Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game Second Edition is on its way. Games Workshop’s ongoing support for the miniature war game set in the fantasy world of Tolkien will lead to the first major change to its foundation since 2018, providing new streamlined rules and updates to various armies.
The Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game Second Edition announcement
The announcement of Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game Second Edition came via an official Warhammer-Community post. According to the post, this new edition will contain a new streamlined game manual containing revisions to armies and core rules.
In addition, this new edition will contain two new supplements for Armies of The Lord of the Rings and Armies of The Hobbit. These books will contain new rules for miniatures from The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. Each character’s profile has been reworked for game balance and on-screen presence.
Regarding what major changes will come with Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game Second Edition, the post is light on detail. Aside from the supplements, the post mentions no major armies or core rules changes.
The announcement was made alongside a new supplement for the game: Rise of Angmar. The book focuses on the Witch King, his wars with the kingdom of Arnor, and the chieftains of the Dúnedain. In addition, the post concludes with a tease for the next major addition to the game: The War for the Rohirrim.
The Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game has gone through many iterations since its initial launch. It originally started in 2001 as The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game, which released alongside the Peter Jackson film.
Updated rules came out coinciding with the theatrical release of The Two Towers, Return of the King, and finally in a comprehensive 2005 book titled The One Ring Rulebook to Rule Them All. A similar approach was taken with Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy before both games’ rules were consolidated into the cohesive and cross-compatible Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game in 2018.
