Problems with the War of the Rings Painted Minis (2nd Edition)

EDIT: This post was made before the latest versions were printed, and is based on the first "non collectors" edition printing of the 2nd Edition. From talking to other people, it seems most of the issues below have now been rectified.


I made a post a while ago around the issues with painting the minis from the War of the Rings (2nd Edition) game.

These issues - especially how the models go very sticky, even months later, are detailed on many forums, with the general consensus being that the plastic used in the original 2nd edition manufacture is different from that of other games, and has reacted with the paint - although many people reply stating it is due to everything from the mould oil to the type of paint (although mostly from people who have not tried to paint these figures).

I've also contacted Ares Games (the makers of the game) who have stated that there are no problems with the plastic, and you just need to wash them... (which of course I did, and again does not explain any of the issues.)

Well, I've now had a chance to get hold of the 1st Edition figures, and the Battle of the Five Armies figures (both which use the same moulding / figures as WoTR) and compare these side by side.


So - here is a quick video showing the issues, and how the plastic differs between editions

Warriors of Middle Earth - Unboxing Video

Here is my unboxing video for Warriors of Middle Earth - the second expansion for War of the Ring - the best (imho) Lord of the Rings board game around!

Warriors of Middle Earth - Expansions for War of the Ring

Ares games has finally released the Warriors of Middle Earth expansion for War of the Ring.

This was originally announced back in June 2015, with an expected release date of November 2015. 

But, no matter, it is here now and it's very exciting!

Below are some photos of the new game. I have also made an un-boxing video which I will post shortly.

The first print of the game comes with 2 promotional cards included in the shrink wrap - one for the Freepeoples and one for the Shadow player

After removing the bags - there are around 60 figures, two new dice, a big rule-book, two fold out reference guides, and many many cards

These are the new faction cards, one for each of the new "armies"

Many many new cards - mostly for the new factions, but also some for the main event deck which is great

These are the two new promotional cards that were included on the front

These are the figures for the Shadow player - from left to right - the Corsairs of Umbar (Ships), the Broods of Shelob and the Hill Men of Dunland

The Freepeoples new figures - from left to right - the Ents, the Eagles and the Dead Men of Dunharrow

You also get two new dice with completely new symbols on them. I will learn more of these later!

This is the complete box. You can also see the full unboxing video which I will post shortly

Age of Sigmar - Prosecutor Model

Just having a quick break from the War of the Ring project for a couple of days so I don't get burnt out on it - and decided to treat myself by painting up one of the Age of Sigmar (Games Workshop) models that have been sat waiting to be done for a while now.

This is the Prosecutor with Celestial Hammer model, from the Sigmar starter set. 

Took around 5 hours, and I am trying to learn highlighting here. Not sure I have quite nailed it yet however!

Painting War of the Rings - Aerosol Warning

Thought I would quickly share with anyone who is also painting their set, the warning about Aerosols.

I have mentioned this before - but when I came to paint my mounted troops and Dwarves today, I realised just how bad the problem was.

From what I can work out, the plastic used in the figures for this game, does not react well with something in aerosol primers.

It seems to have a reaction, and the primer remains very sticky, or tacky, and very shiny. I have left mine for two weeks now since the original spray, and they are still so sticky they don't fall from my fingers!

If you click on the image above you should be able to see a bigger version. Notice how reflective it is, and how thick the primer appears. This is after two weeks of drying, and only one quick thin coat.

At first I thought it was the Army Painter primer I used, but after trying a Games Workshop primer (one I know works well), and reading up on various forums, it appears anything from a can is having the same effect.

So, what is the solution?

I could strip the figure back, but I'm concerned how the plastic will react to the chemical bath.

Option 2 is to put a sealant over it - a varnish. Some have recommended Testors Dullcoat - but this is still a spray on lacquer so I imagine it will have the same reaction.

My solution was to re-prime using a Vallejo black brush on primer - which is very thin, and doesn't clog the figure. 

So, I have now re-coated all my mounted troops by hand (21 pieces) and all the Dwarves (14 pieces).

You can't really see from the image above, but the second coat has nicely revealed all the detail, and removed both the stickiness and the shiny.

So, if you are about to paint yours, I recommend priming by hand with a Vallejo Surface Primer (note that these are really designed for air brushing, but go on perfectly well with a brush. You can also airbrush it on of course, if you are lucky enough to own an airbrush!)

Painting War of the Rings - Part 4 - Gondor and Rohan

Painting the War of the Ring miniatures continues - next up, the Men of Gondor and the Men of Rohan (foot soldiers).

Mounted versions coming next

Men of Gondor

The Men of Rohan

War of the Ring - Making Mount Doom

One of the objectives of War of the Ring is to get the ring to Mordor, and drop it into the fires of Mount Doom. 

Therefore as this is quite a pivotal focus point for the game, I wanted to make something to reflect this.

I saw various models for sale on forums like BGG, but I couldn't afford the prices, so decided to try and build my own.

It needed to be small enough to fit onto the map, but big enough to hold the 5 steps the characters take.

I bought some Fimo clay (£4 a packet) from the Works store (I'm sure this product is available in other countries though - its like a block of modelling clay that hardens overnight), and tried to sculpt into the right shape.

Bear in mind this is my first time at trying to sculpt anything so it's a bit rough!!

I used a screwdriver to make rock like gashes down the side, and used the model of Frodo to put the step spaces into it.

I then cleaned up the spaces, before adding Elven Runes to them (as depicted on the board) using a matchstick

I then tested that Frodo could still fit onto the steps!

Once complete, I waited for it to dry - 2 days of continually looking at it, and trying desperately not to rush into painting it!!

Finally, it was dry enough so I primed it with black primer - 2 coats, then dry brushed and highlighted

I was really pleased with the result, and it looks great on the board - not bad for £4!