War of the Ring - Warriors of Middle-earth
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The Ents shake Isengard. The Eagles swoop down on the Nazgul. The Dead of Dunharrow advance. The war changes its face.
What it's about
The creatures of Middle-earth finally enter the battle
War of the Ring: Warriors of Middle-earth is the second expansion for War of the Ring Second Edition, published by Ares Games and distributed in Italy by Devir Italia. Designed by Roberto Di Meglio, Marco Maggi, and Francesco Nepitello, it brings six iconic factions from Tolkien's world to the table that were only present as Event cards in the base game.
Ents, Dead of Dunharrow, Great Eagles of the Misty Mountains, Corsairs of Umbar, savage Hillmen of Dunland, and Giant Spiders: each faction now has its own miniatures, a dedicated Faction die, and a deck of Faction Event cards. These are not just cosmetic additions — they change the structure of strategic options for both players.
⚠️ Please note: Warriors of Middle-earth is an expansion. It requires War of the Ring Second Edition to be played.
The Ents must wait for the Entmoot to move — but when they awaken, Isengard trembles. Each faction has its own narrative logic rendered mechanically.
The secret of Warriors of Middle-earth in one line
The Eagles pursue the Nazgul. The Dead make the Shadow forces flee. The game you know becomes something greater.
From the game experience
War of the Ring: Warriors of Middle-earth
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and game sessionsWhat it adds
Six factions, six stories to tell
Ents of Fangorn
They must gather at the Entmoot before acting — but when they move, Orthanc trembles. The slowest and most devastating Free Peoples faction.
Dead of Dunharrow
The forces of Shadow flee at their passage. A narrative and mechanical shock weapon — difficult to summon, impossible to ignore.
Great Eagles
They can face the Nazgul and aid the Fellowship. The aerial response of the Free Peoples to those who thought they dominated the skies.
Hillmen of Dunland
Savage hordes in Saruman's service. They can target Edoras or devastate the Shire. The military pressure of the Shadow multiplies.
Corsairs of Umbar
They sail up the Anduin or threaten the western coasts. They open fronts that the Free Peoples cannot ignore without paying the price.
Giant Spiders
Creeping out from the depths of Middle-earth. They sow terror among enemy ranks with unique abilities and unpredictable movements.
There are War of the Ring games that end without the Ents ever awakening, without the Eagles ever swooping down. With Warriors of Middle-earth, those stories are just waiting for the right moment.
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The story that writes itself every time.
The map unfolds. The dice await.
The board is a whole world. Frodo is still in the Shire. Sauron gathers forces in Mordor. Faction dice are on the table — six sleeping factions, ready to be awakened. Everyone already knows the first move. The tension is there even before the first die is rolled.
The Ents gather. The Entmoot begins.
The Faction die lands on the right symbol. The card is played. The Ents cannot move yet — they must decide. But the mere fact that they are gathering changes the Shadow's plans. Saruman looks at Isengard with different eyes. The threat is real even before it arrives.
The Eagles descend. The Nazgûl flee.
The Fellowship was in danger. A Faction die, a card played at the exact moment — the Great Eagles arrive, and the Black Riders must retreat. It's not a random miracle: it was a strategy built turn after turn, kept in reserve for this precise moment.
The Corsairs sail up the Anduin. The front splits.
The Shadow had waited for the right moment. The Corsair ships advance from the South while the Hillmen of Dunland press from the West. The Free Peoples cannot respond on all fronts at once. Something will give. The only question is where.
The Ring is at the Cracks of Doom. Or Sauron has already won.
The war was fought on ten different fronts. The Ents liberated Rohan or were held up too long. The Eagles arrived in time or were already busy elsewhere. Everything is reordered. Every decision is reconstructed. And for an hour, there's a discussion of what could have been done differently.
How to play with the expansion
How factions enter the field
Warriors cannot simply be deployed — they must be summoned. Four additional phases that integrate into the base turn.
Each faction has a dedicated die. When activated — by fulfilling certain conditions — the die enters the corresponding player's action pool.
Each faction has its own separate deck. Cards are drawn along with other Event cards — the hand limit can increase, choices multiply.
Faction die results are used to recruit new figures or move them. Each faction has its own movement rules — Ents stay in the North, Eagles fly over everyone.
In combat, factions use special cards instead of normal battle cards — and they are recovered at the end of the round. They can be reused in any combat where the faction is present.
Why it really adds something
Six mechanics that change the war
Dedicated Faction Dice
Each faction brings its own die to the pool. It doesn't replace existing dice — it expands them. More options every turn, more real decisions to make.
Separate Event Decks
Each faction has its own deck — with cards thematically true to Tolkienian lore. Battle cards are recovered at the end of the round: unique in the base game.
Asymmetric Faction Logic
The Ents await the Entmoot. The Dead make the Shadow flee. The Eagles hunt the Nazgûl. Each faction works differently — none are interchangeable.
New fronts on the map
The Corsairs open the South front. The Hillmen threaten the West. Pressure on the Free Peoples multiplies — defense requires impossible choices.
Balance maintained
Tests confirm that the win ratio between Free Peoples and Shadow does not significantly change. Complexity increases, balance remains.
Total narrative fidelity
Every mechanical limitation tells a story: the Entmoot is slow by nature. The Dead obey only Aragorn. The game never violates the logic of the book.
How the game changes
New paths to victory — and defeat
War of the Ring victory conditions do not change. What changes is the number of paths to achieve them — and the fronts to defend.
Free Peoples
- The Ents can liberate Rohan or protect Lothlórien on their own
- The Dead Men of Dunharrow open the military road through the South
- The Eagles can protect the Fellowship at the critical moment
- The Western Road — new Event card — opens an alternative path for the Ring
Shadow
- The Corsairs open a naval front that the Free Peoples cannot ignore
- The Hillmen can target Edoras — or devastate the Shire
- Spiders sow terror everywhere, with unpredictable special abilities
- Pressure on multiple simultaneous fronts becomes harder to contain
Warriors of Middle-earth is the expansion that War of the Ring veterans have been waiting for. Those who already know the game will find here the thematic depth that was missing.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Warriors of Middle-earth
Is it necessary to fully enjoy War of the Ring?
It depends on your experience with the base game. If you've played many games and already know the mechanics, Warriors of Middle-earth adds thematic depth and new strategies that completely refresh the game. If you're still new to the base game, it's better to master it first. The expansion adds real complexity, not just components.
Does it change the balance between Free Peoples and Shadow?
Not significantly. Game data confirm that the win ratio between the two factions remains substantially stable with the expansion. Both sides receive new factions and strategic options symmetrically — the learning curve is the real variable to consider.
How do Faction dice work?
Each faction has a dedicated die that enters the player's action pool once the faction is activated (by fulfilling specific conditions during the game). The die can be used to recruit new figures, move them, or play Faction Event cards — adding an extra action to the turn without replacing existing dice.
How many factions are there and which side do they serve?
Six in total. The Free Peoples receive Ents of Fangorn, Dead Men of Dunharrow, and Great Eagles of the Misty Mountains. The Shadow receives Corsairs of Umbar, Wild Hillmen of Dunland, and Giant Spiders of Shelob. Each faction is designed to faithfully reflect its characteristics in Tolkienian lore.
Is this the Italian version?
Yes. This edition is distributed in Italy by Devir Italia and includes the rulebook in Italian. The base game (War of the Ring Second Edition) must be owned separately — verify that it is the Italian version for linguistic consistency with the components.
Are there other compatible expansions?
Yes. Lords of Middle-earth is the first expansion (characters and new mechanics). Warriors of Middle-earth is the second (the six factions). Both are compatible with each other and with the base game. The expansions can be used separately or together for an even more complex experience.
War of the Ring: Warriors of Middle-earth is the second expansion for War of the Ring Second Edition, for 2–4 players (ages 13+, duration 150–180 min). Designed by Roberto Di Meglio, Marco Maggi, and Francesco Nepitello, published by Ares Games and distributed in Italy by Devir Italia. Main mechanic: action dice management with area control on a historical map of Middle-earth. The expansion introduces six factions — Ents, Dead Men of Dunharrow, Great Eagles, Corsairs of Umbar, Hillmen of Dunland, and Giant Spiders — with their own miniatures, dedicated Faction dice, and separate Faction Event decks. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings cycle. Italian edition. Available on FroGames.it.
War of the Ring - Warriors of Middle-earth
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