Thursday, December 20, 2012

The Dwarves from The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey by Gamesworkshop

Thorin Oakenshield from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Well we did go see the Hobbit an Unexpected Journey on opening day and out of everything the dwarves were the most unexpected of all. They were not as lack luster as Tolkien originally wrote them . These guys were very inspirational in their dwarfishness (is that a word?) and would never be stuffed into a sack. Thorin Oakenshield and the dwarves really got into the thick of things with axe, sword, hammer and yes even a bow. The movie gives you  a great deal of background information on the dwarf culture and their lot in Middle Earth.

Thorin Oakenshield from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Games Workshop currently only offers these mighty heroes in the "Escape from Goblin Town" box set. Hopefully they will be made available in a set of their own in the near future. Lets take a look at them one by one! The Leader of this illustrious band of adventurers is Thorin Oakenshield. The front of the model is pictured above wielding Orcrist, or Goblin-Cleaver.

And here is the back of the model. You can see the beautiful scabbard, which is what caught Thorin's eye in the troll lair.

Balin from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Next in the line is Balin. Balin appears older and more scholarly but can dish it out in a pinch

Dwalin from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Dwalin carries a mighty dwarven hammer  and wears some nasty "Brass Knuckles" for dishing out additional damage.

Dwalin from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Here you can see the nicely sculpted features like the knife worn on his belt and axes carried on his back.

Bifur from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Bifur uses what could be called a pole arm for a dwarf. It is a sweet combination of spear and halberd rolled into one and carved on the figure in a fierce pose.

Bofur from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Wearing a wonderful hat and swinging his war hammer, Bofur also strikes a grand pose

Bombur from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
What troop of dwarves would go anywhere without food and a cook? Bombur fills the roll in a large way. He also utilizes his  iron ladle along with butchers cleaver to handle any goblins that get to close!

Oin from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Another deceptively grey bearded dwarf is Oin. Yes, he is hard of hearing and his "ear trumpet" can be seen slung on the miniatures belt. he wields his iron shod staff with great force.

Oin from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
The back of the figure shows his dwarfish sword.

Gloin from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Gloin is the closest thing to Gimli you'll see in the movie and as a sculpted figure too. Hear you can see his axes careening wildly and effectively. He also has a full compliment of metal beard ornaments. Quite a family resemblance wouldn't you say?

Dori from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Dori is finely crafted swinging his sword and mace. The dwarven sword and scabbard are unique to the character.

Dori from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
The rear of the miniature shows the detail in hair and clothing.

Nori from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
The unmistakable "tri peak" hairdo sets Nori out from the rest of the band. The model completes his look with the three braids in his beard. He has his long handled mace raised and poised for an attack on a luckless goblin.

Nori from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
On Nor's back is sculpted his twin swords.

Ori from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
The youngest of the dwarves is Ori. He is carved in a slingshot release, no doubt taking down another goblin. His weapon did not fair well against the wargs!. His knife is seen strapped to his belt and his book bag slung from his shoulder.

Fili from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Fili is one of the more adventurous dwarf characters and always ready for action. this miniature has a nice fighting pose. His throwing knives can be seen sculpted into his gauntlets..

Fili from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
and his sheaths carved on his back.

Kili from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
Kili is also a younger more adventurous dwarf. Here he is sword raised for the strike. This model has some nice features like the studded gauntlets and belts, extra knife...

Kili from The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey
and his bow and quiver worn on his back. The figure has a lot of motion carved into it like the coat swirling behind him.

Kili is probably my favorite one in the bunch and overall the sculpts are very nice. They have a good amount of detail but are missing some extra pouches and the likely assortment of paraphernalia a dwarf would have on an adventure. We've also come to expect more from Games Workshop and Citadel miniatures.

With that said, we do look forward to seeing these guys in their own box set and will probably add them to the never ending miniature collection.

Have a Great Battle,
The Old Crow

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