War of the Ring Core Set 2nd Edition Reprint

In War of the Ring, one player takes control of the Free Peoples (FP) while the other player controls the Shadow Armies (SA). Initially, the Free People Nations are reluctant to take up arms against Sauron, so they must be attacked by Sauron or persuaded by Gandalf or other Companions before they start to fight in earnest: this is represented by the Political Track, which shows whether a Nation is ready to fight in the War of the Ring or not.

The game can be won by a military victory if Sauron conquers a certain number of Free People cities and strongholds, or vice versa. But the true hope of the Free Peoples lies in the quest of the Ring-bearer: while the armies clash across Middle-earth, the Fellowship of the Ring is trying to get secretly to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. Sauron is not aware of the real intention of his enemies but is searching Middle-earth for the precious Ring, so the Fellowship will face numerous dangers, represented by the rules of The Hunt for the Ring. However, the Companions can spur the Free Peoples to fight against Sauron, so the Free People player must balance the need to protect the Ring-bearer from harm with an attempt to mount a proper defense against the armies of the Shadow so that they do not overrun Middle-earth before the Ring-bearer completes his quest.

Each game turn revolves around the roll of Action Dice: each die corresponds to an action that a player can perform during a turn. Depending on the face rolled on each die, different actions are possible (moving armies or characters, recruiting troops, advancing on a Political Track).

Action Dice can also be used to draw or play Event Cards. Event Cards are played to represent specific events from the story (or events that could possibly have happened) that cannot be portrayed through normal gameplay. Each Event Card can also create an unexpected turn in the game, allowing for special actions or altering the course of a battle.