Lord of the Rings 40mm Combat Hex
Introduction:
Very occasionally I spot an on line thread in a role play or wargaming site which asks the question: "what is the LOTR Hex game like, is it any good?"
That`s a hard one to answer nowadays, as the Lord of the Rings Combat Hex system is totally defunct, and is played only by a few hardcore players who stayed with the game from the beginning to its rather ignoble end.
Most people have never even heard of this game, or at the very best, can vaguely recall seeing the game starter set or a few booster packs of miniatures hanging about on shelves in their local hobby shops, back along when the first Lord of the Rings movie came out in the cinemas. But I suspect hardly anyone ever got round to purchasing the game... even less, got a chance of playing it.
The game never properly got off the ground like it was supposed to do; which is (in my honest and humble opinion) a crying shame.
An `off shoot` company developed the game on a shoe string, and the idea was accepted and put into production in early 2003. All right, I`d be the very first to admit the rules were totally `borrowed` (maybe inspired by would be kinder) from the Mage Knight game created by Wizkids, especially in the way Special Abilities worked. But the rules were greatly altered; concepts expanded, and everything made to fit neatly into the Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema vision of a Middle
Earth setting.
The whole package was actually rather neat. The rules were, however, dreadfully written, and it took several official re-writes of the rules just to make them readable and workable as a whole. Unfortunately, the initial rules included with the `starter set` were never bought up to date, and customers purchasing this essential starter were forced to use out of date rules - which couldn’t possibly work with most of the newer
miniatures contained within the (latter) booster packs, due to the growing (and altered) Special abilities found on many of the models, and this made the rules completely unusable for new players who were forced to use only their initial purchase of a starter set; the route encouraged to take for those entering the game for the first time.
To make matters worse, nowhere in the starter set was it mentioned that (as they called it) successive `tournament` rules existed as free downloads for those fortunate enough to own or have access to a computer and printer. This meant that the majority of customers never ever even knew that better and more up to date rules existed for the game. Most players simply struggled with the basic rules, and grew more and more confused by the dreadfully illiterate 7 page booklet, and no doubt walked away from the game shaking their heads in sadness and despair... and remember, this game was not cheap: in 2003 booster packs ran at around $10 in the US - for four miniatures; or about 12 Euro in Europe, and these prices increased slightly over the next couple of years.
Combine this with the fact that the company producing the game could never seem to make up their minds how the game should be played. As a result we saw `tournament` rules 1.1... 1.2… 2... 2.2... 3.... 3.1.... and finally 3.2. They were even making a 3.3 rule set when the company, a subsidiary of Games Workshop, finally went bust a few years later.
So why did the company actually go broke? Now there`s an interesting story! Basically, the story goes that Games Workshop took a big interest in the small company producing the game, and eventually (in an act of magnanimous kindness) became the main shareholders, and in effect took it over.
Immediately, Games Workshop suppressed sales, and refused to stock the game in their own stores... and encouraged shops being supplied with their own wares to do likewise. The game was doomed, and the small company`s fate was sealed.
You have to remember, this game was running in direct opposition against sales for Games Workshop`s own Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle game.
The reason I have not named the small company who made the Lord of the Rings Combat Hex game is because they are extremely touchy and sensitive about their mis-management, and Games Workshop, even now, are not above pursuing anyone who slanders this `tax loss` subsidiary venture of theirs.
Anyway, back to the game.
Once you get to the final official tournament version of the game (3.2), the game is remarkably good.
I own the entire base figure set, nearly all of the first expansion, and much of the following set. After the base set, the expansions were called (respectively): Fellowship of the Ring, and The Two Towers. The final release was The Return of the King, but 99.9% of gamers didn`t even get a whiff of this set, because it never reached the shelves, and only those fortunate enough to pre-order an entire case ever got to play with
them. Incidentally, these now fetch incredibly high prices on eBay. A few special sets hit the shelves. Treebeard the Ent, the Cave Troll, the Mordor Troll, the Winged Beast, Sauron, and the Balrog. Also there were a couple of Map packs, which added a whole bunch of double sided maps (much like the Horror Clix and Hero Clix ones), which greatly increased game potential. Personally, I like to use the hex tiles from Heroscape, as the hexes are exactly the same size as those found on the Combat Hex maps, and one might almost think the Heroscape tiles were made for this game. Sadly, Heroscape is no longer in production, but you can still purchase the much needed tiles on eBay and there are many online resources who stock retro gaming supplies.
Is the game any good: Simply put; if you are a Tolkien fan, like the movies or the books, this game is a treasure trove of sheer enjoyment. Those of you who enjoy the movies will be in for a special treat, as all the miniatures for the game are based on the characters, costumes, and actors from Peter Jackson`s trilogy.
There is not a month goes by when my gaming friends and I don`t play at least one game of Lord of the Rings Combat Hex. The rules are simple to learn, yet will take you a life time to master – much like Mage Knight, Hero or Horror Clix. Though in truth, the rules for Combat Hex are probably a bit easier to learn. I also love to play this game solo, as being a skirmish level game its really easy to play by yourself, and yet be able to capture the thematic `mood` of the books or the films.
The scale of the miniatures is slightly weird compared to the standard 25/28mm wargame scale most currently popular. Ordinary minions and heroes work out at 40mm per figure. The downside of this is that you can`t use them for other games, and neither can you add figures from other games into this one. But the plus side is – they look darn good, and those extra few millimetres make a lot of difference to the overall look of the game.
Very occasionally I spot an on line thread in a role play or wargaming site which asks the question: "what is the LOTR Hex game like, is it any good?"
That`s a hard one to answer nowadays, as the Lord of the Rings Combat Hex system is totally defunct, and is played only by a few hardcore players who stayed with the game from the beginning to its rather ignoble end.
Most people have never even heard of this game, or at the very best, can vaguely recall seeing the game starter set or a few booster packs of miniatures hanging about on shelves in their local hobby shops, back along when the first Lord of the Rings movie came out in the cinemas. But I suspect hardly anyone ever got round to purchasing the game... even less, got a chance of playing it.
The game never properly got off the ground like it was supposed to do; which is (in my honest and humble opinion) a crying shame.
An `off shoot` company developed the game on a shoe string, and the idea was accepted and put into production in early 2003. All right, I`d be the very first to admit the rules were totally `borrowed` (maybe inspired by would be kinder) from the Mage Knight game created by Wizkids, especially in the way Special Abilities worked. But the rules were greatly altered; concepts expanded, and everything made to fit neatly into the Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema vision of a Middle
Earth setting.
The whole package was actually rather neat. The rules were, however, dreadfully written, and it took several official re-writes of the rules just to make them readable and workable as a whole. Unfortunately, the initial rules included with the `starter set` were never bought up to date, and customers purchasing this essential starter were forced to use out of date rules - which couldn’t possibly work with most of the newer
miniatures contained within the (latter) booster packs, due to the growing (and altered) Special abilities found on many of the models, and this made the rules completely unusable for new players who were forced to use only their initial purchase of a starter set; the route encouraged to take for those entering the game for the first time.
To make matters worse, nowhere in the starter set was it mentioned that (as they called it) successive `tournament` rules existed as free downloads for those fortunate enough to own or have access to a computer and printer. This meant that the majority of customers never ever even knew that better and more up to date rules existed for the game. Most players simply struggled with the basic rules, and grew more and more confused by the dreadfully illiterate 7 page booklet, and no doubt walked away from the game shaking their heads in sadness and despair... and remember, this game was not cheap: in 2003 booster packs ran at around $10 in the US - for four miniatures; or about 12 Euro in Europe, and these prices increased slightly over the next couple of years.
Combine this with the fact that the company producing the game could never seem to make up their minds how the game should be played. As a result we saw `tournament` rules 1.1... 1.2… 2... 2.2... 3.... 3.1.... and finally 3.2. They were even making a 3.3 rule set when the company, a subsidiary of Games Workshop, finally went bust a few years later.
So why did the company actually go broke? Now there`s an interesting story! Basically, the story goes that Games Workshop took a big interest in the small company producing the game, and eventually (in an act of magnanimous kindness) became the main shareholders, and in effect took it over.
Immediately, Games Workshop suppressed sales, and refused to stock the game in their own stores... and encouraged shops being supplied with their own wares to do likewise. The game was doomed, and the small company`s fate was sealed.
You have to remember, this game was running in direct opposition against sales for Games Workshop`s own Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle game.
The reason I have not named the small company who made the Lord of the Rings Combat Hex game is because they are extremely touchy and sensitive about their mis-management, and Games Workshop, even now, are not above pursuing anyone who slanders this `tax loss` subsidiary venture of theirs.
Anyway, back to the game.
Once you get to the final official tournament version of the game (3.2), the game is remarkably good.
I own the entire base figure set, nearly all of the first expansion, and much of the following set. After the base set, the expansions were called (respectively): Fellowship of the Ring, and The Two Towers. The final release was The Return of the King, but 99.9% of gamers didn`t even get a whiff of this set, because it never reached the shelves, and only those fortunate enough to pre-order an entire case ever got to play with
them. Incidentally, these now fetch incredibly high prices on eBay. A few special sets hit the shelves. Treebeard the Ent, the Cave Troll, the Mordor Troll, the Winged Beast, Sauron, and the Balrog. Also there were a couple of Map packs, which added a whole bunch of double sided maps (much like the Horror Clix and Hero Clix ones), which greatly increased game potential. Personally, I like to use the hex tiles from Heroscape, as the hexes are exactly the same size as those found on the Combat Hex maps, and one might almost think the Heroscape tiles were made for this game. Sadly, Heroscape is no longer in production, but you can still purchase the much needed tiles on eBay and there are many online resources who stock retro gaming supplies.
Is the game any good: Simply put; if you are a Tolkien fan, like the movies or the books, this game is a treasure trove of sheer enjoyment. Those of you who enjoy the movies will be in for a special treat, as all the miniatures for the game are based on the characters, costumes, and actors from Peter Jackson`s trilogy.
There is not a month goes by when my gaming friends and I don`t play at least one game of Lord of the Rings Combat Hex. The rules are simple to learn, yet will take you a life time to master – much like Mage Knight, Hero or Horror Clix. Though in truth, the rules for Combat Hex are probably a bit easier to learn. I also love to play this game solo, as being a skirmish level game its really easy to play by yourself, and yet be able to capture the thematic `mood` of the books or the films.
The scale of the miniatures is slightly weird compared to the standard 25/28mm wargame scale most currently popular. Ordinary minions and heroes work out at 40mm per figure. The downside of this is that you can`t use them for other games, and neither can you add figures from other games into this one. But the plus side is – they look darn good, and those extra few millimetres make a lot of difference to the overall look of the game.
The pieces also come on unique hexagonal bases that fit neatly onto the board hexes; and each base comes with slides or wheels which allow the
players to adjust the figure stats (in play) without the need to write anything down or use counters to record damage.
players to adjust the figure stats (in play) without the need to write anything down or use counters to record damage.
… and of course, the miniatures come pre-painted. Actually, they’re probably the best pre-painted miniatures -to date- on the market. Anyone thinking of taking up this game should look to eBay.
First purchase a Starter Set, this will get you going and provide you with some miniatures, a double sided map, rules, and dice, and is enough to run the game through its paces to see if you like it. Assuming you love it (and you will – trust me), you will need to purchase some booster packs.
First purchase a Starter Set, this will get you going and provide you with some miniatures, a double sided map, rules, and dice, and is enough to run the game through its paces to see if you like it. Assuming you love it (and you will – trust me), you will need to purchase some booster packs.
Try and flesh out your collection with as many of the Base set miniatures as you can. You could play this game for ever just by owning the Starter and pieces from the Base set. The Base set includes all the Fellowship, Rohirrim (Eowyn is my favourite), Gondor Soldiers, Elves, High Elves, plus Elrond and Arwen. For the enemy, there are Nazgul, Moria Goblins, Orcs, Uruk Hai, Easterlings and Haradrim... and all these contained in the initial run of booster packs. Successive sets flesh the game out by adding Mounted figures like Rohan Riders, Warg Riders, Galadriel, King Theoden, etc etc…. even Smeagol. By purchasing Map pack 1 & 2 you will add a lot of additional options to your games; though, as I have already stated, Heroscape hex tiles are perfect for playing this game, and will allow you to make just about any 3 dimensional Middle Earth setting you could possibly desire to use.
But a word of advice. Anyone thinking of taking up Lord of the Rings Combat Hex should do so sooner rather than later: eBay still has a lot of stuff to offer, but this supply is fast drying up. I predict within a year or so, there will be little or nothing moving for this game on eBay or anywhere else.
Like Mage Knight, Hero Clix and many others, Combat Hex was originally a TMG game... or Tradable Miniatures Game. Which means you bought random boosters, unsure what you`d find in each packet. The idea was to trade and swap duplicate and unwanted figures with your friends for pieces mutually beneficial for sharing around: I personally swapped/traded with people all over the world (for the best part of a year and more) or sometimes in mad desperation, purchased pieces on eBay... until I had fleshed out my collection to the point where I was happy to stop.
But a word of advice. Anyone thinking of taking up Lord of the Rings Combat Hex should do so sooner rather than later: eBay still has a lot of stuff to offer, but this supply is fast drying up. I predict within a year or so, there will be little or nothing moving for this game on eBay or anywhere else.
Like Mage Knight, Hero Clix and many others, Combat Hex was originally a TMG game... or Tradable Miniatures Game. Which means you bought random boosters, unsure what you`d find in each packet. The idea was to trade and swap duplicate and unwanted figures with your friends for pieces mutually beneficial for sharing around: I personally swapped/traded with people all over the world (for the best part of a year and more) or sometimes in mad desperation, purchased pieces on eBay... until I had fleshed out my collection to the point where I was happy to stop.
I totally love this game; so much so that one day I plan to put together a Combat Hex Handbook, primarily for my own satisfaction and as a tribute to one of the best table top wargames ever created for the Tolkien and Fantasy buffs in general. I only wish the game hadn’t been so badly messed about and sales miss-managed. Otherwise I`m sure this would have remained a main stream game probably to this day.
Stephen Gilbert © 2013
(Battle reports for this game to come)
sound_your_horn_boromir.doc | |
File Size: | 43226 kb |
File Type: | doc |
"Sound Your Horn Boromir"
The file (above) is in word doc.
The is a simple little `what if` skirmish battle report played solo with 40mm Combat Hex figures and rules. It barely touches the surface of the scope of this game... but I plan to add more of these game reports later, as time permits.
The file (above) is in word doc.
The is a simple little `what if` skirmish battle report played solo with 40mm Combat Hex figures and rules. It barely touches the surface of the scope of this game... but I plan to add more of these game reports later, as time permits.
tmg_tournament_rules_v3.pdf | |
File Size: | 312 kb |
File Type: |
The Rules of the Game (PDF)
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The Shadow Darkens
“You`re nothing but a witless worm, Grima!” The youth flinched involuntarily, even though the insult was old.
Grima sat upon the topmost steps of Meduseld, elbows on his knees and rested his head in his cupped hands. Memories of his dreadful, long dead, scolding Mother`s tongue clouded his thoughts and turned his face into twisted mask of sour hatred… hatred for his home, distain for his position in life, dislike for his peers, and envy for those considered better than himself.
Only a deep driving desire for revenge, matched equally by an unwholesome ambition, forced Grima to endure the scorn and contempt of those around him.
Malicious greed for all the things he did not himself have, fed his angry canker like a noxious wave of foul air; swelling and polluting everything he touched or spied with his narrow broken mind.
A chill wind swept across the flat plains of Rohan in an endless barrage of gusts and eddies, making Grima hug his heavy cloak round himself even more tightly.
Daydreams! Memories of his early life continued to fill his mind. His Mother! Ever a prominent figure in his thoughts, as usual took precedence. She had been truly beautiful. Her pale skin, raven black hair, and blue smoldering eyes had enchanted and entrapped many a suitor; too many a lover had known the firm sway of her bosom or been swayed by the soft yielding promise of her touch.
Yet Oh! How she had used her looks to her advantage. Scheming and conniving her way through life with wanton abandon, and when she had fallen pregnant with child it had been her wits once again which had saved her from the communal scorn of the Edoras women. For she had trapped Galmod, a simple minded buffoon, into believing the child was his own. Wedding Bells swiftly followed and outwardly everything had seemed normal. But it wasn`t long before Delilah was up to her old tricks once more; encouraging the advances of any man who would champion her cause and feed her nymphetic attempts at promoting her frail personal standing and vain self esteem.
But just as her wicked scheming gave her an edge over people, her unhappiness made her malicious. With barely repressed hatred for her child, Grima was a constant reminder to Delilah that she was a mother, supposedly with responsibilities, and for this she was never able to forgive him.
Galmod had gone and gotten himself killed, scalped by Orcs while out on patrol in the North Marches. There had been few tears shed by his wife, and even fewer by Grima. His Father had treated him like a virtual stranger. Perhaps this was because he had found out exactly what Delilah was and doubted whose child he was raising. But in any event Galmod was rarely at home. Or perhaps he was merely chased away by the increase of drunken bouts of violence his wife was liable to throw from time to time.
It was during one such contemptible bout of abuse, long after his Father was dead and buried, that Grima had murdered his Mother! “You filthy, disgusting little worm.” She had called him… the last words she would ever speak, because Grima had taken a meat knife from the hearth and thrust it deep into her throat.
That night, he had broken her body down into manageable pieces and quietly disposed of the parts via the sewage vats. She was never again seen by anyone in Edoras, and few people missed her… except for a string of lascivious lovers.
“I always knew she’d come to a bad end… in the end.” Was the general consensus of opinion around the settlement. For a while, half whispered rumours and pitying glances pursued Grima as he passed by the people in the streets.
For a time Grima found he was almost popular, and men would even invite him to sit and join them at dinner tables and even at the beer tent. Women would smile sadly at him, and children kept their distance.
Grima was, in looks, everything his Mother was not. He was ugly, badly proportioned, and stooped slightly due to a humped back. But where as before people shunned him, now they pitied him. Grima was not slow to put this new found notoriety to good use, and procured for himself a position as House Servant in the Golden Halls. Over the next few years, by hook and by crook Grima wormed his way up the ladder of success, until he even had the personal ear of some of the Noble Men of Meduseld.
He listened at keyholes, he watched from the shadows, he spread malicious gossip and rumour like a breeze running through an open window, and he bought the favour of ambitious men by pandering to their seditious thoughts and needs, and then would spread those same words to other men who were even more grateful to him than those patrons he had condemned.
Soon Grima was a trusted member of Meduseld`s household; and from that elevated position, Grima worked hard to become an asset to those in positions of exalted power, making himself indispensable to the Lords of the Hall, usually at other men’s expense.
But then the stranger had come to Edoras, and before Grima knew it, he was ensnared and enslaved by this wandering vagabond. For it was indeed no other than the Wizard Saruman in disguise who, it was said, sometimes walked here and there both hooded and cloaked to mask his true identity.
Saruman, on one such adventure as he spied out Rohan with his own eyes, saw Grima for the cunning and dangerous animal he truly was, and determined to use him for personal gain. It didn`t taken the Wizard long to gather enough damaging information on the King’s servant to ensure Grima would be a most useful asset to Saruman and his insidious plans.
Grima`s mind suddenly returned to the present, pulled out of his dark thoughts by the presence of a woman as she glided elegantly past him up the stairs. Soft cottons, smelling sweetly of lavender fluttered in the strong breeze, and a gust flicked a corner of the Lady’s gown onto his cheek… just for a second.
“Hello My Lady.” Grima soothed at her as she passed him sitting on the steps. But Eowyn bristled slightly… almost uncomfortably he noted, and she continued on her way without answering him.
Grima let it go! His face remained placid and his eyes never followed her once. He didn`t need to. He knew exactly what desirable secrets her youthful beauty held. Long hours watching her through spy-holes… unbeknownst to the Lady, as she sat brushing her hair or bathing in her private chambers, had left Grima with many vivid images to play with in his private dreams.
When the fair Lady had past and made her way into the Hall, he contented himself with a wicked smile. “You will be mine, Lady!” He mused. “Oh Yes! One day…soon.”
more to come.....