THE LORD OF THE RINGS: BATTLE OF PELENNOR FIELDS
Return to Middle-earth
RELEASED OUT NOW! Number of players Two or more
Publisher Games Workshop
For the last few years, Games Workshop’s Middle-earth battle game has been a bit of an under-the-radar concern. Once a core part of the company, since 2015 it’s been under the control of the specialist wing, Forge World. This new set revives it for the gaming mainstream with a refreshed ruleset and the requisite piles of plastic miniatures.
In that regard, the set is undeniably good value. The forces of light get King Théoden (on foot and mount), lots of soldiers, some ace cavalry and the ghostly Dead Men of Dunharrow. The baddies get the Witch King of Angmar on a massive Fell Beast, a troll and many orcs. That said, the majority of these figures are old sculpts (some around 15 years old) and they look a bit dated. The Middle-earth aesthetic is more grounded than that of Warhammer: Age Of Sigmar, but given how beautiful that game’s miniatures are, it’s hard not to look at these without comparing them unfavourably.
The basic structure is largely as before, with the rule changes mostly there to fix imbalances. Heroes have been given an overhaul, with certain Heroic Actions now restricted to appropriate characters (previously any hero could perform any Heroic Action, leading to bizarre situations) and a new tier system. Every statline in the game has been reassessed too, and while many remain the same, others – Théoden for instance – have been tweaked to powerful effect. They’re smart, subtle choices that polish an already well-balanced game and bring it more in line with Tolkien’s lore.
Just how big would a Warlord Titan be in real life? Their specs have them as 33 metres/108 feet tall.