasemester by way of Tehanu, which describes how when working as extras on the set, they saw “a huge guy with black armour and a huge kind of battleaxe or a hammer, who was standing in the front of a giant bluescreen and there were nine, I repeat !!NINE!! smaller guys with crowns around him…” [More] (N.B. the updated report then reappraises this figure to EIGHT smaller guys). Now, there is obviously the chance that this was an abandoned shot from the FoTR Prologue – but the mention of “Around him there lay tons of dead human bodies and a great corps[?]” hints perhaps even at the infamous RoTK Oliphaunt Set? We sure didn’t see this in FoTR, though…
And further revelations about the extent of Sauron’s appearance in the films were made by Philippa Boyens herself in Creative Screenwriting Magazine as discovered by Ringer Spy Hunter – specifically the top of the third column on this page. And in the same story, Sylvesterpasemester updated his original report – giving details of the armour of the troops on set. But is it the Last Alliance (complete with Nazguls who never made it to the final cuts) – or the Last Battle before the Black Gate of Mordor? Decide for yourselves… [More]
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Rebecca writes: I just read in the Weds March 12th issue of Daily Variety that Karl Urban (Eomer) has signed with CAA (Creative Artists Agency). He is in final negotiations for Universal’s upcoming ‘Pitch Black’ sequel ‘Riddick’.
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LOTR star Billy Boyd has been talking up Russell Crowe’s “Master and Commander”. Boyd, who plays helmsman Barrett Bonden in the pic, tells BBCi Films: “I think it will be an amazing movie. It’s Peter Weir, and the rushes that I saw just looked beautiful. Every frame is like a painting.” [More]
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For fans of the Lord of the Rings Tabletop Battle Game, it’s hard not to notice other Tabletop Games in-play at your local Games Workshop Retailer. Dominant among these games are the fantasy based Warhammer, and it’s futuristic counterpart Warhammer 40,000. Recently the masterminds at Games Workshop have added two new additions to these games; The Tomb Kings for Warhammer, and the Daemonhunters for Warhammer 40,000.
Any fan of Warhammer will remember the Khemri’s birth back in White Dwarf #227 and #238. Over four years ago fans were introduced to “The Tomb Kings of Khemri Bestiary” and the long wait till an official release began. Back then you could simply use existing Undead as your Armies of Nehekhara, but now with the release of the Core Tomb Kings units you can take a true Khemri army to battle with your friends. With creative talents such as The Lord of the Rings Ringer Bearer Alessio Cavatore bringing us a new set of rules and magic to bring to the Tabletop, it was obvious from the start that the Khemri were in good hands.
Your Tomb Kings army will consist of either a Tomb King or Prince, and a Hierophant choice of either a High Liche Priest or a Liche Priest, and while this seems like a limitation, the limit ends there. From these early choices you’re gifted with Troop Selections like The Tomb Guard, so loyal that those who lived at the time of their King’s entombment stood at his side buried alive until their King rose and they were again called to serve.
The Tomb Kings adds a new flavor to the world of Warhammer that many players felt was missing from the much loved Tabletop Game. One such Tabletop Gamer was literally in shock at the sheer power of the Bone Giant’s Unstopable Assault. With such new models as said Bone Giant, and the elegant warriors like the Ushabti Warhammer players are opened up to a new color and feel to their army options.
The Craftsmanship of these new Miniatures is incredible, thanks in no small part to Designers Dave Andrews, Juan Diaz, Colin Dixon, Colin Grayson, Mark Harrison, Aly Morrison and Trish Morrison. Comparing the Tomb Kings to other releases in the Warhammer line is like comparing a SideShow/Weta Statue to a Toy Biz action figure. These are just very high detail and well crafted models that Games Workshop has released to raise the bar in Tabletop Excellence yet again.
But what about our futuristic players in the 41st Millennia? Well as of this week fans are now able to swing by their local Games Workshop retailer and pick up the Daemonhunters Codex, the newest army in the Warhammer 40,000 Arena. The Daemonhunters are lead by the elite Ordo Malleus Inquisitors whose task is to cleanse the galaxy of the Daemonic presence at any cost. Able to utilize forces otherwise not available to the average Imperial Force the Daemohunters are the most feared the Empire has to offer.
With elements of Chaos threatening to infest the most inner ranks of the Imperium, the Inquisitors along with their Revenue of Henchmen, Sages and Survo Abominations made to look like cherubs and floating survo skulls call to order the Grey Knights to aide in their quest to cleanse the Galaxy of Chaos. These Grey Knights tower over the average Space Marine with enhanced psychic abilities and armor unseen in the 40k Universe.
Design wise the Daemonhunters utilize the best of existing Imperial Technology and bring to life characters we’d only ever seen in art form in the various Codices. Something that players of all cultures have been pining for for years. With Lord of the Rings in full force, and these fine releases to it’s cousin games Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 it really is a great time to be a Tabletop Gamer!
Do you play Lord of the Rings, Warhammer, or Warhammer 40,000? Want to share your armies with our fans here at Gaming Havens? Drop us a line! Send your Battle Reports and images to Havens@TheOneRing.net today!
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