We’re always on the lookout for amazing armies to showcase here on Warhammer Community, and with the recent release of the stunning new Gondor terrain, we have ventured to the White City to bring you this wonderful army from the Middle-earth team’s own Lewis – the Defenders of Osgiliath.
Warhammer Community: So what’s the story behind this glorious Minas Tirith army?Lewis: The army was born out of a crazy plan to paint and play through the entire story of The Lord of the Rings™ as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the films. When we got to Osgiliath, I enjoyed painting the models so much that I decided to do more than I needed, and made a whole force of them! I love making scenery and terrain for my battlefields, and I often find that painting specific scenery, such as the Gondor Ruins, Mansion, and Tower, helps inspire me to paint a thematic force to use alongside it.
WarCom: How did you decide which Heroes to include in your force?
Lewis: This project also happened to coincide with the release of The Battle of Osgiliath boxed game and the new plastic Faramir, Madril, and Damrod. It also gave me the perfect excuse to get them painted up to lead my force, and I then added Anborn and Mablung from the Forge World Middle-earth range to round out my Ranger Heroes. This also means that the army can double as a Rangers of Ithilien list as well by using just these Heroes and the Rangers of Gondor.
WarCom: Which part of the project are you most proud of?
Lewis: It has to be my Osgiliath Veterans. I wanted to make them look as unique as possible and with the addition of a variety of battle scars, war-torn armour, and other elements, they look as though they have already fought numerous battles against the Orcs of Mordor. I’m particularly proud of the one with his foot upon the kneeling Orc, his sword pointed at its throat. I actually use him as a Captain of Minas Tirith in my games, and he hasn’t let me down yet!
WarCom: How has the army fared on the battlefield?
Lewis: Really well so far! I’m happy to say that it has been victorious more often than not – much to Ash’s displeasure during our campaign. The biggest surprise for me is just how effective the Avenger Bolt Thrower has been in all of my games – it is quickly becoming the most effective part of my whole army, and has begun chalking up an impressive number of casualties. I’m thinking of bringing this force to a couple more events before moving on to a new project.
WarCom: What is next for the army?
Lewis: Well, I’ve already added both Denethor and Cirion to my army, but I think the next step will be to get Boromir, Captain of the White Tower painted up alongside a number of Knights of Minas Tirith. That way I can theme the army around the liberation of Osgiliath as seen in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers™ flashback scene, before Boromir rides off to Rivendell and joins the Fellowship. It’s one of my favourite scenes, and will make for a fantastic force to play on the tabletop as well.
Thanks Lewis. It’s fair to say that your Warriors of Minas Tirith will certainly look good as they fend off the hordes of Mordor invading Osgiliath! If you want to start your own Minas Tirith army, or build your own Osgiliath themed board, why not pick up the Battle of Osgiliath boxed set, the Minas Tirith Battlehost or one of the new Gondor terrain kits?