Games Workshop Warhammer Middle Earth - The Lord of the Rings Battle of Pelennor Fields (Anglais)

Product Information

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 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. Warriors of Rohan: foot-soldiers who make up the rank and file of the armies of Rohan. 4 models are armed with bows, 4 with hand weapons and shields, and 4 with spears and shields; The centrepiece scenario of the box, this lets you bring out all the toys and use them, and has monsters and heroes running around. It’s asymmetric, but LotR is so often a narrative game.

Damrod and his Rangers ambush the Orcs. Another battle where one side has missile weapons (and in this case a hero as well, if only a minor one) and the other does not. The Orcs start in a 6” bubble in the centre of the table and the Rangers can deploy anywhere outside of that, with each Good model getting a free shot before the first turn of the game. This is the first scenario where a hero is introduced, and a good follow up to the first one, as Damrod is a minor hero and not going to heavily tip the game, but introduces Might and Heroic actions as a concept to the players. 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 Whilst I am not overly familiar with the competitive scene for Middle Earth Strategy Battles , I understand that earlier versions of the rules allowed for a few slightly overpowered (and strange) possibilities. Eagles carrying hand axes (because the rules said they were equipped with one handed weapons and that meant any of the available options in that category, as long as it was glued to the model) were apparently a thing. The 2018 version of these rules that come bundled in Battle of the Pelennor Fields prevent such things, and I think it’s quite impressive that the ruleset is capable of catering for hardcore, competitive gamers and play-at-home hobbyists in equal measure.Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Defence of the North is a new sourcebook for the game system, and comes with a lot of resources to freshen up your game as it focuses on the Northern theater of war during both the Battle of Five Armies and the War for the Ring. The book begins with a very brief description of the events that took place in the northern lands of Middle-Earth, from the desolation of Smaug to Galadriel's destruction of Dol Guldur (and everything in between). Lord of the Rings: Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Defence of the North. Image: Games Workshop

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. Many thanks to Games Workshop for providing a free early review copy of the new Battle Of Osgiliath boxed set. The new MESBG starter set is here! Following in the footsteps of the Battle of Pelennor Fields box, Osgiliath also brings a mix of old and brand new minis – now with an updated rulebook and some snazzy new terrain. After the the core "How to play" rules are rules for cavalry, heroes, monsters, full details on weapons and wargear, magic, including an extensive magical powers list, and the advanced rules. The advanced rules include rules for water features including swimming, carrying, and sneaking, as well as sieges and the use of siege weapons. The rulebook then covers the different styles of play, which fall into line with Games Workshops standard trilogy of play styles of Narrative Play (story missions, of which there are four in the Scenarios and Profile book in this box), Open Play (free friendly play between friends), and Matched Play (competitive play with equal points values). For Matched Play, the rulebook includes full details on how to create your force, along with the rules for allies and the different tiers of heroes. Also included are 12 Matched Play scenarios, which include full details on the special rules for the scenario, deployment zones and objectives.

The Miniatures

The Dark Host was lost all but completely. Few ever made it to Mordor, and fewer still survived of the Haradrim forces. However, they only represented a fraction of the forces of the Dark Lord. Most important to Sauron was the loss of his mightiest servant, the Witch-king. Although the numbers lost were not incredibly significant to Sauron, as he could afford to lose many times that of his enemies, the loss of his chief servant was a devastating blow. Complete beginners may be put off by the price, meanwhile, but if your budget can stretch that far, there's no denying the amount of value you're getting. What's more, the onboarding is better than most board games for adults of this kind. It's as good an entry point as you're likely to get. It’s a bit of a swingy scenario depending on dice rolls, but it’s basically a fight in the centre of the board between Faramir and a big monster. Will Faramir and his buddies surround the troll, win a fight and stab it to death, or will the troll pull Faramirs arms and legs off? Riders of Rohan: horse-masters beyond compare, renowned for their great skill and bravery. 4 are armed with spear and shield, 4 with bows, 2 with swords and shields, and 2 with axes and shields;

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! 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. 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. In fact, the number of miniatures in the box and the various ways in which they can be configured (both individually and in terms of army composition) make for an awful lot of variation. The four scenarios included in the bundled pamphlet are a good example, with only the final battle (which is in itself titled The Battle of Pelennor Fields) featuring the full variety of miniatures. Even then, game balance dictates that not all Good units will appear on the battlefield, with the dismounted Rohan forces left aside.

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.