"War of the Ring: Angmar Werewolves" Topic

Hi,

So, werewolves are an option for War of the Ring Angmar armies, but GW does not produce any werewolf figures. Has anyone thought about what figures they might use for companies of Middle-earth werewolves? I'd be looking for 8 to 16 models for a viable formation. What are some good options from other manufacturers?

Thanks,
Kevin in Edmonton.

The Heroscape blister that has 4 Minutemen also has 3 werewolves.

"GW does not produce any werewolf figures."

Yet.

Awwooo! Werewolves of Angmar. Awwooo!

Dum dum, dum dum
Dum dum dum dum.

I heard a little hobbit got mutilated late last night. Werewolves of Angmar again.

I'm thinking… Wargs with a few slightly humanoid features, a scootch bigger than normal wargs.

Looking forward to seeing the miniatures, although GW's designs based on the movies have been hit or miss in my opinion.

Parts of their site are under construction so a search didn't turn them up, but Alternative Armies, at one time, made some really great werewolves!

Too funny. Now I won't be able to get that song out of my head.

…and his hair was perfect…

I found out yesterday those songs/jingles you can't get out of your head are called "Ear Worms". A University of Cincinnati professor compiled a top 10 list of them.

I'd take a look at the list but I'm afraid of what I'll be thinking about after reading it.

Werewolves are such a "in the mind's eye" sort of thing. I imagine Lon Chaney Jr. with shredded clothes and a faceful of fur and an attitude that lets him jump on the couch … it just ain't Middle Earth. For me.

Last time I bought werewolves, I was quite taken with the old Ral Partha ones for that RPG that spun off the Vampire game. I didn't use them for roleplay, but for Great Rail Wars.

My "Complete Guide" describes them as "dreadful spirits imprisoned in large wolf-bodies". Given this arm-waving description, I'd be tempted to scale back and think of things that would fit into LotR, or at least PJ's LotR. A really big wolf might fit the bill, here, preferably one big enough to make a GW Warg wimper and slink away.

Reaper just released some Dire Wolves in one of their new white-backing miniatures lines, and I liked them a lot. But I like wolf miniatures a lot. I've got a basement seemingly full already, and if I started calling them "were" they might find themselves painted.

Werewolves in Middle Earth? Really? Musta missed that.

Several places in the Silmarillion. It's easily missed, But IIRC Finrod Felagund (my fave Tolkien Name) was done to death by them.

Pat

Blue Moon make some nice traditional werewolves.

Well, Beorn was a werebear, so why not werewolves

If i remember rightly tolkein never uses the term were-creaure (wolf bear etc). He hints at the fact that these are shape changing creatures able to take the form of both men and wolves.

I think modern day usage of the term werewolf (or werebear) has imbued the tolkeins concept with a jackson thriller, american werewolf in london, dog soldiers, style imagery which doesn't sit well for me in Middle earth.

I'd simply buy a unit of wolves that look different to any wargs you have and call them werewolves. I would certainly avoid anything that is an upright man shaped wolf with shredded trousers on… not all in keeping in my mind…

Brandlin

Blue Moon make some nice traditional werewolves.

I'm not sure i understand that comment. What do you mean by 'Traditional' there are so many interpretations. However i like your recommendation.

To emphasise my post above i think i might create a unit of wolves by mixing the wolf creatures from

link

with a pack of these

link

That would give a fully wolf based unit with a few eye catching upright ones… giving the impression of something other than a wolf pack…

What do you mean by 'Traditional' there are so many interpretations

In this instance I meant werewolves that have the classic half man half wolf ripped clothing look. Not werewolves that only play Nappies or ACW using figures older than I am and now obscure rulesets from Featherstone et al. ;-)

No, Tolkien uses the actual word "Werewolf", several times.

and Vampire as well. Don't Beren and Luthien Disguise themselves as one of each to sneak into Morgoth's Lair?

Gaurhoth is the elven word, my mind tells me – and If I am right that makes me sad, as I last read the Sellamillion in 1985

Pat

We have some Werewolves link

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I might go with the Blue Moon solution.

Kevin in Edmonton.

I saw Carcharoth walking with the Witch King— werewolves in Angmar again.

Wow. I'd not seen the Bronze Age weres before – they're really nice.

He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amok in Gundabad and lately he's been overheard in Carn Dûm.

And for those of you who don't get the running joke here:
YouTube link

A unit made up of some Blue Moon and some Bronze Age correctly mixed should look really nice on the board.

Ack! Send wizards, elves, and money!

Tolkien's werewolves were monstrous beasts bred from wolves -- most probably making them quadrupeds -- and inhabited by "dreadful" spirits -- which kinda sounds like fallen Maiar to me. IMHO, this could fit the bill
link

Oh, and the Heroscape Wolves look nice too. link

And the GW multipart Dire Wolves or fleshhounds could work for more demonic werewolves.

Tolkien's werewolves were basically fallen maiar and orc souls incarnated as monstrous wolves. The only "shapeshifters" in the books are Beorn(called a "skin-changer") and Sauron(turns into a giant wolf in the Silmarillion). GWs Wargs should work fine, though you could also use their Vampire Counts Dire Wolves if you want a different look.

From the authoritative Encyclopedia of Arda:
link

Then, follow the link for wereworms…

If you like traditional looking werewolves, D&D plastic miniatures do at least one. They also fit nicely in the new War of the Ring Infantry trays…so perhaps find 8 that do not need painting?

Older GW dire wolves or even the now chaos hounds would work well.The new dire wolves are a bit to rotted to pass as anything but undead.

I put together a lot of Units for LoTR based
on the fluff in the old MERP Game by Iron Crown.

They had a special breed of werewolf orc tribe
the Scara Hai Orcs.I painted up some GW LoTR plastic
orcs with a grey skin paint job & then when they
shifted used GW WH plastic wolves with the leader
figs being old Battle Master Wolves.

D&D Minis makes two werewolves in their line (older)
They also make a Gnoll Claw fiend/thing which works the best!!
The werewolves also need to be on 25mm sized bases so they fit eight to a try.
This rules out most manufacturers wolves and the big were wolves.

You could use a unit of men of your choice led by a dismounted warg.

As Tolkien shape changers can appear as men or beasts just say the rest haven't turned yet.

At some point in the Silmarillion doesn't Sauron live in a tower on an island in a river and is called the or a lord of werewolves. Round about the time of Beren perhaps?

TMP link

CC