February 2024 1st Round Voting is CLOSED

[Michael O'Brien]

Thanks to all the members who submitted their ideas. Chris reviewed them today (Friday) and agreed to allow all of them to be voted on. You have one vote per member.
Please comment on your favourite idea to help encourage support for that idea.

[olivier]

I begin... This month I'm offering you a brand new idea that you've never read about here before...




Wainrider man with whip

The appendices mentioned incursions of the Wainriders in Gondor from 1851 TA, for almost a century.
The appendices A mentionned that the Wainriders were a people, or confederacy, of Men from the East. They journeyed in great wagons, and their chieftains rode chariots in battle.
In the Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan", it states that they camped in fortified camps of wagons. Their young women were also trained in arms, and they, along with old men and youths, stayed behind, able to defend their homes from attackers.
The MZ670 Wainrider girl mounted (soon out of stock) is the very first miniature representing this people (2018 December votes).
To complete, I propose another Gypsy member : a man this time.
He is bearded and has long hair. His head could be covered with a bandana tied behind and he could wear a thick leather bolero, a wide fabric belt and boots. He could be armed with a whip that he wields in front of him and have a short scimitar passed through the belt.

[Thingol]

Déorwine the Chief of the King's Riders during the War of the Ring

Déorwine was the Chief of the Theoden King's Riders during the War of the Ring. He was slain along with six of his knights at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in Gondor. He was buried in the Mounds of Mundburg and memorialized in the Song of the Mounds of Mundburg.

We haven't had a single Rohan warrior among the proposals for a long time. A good Nordic style miniature would fit well into the MZ series.

[Halbarad II.]

With the new way of digital sculpting and new process of producing by 3D printing or resin casting:

A new suggestion of what was not possible to cast in metal so far:

The West Gate of Moria.

'Look!' he said (Gandalf). 'Can you see anything now?'
The moon now shone upon the grey face of the rock; but they could see nothing else for a while. Then slowly on the surface, where the wizard's hands had passed, faint lines appeared, like slender veins of silver running in the stone. At first they where no more than pale gossamer-threads, so fine that they only twinkled fitfully where the moon caught them, but steadily they grew broader and clearer, until their design could be guessed.
At the top, as high as Gandalf could reach, was an arch of interlacing letters in an elvish character. Below, though the threads were in places blurred or broken, the outline could be seen of an anvil and a hammer surmounted by a crown with seven stars. Beneath these again were two trees, each bearing crescent moons. More clearly than all else there shone forth in the middle of the door a single star with many rays.
'There are the emblems of Durin!' cried Gimli.
'And there is the tree of the High Elves!' said Legolas.
'And the Star of the House of Fëanor,' said Gandalf.
They are wrought of ithildin that mirrors only starlight and moonlight, and sleeps until it is touched by one who speaks words now long forgotten in Middle-earth.

Suggestion is just the part of the wall of rock, smooth but with some structure where the design of the Gate
is lightly engraved in the stone, and a base.
No figures!
Dimension of the inscription says: as high as Gandalf's hands ( without a ladder 😉) could reach
( in Mithril scale about 4,5 - 5 cm high)
Celebrimbor made the letters, sure he was taller than Gandalf

[Michael O'Brien]

We are sorely lacking ideas this month. I appreciate you have had less time than some other months but I will have to extend the suggestion timescale if we do not get seven ideas by the deadline.

[olivier]

May I table four other suggestions to compensate (as if I had it in me...) 

[Axel]

The West Gate of Moria suffers from not being visible. It already did so the last time it was suggested and won.

This is more a 2d-Art then something you can cast in metal or even print, as the open gate exceeds the scope of a normal release and a close gate is just a wall of rock.

That said... (sorry, I just had to repeat my argument before this) you could suggest the Eastern Gate. Nobody ever claimed that was secret - though the argument probably on size probably also holds.

With that theme in mind, let me suggest a dwarf:

Gimli, beholding the strands of Galadriel

This should reflect the wonder and awe of Gimli when he just got the strands and realized that she gave him far more then he asked - the new heirloom of Gimlis house.

[Gildor]

Though I strongly support Halbarad's gate of Moria idea though I think it would be more fitting to a "mounted" or vignette month. (it would be illogical to have a west gate door same size or smaller than the "Mazarbul door" (M286) it has to be wide enough.

I'd like to suggest "Glorfindel at the council of Elrond"

(I noticed that we have almost everybody to make a Council of Elrond diorama but lacking this very character only represented so far on horseback or facing the witch king in the Salute 2007 promo vignette)
We have Gloin, Galdor, Eerestor, ands lots of Boromir, Legolas, Aragorn, Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Elrond

I imagine him in robes or in elven ceremonial outfit, like Celeborn or Amroth of Lorien with a cape as he is a high ranking officer and noble (and also sometimes considered a "sixth" Istari in some texts he his a warrior-wizard. the Gildor in robes would not be "noble" enough to be fitting Glorfindel according to me

[ddaines]

Ranger bringing food (to the Ranger playing his harp)

As a companion-piece to the Ranger at rest playing a harp, a standing figure looking down at his campsite companion and offering perhaps a roasted bird, skewered on his sword, or handing down a bowl of broth.

[Michael O'Brien]

We are one suggestion missing. Please submit one asap. One per member.

[Halbarad II.]

Regarding the West Gate:
I trust in Chris Tubb's skills and decision.

Correct, the Doors are invisible.
Until Gandalfs words and the moonlight reveals the inscription.
And the Gate opens after speaking the Password.
There are many figures exist to be put in front of the Gate, meaning, just the Gate itself as a scenery piece is missing.
That scene holds a deep magic in the novel IMHO
See the Head of Grond the battering ram: one needs so much more modelling to build the complete war-machine, but it is essential for it.

The opened Gate indeed is a very strong Vignette - or better Box-Set - theme, with the upset (fighting) fellowship, Bill the pony dashing away and even one tentakle of the Watcher creeping out of the lake and grappling for Frodo.

[gondolin]

Faramir as Steward of Gondor

If the suggestions list is still one short I would like to make another proposal for a suggestion I made before.

Faramir in his role as The Steward of Gondor while Aragorn/Elessar is on campaign against the last remnants of Gondor's enemies.

Either standing with his rod of office looking out as the army goes out to war or sitting in his chair hearing news and reports.

[Gerold]

May I resuggest this character:

Bolg, Orc Chief of Gundabad