Battle of the Five Armies, The (Revised Edition)

The Battle of Five Armies – based on the climax of JRR Tolkien's novel The Hobbit – pits the hosts of the Elvenking, the Dwarves of Dain Ironfoot, and the Men of the Lake led by Bard the Bowman against a horde of Wolves, Goblins and Bats led by Bolg, son of Azog. Will Gandalf turn the tide for the Free Peoples? Will the Eagles arrive, or Beorn come to the rescue? Or will Bilbo the Hobbit perish in a last stand on Ravenhill?

The Battle of Five Armies features a game board representing the Eastern and Southern spurs of the Lonely Mountain and the valley they encircle, and a number of plastic figures representing troops, heroes and monsters.

The Battle of Five Armies is a standalone game based on the rules for War of the Ring, which is from the same designers, but with the rules modified to function on a tactical level as they describe a smaller battle rather than the entire war. Ares Games plans to expand the Battles game system in the future, releasing expansions depicting other battles from the Third Age of Middle-earth narrated in The Lord of the Rings, such as the Siege of Gondor and the assault of Saruman against Rohan.

The Battle of Five Armies recreates the fierce struggle witnessed by Bilbo Baggins at the end of his quest for the Lonely Mountain, in “The Hobbit”, the world-renowned masterpiece by J.R.R. Tolkien. It's an entirely stand-alone game in the “War of the Ring” line, created by the same design team – Roberto Di Meglio, Marco Maggi and Francesco Nepitello. It's is based on the mechanics first used in that game, merging action dice and event cards. The system has been further enhanced by the addition of the “Fate Track” mechanic, handling the arrival of the allies and the triggering of special events. All the key characters in the battle – Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin, Dain, the Elven King, Bard, Beorn, Bolg – are featured with powerful special abilities and unique sculptures.

What's New?

This first printing of the revised edition will also include the promotional War of the Ring mini-espansion The Fate of Erebor, a variant for War of the Ring which allow to play the game with a different setup, answering the question "what if the Battle of Five Armies was lost by the Free Peoples?"

Owners of the previous printings of The Battle of Five Armies should not worry: The Fate of Erebor will also be available separately in the future, through other distribution channels, such as conventions and online initiatives.

AWARDS & HONORS

• 2015 Origins Awards Best Board Game Nominee
• 2014 Golden Geek Best Wargame Nominee
• 2014 Golden Geek Best Thematic Board Game Nominee
• 2014 Golden Geek Best 2-Player Board Game Nominee
• 2014 Board Game Quest Awards Best Thematic Game Nominee
• 2014 Board Game Quest Awards Best Tactical/Combat Game Nominee