� Lord of the Rings! Play Tolkien's world in 26mm scale! �

Lord of the Rings, Games Workshops newest gaming project. Scheduled to be realeased just before the movies come out; Lord of the Rings will offer the first experience out side of the Warhammer/Warhammer 40K universes. There will be one game for each movie. The first (Fellowship of the Ring) will be a scirmish (like Mordhiem) style tabletop. The second (The Two Towers) will be a war based (like Warhammer) style. The third (Return of the King) will be a seige style game.

Concealed by mighty spells of secrecy and hidden from the sight of mortals Games Workshop's Rick Priestley has spent the best part of a year working on The Lord of the Rings battlegame. The game and associated model ranges will be going into production shortly and will be ready in time for the release of the first of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy The Fellowship of the Ring.

As with Games Workshop's premier Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 games, the latest offering features armies of model warriors, each about an inch high, destined to battle for supremacy over kitchen tables throughout the land. The model design accurately reproduces the appearance of the characters in the movie from the ragged Orcs to the resplendent Elves with their intricately detailed wargear. Even the tiniest models of Frodo and Sam bear an uncanny likeness to their screen counterparts.

Games Workshop's intention is to produce three editions of the game to coincide with the release of the three movies in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Each game will build upon the last by adding models and gaming rules to expand the scope of the battlefield action as it unfolds from film to film. The Fellowship of the Ring edition of the game lays the foundation for what is ultimately envisaged as a complete gaming system based upon the entire Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. The game will be available as a boxed starter set containing the rules manual, 48 models, and scenic ruins. All the models in the starter set are plastic and separate components such as shields have been designed as plug-fits for easy assembly. The remainder of the model range is metal and is planned to include 5 boxed sets and 28 different blister pack assortments. In addition there will be a special paint set and the plastic models from the starter set will be available separately.

The instantly recognisable imagery and well-known story of The Lord of the Rings trilogy will undoubtedly inspire many people to attempt their first tabletop battle. With that in mind the games manual includes plenty of material on painting the models and making scenery as well as the rules of the game. Indeed, the manual sets out to serve as a guide for the collector and painter, and includes numerous colour illustrations of painted miniatures as well as pictures taken from the movie itself. In a similar vein the game attempts to present the complexities of tabletop gaming in a digestible format.

For those who already play either Warhammer or Warhammer 40,000, The Lord of the Rings offers a very different sort of game. The first major difference is rather than progressing by means of alternative turns, both sides get to move models, shoot, and fight at the same time. To keep things organised one player always moves and shoots first - the player with priority - and this is established by a dice roll each turn. This changes the feel of the game completely and introduces a degree of constant player interaction that strongly shapes the game play. The rules themselves offer plenty of scope for individual tactics - especially with the introduction of heroic characters - rewarding careful and intelligent play.

To see prerelease pictures click on the orc.

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