EditorialWD 317 · Inside cover
Grombrindal introduces the Necromancer as Sauron’s weakened identity between his defeat by the Last Alliance and the War of the Ring. His occupation of Dol Guldur corrupts the forest and provides the setting for the White Council’s campaign. New Castellans, monstrous servants and Elves supply both sides with characterful miniatures, while the editorial’s playful distrust of Elves keeps the announcement in the magazine’s familiar Dwarfen voice.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameDol Guldur
CommunityWD 317 · pp. 16–17
The preview announces the successor to the 2000 sixth-edition rules as both a hardback rulebook and the Battle for Skull Pass boxed game. Existing army books will remain valid, while the new starter brings complete plastic Dwarf and Goblin forces, a condensed rulebook and introductory material. Photographs reveal upcoming Wood Elf characters and returning Spider Riders, linking the rules announcement to continuing support for established collections.
Warhammer Fantasy BattlesDwarfs
InterviewWD 317 · pp. 21–30
The feature explores the sourcebook’s confrontation between the White Council and Sauron’s hidden power in Mirkwood. Mat Ward explains how a campaign drawn from brief literary references supports mighty heroes on one side and monsters, spirits and expendable servants on the other. Character roles and three example armies then show different ways to collect and use the new models, from agile Elf patrols to the Necromancer’s compact, dangerous host.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameThe White Council