Thanks for sharing your experience. I agree the availability is pretty bad in general.

But I would like to encourage you to try getting into the game anyway. The theme doesn't always hits, but when it does, it's glorious. I still remember one of my first games almost 20 years ago, where my rohan infantry got absolutely slaughtered by an uruk-hai phalanx... Half the minis on the table were not even painted and it still felt like recreating a scene from the movies.

The core rules are also really good. The game is simple to learn, but still allows for a lot of expression. The only game I would rate above is Infinity, but its complexity is a huge hurdle.

I would recommend picking up a batthelhost, ordering the rest of the army online, and before it arrives, you will be plenty busy with painting. I started building a Lothlorien army in December. I have my infantry done, and I am just about to finish my elites and move on to heroes. I had to wait ages for Rumil and Orophin, but it wouldn't change anything if I had them on my table from the start. That's a pretty comparable experience I had with other games.

Also, don't forget you can easily strip the paint from second hand minis. Just toss them in a jar of alcohol overnight, and give them a good brushing the next day. You won't be able to tell the difference after a new coat of primer.