Overview

Battles of the Third Age is the first expansion for War of the Ring, the board game based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It is not a standalone game and requires a copy of War of the Ring. The expansion provides two major additions: “Twilight of the Third Age,” a set of supplemental rules introducing new Event cards, characters, and units for every War of the Ring game; and “Battles of the War of the Ring,” a completely new tactical battle system that recreates the Battle for Rohan (Helm’s Deep) and the Battle for Gondor (Pelennor Fields) in greater detail.

Components

• Rulebook
• 4 Character Cards (Galadriel, The Balrog, The Witch-King: Chief of the Ringwraiths, Smeagol)
• 3 Faction Cards (The Hillmen of Dunland, The Corsairs of Umbar, The Ents of Fangorn)
• 14 Event Cards (7 Free Peoples, 7 Shadow)
• 2 Smeagol Hunt Tiles
• 1 Smeagol Companion Counter
• 1 Smeagol Event Card
• 41 New Figures: Galadriel, The Balrog, The Witch-King, 12 Hillmen of Dunland, 6 Corsairs of Umbar, 8 Ents of Fangorn, 6 Siege Towers, 6 Trebuchets
• New game boards for tactical battles

Setup

Use the normal War of the Ring setup with the following additions: place two “Smeagol” tiles in the Hunt Pool. Replace three existing Event cards in each deck (marked with “b” suffix) with their expansion replacements. Add the remaining eight new Event cards to the appropriate decks (two each for Free Peoples Character, Free Peoples Strategy, Shadow Character, and Shadow Strategy decks). All Twilight of the Third Age elements should be added as a whole for optimal game balance.

Turn Structure

The expansion follows War of the Ring’s existing turn structure with added elements:

1. Action Die Phase: Roll Action Dice as normal; new characters and factions may modify available actions.
2. Hunt Phase: Modified by Smeagol tiles in the Hunt Pool.
3. Action Resolution Phase: New characters, factions, and siege engines provide additional options.
4. Battles of the War of the Ring (separate game mode): Uses its own tactical turn structure for resolving individual battles.

Actions

• Smeagol: Joins the Fellowship when Frodo and Sam separate. The Free Peoples player can attempt to “tame” Gollum. If tamed, Smeagol becomes a companion; if untamed, he may betray the Ring-bearers during Hunt resolution. Smeagol tiles in the Hunt Pool add special outcomes.
• Galadriel: Enters play through Event cards. Provides powerful support to Free Peoples, influencing the Fellowship and the Elven realms.
• The Balrog: Activated by the Shadow player through Event cards. A devastating combat character that can emerge from Moria.
• The Witch-King (Chief of the Ringwraiths): An upgraded version replacing the standard Witch-king, with enhanced combat abilities and the power to lead Nazgul more effectively.
• New Factions: Hillmen of Dunland (fight for Shadow, threatening Rohan), Corsairs of Umbar (naval threat to Gondor for Shadow), and Ents of Fangorn (powerful Free Peoples force that can devastate Isengard).
• Siege Engines: Towers and Trebuchets add new tactical options during sieges in the Battles of the War of the Ring mode.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Victory conditions remain the same as War of the Ring: the Shadow player wins by conquering Free Peoples strongholds or corrupting the Ring-bearer; the Free Peoples player wins by destroying the Ring in Mount Doom or achieving a military victory. The tactical battle scenarios have their own specific victory conditions based on the historical outcomes of Helm’s Deep and the Pelennor Fields.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Smeagol Hunt Tiles: When drawn during the Hunt, these tiles trigger special events rather than standard Hunt damage. They may cause Smeagol to reveal his treacherous nature or provide the Free Peoples player with useful guidance.
• Faction Activation: New factions (Hillmen, Corsairs, Ents) are activated through specific Event cards and have their own rules for mustering, movement, and combat.
• Card Replacement: Three existing Event cards per deck must be replaced, not supplemented, to maintain balance. The replaced cards are obsolete under expansion rules.
• Mixing Elements: Using only separate expansion elements (rather than all at once) is possible but may alter game balance.
• Siege Engine Rules: Apply only in the Battles of the War of the Ring tactical mode, not in the standard strategic game.

Player Reference

New Character	Player	Key Ability
Smeagol	Free Peoples (potentially)	Guide for Ring-bearers; may betray
Galadriel	Free Peoples	Powerful Elven support
The Balrog	Shadow	Devastating combat unit from Moria
Witch-King (Chief)	Shadow	Enhanced Nazgul leader

New Faction	Player	Units	Threat Area
Hillmen of Dunland	Shadow	12 figures	Rohan
Corsairs of Umbar	Shadow	6 figures	Gondor (naval)
Ents of Fangorn	Free Peoples	8 figures	Isengard