The Taproom

Rhuooommm … I didn’t want to criticize anything around here …. huoomm … except the fact that some doormats should have been cleaned by now …. huoommm … this time they’re not that muddy but rather dusty … huoomm … and the service in these premises is declining … huooomm … could be, because some barkeep, who rather prefers to spend me money on some islands instead of keeping this “Pony” a proper place … rhuoommm … is absent … hom.
As for you Master Gildor, you don’t have to haste in updating … rhuoommm … take your time and don’t haste … gruooohoommmhuom … there will be more to add this year …. huoom …
Huoomm … Master Gavin, no insult taken nor witnessed … huoomm .. sometimes I also do think out loud …. rhuoomm … and sometimes a bit too extensive … hommm … so it’s up to me to excuse for that ….. rhuoommhhmmm

Perhaps another glass of Entwash water for Master Ent?

I agree with the comments about the new range, very nice figures indeed and looking forward to seeing them in the ‘flesh’.

you’ll be able to purchase them yes master OA… and soon you’ll see the pictures in the database of this site too (will handle this very soon)

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but look at M513 shield design. It has a horse on the bottom of the bottom and a tower on the top. This looks really interesting.

Huooommmm … that’s a very good explanation, Master Rita.de …. huom … though I, too, am not convinced whether that tiny symbol really represents a tower … hooom. So let’s wait until we can hold that figure in our hands or twigs … rhuom.

Hey I heard they make some “valar nectar” down in Valinor… quite strange and refreshing though I’m not sure about its diet properties… I think they call it “Coca Cola” ever heard of it? if you have some, please count me in!

Your recollection is a bit rusty :p

The whole deal with Isengard was that they had half orcs. Lots of them. Half orc spies, half orc warriors, half orc whatever else.

Uruk-Hai were from Mordor, generally. It’s all a bit confused, but the gist seems to have been that a band of orcs and half orcs from Isengard ambushed the Fellowship at Amon Hen. These orcs and half orcs were joined by a force of Uruk Hai from Mordor as well as orcs from Moria (who had been vaguely chasing after the Fellowship).

The orcs make a loose alliance, with the aim of delivering the hobbits to safety, so they may be suitably rewarded. The Mordor Uruks think that a Nazgul will be waiting for them. The Isengard orcs and half orcs believe that Saruman will take them. The Moria orcs don’t get a say since the others helpfully kill them.

Then the whole vile bunch of them ran into Eomer, who killed them all.

The thing to remember that orcs in Middle Earth until the last years of the Third Age were probably more dwarf sized than man sized. The Uruks (bred for Sauron in Minas Morgul) don’t show up until the 2700s, and they were barely man height. And, crucially, they were useless in daylight.

Half orcs weren’t. They could go and pillage all day and so forth, if they felt so inclined. They did.

What confuses things is that the term Uruk Hai seems to be applied to both the Uruks and half-orcs in Saruman’s army. It sort of makes sense. The “hai” bit means “men” or people. So Uruk Hai sort of means orc-men (ie, half orcs) and the orc-people (the orciest of the orcs).

I need to go re-read that chapter to make sure. But as a rule of thumb, the core of Saruman’s army were half-orcs, orcs and loyal thugs from Dunland.

I think Gavin is right about the half-orc interpretation. You can see others debating this. It is supported by Treebeard’s comments in the books. To me, the Mithril/Tubb interpretation is the best and that is why I’m happy to see more half orcs. I’ve always held that movies and books should be considered separately as different artistic mediums. Mithril have always been more true to Tolkien in my opinion. Further, I see Goblins=orcs and wargs=large, enchanted, evil wolves. Again, going with mithril interpretations here, these renditions are better than those of other companies

the last bred of Uruk-Hai and Olog-Hai have precisely this particularity to be able to walk in daylight actually… that’s the difference between the Morgul Orcs or what I call Hithaeglir Orcs as opposed to the “Uruk hai” elite orcs from Mordor…

Indeed the movie made us believe that uruk-hai were a creation of saruman while it is actually a creation of Sauron… in Mordor… but their ability to walk in daylight and their stature, as shown in the movie remains what they should be….daylight creatures… that is for certain (canon from the books )

As for Half-orcs, it is a pale experiment from Saruman to cross men and orcs to have hybrid races of lesser power than those of Sauron…

Though there were Uruk-hai in Saruman’s forces there were not a lot and most of his army were half-orcs actually…