The Goal of the Game: The Struggle for Middle-earth!

Welcome, adventurers of Middle-earth! Prepare for the greatest battle ever seen, for in **War of the Ring**, you will immerse yourselves in the epic conflict between the **Free Peoples** and the **Shadows**. This is not just a strategy game; it's a chance to rewrite the history of J.R.R. Tolkien! Your main objective is to guide your faction to victory. If you control the **Shadows**, your mission is to crush the resistance of the Free Peoples with your superior military power, conquering strategic cities and fortresses. But beware, the Fellowship of the Ring is on its way to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring! As leader of the **Free Peoples**, you have a dual task: defend the last free realms of Middle-earth against the hordes of the Shadows and, crucially, ensure the success of the **Journey of the Ring-bearers**. The destruction of the Ring is your true chance of victory, even if your armies are outnumbered. The game ends when one side achieves its victory conditions:

• Shadows' Victory: Conquer enough Free Peoples' cities and fortresses, or corrupt the Ring-bearers before they reach Mount Doom.
• Free Peoples' Victory: Destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom, or turn the tide of war and conquer enemy strongholds.

Which side will you lead to glory?

Preparation (Setup): Setting the Stage for War

Before the battle begins, let's set up the table and prepare the battlefield of Middle-earth. Follow these steps for the initial **setup**:

1. Game Board: Place the **Game Board** on a large enough surface, leaving space on the sides for discards and dice.
2. Ring-bearers: Position the **Ring-bearers** figure in its starting location: **Rivendell**.
3. Fellowship Progress and Corruption: Place the **Fellowship Progress Marker** on position 0 of the **Fellowship Track**, with the "Hidden" side face up. The **Corruption Counter** also goes on position 0 of the same track.
4. Companion and Guide Cards: All **Companion Cards** go to the "Fellowship Guide" space, with the **Gandalf the Grey** card on top, as he is the initial **Guide**. The Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf the White cards are set aside for later use.
5. Fellowship Figures: All **Companion** figures and markers go to the "Fellowship of the Ring" space. The **Gollum** figure is set aside for later use.
6. Elven Rings: Place the three **Elven Ring Markers** in the Free Peoples' **Elven Rings Box** on the board, with the "Ring" side face up.
7. Shadows' Minions: Separate the **Shadows' Minions** cards (Witch-king, Saruman, Mouth of Sauron) and their corresponding figures for later use.
8. Event Decks: Separate the Free Peoples' and Shadows' **Event Cards** into decks (60 of each, identified by their backs). Shuffle them separately and place them in the indicated spaces on the board.
9. Hunt Bag: Place the **Normal Hunt Tiles** in an opaque container (the **Hunt Bag**). The Special Tiles are set aside for later use.
10. Action and Combat Dice: Give seven **red Action Dice** to the Shadow player and four **blue Action Dice** to the Free Peoples player. The remaining Action Dice and the five **Combat Dice** are set aside.
11. Political Markers: Place the **Political Marker** for each Free Peoples Nation at its starting point on the **Political Track**. All Free Peoples Political Markers, except the Elves, are placed with the "passive" side up. The Elves and all Shadow Nations are placed with the "Active" side up, as indicated in the board diagram.
12. Starting Armies: Sort all figures by color and type. Follow the "Initial Placement" instructions (Dwarves, Elves, Gondor, The North, Rohan for the Free Peoples; Isengard, Sauron, Southrons and Easterlings for the Shadows) to place each Nation's **starting armies** on the board. The remaining figures are the **Reinforcements**.

Ready! Middle-earth is prepared for war!

The Game Turn: The Dance of War and the Hunt

A game of **War of the Ring** unfolds in a series of turns, each divided into 6 crucial phases. The alternation of actions between players is key to strategy!

Turn Summary:

1. Phase 1: Recover Action Dice and Draw Event Cards
   • Both players recover the **Action Dice** used in the previous turn, as well as any dice added to or removed from the **Action Dice Reserve**.
   • Then, each player draws 2 **Event Cards**, one from each Event Deck.
2. Phase 2: Fellowship Phase
   • The Free Peoples player may declare the **Fellowship's** position. If it is declared in a City or Fortress of a Free Peoples Nation, that Nation is activated (flip the marker to "Active") and the **Ring-bearers** may be healed.
   • The Free Peoples player may also change the **Fellowship's Guide**.
3. Phase 3: Hunt Assignment
   • The Shadow player decides how many **Action Dice** to allocate to the **Hunt Box**. They *must* allocate at least one die if the Free Peoples player recovered any dice from the Hunt Box in the previous turn.
   • The maximum number of dice that can be allocated is equal to the number of **Companions** in the Fellowship.
4. Phase 4: Roll Action Dice
   • Players roll their remaining **Action Dice** (except those that went to the Hunt Box).
   • The Shadow player removes all dice showing the **"Eye"** result and immediately adds them to the **Hunt Box**.
   • The Free Peoples player simply rolls all their dice.
5. Phase 5: Resolve Actions

   This is the main phase! Players take turns using the results of their **Action Dice** to perform actions. Starting with the Free Peoples player, each chooses and removes a die result to execute an action.

   When the Free Peoples player uses an Action Die to move the **Fellowship**, they place it in the **Hunt Box** after the action. All other used dice are set aside until the next turn.

   If a player has fewer unused dice than their opponent, they may "pass," allowing the opponent to perform another action.

   Action Die Icons and Their Actions:

   The **Action Dice** have special icons that dictate the available actions:

   • Character Action (Sword):
     • Free Peoples: Moves the **Fellowship Progress Counter** one step, resolves the **Hunt for the Ring**, and the die goes to the **Hunt Box**. Can make the Fellowship hidden again (if revealed). Separates or moves **Companions** out of the Fellowship.
     • Shadows: Moves all **Nazgûl** (including the Witch-king) anywhere on the map in a single movement. Moves the **Mouth of Sauron** (if in play) up to three regions.
   • Army Action (Helmet):
     • Both: Moves up to two different **Armies** to adjacent free regions, or attacks an enemy army in an adjacent region (or conducts a Siege/Sortie attack).
   • Muster Action (Banner):
     • Both: Moves a friendly Nation's **Political Track** one step forward (for Free Peoples, the "at war" step is only reached if the Nation is Active).
     • Only for Nations "At War": Places **reinforcements** in play (1 Elite unit, 2 Leaders, 2 Regular units, or 1 Leader and 1 Regular) in friendly and free Settlements.
     • Shadows Only: Can be used to place **Minions** in play, according to their Character Cards.
   • Event Action (Palantír):
     • Both: Draws an **Event Card** from an Event Deck of choice, or plays any **Event Card** from hand, regardless of its type.
   • Muster/Army Action (Combined Helmet/Banner):
     • Both: Chooses any of the actions listed under "Muster" or "Army."
   • Special Actions (Specific Symbols):
     • Free Peoples - Will of the West: Can be changed to any other Action Die result chosen by the Free Peoples player.
     • Shadows - Eye: Dice with this result are immediately added to the **Hunt Box**.

   The Elven Rings:

   The Free Peoples player starts with three **Elven Rings**. They can be used once to change the result of an Action Die. When used, flip the marker to the "Flaming Eye" side and give it to the Shadow player. When the Shadow player uses it, it is removed from the game.

   • Only one Elven Ring can be used per player per round.
   • The Free Peoples cannot use it to change a result to "Will of the West."
   • The Shadows can use it to change a result to "Eye" (the die goes to the Hunt Box), but cannot change an "Eye" to another result.
6. Phase 6: Victory Check
   • Both players check if they have met the **Military Victory** conditions. If no one has won, a new turn begins.

End of Game and Scoring: Who Will Reign in Middle-earth?

The game ends immediately when one of the players achieves their victory conditions. There is no point counting at the end of the game, victory is instant!

Victory Conditions:

• Free Peoples Military Victory: If the Free Peoples' armies conquer enough enemy strongholds to reach a certain number of **Victory Points** (the specific number was not detailed in the context, but is tracked on the **Victory Point Track**).
• Shadows Military Victory: If the Shadows conquer enough Free Peoples' cities and strongholds to reach a certain number of **Victory Points**.
• Free Peoples Fellowship Victory: If the **Fellowship of the Ring** manages to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom.
• Shadows Corruption Victory: If the **Ring-bearers** fail and are corrupted before destroying the Ring.

The fate of Middle-earth is in your hands!

Tips for Winning: Strategies to Conquer Middle-earth

For new strategists of Middle-earth, here are some tips to start off on the right foot:

1. Dice Management is Everything: For both the Free Peoples and the Shadows, how you allocate and use your **Action Dice** is the backbone of your strategy. Think carefully about each action, as they are limited! For the Shadows, allocating dice to the **Hunt Box** is crucial to pressure the Fellowship, but don't forget to keep dice for your military campaigns. For the Free Peoples, balancing the Fellowship's progress with military defense is a constant challenge.
2. Know Your Characters: **Character Cards** are powerful! **Companions** and **Minions** have special abilities that can change the course of the war. Read them carefully before playing. For example, Gandalf the Grey and the Witch-king have modified abilities in this edition that are especially important. Knowing when and how to use your heroes and villains is fundamental.
3. Use Event Cards Wisely: **Event Cards** offer flexibility and surprises. They can be used for specific actions or as **Combat Cards**. Don't underestimate them! Saving a good card for the right moment can turn a battle or accelerate the Fellowship's progress. Remember that some cards have preconditions, so plan their use.

May luck be with you, and may Middle-earth find its destiny under your leadership!