Board Game War of the Ring - Warriors of Middle-earth

Enlist the support of the factions of Middle-earth

What if the Ents had come out of Fangorn to defend Lórien from the attack of the Shadow? What if the vile descendants of Ungoliant had crawled out of the depths of Mirkwood and the gorges of the Efel-Duat? What if the eagles had helped the Ring-bearers on their journey to Mordor?

This is the second expansion to the epic war strategy game «War of the Ring». It adds faction mechanics to the gameplay. Factions – are certain associations and creatures that support either the Free Peoples or the Shadow. This expansion makes the gameplay even more varied, adds strategic depth, and greatly expands the capabilities of both the Free Peoples and the Shadow.

Free Peoples Factions

• The Dead of the Misty Temple. Ghosts of ancient men who broke their oath of allegiance to the Lords of Gondor. To atone for their guilt and rest in peace, they must fulfill their ancient oath and serve the true heir of Isildur;
• Eagles of the Misty Mountains. The greatest birds of Middle-earth. Servants of the Valar, sworn enemies of Sauron and all his vile minions. Eagles – valiant and independent creatures with strong ties to Gandalf and Radagast;
• Ents of Fangorn. The last representatives of an ancient race. Angered by the actions of the wizard Saruman, they finally decided to go to war. The Ents are powerful and merciless in their fury, so the companions of the Fellowship of the Ring must timely direct their anger where it will be most useful.

Shadow Factions

• Corsairs of Umbar. Corsairs — powerful allies of Sauron, as they can raid along the shores of Middle-earth and the Anduin River, and quickly transport the armies of the Shadow to distant shores;
• The Mirklands. The savages of the Mirklands believe that Rogan has usurped power over their ancestral lands. Saruman has had little difficulty in exploiting this enmity to his advantage. However, despite their hatred, the Mirklands are hardly very reliable allies in battle;
• The Spider-Kind. The Great Spider-Kind, the last descendant of Ungoliant, almost ended the hopes of the Free Peoples when she captured the Ring-bearer. Meanwhile, giant spiders lurked in the many dark corners of Middle-earth. Their role in the War of the Ring could be very different from what the legends tell...

Faction Event Cards

When playing this expansion, in addition to the two regular event decks (heroic and strategic), each player receives a third deck - the faction event deck, consisting of twenty cards.

In general, a faction event card is considered an event card. It is subject to the same rules and effects as other event cards. The faction event deck is subject to the same rules and effects as other event decks. For example, Gandalf the Grey`s ability as a guide applies to any type of event card, so it also affects faction event cards and the faction event deck.

Some faction event cards are used to recruit additional figures from different factions. These cards work differently than regular event cards that allow you to hire troops.

Faction Dice

When playing with the "Warriors of Middle-earth" expansion, each player receives a special faction die. When a player`s first faction enters the game, that player adds a faction die to their action dice pool at the start of their next turn. The result of a faction die roll applies only to the faction and only affects faction cards and faction figures. 

General Rules:

• Recruit a faction. Add figures from one faction in play, following the rules for that faction; or introduce a new faction into play;
• Play a faction card. Play a faction event card from your hand;
• Take a faction card. Take a faction event card;
• Eye. Place this die in the pursuit space (works the same as the corresponding result on a regular action die);
• Joker. Choose one of the following die values: hire a faction, play a faction card, or take a faction card.