View Lord of the Rings Battle Game
The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game (LoTR:SBG) is a core game system offered by Games Workshop. Although it bears a genetic resemblance to both Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Warhammer 40000, it is a distinct game system.
LoTR:SBG was originally released in 2001 to tie in with the LoTR movie series, but Games Workshop continues to grow the line with figures and races from other Middle Earth literary sources.
Game Details
Each figure represents an individual combatant. Armies are composed of one or more figures, and there are no mandatory formation rules. Figures are either warriors or heroes, with heroes having extra abilities above those of normal warriors.
In a departure from traditional GW games, the turn sequence is a modified “IGOUGO” system in which players alternate in each phase of the turn. Thus, both players move before either player shoots, etc.
Heroic characters are able to influence the order of activation during the turn as well as modify their dice rolls through expenditure of “Might Points”. Each hero has a limited number of Might Points which generally do not replenish during a battle.
Battles in LoTR:SBG are often scenario driven encounters. Point matched battles are also supported by the rules, as are Battle Companies games, which are small Mordheim like campaign games.
Figures in the game are categorize by their allegiance. Originally, they were simply divided into “Force of Good” and “Forces of Evil”, but with the re-release of the game system, they are now separated into factions:
* The Shire
* Arnor and Angmar
* The Elven Havens
* Moria
* The Woodland Realm
* Rohan
* Isengard
* Gondor
* Men of Numenor
* Mordor
* The Dwarf Holds
* Easterlings
* Harad