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War of the Ring
120m2–4p2004
€144
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War of the Ring: Second Edition
Ares Games · 2011
2–4150–240 min13+ yrs4.2/5 complexity8.6 BGG#8 BGG41,9 KCouplesStrategy
⚡ short answer
How do you play War of the Ring: Second Edition?
The Free Peoples have two primary paths to victory: either successfully destroying the One Ring by moving the Ring-bearers to Mount Doom and passing a final test, or by militarily conquering four victory points worth of Shadow strongholds. The Shadow Forces also have two paths to victory: either thoroughly corrupting the Ring-bearers by advancing their corruption track to 12 or more, or by militarily conquering ten victory points worth of Free Peoples settlements and cities.
To find the best price for War of the Ring: Second Edition, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.
Not available new in shops
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the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
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01
Setup
Players choose to be either the Free Peoples or the Shadow Forces, place their starting units on the board, and prepare their action dice and event cards.
The rules, step by step
Setup
To set up War of the Ring: Second Edition, players first choose to play as either the Free Peoples or the Shadow Forces. The game board, depicting Middle-earth, is laid out. Each player then places their starting army units, leaders, and companions on their designated regions. The action dice for both factions are prepared, with the Free Peoples starting with four dice and the Shadow Forces with seven. Event card decks are shuffled and placed, and players draw their initial hands. The Fellowship Progress track, Corruption track, and Victory Point track are set up with their respective markers.
Objective
The Free Peoples have two primary paths to victory: either successfully destroying the One Ring by moving the Ring-bearers to Mount Doom and passing a final test, or by militarily conquering four victory points worth of Shadow strongholds. The Shadow Forces also have two paths to victory: either thoroughly corrupting the Ring-bearers by advancing their corruption track to 12 or more, or by militarily conquering ten victory points worth of Free Peoples settlements and cities.
On your turn
Each round begins with the Shadow player allocating a certain number of their action dice to the 'Hunt for the Ring' box, which will be used to potentially reveal and damage the Fellowship if they attempt to move. After this, both players roll their remaining action dice. Starting with the Free Peoples, players alternate spending one action die at a time to perform various actions. These actions include moving armies, attacking enemy armies, recruiting new units, activating nations to join the war, playing powerful event cards, or advancing the Fellowship along its secret path.
Scoring
Victory in War of the Ring is determined by achieving specific conditions rather than accumulating points over time. However, military victories are tracked by conquering strongholds and settlements. Each stronghold or settlement has a designated victory point value. The Free Peoples win if they control four victory points worth of Shadow strongholds, while the Shadow Forces win if they control ten victory points worth of Free Peoples settlements. Corruption is also a key 'scoring' mechanism for the Shadow Forces, as they win if the Ring-bearers' corruption track reaches 12 or more.
Game end
The game ends immediately when either the Free Peoples or the Shadow Forces achieve their victory conditions. For the Free Peoples, this means successfully destroying the One Ring in Mount Doom or conquering enough Shadow strongholds. For the Shadow Forces, it means thoroughly corrupting the Ring-bearers or conquering enough Free Peoples settlements. If both players achieve their victory conditions simultaneously at the end of a turn, specific tie-breaking rules apply, usually favoring the Free Peoples if the Ring is destroyed.
Tips
For the Free Peoples, a key strategy is to keep the Fellowship hidden and advance it towards Mount Doom while using their limited military forces to delay the Shadow armies and activate friendly nations. Utilizing companions effectively to accomplish card-based tasks is crucial. For the Shadow Forces, the strategy revolves around aggressive military expansion to conquer Free Peoples settlements and relentlessly hunting the Fellowship to corrupt the Ring-bearers. Maximizing the use of powerful minions like the Nazgûl and Saruman, and playing event cards that hinder the Free Peoples, are vital for success.
game anatomy
Complexity4.2 / 5
BGG rating8.6 / 10
Vibe
CouplesStrategy
Language dependence
Extensive text — heavy translation needed
Play time
150–240 min
Players
2–4
Recommended age
13+ yrs
BGG rank
#8
from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The Free Peoples have two primary paths to victory: either successfully destroying the One Ring by moving the Ring-bearers to Mount Doom and passing a final test, or by militarily conquering four victory points worth of Shadow strongholds. The Shadow Forces also have two paths to victory: either thoroughly corrupting the Ring-bearers by advancing their corruption track to 12 or more, or by militarily conquering ten victory points worth of Free Peoples settlements and cities.
Q2How do you set up the game?
To set up War of the Ring: Second Edition, players first choose to play as either the Free Peoples or the Shadow Forces. The game board, depicting Middle-earth, is laid out. Each player then places their starting army units, leaders, and companions on their designated regions. The action dice for both factions are prepared, with the Free Peoples starting with four dice and the Shadow Forces with seven. Event card decks are shuffled and placed, and players draw their initial hands. The Fellowship Progress track, Corruption track, and Victory Point track are set up with their respective markers.
Q3How does a turn work?
Each round begins with the Shadow player allocating a certain number of their action dice to the 'Hunt for the Ring' box, which will be used to potentially reveal and damage the Fellowship if they attempt to move. After this, both players roll their remaining action dice. Starting with the Free Peoples, players alternate spending one action die at a time to perform various actions. These actions include moving armies, attacking enemy armies, recruiting new units, activating nations to join the war, playing powerful event cards, or advancing the Fellowship along its secret path.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Victory in War of the Ring is determined by achieving specific conditions rather than accumulating points over time. However, military victories are tracked by conquering strongholds and settlements. Each stronghold or settlement has a designated victory point value. The Free Peoples win if they control four victory points worth of Shadow strongholds, while the Shadow Forces win if they control ten victory points worth of Free Peoples settlements. Corruption is also a key 'scoring' mechanism for the Shadow Forces, as they win if the Ring-bearers' corruption track reaches 12 or more.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game ends immediately when either the Free Peoples or the Shadow Forces achieve their victory conditions. For the Free Peoples, this means successfully destroying the One Ring in Mount Doom or conquering enough Shadow strongholds. For the Shadow Forces, it means thoroughly corrupting the Ring-bearers or conquering enough Free Peoples settlements. If both players achieve their victory conditions simultaneously at the end of a turn, specific tie-breaking rules apply, usually favoring the Free Peoples if the Ring is destroyed.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
For the Free Peoples, a key strategy is to keep the Fellowship hidden and advance it towards Mount Doom while using their limited military forces to delay the Shadow armies and activate friendly nations. Utilizing companions effectively to accomplish card-based tasks is crucial. For the Shadow Forces, the strategy revolves around aggressive military expansion to conquer Free Peoples settlements and relentlessly hunting the Fellowship to corrupt the Ring-bearers. Maximizing the use of powerful minions like the Nazgûl and Saruman, and playing event cards that hinder the Free Peoples, are vital for success.
Q7How much does War of the Ring: Second Edition cost?
No store is currently tracking War of the Ring: Second Edition. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q8Where can I buy War of the Ring: Second Edition cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q9How do you play War of the Ring: Second Edition?
War of the Ring: Second Edition is a fantasy game, for 2–4 players, taking ~150–240 minutes, featuring area majority / influence. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about War of the Ring: Second Edition — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does War of the Ring: Second Edition support?
War of the Ring: Second Edition is played by 2–4 players.
Right now, none of the shops we track sells War of the Ring: Second Edition new.
Mechanics & categories
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