Battle reportWD 318 · pp. 50–56
Mat Ward commands Gandalf, Saruman and Radagast against Graham McNeill’s Castellans, Warg Riders and Wild Wargs. Early expenditure on spectacular magic delivers fewer casualties than hoped, while the Evil force exploits the Wizards’ separated positions; Saruman falls and Gandalf eventually exhausts the Will supporting his protection. Castellan Morgul blades finish Gandalf to secure Evil’s victory. The players’ reflections emphasise conserving Might and coordinating the Wizards, while Graham recognises that his Castellans lost valuable time negotiating the woods.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameWhite Council
PaintingWD 318 · pp. 82–83
Middle-earth banners are treated as miniature pieces of history as well as focal points for an army. Elven designs can distinguish the Second Age, a woodland realm or a particular house, while Dwarf banners evoke ancestral identity and the standards of Gondor and Rohan identify their great captains. Neil Langdown’s worked Wood Elf example establishes the main geometric areas first, adds controlled shading and highlights to the cloth, and only then develops the trim, small symbols and freehand decoration.
Middle-earth Strategy Battle GameElves
ShowcaseWD 318 · pp. 104–107
Golden Demon winner Joe Tomaszewski explains his progression from gaming to competition painting and the lesson that a manageable project can receive more convincing attention than an overambitious set of entries. His Ork ambush diorama is packed with small narrative conversions, while Marneus Calgar’s Honour Guard uses Codex art and painstaking cloak decoration to create a unified display. A non-metallic Pegasus Knight and a softly lit Goldberry illustrate his interest in different painting challenges without providing named colour recipes.
Warhammer 40,000Warhammer Fantasy BattlesOrks