The Road to Edain 4.8.2: Iron Hills rework

[lord_ellessar]

Greetings, companions of the Edain!

For years now, it has been a running joke that Edain must include a Dwarven rework in every major patch. True to this tradition, Lord Ellessar has meticulously reworked many of the Dwarven models from units to heroes to offer them updated visuals and fresh designs, bringing them closer to the Weta Workshop concepts seen in the Hobbit films. Today, we want to delve into the thoughts behind and the development process of these new designs.

The Iron Hills

Ten years ago, Lord Of Mordor posted the first article showcasing the visual overhaul of the Dwarves, inspired by the film adaptations. While the models were excellent, there was always room to refine them even further, especially by adhering more closely to Weta Workshop's original designs.

A key question arose during our newest rework: Should we strictly follow the film designs and make brown the dominant color for the Iron Hills units? If so, what would that mean for Erebor, should they be given red instead? After thorough discussion, we concluded that maintaining Edain's established color schemes was the best approach. The Iron Hills retain their red color scheme, while Erebor keeps its traditional brown.

With that decision set, the work of updating models and textures commenced, leading to the following results:


The Guardians and Spearmen

The new models are now even closer to their cinematic counterparts. The forked beard inherited by their book description remains, but the middle fork has been slightly extended for better visual balance. In the origin, the Iron Hills Dwarves only had black beards. If they still will predominantly feature black beards,  variations in beard color to add diversity have been implemented. You may also notice that only the spearmen and guardians are shown here. That’s because the crossbowmen and Iron Breakers have undergone slightly more significant changes...




The Crossbowmen and Iron Breakers

The crossbowmen now wield a brand-new crossbow, crafted in wood, as Dwarves do not rely on iron alone. If you have read The Hobbit's concept art books chronicles, you might recognize it from Paul Tobin's artwork, or maybe you will recognise them from Age of the Ring, as they used the same reference for their own models. Additionally, a shield has been placed on their backs to ensure that the red colour remains visible from a distance even with heavy armor, making them easier to distinguish on the battlefield.

The Iron Breakers posed a greater design challenge. The previous iteration of Edain Mod already gave them cloth elements at the front and back, but we decided that they needed additional details to reinforce their elite status. Drawing from references found in Weta Workshop’s concepts, they were given extra plating to further differentiate them from standard infantry. The question of their mattocks also arose: various designs were considered, including replacing the broad, flat blade with a hammer-like head or using Bofur’s pickaxe. We even considered keeping it untouched. Ultimately, the decision was made to refine their existing weapon design, preserving the unique silhouette they have had for so many years.




The Ram Riders

The Ram Riders have always been one of the most iconic elements of the Iron Hills army. The scene from The Battle of the Five Armies where Dwarves charge into battle on their mountain-bred mounts remains a fan favorite. While some fantasy adaptations have depicted Dwarves riding boars or bears, we have always favored the idea of these proud warriors riding creatures naturally suited to the rugged terrain of their homeland. Following this idea, Lord_Elessar sought to do justice to these cavalry units by refining their models based on various reference materials. The final iteration features three horn variations and five different fur textures, ensuring diversity within the unit while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic.




The Heroes of the Iron Hills

While much attention was given to units, the heroes of the Iron Hills also received substantial updates. Because only Dain appeared in the films, the rest of the Iron Hills heroes had more creative freedom in their interpretation. The challenge for our rework was to create designs that respected both the established Edain Mod aesthetic and the Weta Workshop vision.

Murin and Drar: Officers of the Iron Hills

Murin and Drar were the simplest to adapt, as their designs already closely resembled standard Iron Hills soldiers - they are, after all, officers of the army and not born royalty. Their models remain largely unchanged, aside from small refinements. Murin now wields a new axe closely inspired by film references, and his helmet’s crest has been slightly extended. The two heroes continue to share a shoulderpad set, emphasizing their bond as warriors and friends. Initially, they were given brown beards to stand out from the army, but after some consideration, we instead decided that they would retain their original black beards while the general Dwarven army would receive more beard color variations.



Narin: Dain's Messenger

Narin was a particularly exciting hero to redesign. Given the prominence of ram-mounted units, it was important that their commander be visually distinct. His mount was given unique, spiraled horns, setting it apart from the standard cavalry rams. Furthermore, while typically referred to as a "ram," Narin’s mount is actually a female goat. To reflect this, subtle adjustments were made, her bulk was slightly reduced, and her build made leaner to suggest greater agility and endurance over long journeys.

Visually, Narin’s goat stands out with a distinctive coat color, and unlike standard cavalry rams, she wears fewer armor plates. Instead, she carries saddlebags and a blanket, reinforcing the idea that Narin, as a diplomat and the most renowned messenger of Dain, might transport gifts or supplies during his travels.

Narin himself also underwent minor refinements. His beard was extended for a more "Dwarven" appearance, and his boots were redesigned to resemble those of a seasoned traveler rather than standard-issue military footwear. Lastly, his scroll case was updated with a capsule-style design, reminiscent of the ones seen in Erebor’s treasure hall during An Unexpected Journey.



Dain Ironfoot: The Lord of the Iron Hills

Dain’s model itself largely followed Weta Workshop’s established design, staying faithful to his film appearance. His head and cape remain unchanged from the previous version, but his shoulder guards and tassets have been reworked.

His mount, however, presented a greater challenge as this marked the first time Lord_Ellessar designed a creature model from scratch. Indeed, the small pig that Dain rode in The Battle of the Five Armies was long disliked - while Dain riding a boar could be accepted, the comically small pig was not an ideal representation of his character. Instead, inspiration was taken from an earlier Weta concept for a much larger, more intimidating boar. This resulted in a battle-ready beast that retains all of Dain’s boar gear concept while appearing far more imposing.




Thorin III: The Berserker Prince

The final hero of the Iron Hills, Thorin III, proved to be one of the most challenging characters to finalize. For Thorin III, there were quite a few different artistic directions among the team. Some wanted a model that emphasized his status as the Prince of the Iron Hills while also making his resemblance to his father, Dáin, unmistakable. Others wanted to stay true to the idea of him beeing a hot tempered, young dwarf, something in the like of a brutal fighter, always looking for combat. Some things from his previous design were particularly controversial, especially his bare arms and his head.

After long discussions and debates, the following design was proposed. Thorin will now  start with Dwalin’s light armor from The Battle of the Five Armies to keep the exposed arms, but only for the forearms, maintaining a bit of his brawler appearance. Then we added a chest plate matching his father’s armor. Finally, to reinforce his fierce aesthetic, the idea of an asymmetrical armor was implemented, featuring a single shoulder guard and tasset.

His beard was another tricky part. The initial idea featured sharp, pointed mustaches and a pointy beard with a face reusing Dáin’s face, but not everyone was convinced. We then tried a different face and a beard loosely inspired by Thráin, but this time again, it was not satisfying.

So, we turned to Weta’s concept art books and found a design originally meant for Thrór, a layered beard style that we really liked. We settled on this look, adding small boar-like tusks as a nod to his father’s iconic design. All these reflexions led to the concept you see here:




This extensive rework honors both the Edain Mod legacy and the rich visual storytelling established in The Hobbit films. By refining units and heroes alike, we wanted to bring the Dwarves of the Iron Hills to a new level of detail, ensuring they remain as formidable and visually striking as ever on the battlefield.


As always, we are looking forward to your feedback!

Your Edain Team