Ares Games War of the Ring 2nd Edition Board Game

£9.995
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Ares Games War of the Ring 2nd Edition Board Game

Ares Games War of the Ring 2nd Edition Board Game

RRP: £19.99
Price: £9.995
£9.995 FREE Shipping

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Description

War of the Ring is a game of area control, “troops on a map,” dice combat, hidden movement, hand management, and timely card play. If that sounds like a lot to you, that’s because well, it is. This game is massive, not only in its scope but its size. I have a decent sized game table and it consumed most of it. Like any self-respecting grandiose game it has loads of plastic miniatures to shuffle around, as well as custom sculpts for major characters like Frodo, Legolas, Gimli, and all the other made-up words that call themselves names. Currently there are five expansions, these do things like add new characters, or new cards, and some make rule additions – Although none are essential to play. Final Thoughts Lord of the Rings” is one of the biggest franchises from here to the Misty Mountains, with five significantly sized books, six even more significantly sized movies, an upcoming television series that is sure to be some amount of significance, and multiple generations of influence in the world of “high fantasy”. When I heard there was a board game described as “Tolkien-in-a-box,” I knew it had some pretty big hobbit-sized shoes to fill. (If hobbits wore shoes, that is.) Does War of the Ring soar like the Great Eagles and capture the epic struggle between good and evil? Does it crash and burn in the fires of Mount Doom? Or does it land somewhere in the middle-earth? Read on for our review of War of the Ring, 2nd Edition.

If you’re a hardcore megafan of The Lord of the Rings, or just want a complex fantasy wargame to wrap your head around, this is easily the product for you. However, anyone not willing to put a considerable amount of time into learning rules and set up for a huge game should probably look elsewhere for their entertainment. If I have any gripes the figures representing the armies of the Free Peoples are difficult to tell apart and I’m not a great fan of bendy plastic figures – but at least they will not break. Secondly War of the Ring does take some time to set up. Lastly towards the end victory or defeat can hang on a single event or dice, it can feel tense, it can feel random, but there is strategy in avoiding the random. Due out this September is a deluxe special edition of The Battle of Five Armies, the War of the Ring spin-off based on prequel The Hobbit. As with the limited edition of War of the Ring and its two expansions, the set will include 126 fully painted miniatures, plus the previously unreleased mini-expansion The Fate of Erebor. Oh, for sure! The artwork is brilliant on all of the cards and the board itself, and really draws a good distinction from the films. It’s a little quirky in some of the illustrations, namely the character cards, but I feel it fits the theme well and pulls more from ‘fantasy illustration from the 80s’ than any of the modern films. The individual models are well made if a little confusing, giving decent forms to the main fellowship as well as the different races you have control over. The bold colours of blue and red let players see from a glance who has the most control over this land. Even the dice look impressive, giving each player their own coloured set covered in gold/silver symbols, ready for them to roll and spend as their precious actions. If Tolkien is a bit alien to you then have no fear, this game looks great on its own merits and all the illustrations will add to the game guarantee. War of the Ring is an area control strategy war game based on the events of Lord of the Rings. The game plays best with two players, on one side is the Free Peoples, on the other are the forces of Shadow.In the event cards there are beings like Ents, Grima Wormtongue, Eagles, Tom Bombadil and of course a Balrog, and various items such as the Mirror of Galadriel, all of which have a direct impact on play and are true to the theme. Cards can be used in one of two ways, as events, or to help influence the outcome of a battle. Once again, there is always a decision to take.

While armies clash, the nine Companions of the Fellowship of the Ring travel towards the very heart of the domains of the Dark Lord—Mount Doom—to destroy the One Ring in the Mountain of Fire. War of the Ring is a board game where 2-4 players aged 13 years and over will compete in teams of Free Peoples and Shadow Armies. The strategy game will bring players into the world of The Lord of The Rings created by J.R.R. Tolkien where they can experience incredible action and conflict. Beyond the military conflict side is the quest of the Fellowship of the Ring to get to Mount Doom and throw the ring into the fires, destroying the power of the dark lord forever. The Fellowship consists of all of the characters from the books and movies, at least in the beginning. You may lose companions along the way, or they could be forced to leave to try to save another part of Middle Earth from the unrelenting march of the Shadow’s armies. Free Peoples player will command great hosts of the Third Age kingdoms and face the evil minions of Sauron. Lead the horse-lords of Rohan, Elven Lords of Rivendell and the soldiers of Gondor to gain Fellowship and destroy the ring to claim victory!One narrative strength of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe is that underneath all the grand gilded garrisons of a war epic is the simple story of two buddies going cross-country to return some jewelry. The importance of the “little guy” amidst worldwide chaos was never lost on the author, demonstrably having Frodo and Sam, two mostly normal Middle-Earth hillbillies, being the primary protagonists. War of the Ring stays true to this ethos. While navigating international diplomacy and managing military might is crucial to survival, we can’t forget that the quest is still about the ring. This is highlighted superbly in War of the Ring by the game mechanics of moving the Fellowship. While we know canonically that the party starts at Rivendell, the journey that the Fellowship takes is primarily in secret. This is accomplished by a very clever set of mechanics. Kings of Middle–Earth introduces two new types of Characters to War of the Ring Second Edition: Sovereigns and Dark Chieftains. The Sovereigns of the Free Peoples were targeted by Sauron’s attempts to bend the will of the peoples opposing him - using the palantíri (the seeing stones), through emissaries, like Gríma, and possibly with other subtle and deceitful means. At the same time, it was crucial for the morale of the Free Peoples to rally around these charismatic figures - Brand, Dáin Ironfoot, Denethor, Théoden, and Thranduil - to fight against the Shadow. Action Roll: Players roll their action dice. Any “eye” result rolled by the SP is added to the hunt box.

WOTR150 – War of the Ring Card Game – Free Peoples Card Box and Sleeves (US release date: March, 31st)

The Wise Speak Only of What They Know – Final Thoughts

I’m not going to get too deep into Fangorn Forest’s weeds when it comes to each element, as there are a TON of moving parts. I will briefly touch on the Action Dice, since that is the bulk of the game. As the Shadow player you lead the hordes of the Dark Lord and his most powerful minions as they try to bring darkness to Middle-earth. Legions of Orcs, Trolls, Wolfriders and the dreadful Ringwraiths await your command. Hunt the Ring-bearer and bring the precious Ring to his Master, or crush your enemies with your unstoppable armies.



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