middleearth strategy battle game rules

Alright, alright, let’s talk about this… uh… Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game rules. Sounds fancy, don’t it? But don’t you worry none, I’ll break it down for ya like I’m tellin’ ya how to make a good pot of stew.

So, this game, it’s all about them Lord of the Rings battles. You know, the good guys fightin’ the bad guys, swords and bows and all that. It’s like them movies, but you get to boss the little fellers around yourself.

First thing’s first, you gotta be a good sport. They call it a “Code of Conduct” or some such, but it just means play fair, don’t be a cheat, and don’t go cryin’ when you lose. That’s how we did it back in the day, and it’s good enough for these games too.

• Be nice. Don’t go throwin’ your toys outta the pram.
• Play fair. No sneaky tricks or hidin’ dice.
• Shake hands. Win or lose, it’s just a game.

Now, about them battles. You gotta have an army, see? Big or small, doesn’t matter too much, but you gotta have some fellers to fight for ya. They got this thing called “Points”. Each little soldier man costs a certain number of points. The bigger and badder they are, the more points they cost. You and your opponent, you agree on how many points you’re gonna play with, like maybe 500 points. That means you can have a bunch of little guys, or a few big strong ones. It’s all up to you.

Sometimes, they play with even less, like 250 points. They call it a “War Party”. Guess it’s like a small skirmish, not a big ol’ war. And then there’s them big battles, 700 points a side, good guys on one side, bad guys on the other. That’s where the real fun begins, I reckon.

Then, you get to put your little fellers on the board. It’s like a big table, and you gotta have some trees and rocks and stuff, so it ain’t just a flat field. You move your guys around, and if they get close enough, they can fight.

Fightin’ ain’t just whackin’ each other, though. You gotta roll dice. Them dice decide if you hit, how hard you hit, and if you knock the other feller down. Sometimes, your guys get scared and want to run away. But if you got a brave hero, he can shout at ’em to “Stand Fast!” He rolls a dice too, and if he’s brave enough, they stay and fight. That’s what they call a “Courage test”. Sounds fancy, but it just means seein’ if your boys got the guts to stick around.

Some weapons, they do more damage than others. Like, some just poke ya once, but others, they might poke ya two or three times, or even more! They write it like “D3 Wounds”, means you roll a dice and see how many times ya got poked.

And that’s pretty much it, the basics of it. Of course, there’s more to it, lots more, I bet. But you don’t need to know it all right away. Just start playin’, and you’ll learn as you go. It’s like learnin’ to bake a pie, you start with the crust and the apples, and you figure out the rest along the way. Don’t get bogged down in the details. Just have fun with it, and remember, it’s just a game. Don’t go gettin’ your britches in a twist over it.

This game… Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game… it’s about havin’ fun, plain and simple. Get yourself some little plastic men, find a friend, and start rollin’ them dice. You’ll figure it out, I reckon. You’re smart enough, even if you don’t think so.

So go on now, get to it! And don’t forget to have a good time. That’s the most important rule of all, far as I’m concerned.

Tags: [Middle-earth SBG, Lord of the Rings, Strategy Battle Game, MESBG, Tabletop Games, Wargames, Rules, Gameplay, Miniatures]