Arda Marred, or Yet another book-inspired Middle-earth project

[Robanes]

Yep the bases were definitely a rush job. Something to remedy in the next update. I used to just blend the plate to the base before adding sand using impasto or something similar but I've been a bit lazy lately.

Yes - and there's a sense that "uruk" is a term the Hobbits learn during the story (from Gandalf, principally, and from Shagrat and Gorbag later). Oddly enough, the one time Shagrat and Gorbag use the term "uruks", it's being "translated" by the Ring. I wonder if Tolkien intended that they were actually saying "Uruk-hai". The fighting-orc's use of the term in "The Land of Shadow" (when speaking in the common tongue) seems to suggest that it's in common currency in Mordor, and Tolkien treats the terms as equivalent in his letters.

Yes I'm unsure what I'm going to use yet for mail-clad Isengarders. Possibly Gripping Beast minis, as with the Men of Gondor and Rohan done using Fireforge and Victrix figures I expect them to be a bit bigger. Speaking of:

it's the Isengarder's equipment rather than their size that draws Aragorn's attention initially, and Ugluk and co. don't seem to be as big as the "huge" chieftain in Moria, who, we can infer, is a "black Uruk of Mordor".

Yes I'm thinking of using Romans or something similar as the "body" of my Isengard Uruks, with lots of straight broad-bladed swords and man-appropriate helmets. Then there are half-Orc axemen to consider though, which I suppose might be better represented using Conquest Games' Normans. I find myself constantly running into a simple problem: not enough plastics of men in mail! At least, not fairly generic ones that don't scream out a particular culture. I might use Gripping Beast Vikings bodies with Oathmark parts as my "heavy Uruks" for Mordor as I understand they're a bit smaller.
And yes it does seem that "Great Orcs" were repeatedly bred through the Ages, although as that seems to be a fairly late idea I can't shake my image of Morgoth's Orcs being really rubbish (even relative to the heroes of the day). But that's mercifully outside the scope of this project which is firmly focused on the end of the Third Age. My planned armies are Mordor, Gondor, Isengard, Rohan, "Men of Darkness" (Rhûn, Harad, Khand, Umbar), Erebor & Dale, Lórien & Mirkwood, and Mountain Orcs. Obviously this is something I plan to dip in and out of over a long time; in fact, I started it over a year ago. And I'm using it to procrastinate over painting up a pike and shot army for my next club game so it's something to keep in the background for whenever the mood strikes.

As you say, Orcs vary wildly, so I'd like to avoid using the Oathmark Goblins outside of Mordor, at least as far as the bodies go, treating them as "baseline" Soldier-Orcs to which less-stooped Isengard Uruk-hai, half-Orcs, mountain Orcs, snaga and "almost man-high" bigger Mordor Orcs can be compared.

I've always read them as Dunlendings. Tolkien likes his historical echoes (Pelennor/Cautalanian Fields, etc.), and if the Dunlendings are the "Celtic Fringe" to the Anglo-Saxon-ish Rohirrim, then there's an echo of Scottish schiltrons and Welsh spearmen there.

You make a compelling argument. Something for me to consider for whenever Isengard comes around.

Assembled a couple of ranks of Orc archers today so hopefully will have some more pictures to share in due course.

[Little Odo]

I am really enjoying this thread and where it is leading. Your figures choices seem pretty good, so cannot wait to see them kit-bashed and painted.

[Hobgoblin]

Then there are half-Orc axemen to consider though, which I suppose might be better represented using Conquest Games' Normans. I find myself constantly running into a simple problem: not enough plastics of men in mail! At least, not fairly generic ones that don't scream out a particular culture.

I'd recommend the Victrix Vikings for the half-orc axemen. They're sufficiently tall and upright that they'll make (e.g.) the Gripping Beast Viking bodies look squat and subhuman in comparison. They've got very wild-looking faces as it is, so you could possibly 'convert' them simply through paintwork - or you could use orc heads. I think the Wargames Atlantic orc heads might work nicely.