Return to Middle Earth with the Battle of Edoras

In 2001 an epic trilogy of films were released which changed the way fantasy films were made forever. We are of course talking about J.R.R Tolkien's epic masterpiece; The Lord of the Rings. The films were sublime and introduced many people to Middle Earth. Alongside this, Games Workshop released the excellent Lord of the Rings Miniature Game; originally known as The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game. Peter Jackson and his amazing team bought us there and back again in 2012 with the trilogy of Hobbit movies, and Games Workshop again released some beautiful tie – ins. Read on to find out more about the upcoming War of the Rohirrim tie in.

A return to Middle Earth has been long overdue, so the Chaos Cards team were really excited when news of an anime set in Middle Earth was released. The War of the Rohirrim, directed by legendary Anime director; Kenji Kamiyama and distributed by New Line Cinema, told the story of the legendary king of Rohan and his families desperate last stand against the hill tribes of Dunland.

Forth Eorlingas

Generally regarded as one of the finest game systems to come from Games Workshop, the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game remains pretty much unchanged from its first release back in 2001. Renowned for having easy to follow rules, the Strategy Game has gone from strength to strength, but we haven’t had a new release in a while. That’s why the team here are so excited for the War of the Rohirrim release! It is amazing to be able to return to Rohan and view infamous landmarks through different eyes.

“We have worked with Warner Bros. and the creative team behind the movie — including the absolutely wonderful Arty Papageorgiou and Philippa Boyens — to make sure our miniatures reflected the visuals of the film whilst sitting well alongside our existing range.”

The new Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game is a great tie in to the epic new Anime journey into Middle Earth. The pieces fit perfectly into previous editions of the game, whilst remaining recognisable from the breathtakingly animated film. As the battle is human versus human, there is no fantastical monsters or magical beings that we have become used to in Tolkiens tales, however, this doesn’t detract from the gameplay at all. Luckily the rules haven't changed much from the original format released alongside The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001.The release is great for newcomers to Miniature painting as well as stalwart fans of the genre. Check out our Introduction to Miniature Painting post if you are curious and want to find out more!

The Battle of Edoras

The War of the Rohirrim – Battle of Edoras is a great entry into the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, it contains everything you need to play. It also works well alongside previous adventures in Middle Earth. In this new release, you can choose between the forces of Good – the mighty warriors of Rohan, or the forces of Evil – the bitter and aggressive tribesmen of the hills. The proud warriors of Rohan; led by princes Haleth and Háma, must defend their homes and holdings from the hill tribes; rallied by former Noble Lord, Wulf. Wulf is now an exile of Rohan due to some rather unfortunate incidences.

The box contains everything you need to get started. There are 56 miniatures included which can be split into two balanced armies. Scenery includes 2 sets of modular houses, as well as some barrels, fences, etc. It also includes a rules manual, dice and accessories such as a range ruler, a double sided playmat and quick reference guides. There are four scenarios included which facilitate a linked mini campaign, these are:

• ‘The First Assault,’

• ‘The Gates Fall,’

• ‘Torch the City,’

• ‘The Last Stand of the Princes.’

Warriors of Rohan

You may remember the Battle of the Hornburg from the Two Towers, or the Siege of the Pellennor Fields from the Return of the King, but the War of the Rohirrim allows us to travel back in time to when Helms Deep was simply ‘The Hornburg.’ In times of war, the warriors of Rohan will take up sword, axe, bow and spear to protect their lands. The Warriors of Rohan set contains 24 Rohan Warrior Infantry soldiers, who are perfect for defensive positions whilst the nimble cavalry charge.

A much needed addition to The War of the Rohirrim sets are that there are two weapons choices for many of the soldiers, which helps to make your army feel unique to you! The Warriors of Rohan come with both foot and mounted options.

Hill Tribesmen

To the West of Rohan live the Hill Tribesmen. These tribesmen have a string disliking for the people of Rohan and Edoras, needing the smallest of reasons to take up arms against them. But, do not underestimate the dishevelled rabble, as they prove a formidable foe when fighting for a unified cause! The Hill Tribesmen set comes with 24 infantrymen with a mix of weapons including bows, flaming brands or spears. They have the option of using shields for protection.

Let the horn of Helm Hammerhand sound in the deeps once more!

The War of the Rohirrim is set approximately 183 years before Bilbo ‘discovers’ the ring, but the ethereal feel of the film and the Games Workshop tie in look and feel as timeless as the beloved saga did on the big screen. We have to say that the miniatures for the War of the Rohirrim, Middle Eart Strategy Battle Game, are absolutely stunning. Despite being new sculpts, they are in-keeping with the style of the older editions of the game from 2002. The Miniatures can be used throughout any time period in Middle Earth, with the Hill Tribesmen being a perfect army for Saruman. Don’t forget that we stock all the accessories and equipment you might need for gaming and miniatures, so remember to check out the Chaos Cards website!

We are SO excited for this release. What do you think? Have you seen the film yet? Are you excited to get your hands on this Epic release? Do let us know over on our social media channels. We do love hearing from you!