The Lord of the Rings, the game of strategic battles

The Lord of the Rings, the strategic battle game (original title: The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game), currently Marketed as The Hobbit Strategy Battle Game, it is a miniatures and strategy game produced by Games Workshop. It is based on the film trilogies of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit directed by Peter Jackson and on the novels by J. R. R. Tolkien on which they are based.

The game was created at the end of 2001 by the English company Games Workshop coinciding with the premiere of the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Later it was renewed with new starting boxes and new rules in 2002 and 2003 coinciding with the premieres of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King respectively. With the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2012, the company began to sell miniatures based on this second trilogy. Games-Workshop has taken advantage of the commercial pull of the films to continue expanding the game with numerous supplements such as The Shadow and the Flame, The Siege of Gondor, The Ruin of Arnor or The Desolation of Smaug.

The game allows you to recreate scenes from the novels and movies, and battles between your characters and armies. It is played with metal, plastic or resin replicas of the characters, and it is also necessary to have a set of dice and a tape measure. The objective of the game is to defeat the opposing army following a series of pre-established rules in different pre-designed scenarios. As in novels and movies, there is the side of good (called "Forces of Light") and the side of evil (called "Forces of Darkness").

Development

License

The Unique Ring, authentic protagonist of The Lord of the Rings.

Games Workshop currently owns the rights to produce a 28mm miniatures strategy game based on the novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, and also in the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

Although the agreement between Games Workshop and the Tolkien Estate is private, several points of it are known, and there is speculation about others. Games Workshop does not hold the rights to The Silmarillion, which is currently the sole property of the Tolkien Estate. However, the English company can complement the universe of The Lord of the Rings with characters or stories of its own elaboration, alien to the legendarium of the author. Proof of this is the representation of Harad in the game, in which numerous names of characters or places invented by the game company appear, such as Dalamyr, Amdûr, Badharkân, Hidâr, Nâfarat, Abrakhân or Dhâran-sar.

On February 9, 2011 Warner Bros and Games Workshop announced the renewal of the license to commercialize miniatures based on the The Lord of the Rings films and now also those that will be released based on The hobbit.

The designers and Peter Jackson

Four game designers appeared in the extended version of the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as Riders of Rohan at the Battle of Pelennor Fields: Alan Perry, Michael Perry, Alessio Cavatore and Brian Nelson. They can be seen near the mûmakil when Peregrin Tuk goes to search for Meriadoc Brandigamus in the wreckage of the battle. They are also represented on the Games Workshop mûmakil miniature base. Games Workshop created two miniatures of Peter Jackson based on his appearance as a man from Bree in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, one of which is owned by Peter Jackson himself while the other is on display in Warhammer World. In addition, Games Workshop put up for sale a miniature of Peter Jackson characterized as one of the Corsairs of Umbar, from The Return of the King.

Gambling as a hobby

Collectibles

As with Warhammer players, fans of the strategic battle game of The Lord of the Rings collect and paint one or more armies of both Light and Darkness. These armies are usually built by purchasing a few regimental boxes and blister packs until they reach a reasonably sized fighting force that is later upgraded and expanded with the purchase of more boxes and blister packs. Other hobbyists simply collect miniatures for their aesthetics.

A very popular way to collect miniatures from this game in the past was through the Battles in Middle-earth collectible from Planeta Agostini. Each of the fascicles in the collection included a hobby guide and a miniature.

A wide variety of miniatures exist today and the range continues to grow. Over time, Games Workshop has replaced the production of some metal models with their plastic equivalents. This measure has caused some complaints from fans, especially in very popular miniatures such as "Boromir, Captain of the White Tower", which was put back on sale after being withdrawn.

The game of The Lord of the Rings (or LOTR as it is commonly known) presents a large number of differences with Warhammer that make it a unique and more realistic game, establishing itself as the third game system of the English company.

Modeling

Scenography element that represents a warehouse in Rohan, built from balsa wood.

Because the miniatures require assembly and painting, players often design their own color scheme or use one from the various books. Additionally, players often combine parts from different models to convert to the miniatures in the range for unique armies.

Due to the agreement between New Line Cinema and Games Workshop, it is not allowed to mix pieces of The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game miniatures with those of other models in official tournaments and contests. The same goes for parts from other manufacturers.

Scenery is a very important part of the game. Although the company also supplies a variety of pre-made scenery items, many fans prefer to create their own custom game boards. With some household utensils and hobby materials, such as balsa wood, foam board, polystyrene, plasticard, putty, and a little patience, it is possible to build ruins, forests, rocks, and even the most famous fortresses of Middle-earth..

Finally, dioramas are scaled representations of scenes from the book or movies and usually require some skill with conversions, miniature painting, and scenery building. They are very common in painting contests like the Golden Demon.

Current state of the game

Game Rules and Supplements

The rules of the game are already in their fourth edition after surpassing the first three editions that were put on sale coinciding with the three Peter Jackson films. The current edition of the regulation published in 2005 contains, in a single book, the entire range of rules that make up the game, including those that appeared in supplements prior to its launch. The first three editions were updated and relaunched in the form of supplements, in addition to the game initiation box, the English company included another regulation based solely on what we could see in the film trilogy.

But Games Workshop hasn't just limited itself to movies. Through its magazine White Dwarf and especially in its supplements, the company has been exploiting the vast universe created by J. R. R. Tolkien in his books. To date the following books have been published for the game:

Legions of Middle-earth

In August 2006 Games Workshop released a new expansion for the game titled Legions of Middle-earth focused on building army lists. It is therefore not a supplement nor does it contain rules of any kind, however it does provide army lists that allow players to "theme" their forces, including a series of scenarios designed to play with them.

Game Variants

• Assaults on the river: The official rules of the game published in 2005 include rules for coastal raids and assaults on the river. The mechanics of the game are mainly based on landings of warriors on foot. Games Workshop has not taken out any boat for the game for sale so all the boats must be built by the players as if of scenography elements it was.
• Wizard sleep: This is a minigame created by Alessio Cavatore and was initially published in the White Dwarf magazine and later collected in the compilation The best articles by Las Dos Torres. Recreates the duel of magic between Saruman and Gandalf in the main hall of the Orthanc Tower. It is played in a hexagonal template with the Palantir located in the center.

Armies

There are two types of troops: warriors and heroes. The heroes have special characteristics that differentiate them from the warriors they lead, and they can be heroes with their own name (Aragorn, Frodo, etc) or anonymous (captains). The warriors for their part are the core of any army: warriors of Harad, riders of Rohan, orcs of Mordor, etc.

The armies are divided into two great factions, that of Light and that of Darkness.

Forces of Light

• Ring Company - Much of the games based on scenarios set in the book or films requires the presence of at least one member of the Ring Company. Although it is not an army as such, they are effective acting as a group in skirmishes and separately forming part of other contingents of the Light.

• La Comarca - The armies of the region are more oriented to small skirmishes by having their warriors and heroes a value in points of the lowest of the game. Their archers are the best troops with shells from the side of the Light behind the elves although their militia is among the weakest. They do not have elite troops or cavalry and among their heroes stand out Bilbo Bolsón, Frodo Bolsón, Samsagaz Gamyi, Meriadoc Brandigamo and Peregrin Tuk. Except for the Ring Company, an army of hobbits cannot ally with any other force of Light.

• Dwarfs - In their hidden fortresses excavated in mountains, the dwarfs gather to fight the orcs, protect their treasures or reconquer the mines of Moria. Although the dwarfs have a smaller movement than elves and men in the game, their high defence value makes them tough opponents. The dwarf warriors and archers form the bulk of the army, which can be expanded with other elite units such as the Khazad Guard, the Iron Guard or the dwarf-mounted. They also have ballists and camera guard equipment. Among his heroes are Gimli, Durin, Mardin, Dáin Pie de Hierro, Balin, Múrin, Drar and others more recent such as Flói Manopiedra or the King's champion.

• Rohan - The armies of the brand are mainly formed by light cavalry (Rohan nets) although they can also include rohirrim infantry as it occurs in the scenarios based on the battle of Helm Abyss. These warriors can be equipped with different handguns, arches, venablos and shields. In addition to the riders and infantry, Rohan counts on his army list with some elite units such as the Royal Guard, the Sons of Eorl or the explorers. Rohan's hosts may be commanded by a wide variety of heroes such as Théoden, Éomer, Gamelin, Háma, Théodred, Éowyn, Grimbold, Erkenbrand or Eorl el Joven.

• Gondor - The kingdom of the White Tree has at your disposal the widest variety of warriors and heroes of the whole game. The main force of the army are the Tirith Minas warriors that can be complemented by knights, siege machines (basket and spearvirotes) and different elite units such as the Ithilien riders, the Citadel guard, the guard of the Manantial Patio and even Osgiliath veterans. The heroes who can lead the army are Aragorn, Denethor, Boromir, Faramir, Cirion, Madril, Damrod and the kings of men. A Gondor army can also be complemented by the following armies:
  • The fiefdoms - Gondor's fiefs represent forces of three places: Dol Amroth, Lossarnach and Lamedon. Dol Amroth is commanded by Prince Imrahil and has at his disposal gentlemen, both on foot and on horseback, and men of arms equipped with spikes (it is the only army of Light that can use this type of weapon). Lossarnach and Lamedon are led by Forlong and Angbor respectively and have only one type of warrior each: Lossarnach hachers and Lamedon mountaineers.
  • Army of the Dead - It is one of the smallest armies on the side of Light. The army of the dead only has available on its list a type of warrior on foot and a type of warrior on horseback. He is commanded by the king of the dead and may include banners.
  • Nomenor - Represents the armies of kingdoms in the exile of the Second Age and in the game cannot be combined with other armies of the Third Age. His strength is composed only of warriors on foot with handgun or spear and archers. His leaders are Elendil and Isildur.

• Dúnedain/Arnor - The Dúnedain and the North Mountains are heroes in the game, very effective in the shooting phase but with a high point value. Its main heroes are Aragorn and Halbarad, which can be equipped with banner. After departure from the supplement The ruin of Arnor the army was expanded with new heroes like Arathorn, King Arvedui and Malbeth the seer, as well as new troops like the warriors of Arnor.

• Elves - The breed of the Quendi is the oldest of the Middle Earth, its armies in the game are formed by elves of the forests, galadhrim and high elves, these last allies usually with the men of Numenor in the War of the Last Alliance. Elf warriors are the most effective in singular combat due to their high combat value. In addition, their armies have the best archers of the whole game, all enhanced by the special abilities of heroes like Galadriel or Elrond. In the first editions of the game, Games Workshop separated elve armies by types and although the 2005 game rules rejoined them, they are often differentiated in the game according to their origin.
  • Lothlórien and the Black Forest - They are the most developed elves in the game, have elves of the forest, galadhrim warriors on foot (which can be equipped with arch, elphic sword or spear), and Galadhrim cavalry that can also carry arch. They can also include in their list elite units like the guards of the Galadhrim court. The heroes in charge of this army are Celeborn, Galadriel, Rumil, Thranduil and Haldir.
  • Eregion and Rivendel - In this army, the forces of Elrond and Gil Galad of the Last Alliance were joined. They have a single type of warrior, the high elve, which can be equipped with elphic sword, arch or spear. In addition to the main heroes you can also include Arwen, Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir, Tútor and Cirdan.

• Drúadan Wild Men - In the lands of Anórien, the territory of Gondor, are the Savage Men of Drúadan, also known as woses or duedain. In The Lord of the Rings they helped the Théoden's host to cross the forest to avoid a confrontation with the orcs, so they took part in the Ring War. In the game Ghân-buri-Ghân is the leader of an army that counts only with infantry warriors armed with wafers and handgun.

• Unfatigable walking - This group includes characters who travel through the Middle Earth for different reasons, exploring or protecting others. Includes characters such as Tom Bombadil and Baya de oro and can form smaller armies like the following:
  • Eagles of the Cloudy Mountains - The giant eagles of the Cloudy Mountains often helped Gandalf. In the game we can use these flying miniatures to complement an army of Light. His heroes are: Gwaihir, Landroval and Meneldor.
  • Ents de Fangorn - Tree shepherds led by Bárbol are powerful creatures with high value in points.

• The Magi - They represent the Istari who fought on the Free Peoples side against Sauron in the Third Age of the Sun. In the game only three of the five are present: Gandalf, Saruman and Radagast. Gandalf and Radagast always fight for the side of the Light while Saruman can join the side of the Darkness or that of the Light if he is part of the White Council.

Forces of Darkness

• Isengard - The Army of the White Hand is a very varied force of warriors and heroes, with a series of very powerful weapons and siege machines in the game, such as crossbows, stings and a primitive form of explosives. Isengard's armies include uruk-hai piquero formations often supported by other warlords and explorers uruk-hai, huargo riders, uruk-hai shamans, whalers and fanatics. The heroes who command the army in addition to Saruman are Gríma Serpent Language, Lurtz, Ugluk, Vraskû, Sharku, Mauhur and Thrydan Matalobos. In a force of Isengard you can also include orcs and dunlendins, in the case of these last both wild men and warriors with armor and varied armament (arc, two-handed weapons, shields). On the other hand, the game also allows you to recreate the Sanitation of the region including the Zarquino (Saruman) ruffians whose warriors have a limited variety of weapons and little value in points.
• Angmar - The dark land of Angmar is on what was once the lost kingdom of Arnor, on the north end of the Cloudy Mountains. His army had no official rules until 2007 with the publication of the supplement The ruin of Arnor. In this supplement Games Workshop included, among others, the rules for the trol chief "Buhrdûr", a character invented by the miniature company.
• Harad - To the south of Gondor is Harad, a great desert extension in which the Haradrim dwell, who fight under the command of the Dark Lord. Harad has several types of warriors on foot and light cavalry like the haradrim warriors, raiders, guard of the Serpent, guards of Kârna, merchant guard of Abrakân and the Mahûd. Many of them can perform poisoned attacks by increasing their effectiveness against armored warriors. Its most powerful miniature is the Mûmak of Harad, a huge beast of war trained by the Mahûd. The army is led by several heroes invented by Games Workshop, such as: Suladan the Serpent King, Hâsharin or the Golden King of Abrakhân.
  • Umbar Corsaries - An alternative to a regular army of Harad are the Corsaries of Umbar, who can include in their ranks both warriors of Harad and the corsairs. In the early years of the game there were no miniatures for the corsairs, but since the publication of the supplement Harad Games Workshop put on sale new Corsarios, including Arbalesteros and a new Persobaje: Dalamyr, Admiral of Umbar.
• Mordor - They are the hues of the dark Lord Sauron, made up mostly by Mordor orcs reinforced with Morannon orcs, Uruk-hai of Mordor and trolls. An army of Mordor also has siege equipment as ballists and catapults, the latter with the possibility of being managed by trolls. In addition, Mordor can deploy a wide variety of troops to diversify his army, including Morgul Knights, Black Numenoreans, Huargo Riders, Orc Trackers and Barad-dûr Black Guard. You can also include in your lists other types of monsters besides the trol, such as Ella-Laraña, dragons or the great Gorgoroth beast. Among the many heroes that make up the ranks of Mordor are Sauron, Boca de Sauron, Nazgûl, Gothmog, Shagrat, Grishnákh and Gorbag.
  • The Nazgûl - The nine rings of power that were forged have corrupted the kings of men. Now, they have become the nine most powerful followers of Sauron: the Nazgûl. His heroes are the Brujo King and the other eight Nazgûl, with unique skills for each one including the possibility of riding in winged beasts: Khamûl EastThe Imperecedero, The Corrupt, The Black Marshal, The Lord of Shadows, The Traitor, The Umbar Knight and The Lord of the Carroña.
• Moria - The ancient underground kingdom of Khazad-dûm was built by the dwarfs and later conquered by the forces of Darkness. It is now infested by freckles, cavern trolls and even a Balrog, which form the basis of a Moria army in the game. The army can be expanded with other troops such as drums or shamans. The rules of the Moria army appeared with the first rules of the game The Ring Community and since then they have been complemented with new warriors and heroes in different supplements that have appeared with the years.
• Rhûn - In the East there is a shadow, a shadow composed of cruel men called Men of the East. They are quite a variety of troops, since you can only include warriors able to equip themselves with shield, bow, spear, banner or picas, and the Eastern Falls, their heavy cavalry. There are also the variags of Khand, who are warriors who go in chariots, and the knights of Minas Morgul. This army, however, has as its advantage: Its heavy armours that gives them the same defense as the warriors of Minas Tirith, and their horses with a skirt, which have the same defense. Another flaw is its little variety of heroes, for the only are: the "Captain of the Eastern Men", its only positive thing is that you can include many; and other heroes are: Amdûr the Lord of the BridesDalamyr Admiral of Umbar and Khamûl EastOne of the Nazgûl, in fact the second in rank after the Witch King. Khamûl East He was a king of men, like the rest of Nazgūl: he was the king of Rhûn. A Khamûl East You can include it in this army without having to use an allied contingent of the Nazgûl army. Rhûn can go with Harad (and Harad with Rhûn) without being allies. Well in the game The Ring War, come together as "Closed Kings". The “Courtesed Kings” can be divided into: Harad and Rhûn.
• Khand - J.R.R. Tolkien wrote very little about Khand and the limits of his territory were not accurately determined either. By not appearing Khand warriors in the cinematographic trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, Games Workshop has based its Khand Variags on the Mongol and Japanese warriors, including cars. His army in the game is limited to warriors on foot with bow or weapon to two hands, horsemen and chariots. The rules for this army were first published in the supplement A shadow in the East.
• Dol Guldur - The armies of Dol Guldur represent the forces of Sauron when he was hiding in the ancient fortress of the Black Forest under the name "El Nigromante". The army consists mainly of orcs, giant spiders and bat bands that can be joined by more specific troops such as the Castilians of Dol Guldur, huargos and even some trol. The heroes who lead the strength of Dol Guldur are mainly El Nigromante (Sauron but with different attribute profiles) and the Queen of Spiders.