War of the Ring

A two-player asymmetric wargame set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, with one side commanding the Free Peoples and the other the Shadow Armies. Players maneuver armies, recruit troops, and advance political readiness using action dice that determine available moves each turn. Victory comes either through military conquest of key cities and strongholds or by the covert quest to destroy the One Ring: the Fellowship attempts a secret march to Mount Doom while the opposing player hunts for the Ring. Event cards and a Hunt mechanic introduce narrative events and hidden danger, forcing the Free Peoples to balance ring protection against building a viable military defense.

Players: 2–4 best 2
Playing time: 120 min
Age: 12+
Complexity: 3.8 / 5

7.7 on Ludoya from $89.99FightingWargameArea MovementAction PointsHand Management

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About the game

Design: Francesco Nepitello
Roberto Di Meglio
Marco Maggi
Art: Bob Naismith
Mizio Mencarini
Fabio Maiorana
John Howe
Matteo Macchi

Expansions

See them in Ludoya

War of the Ring: Battles of the Third Age2006

War of the Ring: Scenario – The Breaking of the Fellowship2012

Where to buy it

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On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya

22
Plays logged: 27
Players: 4h 15m
Average play: 39
In collections: 6
On wishlists

7.7/10

from 25 Ludoya reviews

andycted7.9
Great theme emerging from the gameplay. Pretty fun following the splitting and sacrificing of the fellowship, the armies amassing and many of the book events replicated with a clever mix of cards and map interaction. Surely one of the most thematic games all around, gameplay is more than adequate and the strategic choices (after one play) seem varied enough. Only big gripe is that you have to read lots of text and this first Italian edition had tiny text on them. Also, the map legibility is really sacrificed for appearances

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