Battle Of Longbottom, Part1 - Defenders Of The Shire

Ok, so I wanted some rangers for this battle, but I dont have any suitable Oldhammer lead.  So forgive me if I must substitute some plastics in their stead.  They are a mix of heroclix/horrorclix/mageknight/D&D minis, that I have repainted to my more grimy aesthetic.  I really need to start branching out my old lead purchases to other races beside Dwarfs & Orcs. 

Arya and her Dire Wolf Nymeria have been on the run from vicious Greenskin monsters.  They were part of a unit of Rangers that were guarding Sarn Ford to the South.  They were easily smashed aside by a large force of Orcs and Goblins.  Gandalf the Grey had asked for the Rangers to guard the Shire.  He never really mentioned why, and he hasnt been seen since.  Radagast the Brown and Halbarad the Ranger were on a mission to Moria and havent been heard from either.

Nymeria growls.
"What was that?"  Arya asks her Wolf companion.

Its the last survivors of the Sarn Ford force. 
Melisandre the Fire Witch and two Dunedain Rangers.
The Rangers are glad to see Arya alive and well.
"The North remembers..."

"We probably should resupply at Bree and wait for reinforcements from Ranger HQ," says Arya. "There isnt much we can do against that Horde.  I did send a raven to Bear Island for some reinforcements, since they are closer than Fornost.  Lets hope they answer the call."

The Rangers nod in agreement.

Melisandre looks into the distance. "There is no time!  If we dont stop the Orcs here, they will burn the Shire, Bree, and eventually Rivendell itself.  The Grey Wizard knew this and tasked us to stop this from happening.  But how can we 5 stop them?"

"Well, perhaps we arent alone in this fight, afterall.  Look!" says Arya, pointing towards a gathering crowd.

An Elven Druid and Ranger show up.
"We come with greetings from Elrond of Rivendell.  Elves will stand with you against the Green Horde."

3 more heavily armored Elven Lords.

Even so, can ten stand against the Horde?

A trumpet sounds!  But its not a trumpet, its a friendly Mumak!  The Hobbits have come!  And many Stunties from the Blue Mountains. 

The Dwarves are on their way to Moria to help defend their fledgling colony there.  The road to Moria is blocked with Greenskins so they grudgingly unite against a common foe.
While they have no love for Elves, they will fight alongside them, just for the sake of the Hobbits. The Beer for Pipeweed trade agreement between the races is well known, but more than that, the Dwarves have actually grown fond of the hairy footed halflings of the Shire.

The Band of the Hawk.
Commander Reinhardt seems to be the highest ranking leader amongst the Dwarves assembled here.

The Band of the Hawk has an Organ Cannon to boot!

But most importantly, the Cannon Crew are led by Burlok Damminson, Guildmaster Engineer.  If he makes it to Moria, he will be very useful in building up the defenses of Khazad Dum.

Here are the Hasslefreesian Dwarves.

Dwarf Thunderers will come in handy for cutting down the Greenskin attackers.

And here are the defenders of the Shire.  They may be outnumbered, but they are valiant!


Will Little Lady Mormont arrive in time to save them? 
Or will the forces of Evil triumph and run rampant through the Shire?
Also, Frodo and his companions had better get to Bree or face certain capture by the Greenskin Hordes.  As if Orcs werent bad enough, there are rumors of Black Riders riding up from the Gap of Rohan.  And in the North, Winter is coming! And the whispers of the restless dead.  But most frightening of all, old tales hint at something sinister...

"In that darkness the White Walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders big as hounds."

―Old Nan to Bran Stark

Think a lil bigger than hounds, Old Nan... Ok, a lot bigger!

Certain doom marches forth and who can stand against it?

~~~~~~

The Battle Of Longbottom is coming. 
The outcome will determine the future fluff of this blog, of Moria and of Middle Earth itself.

Stay tuned, true Stuntie believers...

Cheers,
Mar