


Ares Games
LotR: War of the Ring (Second Edition)
The WAR OF THE RING is a grand strategy board game that allows its players to immerse themselves in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS TM and experience its epic action, dramatic conflict, and memorable characters.
As the Free Peoples player you command the proud hosts of the most important kingdoms of the Third Age. From the horse-lords of Rohan to the soldiers of Gondor and the Elven lords of Rivendell, you lead the defense of the last free realms of Middle-earth.
Face the evil minions of Sauron on the field of battle in a desperate attempt to delay their onslaught, while you lead the Fellowship of the Ring in the Quest for Mount Doom.
As the Shadow player you lead the hordes of the Dark Lord and his most powerful minions as they try to bring darkness to Middle-earth. Legions of Orcs, Trolls, Wolfriders and the dreadful Ringwraiths await your command. Hunt the Ring-bearer and bring the precious Ring to his Master, or crush your enemies with your unstoppable armies.
This is your chance to forge the destiny of an age...
Damaged Items:
If your item arrives severely damaged due to shipping, you may request a return/replacement within 7 days of delivery. Requests after 7 days will not be accepted.
Unwanted Items:
If you change your mind, you may return your item within 7 days of purchase. A 20% restocking fee and return shipping costs will be deducted from your refund.
Refunds:
Refunds are issued to the original payment method. If it’s no longer valid, we can offer store credit — please let us know in advance.
Important Notes:
- Must include the original manufacturer packaging. Returns without it will be rejected and shipped back at your cost.
- We are not responsible for water damage; contact UPS or USPS directly.
- To ensure integrity of our inventory. No returns are accepted on sealed trading card products (e.g. Pokémon, Magic, Yu-gi-oh, etc.)
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Community Rating & Info
In War of the Ring, one player takes control of the Free Peoples (FP) while the other player controls Shadow Armies (SA). Initially, the Free People Nations are reluctant to take arms against Sauron, so they must be attacked by Sauron or persuaded by Gandalf or other Companions before they start to fight in earnest: this is represented by the Political Track which shows if a 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 Free People cities and strongholds, or vice versa. But the true hope of the Free Peoples lies with the quest of the Ring bearer: while the armies clash across Middle-earth, the Fellowship of the Ring is trying to get secretly to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. Sauron is not aware of the real intention of his enemies but is looking across Middle-earth for the precious Ring, so that the Fellowship is going to face numerous dangers, represented by the rules of The Hunt for the Ring. But the Companions can spur the Free Peoples to the fight against Sauron, so the Free People player must balance the need to protect the Ring bearer from harm with an attempt to raise a proper defense against the armies of the Shadow so that they do not overrun Middle-earth before the Ringbearer completes his quest. Each game turn revolves around the roll of Action Dice: each die corresponds to an action that a player can perform during a turn. Depending on the face rolled on each die, different actions are possible (moving armies or characters, recruiting troops, advancing a Political Track). Action Dice can also be used to draw or play Event Cards. Event Cards are played to represent specific events from the story (or events that could possibly have happened) that cannot be portrayed through normal game-play. Each Event Card can also create an unexpected turn in the game, allowing special actions or altering the course of a battle.

