A return to Middle-earth

Deep within the lands of Middle-earth, an evil power is stirring. In Mordor the Dark Lord Sauron is gathering his armies to him - Orcs, Men and other creatures too evil to mention. Vast hordes of warriors spill forth from the Black Gate intent on destruction and devastation - the One Ring will be found and the world will fall beneath the Dark Lord's might. Against his vast armies stand the Kingdoms of Men, who have defended their lands from invasion time and time again - their warriors are exhausted, their lands have been ravaged, and their heroes have been slain. Yet hope remains, for both the Elves and the Dwarves have taken up arms to fight alongside them, and the Ring of Power has been found.

Now is the time to ready your Mûmaks, unleash your Wargs, saddle your horses and string your bows, because very soon The Lord of the Rings will get a whole host of new miniatures and five superb new Sourcebooks with which to build your armies. Excited? I know I am! To find out more about all these fantastic models, and to see a bit more about the new books, simply click on the links below where you can advance order them ready for next weekend. If you place your order before midnight on Sunday and have them shipped to your local Hobby Centre, then they will be sitting there waiting for you next Saturday on the day of release. Anyway, check them out in the links below, and then come back here to find out more about them all.

There are two battle reports for The Lord of the Rings in this month's issue of White Dwarf, and many of the new units are fighting in them so you can see how they work on the battlefield. I particularly liked the bit where the Great Beast of Gorgoroth stamped its way up and down the Gondor battle line, leaving plenty of broken bodies in its wake.

This issue also features the second part of Warhammer: Civil War, and includes rules for fighting Orcs against Orcs, Tomb Kings against Tomb Kings and Warriors of Chaos against... (can you guess)... Warriors of Chaos. With rules like 'Riotous Squabbling' and 'Dey Sure Grow Big There' in the Orcs & Goblins section, there is sure to be carnage, while 'The Eternal Battle' in the Warriors of Chaos section is truly hilarious. Keep the Eye of the Gods chart handy; you're going to need it.

Here's an article that many of you will have been waiting for - the Necron painting guide for the Nihilakh Dynasty (that's the turquoise ones that you can see in Codex: Necrons). There's also a second painting guide in this issue for the Easterling Kataphrakts, which shows you how to paint brass and red cloth. Between the two guides there are plenty of great tips for painters of all levels.

If that wasn't enough for you, this issue also kicks off our birthday celebrations for Warhammer 40,000, including an interview with some of the first writers and artists to delve into the nightmare future of Mankind. Despite my many years of wargaming, there are some fantastic insights into Warhammer 40,000 that even I didn't know. This is a must-read for every Games Workshop fanatic.

Remember, you can always order your copy of White Dwarf here, or even set up a subscription with us (a convenient service if you dislike getting up early on Saturday mornings to pick up your copy from your local shop). Make sure you pop back on Monday when we will be taking a look at the new Sourcebooks for The Lord of the Rings and how they change the dynamics of the Strategy Battle Game.