I agree that the LotR minis are probably among the finest GW has produced in the last years. Of course there are some exceptions but overall I'm still very much impressed by the miniatures. The Mines of Moria starter set is a real bargain. The plastics of Aragorn and Boromir are really worth a closer look, so is the troll. It's a wonderful set.
For me the key to any miniature game is size. As I am unwilling to paint mass armies adn easily get bored if I have to move more than 20 miniatures on the battlefield the original LotR skirmish game is perfect for me. However, if you are a fan of mass combat, it can easily be done as well. As I said, I prefer the smaller scaled scenarios.
Anyway, thanks again for your nice feedbacks.