War of the Ring: Second Edition

In War of the Ring: Second Edition, one player takes command of the Free Peoples, while the other controls the Shadow Armies of Sauron. The Free Peoples nations start reluctant to fight, so they must be provoked by Sauron's attacks or persuaded by Gandalf and other Companions before they join the war in earnest — this is tracked on the Political Track, showing each nation's readiness for battle.

The game can be won through military victory, if Sauron conquers enough Free People cities and strongholds, or if the Free Peoples do the same to the Shadow. But the true hope of the Free Peoples lies in the secret quest of the Ring-bearer: while armies clash across Middle-earth, the Fellowship of the Ring must sneak toward Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. Sauron is unaware of this plan but hunts across the land for the precious Ring, forcing the Fellowship to face dangers represented by the Hunt for the Ring rules.

Companions can also rally the Free Peoples to fight, so the Free People player must carefully balance protecting the Ring-bearer with raising a proper defense — or the Shadow may overrun Middle-earth before the quest can succeed. Each turn revolves around rolling Action Dice: each die corresponds to an action you can perform, such as moving armies or characters, recruiting troops, or advancing a Political Track. Dice can also be used to draw or play Event Cards, which represent specific moments from the story (or plausible twists), allowing special actions or altering the course of a battle for an unexpected turn in the game.