Fowler: It’s always surprising (and nice) to see Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game get support. This has been a pretty spectacular year for the game, especially considering that at this point it feels as though essentially everything is covered (save for updating resin and metal models). 2022 saw a number of Forgeworld splash releases, a sizeable FAQ, plastic Elrond, a refresh for Glorfindel, a round of army boxes, and now… a new starter box. PUT YOUR ART ON FULL DISPLAY—While each Scene Card is a playable Magic card, this box also contains 6 Art Cards featuring the same art without any game text obscuring the view, allowing you to appreciate the full scene in all its glory on the included display easel This scenario is about learning how heroes and monsters work, and how they interact. The Mordor Troll goes in the centre of the board, Faramir and 6 Rangers are set up within 12”. The other models in the scenario (which are most of the rest of the contents of the box) are set aside and players roll a dice to bring on that many models from their force as reinforcements each turn. As previously stated, this box contains a mix of mostly old models and a few new ones. The Mordor side of the house gets a new Gothmog mini – with on foot and mounted options. The good guys get Faramir, Madril, and Damrod. These models are a nice mix of old and new design aesthetics; solid detail, and mercifully easy to put together compared to come other modern GW kits. I thoroughly enjoyed painting Gothmog, and it’s definitely motivated me to start working on the rest of the box!

Are you a previous player of the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit Strategy Battle Games? What forces did you or do you play? Are you excited for this new edition? Let us know in the comments below. In short, The Lord of the Rings Battle of Osgiliath doesn't change any of what makes the game work so well. This is more of an addition to the range than a revamp; it still uses the same updated rules from Battle of Pelennor Fields. Indeed, I was able to swan in after a literal decade away and get right into the swing of things with minimal effort. Thundercloud: The Battle of Osgiliath comes with a small booklet of scenarios and profiles for the miniatures within the box. These scenarios use the box contents and escalate in terms of model count and complexity. Arguably the greatest warrior that resides in Rivendell, Glorfindel’s skill and swiftness with a blade was unmatched by any Elf in the Third Age, including Lord Elrond. Even the dreaded Nazgûl recoiled from the mighty Elf lord and dared not face him openly. I've only just recently gotten into Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, but I'm truly enamored with the system. Along with being a lifelong fan of the novels, I find the ruleset inventive and truly cinematic. These new additions each add something really special to their respective armies. For players fielding a Dale army, the new Dale releases offer ways to hone in on what makes Dale so great (namely, expert shooting and sturdy warriors). For the Easterling army, there's no model in the line quite like the Dragon Emperor on his Royal Palanquin. It speaks to the MESBG team's willingness to think outside the box and truly ideate rules around a theme. And as I just stated above, I love the new Fortress of Dol Guldur set and its modular approach to terrain building. Finally, the Defence of the North book offers an entire slate of new gameplay options for the game. All in all, I'm completely impressed by each of these new releases, and can't wait to see what comes next for Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game. I mean, just look at these hearty Dale folk and that incredible mustache. What's not to love? Image: Games Workshop Should I Buy These New Releases For Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game?Battle of the Pelennor Fields scene is included in Tales of Middle-earth set, draft, and collector boosters. Fowler: I’ve found Thundercloud’s Going Beyond the Battlehosts article to be very helpful for a neophyte, especially as there is some faction overlap there! Personally, I opted for a Mordor Battleforce, Morannon command blister, and a Fell Beast – to really dive into the battle the box is named after!

There are probably a few ways to look at whether Pelennor Fields is a product that will appeal to you. Firstly, as a pure value proposition, the eighty-four miniatures include The Witch King of Angmar (in two poses) on a Fell Beast, as well as Theoden, both on his horse and on foot. There are twelve mounted Riders of Rohan and twelve on foot, as well as twenty Warriors of the Dead. Fighting in support of The Witch King, you’ll find a Mordor troll (with several poses possible) and thirty-six Morannon orcs, split half and half with swords and spears. Armies in Middle Earth Strategy Battles are always modular and based on a points system that depends on what units are in play, how they are equipped and what spells or abilities they bring. Standard battles weigh in at about 750 points per side, whilst the battles in the Pelennor Fields boxed game will be fought by armies that are a little over half that size, depending on the specific composition.The battle ended with a grand, albeit costly, victory for the Free Peoples. Sauron meanwhile had suffered his heaviest defeat to date. His primary orc armies had been completely wiped out, the Haradrim so badly mauled that they were no longer a threat and the Corsairs of Umbar were destroyed as a fighting force. Worst of all was the loss of his most powerful servant the Witch-king. Yet despite the heavy losses, it was not a war-winning victory and all was not lost for the Dark Lord, for he still possessed large reserves of Orcs in Mordor and was prepared to carry on the war for as long as was necessary. One of the great heroes of Middle-earth, Elrond is getting not one but two new models, both mounted and on foot, in the intricate and ornate armour he wore during the War of the Last Alliance. As a great Elven Hero, he is accompanied by a loyal High Elf bannerman bearing the banner of Gil-galad.

The sprue for King Theoden. This is a nice sprue and gives you options to use a helmeted head or bareheaded. Oh, and there’s a nifty double-sided Priority marker in the set too. One side has the White Tree while the other displays the baleful Eye of Sauron – perfect for showing whether Good or Evil has Priority this turn. Battle of Pelennor Fields: The Lord of the Rings is a starter set containing 84 miniatures. Prepare to enter the world of Middle-Earth and recreate battle scenes as King Théoden and the Riders of Rohan make their arrival. Defend the city of Minas Tirith and take control over the forces of Evil and cause war upon the kingdom of Gondor! The promo scene cards aren’t intended for use at prerelease. They’re for building excitement for the new set. They won’t be allowed in Sealed prerelease events. Are Scene Cards on MTGA?

How Do The Dale Commanders and Dale Windlance Play In Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game?

As the sun begins to rise upon the fields of Pelennor, the great siege of Minas Tirith is all but lost… Yet hope has not faded and help is close at hand. Through the crisp morning air, the sound of horns can be heard ringing out, signalling the arrival of King Théoden and the Riders of Rohan. With the hosts of Mordor arrayed in their thousands, Théoden gives an impassioned speech and leads his men into the fray, riding for ruin and the world’s ending! The Battle of Pelennor Fields box is a great starting point for this new edition of the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game. The forces included are a solid core that can be built out and we're really looking forward to what's next for the ME SBG.

The four different scenes in the scene box collections aren’t included in the main set or in set, draft, or collector boosters. gallery size="large" ids="250203,250204,250205,250211,250210,250208,250209,250206,250207,250212,250213,250214"] Finally, there's the massive Fortress of Dol Guldur terrain box. I absolutely adore this box, which comes with a huge set of plastic sprues filled with walls, flooring, joints, and accessories needed to build your own crumbling fortress. There's a small guide to building a large structure included with the box, but this is really meant for modular construction. I love the look of this set, and can't wait to paint mine up once I've got it fully built the way I want it. This is the first time I've worked with a modular terrain set from Games Workshop, and I hope they follow this route going forward. You can choose to build one massive fortress, or at least five or six smaller outcroppings of ruins. It's an incredible set for serious terrain builders. These dreaded, looming ruins speak to ancient powers both evil and awesome. Image: Games Workshop What Are Our Final Thoughts On the Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Spring 2022 Releases? The Battle of Pelennor Fields Scenarios and Profiles book includes four Narrative Play Scenarios that gradually build up the forces on each side to ease players into the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game. The full profiles for all the units included in the box set are also included in this book.Prepare to enter the amazing world of Middle-earth, and recreate the greatest battles and adventures from The Lord of the Rings™ and The Hobbit™. In this box set, you’ll find all the miniatures (no less than 84!) and rules you and an opponent will need to defend the city of Minas Tirith – or take command of the forces of Evil and wage destruction and war upon the kingdom of Gondor. Included: The Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game seems to really focus on interesting story games, allowing characters access to all of the actions that you have seen in the films. The focus on highly competitive wargames is to strip down the rules to avoid ambiguity and allow for straight-forward play with the focus on competition, where as the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game needs to have all the details for water, sieges, and different levels of terrain, as that's the dynamic action we want to see from the characters to create the stories we play. WITNESS GANDALF IN PELENNOR FIELDS—Piece together these 6 Scene Cards to glimpse Gandalf the White as he charges to Faramir’s aid, keeping the dreaded Ringwraiths at bay WITNESS THE MIGHT OF GALADRIEL—Piece together these 6 Scene Cards to witness the full potential of an ancient queen and her Elven Ring of Power—all shall love Galadriel and despair!