Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game

Development

Background

Current licensing

Designers and Peter Jackson

Hobbyist community

Collectors

Modelers

Current state of play

Overview of rulesets

''Legions of Middle-earth''

Variants and derived games

Game systems

• Scenario - These are based on an event in the book or film, and the armies are predetermined and fought using Special Scenario-specific Rules.
• Points Match - These are played between two forces of equal size, generally of 500 Points each.
• War Party - This is a stricter form of the Points Match, using forces of no more than 250 Points.
• Battle Company - This is an experience-based system which is played out with no more than 25 miniatures.

• Priority Phase - The players roll dice to see who gets to take their Turn first.
• Move Phase - The players move their miniatures. "Magic" is also used during this phase.
• Shoot Phase - Missile-armed miniatures can shoot.
• Fight Phase - Dice are rolled for each group of miniatures in base contact with each other to see which wins the combat.
• End Phase - Reinforcements arrive, as well as general book-keeping

Troop types

The Free Peoples (Good)

• The Fellowship of the Ring – Most scenario-based games require at least one member of the Fellowship. Whilst not a real army, they are effective as a skirmish force, due to their high points-values and limited numbers.
• Elves – The Quendi are the oldest of the races of Middle-earth, and the majority of armies are either Wood Elves, High Elves or Galadhrim, often allied with Men of Númenor from the Last Alliance. Individually, Elf Warriors are among the most powerful and bravest of available races, with high Courage and Fight values. Also Elven armies have the best archers in the game, and are also notable for their potent powers of healing and foresight among Heroes such as Galadriel and Elrond. In earlier editions of the rules, Games Workshop kept the two kinds of Elves separate, and although the One Rulebook merges the two "races", they are most often kept separated into the two main themes:. The Galadhrim are the most developed of the three elven kinds, they have Galadrim warriors including spearmen, archers and warriors with elven blades/glaives, cavalry in the form of Galadrim Knights, and the elite Guards of the Galadrim Court led by a newer elven hero, Rumil, kinsmen of Haldir and includes the heroes; Galadriel, Celeborn, Haldir and Rumil.
• Gondor – The Kingdom of the White Tree has the widest range of warriors and heroes available. It can be divided into three main themes: Minas Tirith, Ithilien and the Fiefdoms of Gondor. Minas Tirith's key strength is in its armoured infantry, but it also has available mounted knights and the finest siege engines in the game: trebuchets and "bolt throwers". Minas Tirith armies often include elements from Ithilien armies, which has accurate archers. The fiefdoms represent three main forces: Dol Amroth, Lossarnach and Lamedon. Dol Amroth boasts heavy cavalry and pikemen and courageous warriors, led by Imrahil. In addition, fiefdom players can also choose to field Forlong the Fat and Angbor the Fearless alongside their warriors. The fiefdoms usually only combined with Minas Tirith in a Battle of the Pelennor Fields theme. A very small number of dedicated players also build their own ships of Pelargir or Dol Amroth out of wood and other materials. Gondor is rarely allied with any armies other than Rohan. Some of its less common themes include:
• *Númenor – Númenor is one of the smaller good armies related to Gondor, representing also the Númenórean Realms in Exile. Whilst it could be considered part of Gondor, it is only really used in Scenarios set in the Second Age. Númenor has a relatively limited range of warriors, but they are amongst the best warriors in the game, having access to the mighty heroes Isildur and Elendil. However, a note in the rulebook bans Númenórean armies to be used outside Second Age scenarios, so they are rarely seen in battle. Númenor is most frequently used with Elves, in Last Alliance-themed armies.
• *Army of the Dead – Perhaps the smallest Good army available, the Army of the Dead offers only one Hero and one Warrior type and one Cavalry type. They were accidentally omitted from the One Rulebook, so their rules can be downloaded through the Games Workshop website. They are usually allied with Gondor or Dúnedain, and led by Aragorn and the King of the Dead for a Pelennor Fields theme.
• Rohan – Armies of the Riddermark tend to focus on light cavalry, which are its core unit. These are armed with throwing spears, unique to Rohan, bows and shields. Earlier editions of the rules made these especially powerful, but the current edition has balanced the game by increasing the points cost. On the other hand, Rohan still has Royal Guard and medium heroes such as Éomer and Háma; in addition, it has benefited from release of Eorl the Young, and a number of new releases to the Rohan range such as Erkenbrand were included in the more recent The Two Towers Supplement.
• Dwarves – Although the Dwarves move an inch slower than the average man-sized warrior, their powerful bows and the highest defence in the game can make them a hard opponent. Their elite warriors are the Khazad Guard, and they have powerful heroes such as Gimli, Dáin and Balin. With the Khazad-Dûm Supplement, Vault Wardens, Iron Guard and Dwarf Ballistae were introduced, along with the tactics such as the "wall", "rock" and "flying axe" formations. They make few alliances, and even then usually only with Men of Dale.
• Hobbits – Armies of the Shire are more oriented around skirmishes, as points-wise they have the most inexpensive warriors and heroes in the game. Their archers are unmatched by all but the Elves, but their Hobbit militia are the slowest and weakest warriors in the game. Aside from the Fellowship of the Ring, they never ally with other armies because of their fear of the outside world. Their heroes include Frodo of the Nine Fingers and Samwise Gamgee.
• Dúnedain and Arnor – All Dúnedain and Rangers of the North are Heroes, making them expensive and rarely used. They are the prime example of an army that was excluded from the films, but was well-adapted by Games Workshop in a way that fit in with both the style of the films and their original mention in the books. Their main named Heroes are Aragorn and Halbarad, who are often allied with Gildor Inglorion and the Elves of Rivendell, or indirectly with Hobbits in some Scenarios. In the One Rulebook, the Dúnedain are classed in the same section as Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, though Tom and Goldberry are not allies but Scenario-specific characters from the Barrow-downs. They were expanded in the supplement, The Ruin of Arnor, allowing players to field Arnorian infantry, as well as heroes such as King Arvedui and Malbeth the Seer. Another common theme for the Dúnedain is the Grey Company.
• Drúedain – Whilst the Drúedain are never described in battle, in the book their leader Ghân-buri-Ghân aids Théoden's army on their way through Drúadan Forest. They were eventually released alongside the updated "Return of the King" supplement.
• The Wanderers in the Wild – The Wanderers in the wild are individuals that travel Middle-earth, for several purposes, be it exploring or protecting others. They include popular characters such as Glorfindel and Sméagol, but also characters invented by Games Workshop, like Múrin and Drár. They can ally with most armies. Other related smaller armies include:
• *Eagles of the Misty Mountains, led by Gwaihir, and usually allied with Gondor or The Elves.
• *Ents are similar in that they are expensive, rarely used warriors.
• *The Beornings, led by Grimbeorn, have also been announced in Legions of Middle-earth.
• The Wizards – The Wizards represent the Istari that fought for the Free Peoples during the Third Age. In addition to the more obvious Gandalf and Radagast, there is also a "good" Saruman from the time of the White Council. Radagast usually allies with the Dwarves or the Woodland Realms, while Gandalf usually allies with Rohan, Gondor or the Fellowship.

  The Forces of Darkness (Evil)

• Angmar – The dark land of Angmar is built on the ruins of the Lost Kingdom of Arnor, terrorised by Nazgûl and Spectres. Its army had no official rules until early 2007, except for the Ringwraiths and Barrow-wights and wild Wargs, led by Warg chieftains. It never allies with other armies, although Orcs and Goblins are sometimes included in it. Angmar received official rules in The Ruin of Arnor Supplement, including Games Workshop's invented Hill Troll Chieftain "Buhrdûr". The earlier rules are still available to use in friendly games on Games Workshop's website.
• Moria – The subterranean realm of Khazad-dûm used to be infested by the Dwarves, but it was liberated by Evil. Now it is populated with Goblins and Cave Trolls, and more frightening creatures such as the Balrog are the centerpiece of Moria forces. Goblins are weak but inexpensive to field, making them numerous in games, and can be strengthened by Goblin Drums and Goblin Shamans. Moria allies with Isengard in the books and Games Workshop have also added Angmar, Dol Guldur, and Barad-dûr, and the Nazgûl to their allies list.
• Isengard - The Army of the White Hand is a reliable and varied force to collect, featuring a number of unique warrior and siege options, such as crossbows, pikes and a primitive form of explosive. Typical Isengard armies feature the Uruk-hai pikeblock, though they are often supported by light infantry such as Uruk-hai scouts, medium cavalry in the form of Wargs, or spellcasters in the form of Uruk Shamans or even Saruman himself. Games Workshop has also been criticised for The Two Towers Supplement allowing Isengard the option of a White Mountains Troll. Isengard only ever allies with Moria, the Nazgûl and Dunland, which rarely fights on its own and is almost always classed under Isengard anyway. Players can also choose to represent Saruman's army after the fall of Isengard, complete with Rogues: the upcoming Bill Ferny miniature adds some depth to such a force.
• Mordor – Legions of the Eye are made up of various warrior types. Their core unit is the Orc warrior on foot, bolstered by Morannon Orcs and Mordor Uruk-hai. They also offer Siege Catapults and ballistae with mantlets, led by Gothmog; these siege engines are often operated by Mordor Trolls, which can also be used as shock troops. Mordor armies can field a variety of troops to diversify their armies, including Morgul Knights and Black Numénórean Warriors, Orc Trackers,which provide a rare form of accurate archery, Morgul Stalkers, Warg Riders and even Shelob. However, the most dreaded element of Mordor armies is the Ringwraith on Fell-Beast, which, as a flying creature, can move around the board unimpeded and strike with dark magic. Mordor can be allied with any Evil army except Angmar or Isengard. Sauron is only ever fielded in person in campaigns set around the Last Alliance.
• *The Nazgûl – Although primarily Mordor-themed, the Nine were sent all over Middle-earth, and have been classified as a separate army list accordingly. The Nazgûl consist of the Witch-king of Angmar, Khamûl the Easterling and seven unnamed Ringwraiths, although Games Workshop has created titles to differentiate each: The Tainted, the Undying, the Shadow Lord, the Dark Marshal, the Betrayer, the Knight of Umbar and the Dwimmerlaik.
• Dol Guldur – Dol Guldur armies form Sauron's troops from the time that he was hiding in Southern Mirkwood, and went under the name of the "Necromancer". There are two general themes by which players usually construct their armies. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is based around the fortress garrison of Dol Guldur, containing Sauron himself as the Necromancer, backed up by Castellans of Dol Guldur, and usually Orcs and the occasional Troll. The other way is actually more of a general evil army of Mirkwood, containing Giant Spiders led by the "Spider Queen". Both armies can include swarms of Giant Bats, and can be allied. Other themes include Spiders allied with wild Wargs to form an army of wild creatures, or allied with Moria to represent a force from the Mountains of Mirkwood. Their biggest enemy are the Elves - the Taurdirim and the Galadhrim.
• Harad – The lands to the south are only briefly mentioned by Tolkien, and much of its forces and place-names have been invented by Games Workshop or Weta. Harad offers warriors and light cavalry that are inexpensive to field, and have poison arrows increasing their effectiveness against armoured warriors. Their most devastating miniature, however, is the Mûmak: at one point the largest plastic Games Workshop miniature ever, which in the game can trample enemy foot soldiers. Their invented heroes include Suladan and the hasharin. Players wanting to add variety can add the Mahûd of Far Harad, which include cavalry on camels, warriors with blowpipes and even Halftrolls.
• Corsairs – Another alternative to the usual Harad army is that of Umbar, which can use Harad Warriors but also involves corsairs. Until recently Corsairs were unavailable, and only existed as player-made conversions. However, with the release of the Harad sourcebook, Games Workshop released some new Corsair miniatures; including metal Arbalesters and a new character: Dalamyr, Fleetmaster of Umbar. Based on Legions of Middle Earth, a Corsair War Machine will be released in the future along with "Corsair Reavers", most likely to be elite Warriors.
• Easterlings – In previous forms of the rules, the Easterlings were pitifully weak, offering only three warrior types cast in metal, and not even appearing until the third edition of the rules. However, their range has been increased enormously with the release of A Shadow in the East. Games Workshop's Easterlings represent the Balchoth, and have been based on a combination of imagery from the New Line films and history of the Sassanid Empire. They offer the unique phalanx, and are the only Evil army to feature heavy cavalry, referred to as "kataphracts". They frequently ally with Khand or Mordor. As of Legions of Middle-earth, the Easterlings were given a King unit of their own, a Dragon Guard unit that the model for was not made until the War of the Ring battle game was released. They are not given the Chariots they had in the books, but they can be given chariots by putting an Easterling footman miniature into a Persian War Chariot miniature from another company, and use the Khandish Chariot rules.
• Khand – Tolkien wrote even less about Khand than he did about Harad, though we know that the only thing implied about them is that the armor they wore covered - literally - their entire bodies, and that their weapons may be their own design of Haradrim and Easterling weapons. Games Workshop has based their Variags of Khan] on the Mongols and the Japanese, featuring sashimonos and the unique chariots, despite the Easterlings being the only culture in Middle-earth with chariots in Tolkien's writings. It was suggested that the Gondorians were unaware of the lands further east, and thus the names of the Variags and Wainriders had been mixed-up. Khand allies with the Easterlings frequently.
• Monsters of Middle-earth – This applies to individual models that do not fit into other armies; in this case, the five creatures that each "represents a fantasy archetype - stone giant, dragon, cave drake and fire demon." The fifth was a purely Games Workshop creation: "Gûlavhar, the Terror of Arnor" - a "vampire" demon of Morgoth, but lesser than a Balrog. The Monsters of Middle-earth can ally with most evil forces.

  Additional characters

• Cirion – Named after the steward of Gondor that gave Rohan to Eorl the Young, Game Workshop's interpretation of Cirion is the lieutenant of Amon Barad.
• Mardin – Mardin is King Durin's life ward. Normally the role of the king's personal protector is offered to a member of the Khazad Guard, but Mardin, a veteran Vault Warden, has proven his level head and strong arm in many a battle and there is no more dependable companion to be found.
• Múrin and Drár – In the Third Age, few Dwarves are prone to wanderlust. Murin and Drar are two exceptions to this rule, having travelled far and wide beyond their home in the Iron Hills.
• Durbûrz, Goblin King of Moria – The Goblin King of Moria, has ruled the underground lands for many years with an iron fist of brutality and strength. Feared mightily by his goblin subjects. While not the cleverest of Goblins, he is as fiercely territorial as the rest and reacts to his realm's invasion by raising a powerful army to oppose Balin and his Dwarves. Durbûrz is believed to be an interpretation of a descendant of the Great Goblin. In by EA Games, a similar character named Gorkil The Goblin King appears; this may or may not be an interpretation of the same character.
• Buhrdûr, Hill Troll Chieftain – He is the leader of the Trolls that were part of The Ruin of Arnor. While the troll himself is an actual character in Tolkien's Lore, Buhrdûr is the name Games-Workshop writers identified him as. Buhrdûr is a creature of pure benevolence, spawned in the darkest caves of the Misty Mountains. Possessing cunning over and above that usually encountered in others of his Trollish kind, Buhrdûr has gathered to him all manner of fell beings. In by EA Games, a similar character named Rogash appears; this may or may not be an interpretation of the same character.
• Vraskû – Vraskû commands the legions of the White Hand Scout Uruk-hai. A cunning and resourceful leader, Vraskû is utterly ruthless and heedless of the lives of his followers.
• Keiseimu, Ravager of Ithilien – The Khandish named hero. So far, all that is known about him is his name and the fact that he can be given a chariot to ride to battle. He may need to use a King profile with a Might, Will, and Fate of 3, 1, and 1; and a Courage of 4 in the Skirmish game. As for War of the Ring, he may need to use the Khandish King profile with a Melee skill of 6
• Suladân, the Serpent Lord – In truth, Suladan's name passed out of use long ago when he took the name of a revered hero at the time he claimed leadership of his tribe. Since then the name of the Serpent Lord has once more become a famous one throughout Harad, and his own legend grows with each victory. A Haradrim chief analogous to one whom Théoden faces at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Tolkien left him unnamed; his name and title are invented by Games Workshop although his name is likely an altered form of Saladin; the Muslim leader during the Third Crusade.
• Hâsharin – The despotic lords who rule Harad exercise their will through the Hasharii assassins, an order founded in Sauron's name. To question or contradict the will of a Hasharin leads to death, whether by public execution or through the quiet application of their murderous skills. On the battlefield, the Hasharii act as assassins, seeking out enemy leaders and slaying them with poisoned blades. The Hâsharin seem to be a dark parody of the infamous Hashshashin order from the middle-east and southern Asia.
• Dalamyr, Fleetmaster of Umbar – A notorious figure in the land of Harad, Dalamyr has been one of the foremost fleetmasters for many long years.
• Gûlavhar, the Terror of Arnor – Gûlavhar is a being from an earlier time that should have perished long ago - a winged demon with a hunger for blood. How he came to survive the terrible wars against Morgoth will never be known, yet survive he did, sleeping through countless centuries.
• Drûzhag, the Beastcaller – Drûzhag is vile, even by the standards of other Goblins - so much so that he was exiled long ago from Durbûrz's squalid kingdom of Moria. Yet Drûzhag did not perish in the wilderland. He prospered, and learnt how to bend to his will all manner of dark beasts.
• The Shadow Lord – The Shadow Lord was once the king of a small and insignificant kingdom. When Sauron offered him one of the Nine Rings, the promise of its power proved irresistible. Now, his physical being all but gone, and his will enslaved to Sauron, the Shadow Lord wears his dark pride like a cloak, blotting the sun from the sky and dimming the sight of his foes. The Shadow Lord is a name applied to one of the nine Ringwraiths, representing the aspect of their dimming, shadowy influence on their environment. In-game, The Shadow Lord shrouds his allies in darkness, making it more difficult to fight against them.
• The Dark Marshal – In the centuries since the Dark Marshal and his fellow kings became Ringwraiths, he has become even more sadistic and malicious. The most black-hearted and unrelentingly cruel of all the Nazgûl, his name is a byword for misery and death. Where the Dark Marshal passes, Evil creatures fight harder, fearful of their lives whilst Good warriors feel the icy touch of death upon their hearts. The Dark Marshall represents another one of the unnamed Ringwraiths, embodying their more martial side, and brings it to bear that Sauron's soldiers fear his commanders far more than the enemy they fight.
• The Undying – The Undying has endured long where others have fallen. He is said to be the oldest of the Ringwraiths, and the last to succumb to the wasting influences of the Rings of Power. Through an obsessive mastery of evil magics, the Undying has learnt to draw sustenance from the magics of others, fortifying himself with the magical energy that flows around him. Tolkien repeatedly wrote of the Nazgûl as being powerful sorcerers, and The Undying was added into the game in the wake of those statements. His model is unique, in that he carries a staff and not a sword.
• The Tainted – Where the other Nazgûl were slowly swallowed by the taint of their rings, the Tainted gave himself wholly and willingly to Sauron. Now all natural things rebel in his presence, vegetation withers, animals sicken and bold warriors cower. He is an abomination whose merest presence is poison to life, honour and hope. The Tainted is one of the Nazgûl, representing their withering, abhorrent nature. His mounted model is built to look as though his horse were sickened and dying by merely being near him.
• The Betrayer – A Nazgûl who was cursed long ago for yielding the Southlands to Sauron's rule, the Betrayer is driven by malice and self-hatred that knows no bounds. Of all the Nazgûl, the Betrayer is amongst the lowest of Sauron's lieutenants, for even the Dark Lord is leery of placing faith in one who betrayed his kin so readily. The Betrayer is another addition to the nine Ringwraiths by Games Workshop, depicted wearing Haradrim armour and a turban around his hood, although his weapon is a western longsword, instead of a Southron's weapon.
• The Knight of Umbar – Like all of the Nazgûl, the Knight of Umbar's past is shrouded in mystery. If the rumours pertaining to him hold any truth, he was once one of the great Númenórean kings who ruled the Southlands prior to the days of the Last Alliance. He was added to close the circle with the seven non-canonically named Nazgûl, probably representing the leader of the Black Númenóreans who settled in southern Middle-earth, founding the port-city of Umbar.
• The Dwimmerlaik – The Dwimmerlaik is possibly the most mysterious of all the Nazgûl, for scant record of his past deeds exist in the tomes of the Wise. Yet in Rohan, this particular Ringwraith is feared beyond all others, for he has been a blight upon that realm for centuries untold, directing the Dark Lord's minions against the Sons of Eorl
• Kârdush, the Firecaller – Orc Shamans are a peculiar breed who practice a primitive and brutish form of sorcery. The Wise believe Kârdush of Barad-dûr to have been schooled in more learned sorceries by one of the Nazgûl - doubtless for the Ringwraith's own twisted ends, though the Orc surely remains ignorant of it.
• Amdur, Lord of Blades – The Lord of Blades leads the Easterling Dragon Knights, and is the most skilled of that noble order. Amdûr has already carved a fearsome reputation in the lands beyond Mordor, and now has come to test his skills on the blood-soaked Pelennor.
• The Golden King of Harad – A figure depicted being carried on a litter and wearing a golden mask and turban. Likely added into the game to give another edge to the Haradrim. He is protected by a unit of Abrakhân guard; Abrakhân may be a non-canonical kingdom or Harad, which was said to have been made of many realms.
• Black Guard of Barad-dûr – The Black Guard of Barad-dûr are considered the most fearsome of all the Orc breeds to march in Sauron's armies. Not only are the warriors of the Black Guard much stronger than ordinary orcs, they are led by Captains whose loyalty to Sauron renders them almost insensate to fear. These troops are considered a Games-Workshop creation.
• Thrydan Wolfsbane – Thrydan Wolfsbane is the first true warchief of Dunland in centuries. A giant of a man, he leads through brute force rather than deftness of tongue and blade, yet he has shown cunning enough to forge an alliance with Saruman.

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Footnotes