The new Black Gobbo issue 109 is now available. It has enough LotR goodness to make your head spin and a dabbling of Space Orks to boot.  This issue is a must read for LotR enthusiasts. Check it out at Black Gobbo E-zine 109.

I wasn’t too happy with #107 but #109 is quite good.  All the LotR content is a nice change and it is well done.  I won’t claim that my comments here and in the January 24, 2008 episode of the podcast resulted in this changes.  But, I’m sure that GW at least partly agrees with those remarks and their internal review of the e-zine has recommended a change of the methodology.

The Harad as Allies article, and the Harad Army Lists article, both have lots of great content.  The Allies one shows a small and larger point size version of each list for most of the lists.  Plus, it gives sufficient reasoning behind the choices.  The Painting Harad Details article is fun to look at and fits in with what one finds in an army book or codex.  The pic of the Corsairs of Umbar sprue was nice but not overly useful or necessary.  All GW had to do with that was post it in the LotR Harad section of the site.  It didn’t really deserve special inclusion in Black Gobbo.  Same goes for the Haradrim Raiders sprue.  Lastly, the Ork Terrain was fun to look at.  But, it could have been more useful and significant if the article was a walk through for making each of the pieces.  I know Space Orks, and greenskins in general, cobble their structures together from disparate components forming a solid and useful product.  Naturally a lot of that occurs when you, the terrain maker, dig through your bitz and join parts together resulting in terrain that is unique.  But, even a rough guide would have been helpful.

All in all Black Gobbo 109 is a vast improvement over #107 and even an improvement on #108.  I think it is worth 4 stars and a pat on the back of the Black Gobbo team for the improvements.  Many thanks and please keep it up.