The complete "One Rulebook to Rule them All".

The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game (LoTR SBG), often referred to by players as Lord of the Rings, is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, based on The Lord of the Rings films and novels. It was initially released in 2001 to tie in with the movie The Fellowship of the Ring. New box sets with updated rules were also released for The Two Towers and The Return of the King movies. Later Games Workshop also began to add content that was featured in the original novels but not in the film adaptations (e.g. Tom Bombadil, Radagast and Glorfindel), first with the Shadow and Flame Supplement, and most recently with the A Shadow in the East Supplement. This was generally supported, but there were mixed reactions when Games Workshop invented characters and wrote histories for lands Tolkien wrote little about, such as Harad and Khand. Image File history File links OneRulebook. ... Image File history File links OneRulebook. ... Three Warhammer 40,000 Miniatures. ... The style of the Games Workshop logo is copied in the titles of many of their games Games Workshop (GW) is a British game production and retailing company. ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy saga by the British author J. R. R. Tolkien, his most popular work and a sequel to his popular fantasy novel The Hobbit. ... Tom Bombadil (also Iarwain Ben-adar in Sindarin) is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Radagast the Brown is one of the Wizards in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings and is mentioned in The Hobbit. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Glorfindel is an Elf, a character that appears on a couple of occasions in the tales of Middle-earth. ... Harad is a town in Saudi Arabia. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth, Khand was the name of a land which lay to the south-east of Mordor and to the east of Near Harad. ...

Games Workshop recently released a complete new edition of the rules and rulebooks in September 2005, entitled "One Rulebook to Rule them All". However, it was subjected to scrutiny because it lacked the rules for the Army of the Dead and Golfimbul. In the fictional works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Army of the Dead (also known as the Dead Men of Dunharrow) were the shades of Men of the White Mountains, who were cursed to remain in Middle-earth by Isildur after they abandoned their oath to aid him in... Orcs in Moria, from the 1978 animated film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. ...

Licensing

Games Workshop has the rights to produce a skirmish wargame based on the films, and also on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. (The rights to produce a roleplaying game version of the films were sold to another firm, Decipher, Inc.). Though they also have the rights to produce a Battle of Five Armies game, the rights to the one-inch scale normally used by Games Workshop were already owned by another company. For this reason, the game was done in 10 mm scale for the normal warriors, and "heroic" scale for the named characters. The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy saga by the British author J. R. R. Tolkien, his most popular work and a sequel to his popular fantasy novel The Hobbit. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1916. ... Decipher, Inc. ... Combatants Dwarves of the Iron Hills and Erebor, Elves of the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood, Giant Eagles, Men of Lake-town Orcs, Wargs, Bats Commanders Gandalf, Thranduil, Bard the Bowman, Dain II Ironfoot, Thorin II Oakenshield†, Lord of the Eagles Bolg† Strength 500 Dwarves of the Iron Hills, 13 Dwarves...

Games Workshop has not acquired the rights to the Silmarillion, which is currently the exclusive property of the Tolkien Estate. However, they were somehow permitted to use Eorl the Young and Khamul the Easterling (from Unfinished Tales) in their upcoming The Two Towers and A Shadow in the East Supplements. [2] The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkiens works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher, with the assistance of fantasy fiction writer Guy Gavriel Kay. ... The Tolkien Estate is the legal body which manages the copyrights of J. R. R. Tolkiens works. ... Eorl the Young is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth, lord of the Éothéod (T.A. 2501–2510) and King of Rohan (T.A. 2510–2545). ... Khamûl is a fictional character from J.R.R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth. ... Unfinished Tales (full title Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth) is a collection of stories by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980. ...

In the 1980s, Games Workshop also had an unrelated series of Lord of the Rings models. However, these were far below the standard of quality for the current range, and are not permitted for use in Lord of the Rings tournaments because of the legal situation in Games Workshop's current licence. [3]

The Hobby

Collecting

The promotional "Gimli on Dead Uruk-hai" miniature.

Similar to "Warhammer Fantasy" players, Lord of the Rings players commonly collect and paint one army (or more) of their choice and find opponents (with similarly collected armies) to play against. Armies can be built up from through the purchase of boxed sets (usually having 20 or 24 plastic miniatures in each) or "blister packs" (usually containing no more than three finely detailed metal miniatures) to build up a reasonable sized fighting force. Others simply collect the miniatures because they like the way they look. One popular way of collecting is through "Battle Games in Middle Earth" - a DeAgostini magazine which comes with a free miniature (some of which are exclusive to the publication) and painting guide. [4] Image File history File links GimliOnDeadUruk-hai. ... Image File history File links GimliOnDeadUruk-hai. ... Gimli may refer to: Gimli, Manitoba, a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba Gimli, a political riding in the same province Gimli (Middle-earth) Gimli Glider This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional realm of Middle-earth, the Uruk-hai (Black Speech: Orc folk) were a new breed of Orcs that appeared during the Third Age. ... Warhammer Battle miniatures - Dwarves, Gotrek & Felix Warhammer or Warhammer Fantasy is an expensive fantasy setting created by Games Workshop, in which many games of that company are set, the best known ones being the Warhammer Fantasy Battles wargame, and the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay role-playing game. ... Battle Games in Middle Earth Magazine (BGiME) is a fortnightly magazine published by DeAgostini in conjunction with British games manufacturer Games Workshop. ...

As such, there are a wide variety of miniatures in the ever-growing range, including promotional miniatures, such as "Gimli on Dead Uruk-hai" (commemorating the 2005 Summer Campaign). Recently, Games Workshop began to discontinue some of their metal miniatures, so that they could replace them with plastic miniatures. They justified this action by saying that the quality in plastic moulding has improved to a point where they are almost as detailed as metal, and that plastic is cheaper to produce. However, there was much complaint when they inexplicably retired the popular "Boromir Captain of the White Tower" miniature, and it was later brought back into production. Gimli may refer to: Gimli, Manitoba, a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba Gimli, a political riding in the same province Gimli (Middle-earth) Gimli Glider This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Boromir (T.A. 2978-3019), a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy universe of Middle-earth, was the eldest son of Denethor II, last ruling Steward of Gondor in the Third Age of Middle-earth, and brother to Faramir. ...

Many prefer Lord of the Rings to Warhammer because it is less "cartoony" than Warhammer, and say that the armies look nicer and more realistic when fully painted. In contrast, Warhammer players frown on Lord of the Rings because they think the miniatures are geared too much towards skirmish and have armies that are not of a large enough scale. However, they cannot deny that the Lord of the Rings Mûmak is the largest miniature Games Workshop ever created. In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, an oliphaunt, or mûmak, is an animal similar to but larger than the elephant. ...

Modelling

Mixing parts from different models is a popular method of conversion (a converted Maeglin miniature [1]).

Since the models are hand-painted and assembled by the player, players are often encouraged to design their own paint schemes as well as using the pre-designed ones displayed in the various books. They are also encouraged to further modify their miniatures using parts from other kits and models (known as "bitz" to players), modelling putty, or whatever the modeller can scrounge up. These conversions are often entered into contests at sponsored tournaments and similar gaming events, such as the One Ring Awards. Image File history File links GrimhelmConversion. ... Image File history File links GrimhelmConversion. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Maeglin (F.A. 320-510) was an Elf, the son of Eöl the Dark Elf and Aredhel daughter of Fingolfin. ... In the hobby of modelling the various Games Workshop models bitz is the name given to spare bits and pieces, they are most often left over from models where you had a option of multiple parts however they can be bought separately by mail order for use in converting models. ... A conversion kit released exclusively with Battle Games in Middle Earth magazine Miniature conversion refers to the practice of altering the appearance of a miniature or model so as to deviate from the standard version purchased in a boxed set. ...

Terrain is a very important part of play. Though Games Workshop makes terrain kits available, many hobbyists prefer to make their own elaborate and unique set pieces. Common household items like soft drink cans, coffee cups, Styrofoam packing pieces, and pill bottles can be transformed into ruins from the Second Age, woodland terrain, or the rocky wild of Middle Earth with the addition of plasticard, putty, and a bit of patience and skill. A map of the North-western part of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age Middle-earth is the name used for the inhabitable parts of J.R.R. Tolkiens fictional Arda (ancient Earth) where the (canonical) stories in his legendarium take place. ...

However, due to the licensing agreements between New Line Cinema and Games Workshop, pieces of models for the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game are not allowed to be combined with other model lines for official tournaments or conversion awards. The same is true for pieces from other manufacturers. New Line Cinema, founded in 1967, is one of the ten major Hollywood movie studios. ... The style of the Games Workshop logo is copied in the titles of many of their games Games Workshop (GW) is a British game production and retailing company. ...

Current state of play

Overview of Rulesets

As of September 2005, the rules for Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game are in their fourth edition The first three editions of the rulebooks were released with the Lord of the Rings films, but Games Workshop used White Dwarf and various Supplements as an outlet for characters that were in the book but not the film. The current edition, the "One Rulebook to Rule them All", contains the entire set of rules updated and presented in a single large volume, including those of previous supplements. The three older editions are to be re-released in updated supplements. Currently, the official editions of Rulebooks and Supplements include: Lord of the Rings (film) may refer to a trilogy of films, directed by Peter Jackson: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (film) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (film) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (film) This is a...

• The Fellowship of the Ring Rulebook, for the first installment of the films, recently released as an updated supplement
• The Two Towers Rulebook, for the second installment of the films
• The Return of the King Rulebook, for the third and final installment of the films
• Shadow and Flame Supplement, featuring rules for characters from the novel not included in the film
• The Siege of Gondor Supplement, featuring siege rules for the game, centering around Minas Tirith
• The Battle of the Pelannor Fields, featuring rules for larger battles involving Mumakil and Haradrim
• The Scouring of the Shire, featuring rules for smaller battles involving Hobbits
• A Shadow in The East Supplement, featuring rules, terrain and background information for Khamul, Eorl and battles involving Easterlings.

For materials done under the previous iteration of the rules, there exist errata and FAQ files, to ensure potential rules conflicts between editions are resolved universally. For the Boston area punk band see Siege (band). ... Minas Tirith (IPA: ) is a fictional city in J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth writings. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, an oliphaunt, or mûmak, is an animal related to but larger than the elephant. ... The Haradrim or Southrons, are a race of Men in the Middle-earth, fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien Spoiler warning: Lands of haradrim lie to the south of Gondor past the river Harnen, said to be of Swarthy skin, the Harad tribesmen as being skilled archers and... This is one fans idea of a typical Hobbit. ... Khamûl is a fictional character from J.R.R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth. ... This article is about a fictional character. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Easterlings were Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, and were enemies of the Free Peoples. ...

There are also a number of unofficial Supplements that have been made by fans, including

• The Age of the King, a completed supplement suggesting what might have happened in the Fourth Age
• The Fall of Gondolin, an upcoming supplement depicting the events in Gondolin from the Silmarillion

The Fourth Age is a fictional time period from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Gondolin was a hidden city of the Elves founded by Turgon in the First Age. ... The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkiens works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher, with the assistance of fantasy fiction writer Guy Gavriel Kay. ...

Troop Types

There are two types of troops: Warriors and Heroes. Heroes have characteristics which set them apart from the Warriors they lead, and can be named or unnamed characters: Aragorn, Frodo, Captains, etc. Warriors are the core of the army: Warriors of Harad, Riders of Rohan, Men of Gondor, etc. Each army must be either Good or Evil, and can only include miniatures from that side (each model is named in the rules as being either Good or Evil). As Tolkien's world is very detailed, players generally prefer to base their armies around one of the folloing themes: Aragorn II, 16th Chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North (T.A. 2931 – F.A. 120), later crowned King Elessar Telcontar, 26th King of Arnor, 34th King of Gondor and First High King of the Reunited Kingdom, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy world... See: Frodo, a Latin form for the name of a number of Danish kings. ...

• 

  

  A High Elf miniature.
  Elves (Good) - The Quendi are the oldest of the races of Middle Earth, and the majority of armies are either Wood Elves or High Elves, often allied with Men of Numenor from the Last Alliance. Elven armies have the best archers in the game, and are also notable for their potent powers of healing and foresight among heroes such as Galadriel and Elrond.
• Gondor (Good) - The Kingdom of the White Tree has the widest range of warriors and heroes available. It can be divided into three main themes: Minas Tirith, Ithilien and Dol Amroth. Minas Tirith's key strength is in it's armoured infantry, but it also has available mounted knights and the finest siege engines in the game: trebuchets and "bolt throwers". Minas Tirith armies often include elements from Ithilien armies, which has accurate archers. Dol Amroth is often considered to include the remaining fiefdoms of Gondor, boasting heavy cavalry (the only such available to Good armies) and couarageous warriors, led by Imrahil. Dol Amroth is usually only combined with Minas Tirith in a Battle of the Pelennor Fields theme. A very small number of dedicated players also build their own ships of Pelargir or Dol Amroth out of wood and other materials. Gondor is rarely allied with any armies other than Rohan.
• Rohan (Good) - Armies of the Riddermark tend to focus on light cavalry, which are its core unit (though Rohan infantry are often used in Helm's Deep scenarios). These are armed with throwing spears, unique to Rohan, bows and shields. Earlier editions of the rules made these especially powerful, but the current edition has balanced the game by increasing the points cost. On the other hand, Rohan still has Royal Guard and medium heroes such as Eomer and Hama; in addition, it has benefited from the recently released Eorl the Young, and a number of new releases to the Rohan range is expected with the upcoming Two Towers Supplement.
• Dwarves (Good) - The Dwarves move an inch slower than the average man-sized warrior, making them easy to outmanouevre, but they have powerful bows and the highest defence in the game, making them a hard opponent. Their elite warriors are the Khazad Guard, and they have powerful heroes such as Gimli, Dain and Balin. They make few alliances, and even then it is never with anyone other than the Men of Dale.
• Hobbits (Good) - Armies of the Shire are more oriented around skirmishes, as pointswise they have the most inexpensive warriors and heroes in the game. Their archers are unmatched by all but the Elves, but their Hobbit militia are the slowest and weakest warriors in the game. Aside from the Fellowship of the Ring, they never ally with other armies because of their fear of the outside world. Their heroes include Frodo of the Nine Fingers and Samwise Gamgee.
• Angmar (Evil) - The dark land of Angmar is built on the ruins of the Lost Kingdom of Arnor, terrorised by Nazgul and Spectres. It's army has no official rules except for the Ringwraiths and Barrow-wights, which are nonetheless potent magic-users. It never allies with other armies, although Goblins and Orcs are sometimes included in it.
• Moria (Evil) - The subterrainean realm of Khazad-dum was built by the Dwarves, but it was taken by Evil. Now it is infested with Goblins and Cave Trolls, and more frightening creatures such as the Balrog are the centerpiece of Moria forces. Goblins are weak but inexpensive to field, making them numerous in games, and can be strengthened by Goblin Drums and Goblin Shamans. Moria never allies with other armies.
• Isengard (Evil) - The Army of the White Hand is a reliable and varied force to collect, featuring a number of unique warrior and siege options, such as crossbows (the most powerful bows in the game), pikes and a primitive form of explosive. Typical Isengard armies feature the Uruk-hai pikeblock, though they are often supported by medium cavalry in the form of Wargs, or spellcasters in the form of Uruk Shamans or even Saruman himself. Isengard only ever allies with Dunland.
• Mordor (Evil) - Legions of the Eye are made up of various warrior types. Their core unit is the Orc warrior on foot, bolstered by Morannon Orcs and Mordor Uruk-hai. They also offer Siege Catapults and ballistae with mantlets, led by Gothmog. However, the most dreaded element of Mordor armies is the Ringwraith on Fell-Beast, which, as a flying creature, can move around the board unimpeded and strike with dark magic. Mordor can be allied with any Evil army except Angmar or Isengard. Sauron is only ever fielded in person in campaigns set around the Last Alliance.
• Harad (Evil) - The lands to the south are only briefly mentioned by Tolkien, and much of its forces have been invented by Games Workshop or Weta. It offers warriors and light cavalry that are inexpensive to field, and have poison arrows increasing their effectiveness against armoured warriors. Their most devastating miniature, however, is the Mumak: the largest GW miniature ever, which in the game can trample enemy foot soldiers. Their invented heroes include Suladan and the hasharin. An alternative to the usual Harad army is that of Umbar, which uses Harad Warriors but involves corsairs. There are a few Corsair models made by players, but they are a more common sight than Gondorian ships.
• Easterlings (Evil) - In previous forms of the rules, the Easterlings were pitifully weak, offering only three warrior types cast in metal, and not even appearing until the third edition of the rules. However, their range has been increased enormously with the release of A Shadow in the East. Games Workshop's Easterlings represent the Balcoth, and have been based on a combination of imagery from the New Line films and history of the Sassanid Empire. They offer the unique phalanx (the first army to have pikes since Isengard), and are the only Evil army to feature heavy cavalry, referred to as "kataphracts". Despite these licences, they fit in very much with Tolkien's works and those of New Line. They frequently ally with Khand or Mordor.
• Khand (Evil) - Tolkien wrote even less about Khand than he did about Harad, though we know that they had chariots and axes. Games Workshop has based their Variags of Khand on the Mongols and the Japanese, featuring sashimonos and the unique chariots. There is some disagreement as to whether this was the right thing to do. It is believed that Tolkien intended the Variags to be much like the Varangians (hence the axes), and that the Wainriders (another tribe of Khandish men) were logically intended to have chariots (a progression of the wains they had). The fact that Variags can be fielded as mercenaries hints to this. An artificial reason as been suggested to justify this: the Gondorians were unaware of the lands further east, and thus the names of the Variags and Wainriders had been mixed-up (this was first proposed on the GW forum [5]). Khand allies with the Easterlings frequently.

Image File history File links GWElfBowman. ... Image File history File links GWElfBowman. ... In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Calaquendi (singular Calaquende) are the Elves of Light, those who dwelt in Valinor. ... The Elves (always pluralized as such, never Elfs) are one of the races that appear in the work of J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Wood-elves are Elves that live in forest or wood, often also called Silvan Elves. ... In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Calaquendi (singular Calaquende) are the Elves of Light, those who dwelt in Valinor. ... Númenor is a fictional location from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth and is intended to be his version of Atlantis. ... The Last Alliance of Elves and Men is an episode in J.R.R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth. ... Lady Galadriel is a character in the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien. ... Elrond the Half-elven (F.A. 525 - ?) is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien. ... One rendition of the flag of Gondor Gondor is a fictional country from J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth. ... Minas Tirith (IPA: ) is a fictional city in J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth writings. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional Middle-earth, Ithilien is a region and fiefdom of Gondor. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Dol Amroth was a princedom which formed part of the kingdom of Gondor. ... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... Trebuchet at Château des Baux, France. ... The ballista (Latin, from Greek ballistÄ“s, from ballein to throw, plural ballistae) is a powerful ancient weapon, similar to a giant, primitive crossbow, which eject heavy darts or spherical stone projectiles of various sizes. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Imrahil was the twenty-second Prince of Dol Amroth. ... Combatants Gondor, Rohan Mordor, Harad, Rhûn Commanders Denethor†, Gandalf, Imrahil, Théoden†, Aragorn, Éomer The Witch-king of Angmar†, Gothmog† Strength In Minas Tirith: Minas Tirith Garrison and Northern Army of Gondor (strength unknown) supported by small southern contingent (<3000). ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Pelargir was a great harbour city in southern Gondor. ... It has been suggested that Rohirrim be merged into this article or section. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Helms Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais (White Mountains). ... A Roman coin showing Antoninianus of Carinus holding pilum and globe. ... A Royal Guard describes any group of military bodyguard or retainer responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as a King or Queen. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The Orontes River and norias in Hama Hama (Arabic: حماه) is a city which is located on the Orontes river in central Syria, north of the city of Homs, midway between Damascus and Aleppo. ... Eorl the Young is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth, lord of the Éothéod (T.A. 2501–2510) and King of Rohan (T.A. 2510–2545). ... The Dwarves of J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth are beings of short stature who all possess beards, and are often friendly with Hobbits although long suspicious of Elves. ... In cryptography, KHAZAD is a block cipher designed by Paulo S. L. M. Barreto together with Vincent Rijmen, one of the designers of the Advanced Encryption Standard (Rijndael). ... Gimli may refer to: Gimli, Manitoba, a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba Gimli, a political riding in the same province Gimli (Middle-earth) Gimli Glider This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The name Balin can refer to characters in several mythologies and literary works. ... Dale is a town in J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth. ... This is one fans idea of a typical Hobbit. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional realm of Middle-earth, the Shire is the region that is occupied by Hobbits. ... The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a film, released on Wednesday, December 19, 2001, directed by Peter Jackson with a runtime of 178 minutes (2 hours, 58 minutes). ... Frodo Baggins is the main character of J. R. R. Tolkiens monumental and mythological novel, The Lord of the Rings. ... Samwise Gamgee (T.A. 2980[1] – F.A. sometime after 61), a fictional character featured in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy world Middle-earth, is Frodo Baggins servant who proves to be the most loyal of the Fellowship of the Ring. ... location of Angmar in Middle-earth marked in red Angmar (Sindarin: Iron-home) is a fictional kingdom in J.R.R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... In the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien, Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador in Middle-earth. ... One of the Nazgûl portrayed in The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy In the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien, the Nazgûl (Black Speech: Ringwraiths, sometimes written Ring-wraiths), also known as the Nine Riders or Black Riders (or simply the Nine), are evil servants of Sauron... A manufactured image of a ghostly woman ascending a staircase A ghost is an alleged non-corporeal manifestation of a dead person (or, rarely, an animal). ... Barrow-wights are wraith-like creatures in J. R. R. Tolkiens world of Middle-earth. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional world, Middle-earth, Moria (also known as Khazad-dûm, The Black Chasm, The Black Pit, Dwarrowdelf, Hadhodrond, and Phurunargian) is the name given to the underground city, mines, and connected tunnels that run through the central Misty Mountains. ... This article is about the fictional underground city. ... Orc or Ork, an Old English word (orc-neas from Beowulf) for the zombie-like monsters of Grendels race was revived by J. R. R. Tolkien in his Middle-earth legendarium. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens world of Middle-earth, Trolls are very large (around 9 feet tall) humanoids of poor intellect. ... This article deals with J.R.R. Tolkiens Balrogs. ... Location of Isengard in Middle-earth marked in red In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard, a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. ... White Hand, or Bela Ruka, was a secret, unofficial military organization in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (and later in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). ... A crossbow is a type of weapon that fires projectiles called quarrels. ... A modern recreation of a company of pikemen. ... The Wargs or Wild Wolves are a race of fictional wolf creatures in J.R.R. Tolkiens books about Middle-earth. ... Saruman (1000 T.A. – 3019 T.A on Middle-earth) is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe, Middle-earth. ... ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY ROCK INTO MORDOR! http://tweaker. ... The Black Gate or Morannon is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... Replica catapult at Château des Baux, France Catapults are siege engines using an arm to hurl a projectile a great distance. ... A mantlet was a large shield or portable shelter used for stopping arrows or bullets, in medieval warfare. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Gothmog was the Lord of the Balrogs and the High-Captain of Angband, one of the chief servants of the Dark Lord Morgoth with a rank equal to that of Sauron. ... Harad is a town in Saudi Arabia. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, an oliphaunt, or mûmak, is an animal related to but larger than the elephant. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional world of Arda, a great haven to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth. ... The Corsairs of Umbar are a fictional nation of Men in the fantasy universe of J.R.R. Tolkiens Middle-earth. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Easterlings were Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, and were enemies of the Free Peoples. ... The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Empire (Persian: Sassanian) was the name given to the kings of Persia (Iran) during the era of the third Persian Empire from 226 until 651. ... Look up phalanx in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Phalanx (Greek word from phalangos, meaning Finger) can refer to: phalanx formation in ancient warfare. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ... Depiction of Sassanid cataphracts in the computer game Rome Total War: Barbarian Invasion. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth, Khand was the name of a land which lay to the south-east of Mordor and to the east of Near Harad. ... For the torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle ridden by two frogmen, sometimes referred to as a chariot, see Human torpedo. ... axes is the plural of both axis and axe, and may thus be: Axe An axe is a tool with a metal blade fastened to a handle at 90 degrees, commonly used to split wood. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Easterlings were Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, and were enemies of the Free Peoples. ... The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China, particularly Inner Mongolia. ... An illustration depicting a typical sashimono, worn with battle gear Sashimono (指物, 差物, 挿物) were small banners worn by Japanese medieval soldiers for identification during battles. ... The Varangians or Variags were Vikings who travelled eastwards from Sweden and Norway. ... In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Easterlings were Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, and were enemies of the Free Peoples. ... A wain is a type of horse-drawn cart used for agricultural purposes rather than transporting people, for example a haywain. ... Mercenary (disambiguation). ...

Game Systems

The games uses a points system similar to Warhammer Fantasy, which itself has many similarities with Tolkien's works. It is primarily a skirmish game, but can be played in varying scale: Warhammer Battle miniatures - Dwarves, Gotrek & Felix Warhammer or Warhammer Fantasy is an expensive fantasy setting created by Games Workshop, in which many games of that company are set, the best known ones being the Warhammer Fantasy Battles wargame, and the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay role-playing game. ...

• Scenario - These are based on an event in the book or film, and the armies are predetermined and fought using Special Scenario-specific Rules
• Points Match - These are played between two forces of equal size, generally of 500 Points each (which is usually no more than 50 miniatures per side).
• War Party - This is a stricter form of the Points Match, using forces of no more than 250 Points.
• Battle Company - This is an experience-based system which is played out with no more than 25 miniatures.

The Turn system game is played using four phases:

• Priority Phase
• Move Phase
• Shoot Phase
• Combat Phase

Differences with Warhammer

One of the key differences between the game and Warhammer, however, is that in Lord of the Rings, the players take turns playing out one phase at a time, but in both forms of Warhammer, each player plays their full turn at once. Also, Warhammer miniatures are locked in block formations; Lord of the Rings allows freedom of movement for each individual miniature. For this reason, the perfected turn and movement systems of LoTR SBG is considered more realistic than that of Warhammer Fantasy or Warhammer 40K.

Online Community

There is also a large Games Workshop online community, with 2700 forum posts per day and 300000 registered users, and growing (this has been pointed out by some as being just under 0.005% of the world population, and equal to that of Iceland). It is regarded as one of the largest and cleanest internet fora - a result of Games Workshop trying to be family-friendly. There are also a large number of smaller, unofficial websites and forums for Lord of the Rings players, such as "The Last Alliance", with about 8500 registered members, "The Palantir", with over 2200 members, and "The One Ring", with about 2000 registered members. The world population is the total number of humans alive on the planet Earth at a given time. ... Gaia Online, the largest English language forum-based community as of April 2005 — powered by a modified version of phpBB. An Internet forum is a web application which provides for discussion, often in conjunction with online communities. ...

On June 1, 2005, Games Workshop launched their UK-based Annual Online Summer Campaign: "The War of the Ring Online Campaign". The Campaign was successful, with 3007 registered participants. Games Workshop also introduced the "Wrath of Umbar" Roadshow, with custom-built corsair models and gaming boards being brought to various cities in the United Kingdom. When the Campaign formally ended on September 8, Good emerged the victor. The combined total of the 14 weeks was 27239 recorded games. The Forum closed shortly after, giving way to a smaller Campaign based in Canada. However, the Campaign was nowhere near the scale of its UK counterpart, and was ignored by many who viewed it as a "watered-down" version of the original. June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto; French for God and my right) The other motto, also French, seen is that of the Order of the Garter: Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame upon him who thinks evil of it)3 Anthem: God Save the Queen4 Capital London Largest... The promotional Gimli on Dead Uruk-hai miniature. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional world of Arda, a great haven to the far south of Gondor in Middle-earth. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ...

The most recent Online Campaign was the Campaign of LoTRs, run by The Dark Council and Cheeseweb. Campaign of LoTRs was an online campaign for The Lord of the Rings SBG hosted by the Dark Council and Cheeseweb. ... The Dark Council (abbreviated as DC) was a online forum for Lord of the Rings SBG players, founded in 2005 with the aim of leading the Forces of Evil during the The War of the Ring Online Campaign, hosted by Games Workshop. ...

Trivia

• Four of the LoTR SBG designers were in the Return of the King film as Rohirrim at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields: Alessio Cavatore, Brian Nelson, Alan and Michael Perry. They can be seen near the Oliphaunt when Peregrin Took goes searching for Meriadoc Brandybuck among the debris from the battle, and are also on the base of Games Workshop's Mumak miniature. [6]
• Games Workshop created two miniatures of Peter Jackson as a hobbit from Bree: one is owned by the director, and the other is kept on display at GW headquarters in England.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) is the third part in the Lord of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, based on J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings. ... Combatants Gondor, Rohan Mordor, Harad, Rhûn Commanders Denethor†, Gandalf, Imrahil, Théoden†, Aragorn, Éomer The Witch-king of Angmar†, Gothmog† Strength In Minas Tirith: Minas Tirith Garrison and Northern Army of Gondor (strength unknown) supported by small southern contingent (<3000). ... An oliphaunt from The Two Towers; note the humans riding on it for size comparison. ... Peregrin Took (T.A. 2990-?), better known to his friends as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth; a Hobbit, and one of Frodo Bagginss youngest but best friends. ... Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a Hobbit, a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth, featured as a central character throughout Tolkiens most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. ... Peter Jackson in New York (USA), at the premiere of King Kong, December 5, 2005 Peter Jackson CNZM (born October 31, 1961, Pukerua Bay) is a New Zealand-born filmmaker best-known as the director of the epic film trilogy The Lord of the Rings, which he, along with Fran... Bree may refer to: Fiction: Bree (Middle-earth), a fictional village in J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth. ...

External links

• Official Games Workshop Lord of the Rings website
• Official 2005 Games Workshop Online Summer Campaign website
• Official 2005 Games Workshop Canada Campaign website
• Unofficial War of the Ring website a monument to the participants of the War of the Ring Campaign
• Unfinished Tales the website for the Wargaming Smial of the Tolkien Society - Unfinished Tales