Lord of the Rings (LOTR) Gaming

This section will be devoted to Lord of the Rings (LOTR) miniatures from Games Workshop. Now this is a miniature game I have hoped and waited for, for years.

I will first start with the miniature rules. Games Workshop did an outstanding job with their licensing from New Line Cinema. It was a little hard to wait a year between releases for the first three expansions, but the wait for this miniature game was well worth it. 

The rules are easy to follow, much like their other lines: Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Warhammer 40K. They are fairly simple and use the standard 25mm scale for the miniatures. Games Workshop opted to be truer to the 25mm scale with LOTR then their previous games where they use more of a 25mm heroic or 28mm scale. And, unlike some of Games Workshop other smaller lines like Battlefleet Gothic, Mordheim, Bloodbowl, Epic Battles or Necromunda, Games Workshop is in full support of this line still, since the original movie launch by New Line Cinema in 2003. New miniatures and game supplements continue to be released on a regular basis for LOTR Miniature Battles.

The LOTR’s rule system uses the standard d6 or six side die and Games workshop’s standard combat tables with few modifications. Although it is very similar to Games Workshop’s other games, LOTR MB is also very distinct in that it is a skirmish game without formations and uses a system of Might, Will and Fate for heroes to use with their actions. Another plus for the game is that unlike Games Workshop’s other rule sets, which changes rules every four years or so, LOTR MB has only ever undergone one rule rewrite. The system is very well done and simple to play with options for added complexity.

Games Workshop has also been producing game supplements for LOTR MB since 2004 which saw the release of The Two Towers box set.  Since the conclusion of the New Line movies, Games workshop licensing has allowed them to take steps to correct and produce a Tolkien storyline correct figure line. Games Workshop now has both the alternate rules to play along with the movies or according to Tolkien’s original texts. They also have produced the figures to accompany it.

To date, Games Workshop has had many major supplements for LOTR MB, not including compilations and the rulebook revisited. Included in those supplements have been rules and figures to play out other eras in the Tolkien timeline such as The Fall of the Necromancer and The Rise of Rohan. The supplement are listed below:

The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Mines of Moria, The Return of the King, The Battle of Pelenor Fields, Siege of Gondor, The Scourging of the Shire, A Shadow in the East, Fall of the Necromancer, The Ruin of Arnor, Legions of Middle Earth, The Lord of the Rings Collectors Guide and the second edition rule book. They also have accessories such as dice and plastic scenery for use in your games. To date we have not seen a supplement or figures for The Hobbit but that is due to Games Workshop's current licensing agreement and the potential for the movie rights in the near future.

The Lord of the Rings miniatures are finely sculpted, 25mm in scale and come in both plastics and pewter. The miniature ranges to date are quite extensive and covers not only the epic LOTR trilogy but other eras as mentioned earlier. There are a variety of great poses for the heroes as villains as you play and track them throughout their journeys and many different poses for the rank and file troops as well. These figures, like the supplements are available at most local hobby stores or by going to Games Workshop’s online store. You can even find professionally painted figures or used game supplies on eBay.