Description
In the game *War of the Ring*, one player takes control of the Free Peoples, whilst the other commands the Armies of the Shadow. At the start, the Free Peoples are reluctant to go to war against Sauron, so either Sauron must attack them, or Gandalf and his companions must persuade them before they begin to fight in earnest. This is illustrated by a political scale, which indicates whether a particular nation is ready to fight in the War of the Ring or not.
The game can be won by a military victory if Sauron conquers a certain number of the Free Peoples’ cities and strongholds, or vice versa. However, the true hope of the Free Peoples lies in the journey of the Ring-bearer: whilst the clashes between armies ravage Middle-earth, the Fellowship of the Ring attempts to make its way in secret to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. Sauron is unaware of his enemies’ true purpose, but searches throughout Middle-earth for his precious Ring; consequently, the Fellowship faces numerous dangers posed by the rules governing the hunt for the Ring. However, you, the companions, can rally the Free Peoples to fight against Sauron. The player of the Free Peoples must therefore balance the protection of the Ring-bearer with the establishment of a suitable defence against the armies of the Shadow, so that they do not overrun Middle-earth before the Ring-bearer completes his task.
Each turn is based on a roll of action dice, with each die corresponding to an action the player may perform during that turn. Depending on the symbols on the dice, various actions are available (moving armies or characters, recruiting units, moving up the political ladder).
Action dice are also used to draw or play event cards. These represent specific events from the story (or events that might occur) which cannot be depicted through normal gameplay. Each event card can bring about an unexpected twist in the game, enable special actions or alter the course of a battle.
