REVIEW: Over Hill and Under Hill Starter Set for Lord of the Rings TTRPG and The One Ring TTRPG - Free League Publishing

Before we go any further for full disclosure we were sent the PDF's for both sets from Free League Publishing in exchange for a fair review.

Release Date: 31/07/25
Publisher: Free League Publishing

SYNOPSIS:

‘Not far ahead were dreary hills, rising higher and higher, dark with trees. On some of them were old castles with an evil look, as if they had been built by wicked people.’

You are enjoying a rare, quiet evening at the inn in Bree when a hunter joins your table to share a tale about a dark threat looming over the North Downs. However, you are not merely simple guests at The Prancing Pony — you are members of a Company. It is your self-appointed duty to inquire about the bone-chilling dangers that might emerge from the houseless hills beyond. Are you ready to take the road to adventure?

This new and beginner-friendly starter set for The One Ring™ tabletop RPG, based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, provides all you need to embark on your journeys in Middle-earth. Immerse yourself in a world set between the time of Bilbo’s first adventure and the events of The Lord of the Rings™, exploring the Lone-lands of Eriador and taking on the roles of characters whose stories are yet to be told. This boxed set contains:

Condensed rules for action resolution, combat, councils and journeys.

The complete adventure Over Hill and Under Hill, bringing the heroes deep into the wild lands of northern Eriador to face a dark threat.

A large full-colour map of Eriador, with a combat diagram on the back.

Beautifully illustrated cardboard stand-up figures for Player-heroes and Adversaries.

Five pre-generated and illustrated Player-heroes.

Two D12 Feat Dice and six D6 Success Dice, all engraved with custom symbols.

REVIEW:

I really wanted to be able to review Over Hill and Under Hill, for the two different editions separately, however because its all the same (box contents with the only difference being the character sheets formats) just for alternate systems its best to tackle them together.  

Firstly, The Lord of the Rings game is set utilising the D&D 5e system whereas The One Ring uses Free League Publishing's own.  Both starter boxes come with all the same pieces including pre-rolled character sheets so that they players can jump right in, with character backgrounds, an image and are ready to play straight out of the box.  

You also get a fabulously designed Combat Diagram that allows you to easily keep track of where each player is, where the monsters are and alongside that, keeps it so that if you put it on a Lazy Susan, players can turn the area around to keep it easy to see from their characters point of view what they are fighting.  If you're playing it as the One Ring it does also have its own system that allows the player to be in different places/ranges on the map with the centre being close combat and the further away distance weapons like bows etc.  The only problem with that for The One Ring is that only one of the characters utilises a bow so feels a little bit flat.  (If you're using it in Lord of the rings, I feel that you might be better simplifying it slightly utilising the method that Dungeon Craft has done in their video here.  

Each aspect of the box brings the world more to live, with it also including a map of Errador (the Map of the World of Lord of the Rings,) a journey log so you can add details into the map alongside events that occur so no two adventures will be the same, a handout (which is a letter to get the players into the game,) a brief overview of the rules required to play by and the adventure book that will allow you to take your players on a journey (just make sure they sign the contract ala Bilbo in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.)

The other key thing that is included that I adore is a whole set of Stand-Up images so that you can place on the combat map to so you can see what you're facing alongside character placement, the only thing that worries me is that they won't produce more for all the various fauna that you may meet in the world.  (I really hope that they do, perhaps as a separate pack so that you have the option to create exactly whatever your story requires.)  However should this not be the case, you could always pick up miniatures from a certain UK Company that will add extra layers especially if you're using the Lazy Susan method which also allows you to add extra scenery around the mini's.

All round both of these starter sets are a great way to bring you into the world of Lord of the Rings, and if you're as tenacious as the people I usually play with they will be chomping at the bit to return.  So be prepared to get the full rules set from Free Publishing so you can return with new independent characters. As such, the only real flaw I found was to do with how the adventures ended, there was nothing wrong with it but to give players the full experience I felt that a level up would have gone a long way to helping people understand the full system.  That said, the adventure is a ton of fun, all skills are utilised (more for The One Ring system rather than the DnD one) and the flavour of middle earth is strong enough for a hobbit to want to stick it on toast.  Finally before we finish we need to address the price, which currently (at time of writing) is down for £23.84 (for whichever system you get it for) , which for everything you get within the boxes is phenomenal especially when you add the game time to it as well (which may, depending on your players, last anything from one to three sessions.)  Great fun.

NEWS: Jagerholm Fortress Available as STL or Prints - Dark Fantastic Mills

 

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks,

Dark Fantastic Mills have let us know about their brand new addition to the Jagerholm set.

Here's what they had to say in their latest mail:

"We teased the first part of our new fortress in our last newsletter, and with surprising speed we actually have it ready for this one.  This new set (in store now) adds a bunch of new models to the Jagerholm township walls, including a proper gate and a tower for straight wall sections.

There's also a new Wall Mortar, which can be swapped out so you can use it as an extra wide battlement, perfect for placing artillery of your choice (yes, the Cities Cannon fits). 

You can find the Jagerholm Fortress in the new Castles & Keeps section of the Jagerholm store.  There'll will be a 28mm version in that store section very soon, and the STLs will be available next week.  As ever, it's 20% off for Launch Week :-)"

All the best,

ThunderMouser

STARTING A NEW GAME: Picking our First Warband for Conquest: First Blood - Totally Pawsome

There comes a time when you are the newbie in any hobby, so rather than try to give advice based on what others have said or our own experiences with other miniature games, we've decided to jump in at the deep end and purchase our first Warband forPara Bellum Games Conquest II: First Blood.  

Now as you've probably guessed the first option is to see which one speaks to you.  Having spent a hell of a lot of time going through each army, falling in love with them all, I narrowed it down to two that I really wanted to start with.  These two choices were:

The City States:

While the rest of the world crumbled under the might of the Fall, the City States were flourishing, picking through the greatest secrets of the old Dominion and delving into the secrets of archemy and divinity. Today, they are the greatest repositories of knowledge and the inheritors of the glory that was once the Humanity’s Dominion. At least that is what the Locutors of the City States would have one believe. While the City States were founded on the highest principles of philosophy, ethics and education available to mankind, the vision of their founder was tarnished soon after its birth. Today, the City States stand split among the Demagogue, Militarist and Academic Councils, wielding their glorious heritage and advanced technology to challenge each other; and any who might threaten them for supremacy.

The W’adrhŭn:

Orcs on Dinosaurs! Enough said… 

On a more serious note, the W’adrhun were created by the Spires when they tired of spawning their armies and sought instead to breed them. Driven by their own sense of superiority and perfectionism, initial failures led the Spires to create the Primes: W’adrhun bodies powerful and perfect enough that they could be animated by the Primordial Aspects of War, Death, Famine and Conquest. Prematurely unleashed upon the Dweghom during the Fall, Conquest, the living goddess of the W’adrhun orchestrated their escape and survival even as her siblings each perished in the conflagration. Bred for war and baptized in the flames of battle, the W’adrhun have nonetheless struggled to find their own path in the world, seeking to shape their own culture away from the overwhelming influence of their own tailored creation. 

And by the closest of margins the winners were The City States, purely because, I've been painting a ton of Orc figures recently for Warhammer 40K and I wanted something a little different.  I will be doing a W’adrhŭn Army, but that's on the back shelf for now.

So now that I've picked where I'm going where do I start?  Well, thankfully Para Bellum Games has that in hand.  I'm going with the Warband, the best place to start with some mini's to get going with.

Warband:

1x Aristarch

4x Thorakites / Agema (Leader)

4x Selinoi / Satyroi

4x Sacred Band

1x Companion Cavalry

3D Terrain (includes 2 pieces at random from a series of 6 structures)

Pack of 6 Dice

Measuring Tool

First Blood Quick Start Guide

License Card.

Reinforcements (Available 28th August 2026)

After I have that done, my next purchase is going to be the Reinforcement box which looks like this and breaks down as:

1x Andromachos Miniature

4x Thorakites with Leader (Dual Kit Option Available)

4x Agema (Dual Kit Option Available)

x4 Companion Cavalry

x4 Command Cards

2 sets of 3D punch out Terrain (randomly assorted)

x1 License Card.

Leader:  Persenia the Gorgon (Aristarch) (Released 28th August 2026)

x1 Resin Miniature

x1 Infantry Base and Stand

x1 Command Card

x1 License Card.

So thats my current purchase list, however the way I'm going to do it is buy one, then get it done, then the second and finally finish the third before I start adding other bits.

Obviously currently we're just going to order the Warband (as the others aren't out yet.)  But its a good solid start to entering into the Conquest Hobby without a massive layout as each part is designed to build upon what has gone before to a greater whole.  (Which is something I think is a great way to go as anyone you play with a warband will have an equally balanced force, and likewise with each addition)

This also means that you get to game and learn how your forces work best so you know which strategy you can employ for each part of your boxset without having to absorb too much too soon, or worrying about having to buy x so you can do y only to learn small parts of the game without getting the full experience.  Likewise you don't end up with a ridiculous sized army to paint with nothing done.

On  the whole I am getting pretty excited to start and looking forward to getting on with it, so I'm going to be scheduling box openings, painting tips etc as I go along.  I'm not an expert, I'm not an award winner, I'm all about painting them to the best of my ability and getting them on the table to play with. 

The only thing that I'm going to critique for this that stops this from being my ultimate force is rather than utilising human cavalry, what would have made it epic would have been Centaurs in Greek Armour.  Likewise, for the future, I'd also love to have Harpies for zipping about the board as this set does engage deeply into the whole mythos (with us having Satyrs and also Minotaurs.)

So join us for the journey (and hopefully its going to be legendary), and we hope that we'll inspire you too, to pick up a set and give this game a go.

All the best,

ThunderMouser

NEWS: Cyberpunk TCG at GenCon and Balancing availaility with collectability - WeirdCo

Hail Mighty Readers, Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks, 

WeirdCo's Cyberpunk TCG this week have posted about how they address balancing and collectibility for their cards, you can read all about it on their blog here.  

In addition to this they've updated the forthcoming Beta Event to allow shops two different weekends to plan their events around so they will now be happening on September 10 and September 20.  So check out your LGS to see what they're doing Chooms.  

In todays Podcast, Cree "Kawa" Gunning and Paweł Burza are discussing what happened at GenCon and the delicate balance between collectibility and making cards widely available.  Definitely an interesting take.  You can view this here.

For more information join the Official Discord and have the latest sent to your implants.

All the best,

ThunderMouser

 

NEWS: Warmachines Pre-Orders and Updates - Steamforged Games

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Rocks,

Steamforged Games have given us a huge Warmachine update.  Firstly the rocks have moved and the Fortress King is now in pre-order (released for the 18th August 2026) here is what the blurb in regard to them is:

Fortress King:

Most problems are best solved with a really, really big troll. Some problems are solved with an even bigger troll. Ready to pre-order now, the Fortress King is stomping into the Southern Kriels Kithguard as the newest gargantuan, and it's every bit as imposing as you'd expect.

For countless years, the Fortress Kings slept beneath the mountains of Alchiere, becoming part of the landscape itself. Most would have looked at these ancient giants and seen an immovable force of nature. The Kithguard saw an ally. Then they strapped cannons to it.

Now this living mountain marches alongside the Kithguard, shrugging off punishment while fearless pyg crews unleash devastating barrages from its back. If you’ve been thinking you needed a bigger troll, you've found it.  To read the rules they're available on the Steamforged site.

Nymara the Shadowblade

Ready to pre-order now (released the 7th Septermber 2026), the new apotheosis warlock, Nymara the Shadowblade, brings an entirely new way to lead the Fane of Nyrro, swapping hidden schemes for an all-out assault for a flock of beasts that blot out the sun and blacken the skies.

Long before the Fane emerged from the darkness, Nymara mastered the terrifying styrge beneath Eversael, turning creatures most would flee from into weapons of war. Now she rides into battle atop one of those same monsters, diving headlong into enemy lines while the rest of the Fane follows close behind.

If you like getting stuck into the action with your warbeasts rather than hanging back, Nymara will feel right at home leading your force with her rules releasing today.

The Hellslinger Phantom

Some legends never die. 

The Hellslinger Phantom is now available to preorder (released 4th August 2026), bringing its ghostly gunslinging talents to the Dusk House Kallyss and Cryx Necrofactorium armies.

Whether you're pushing enemy models out of position with Banish, ignoring cover with Phantom Seeker, or draining arcane power before your opponent can make the most of it, the Hellslinger is packed with clever tricks that reward precise play. Check out more of the Hellslinger Phantom’s rules here.

Warmachine and P3 Paints New Home

Well, if you're a regular to Warmachine and P3 Paints please remember to update your tabs as there's a brand new home for them online.  From now on, you can find them at their new home, Warmachine.gg, (Out links in this post are updated.)  For all the details please go here and to catch up on FAQ's.

Upcoming Warmachne Events:

There are tons of excellent events coming up around the world for Warmachine, and you can find them on Longshanks! 

Just head to the dedicated Warmachine events page and filter by location to see what’s on near you.

UK Nationals 2026

Tickets for UK Nationals are available now! Hosted by the Warmachine team for the first time this year, it’s happening September 26–27 in Brentwood.  Find out more and get your tickets here.

Las Vegas Open

Roll dice in the world’s most famous dice-rolling city! 

Warmachine will be in full swing at this year’s Las Vegas Open from October 1–4, with multiple casual and matched play events happening throughout the weekend. 

Find out more and get your tickets here.

Warmachine World Team Championship

Teams around the world are gearing up for the Warmachine World Team Championship in October! 

An incredible community-run event powered by global players and committees, the World Team Championship is an epic annual showing of skill, sportsmanship, and community spirit.

This year, Poland has taken the torch and will be running this flagship event from October 10-11 in Warsaw. 

For the latest updates on solo events, streaming, and other ways to get involved, follow the Warmachine WTC page on Facebook or check out the committee website. 

US Lock and Load 2026:

Join the team behind Warmachine in St Louis from November 5-8 for three glorious days of Steamroller tournaments, Grand Narratives, Frontlines events, Iron Arena pick-up games, painting sessions, game development and lore seminars, live reveals in one of our legendary Warmachine preview streams, an Iron Gauntlet Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), and the esteemed Iron Gauntlet US 2026 Finals!

To learn about the Swag and get your ticket please go here.

More news as we get it.

All the best,

ThunderMouser

REVIEW: Konflikt 47: Invasion Amerika - Warlord Games

Release Date: 05/08/26
Publisher: Warlord Games

SYNOPSIS:

It is 1947. Breaches in reality known as Rifts have provided the means for the warring nations to unleash unspeakable horrors upon one another in pursuit of victory. On the island fortress of Iwo Jima, away from prying eyes, the Empire of Japan has developed secret new technologies.

Whilst fixated on the threat of the Axis in Europe, the Pan-Atlantic Alliance fights a holding war in the Far East and Pacific. However, the Empire is poised to irrevocably alter the trajectory of the Rift War on a global scale.

The First Paragon: Slammer Samuals

Invasion Amerika is the second in a series of supplements for Konflikt ’47 detailing the background, history, and characters of the Rift War. This volume turns its attention to the Empire of Japan's expansionist ambitions, and their unprecedented attack against the heartland of the United States of America.

Within its full-colour pages, rife with glorious photography, artwork, and illustrations, you’ll find timelines, short stories, game scenarios, and more.

Special Miniature

When you order this book, you’ll also receive the exclusive ‘T2 Prototype Heavy Armour’ special miniature. Under attack in the heart of the United States, the US will make use of any weapons they can, ready or not!

Miniature sculpted by Marco Sano. Studio miniature painted by Kirsten Williams.

REVIEW:

First of all, I have to let you know that you need to have already purchased the Konflikt 47: Rule Book in order to be able to utilise the content within this title we're reviewing, and, whilst you don't necessarily need it, Book One of the Rift War which is Konflikt '47: Festung Europa which also gives you rich history to delve into alongside scenario's for battlefields to be fought over. 

What this book brings to the table, is solid writing, that helps fill out some of the blanks that fans have in regard to the history of the Empire of Japan, it gives you heroes, it gives you scenario's and with crisp stories written into the text, you get to feel the world and not just battle within it with your choice of army.  

Its well written, the stories crisp and exciting and each one also gives you a layer to add to the world in which the forces live, you get creeds you get struggles and of course, you get to see what happens with the technology as its developed allowing the Japanese to further their own goals for the glory of the Emperor.

Add to this top secret reports, blueprints and of course artwork that just steps off the page and all round its a fabulous book to add to your Konflikt 47 collection.  I can't wait to see if we can expect some additional fictional novels to help expand the world and of course, to see how the world changes throughout each of the interactions within and to see how each scenario will playout alongside how the results will shape the future.

KICKSTARTER: Pirate Borg Summer Boarding Party - Limithron

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks,

We just wanted to drop a reminder that you're onto the last couple of days to back the campaigns for The Pirate Borg Summer Boarding Party.  To back this please click on the links below:

Westfalia's Pirate Borg Miniatures

From the Depths Below

Limithron's Pirate Map Collection

All the best,

ThunderMouser