“In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.”
So began J.R.R Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and, through an unexpected journey, many of our own wargaming stories as well. Inspired by the Lord of the Rings, Gary Gygax added a supplement of fantasy creatures to Jeff Perren’s Chainmail, and planted the acorn which would grow into Dungeons & Dragons. In 1975, fledgling company Games Workshop acquired distribution rights to Dungeons & Dragons for the United Kingdom. Eight years after that, Games Workshop would launch Warhammer Fantasy, and rope in a whole new demographic of young gamers – myself included. In 2001 Games Workshop returned to their Rings-inspired-roots, and released the much-beloved Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game. And now, in our own way, we bring it full circle; bringing The Lord of the Rings to a historical wargame – in this case, Firelock’s Blood & Crowns.
“One Week in, and Already a Fan Supplement…”
Or: How Does Rings Play?
…So said one of the users in Firelock’s discord server. They’re not wrong; the ink isn’t even dry on the hard-copies of the rulebook, and none of us have one yet. However, this version of the game has been in playtesting for nearly as long as Crowns itself.
Author Tyler Cherrison was part of the test group for Crowns, and got to work on this supplement right away. In fact, it was so early in development, that the rules for Pavisiers in Crowns might be based on rules that I had initially suggested for The Lord of the Rings.
When the final version of Crowns finally dropped, the rules were spot-on for Rings. None of the rules have changed between the core game, and Rings. The supplement only adds a dozen new special rules, most of which would be right at home in Crowns – for example, the Horse Archers special rule, allowing mounted bowmen to shoot from the saddle.
An additional page of rules covers Monsters, facilitating the inclusion of ferocious Trolls, mighty Ents, and even the Dark Lord Sauron himself.
This means that in theory, you could use your War of the Rings units to fight an opponent who is using standard Crowns. Unofficially, of course.
“An Army Bred for a Single Purpose”
The Forces of War of the Ring
The initial (yes that’s right) for The War of the Ring presents 4 new factions for Blood & Crowns.
- The Forces of Mordor
- The Forces of Isengard
- The Men of Gondor
- The Men of Rohan
That is nearly as many factions as you find in the Crowns Core Rulebook. More impressive still, the document presents 26 new units and 16 Characters, each with their own special rules and stat lines.
Mordor
Mordor units range from the pathetic Orcs, to the elite Morgul Knights and Black Numenorians. The entire army can be led by one – or all Nine – of the terrifying Ring Wraiths. It can also be led by Sauron himself, a monstrous 150 point character who will command any battlefield where he makes his presence known.
The Mordor special rule The Eye is Watching Us provides a +1 Resolve to Mordor’s Core Units as long as they outnumber the enemy. Players will have to strike a balance between bringing numbers, and bringing the elite troops available to this faction.
Isengard
The armies of Isengard are universally Ruthless. Unlike their dark kin in Mordor, the UrukHai of Isengard are strong and well disciplined, bred for single-minded conquest. They are backed-up by Warg Rider cavalry and Wildmen of Dunland, all marching under the White Hand to bring ruin to the realms of men.
Saruman the White can lead these forces personally. He brings his dark sorceries to the battlefield in a manner that fits with the broad, “world magic” of Lord of the Rings, where the effects of magic are a force of nature unto themselves – literally, in this case. Saruman can use his special rule A New Power is Rising to call down a storm on the battlefield, while leaving his Urukhai unaffected by the -1″ Movement reduction from the weather effect.
The Men of Gondor
The Men of Gondor are as resilient as the walls of their great city. Many of their troops are armed for war in Full Harness, from the Soldiers of Gondor to the elite Citadel Guard. They bring one of the new, unique special rules: Shield Wall – which allows them to make a single Move Action even while they are Braced.
Leadership of Gondor falls to many of the original Fellowship. Gandalf, Boromir, and Aragorn can all ride at the forefront of Gondor’s army. Aragorn brings his sword Anduril to the battlefield, striking down foes on all sides. Gandalf once again showcases the power of Tolkien’s magic – able to call upon the Secret Flame to blind enemies for one turn.
The Riders of Rohan
With one of the best speeches in fantasy, an epic violin piece, and a penchant for horsemanship, the men of Rohan thunder onto battlefields with their special rule: A Red Day. This rule grants their entire force Hard Chargers, while they also benefit from the new special rule Horse Archers – so that they can use their bows from the saddle.
The men of Rohan can be led by Eomer or King Theoden – both are inspiring characters who prize mobility in their own ways. Additionally, the force can be led by Haldir of Lothlorien, who provided much-needed aid at Helm’s Deep. Indeed, the people of Rohan can count on an allied contingent of Lothlorien Elves to join them in battle, should the player choose.
The Age of the Orc Has Begun
This is only the beginning of a long journey. Additional supplements will be released to add more forces from the Lord of the Rings universe. Naval rules are also on the horizon. Some of the more heroic characters and retinues (such as the Fellowship) will appear as part of an upcoming release, already being worked on.
As Blood & Crowns grows as a core system, War of the Ring will grow alongside it. If Firelock releases Siege rules someday, then we’ll work them into Helm’s Deep and the Battle of Pelennor.
Where To Get Your Copy
DMC is proud to host Blood & Crowns: The War of the Ring – you can always download the latest “official” rules for this unofficial supplement free of charge, right here on the blog.
Note, you will need a copy of the Blood & Crowns Core Rulebook to use this supplement, so don’t forget to go and support the fine people at Firelock Games (Crowns author Eric Hansen in particular) for laying the groundwork of this ambitious project.
We’re also trying to avoid players having to constantly check for updates, so we will always announce whenever changes are made, and will try to bundle updates alongside another release.
Dead Man's Chest 