So I thought I would do an article on the War of the Ring Board Game by SPI, released in 1977. This has a lot of nostalgia for me as I played it when I was young and it was one of the first non-book Tolkien items I had, thus playing a big part in starting my collection.
There are a few different releases of this game and quite a few variations in packaging, making this quite interesting to collect. There is some ambiguity in what the definitive list of versions is, there are differences between the two main resources (the Tolkien Board Games site and Board Games Geek site), this is the list I have researched. This article will mainly look at the UK and US versions of the game.
The basic game encompasses the whole of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it covers both the character quest aspects alongside the large scale battle aspects. The basic version comes in a green box with the iconic scene of Gandalf and the Balrog (the image was done by the famous Tolkien artist Tim Kirk). It has a paper playing board. The UK basic version has no SPI logo in the bottom left corner of the box, the US basic version has a black SPI logo.
Cover
The basic version was also produced in a white box with a Bakshi animated movie Fellowship image (although the game has nothing to do with the movie). There are 2 slightly different versions of this, the main version has white space of the left of the cover with some credits, the other version has some card images and no credits (this second version was published by Simpubs, the UK arm of SPI). Note: there may also be Italian and Japanese white box versions but I have never seen them (they are referenced on the Tolkien Board Games site).
Foreward
There was also a Designers Edition of the game produced in the US. The game itself is identical but the game board is hard backed (instead of paperback). The box has the same front as the US edition (Gandalf and Balrog image with “Lord of the Rings” title in yellow and SPI logo in black), but it has differences on the sides and back, including a lot of bits highlighted in orange.
Enero “Estancia de Beorn”
There is also a Bakshi box version of the Designer Edition, which comes in exactly the same box as the main Bakshi version.
The game was also produced in a Tray version. This is also identical to the basic version but in a flatter plastic packaging. The cover for the tray is the same as the basic edition, Gandalf and Balrog image, but with the “Lord of the Rings” title in red and the SPI logo in red.
Febrero “Los Tres Trolls son Convertidos en Piedra”
In 1991 the Polish company Encore produced an unofficial rip off Polish version of the game, Wojna o Pierscien. It is the same game however the aesthetics of the game were different. The box was very different, being red with a colourful image of the Fellowship. The playing area of the board is the same but the details surrounding it are different. The cards and playing pieces are also visually different.
Marzo “Las Montañas Nubladas hacia el Oeste desde El Nido de las Águilas y hacia la Puerta de los Trasgos”
As well as the War of the Ring game, SPI also produced 2 other Lord of the Rings mini games in the series.
The first is Gondor, which is a more detailed game covering the battle of Minas Tirith. This game comes in a large green box featuring an army of Orcs.
Abril “La Colina: Hobbiton al otro lado de el agua”
There is also a bagged version of the game, I believe this was US only. The bag insert image is the same as the box version cover.
Mayo “Rivendel”
The Polish company Encore produced an unofficial rip off Polish version of the game, Bitwa na polach Pelennoru. It is the same game however the aesthetics of the game were different. The game came bagged, not boxed, and the cover was very different, being a white image of Minas Tirith. The playing area of the board is the same but the details surrounding it are different. The playing pieces are also visually different. There was also a 2nd edition produced with a different cover, stylised Orcs on Wargs.
Junio “Bilbo llega a las cabañas de Los Elfos de la Almadía”
The second mini game is Sauron, which is more detailed game covering the pre Lord of the Rings Battle of Dagorlad from the 2nd age. This game comes in a large box featuring an image of Sauron.
Centerfold “Mapa de Thror” “Tierras Ásperas”
There is also a bagged version of the game, I believe this was US only. The bag insert image is the same as the box version cover.
Julio “La Puerta del Rey de los Elfos”
All 3 of the games also came in a Games of Middle Earth boxed set. This game box features the Gandalf and Balrog image from the main game along with the 2 images from the other games in the bottom corners.
The UK version features a black “The Ring Trilogy” title, a white “War of the Ring” title and a black SPI logo. There is also an alternative box version which has a smaller Gandalf and Balrog image, a white “The Ring Trilogy” title, a red “War of the Ring” title and a black SPI logo. The US version a red “The Ring Trilogy” title, a white “War of the Ring” title and a red SPI logo.
Agosto “Ciudad del Lago”
There is also a Tray version of the game produced. This is also identical to the basic version but in a flatter plastic packaging. The cover for the tray is the same as the basic edition, Gandalf and Balrog image, but with the “Lord of the Rings” title in red and the SPI logo in red.
September “Bilbo se despertó con el sol temprano en sus ojos”
There are are quite a few magazines with articles about the game, including quite a few giving rule improvements and enhancements. I am only giving magazines with significant articles, there are others with smaller articles and reviews.
There are 2 magazines which feature the game on the cover.
Moves Issue 37 - February/March 1978 Extended 3 player rules
October “La Puerta Principal”
Noviembre “El sendero de la Montaña”
Moves Issue 44 - April/May 1979 Play by mail variant
April “Sam und Kankra”
End pages “J.R.R. Tolkien”
The following magazines have significant articles.
Moves Issue 39 - August/September 1978 Character variations
Back cover
Moves Issue 40 - October/November 1978 Critique
Cover
Campaign Issue 90 Rule additions
No article image
Fire & Movement Issue 7 Article and Designers Notes
Space Gamer Issue 18 (plus amendment from Issue 19) Two to Five players variant
Phoenix Issue 30 Variant
Dragon Magazine Issue 20 - November 1978 Hidden movement variant
Ann Arbor Wargamer Issue 20 Rule clarifications
No article image
The following are the magazine adverts I have identified, these are all from US magazines.
Thanks for this! It brings back a lot of fond memories from my later teens. I have at least two of the SPI games (with the original, non-Bakshi artwork) stashed away in a closet. I'll have to dig them out and look through them again in light of this post.
I have The Games of Middle Earth. Also The ICE Battle of the Five Armies. In the year leading up to the Tolkien Centenary (1992) the Tolkien magazine "Beyond Bree" published a series of articles on Tolkien-related items. These were published as "List of Tolkienalia", spiral bound with vinyl covers, 56 pages. (Now out of print.) It included 4 pages of descriptions of boardgames. I'll try to append the section on The Games of Middle Earth. There were 3 boardgames of The Battle of the Five Armies: "a LORE product Div. of JMJ Enterprises (C) 1974 by Larry Smith, a 1976 game by TSR, also by Larry Smith, and the ICE game, 1984. Collectors might find the descriptions of interest.
List of Tolkienalia (1992) has long been out-of-print. However The Tolkien Shop (in The Netherlands) has one copy for sale for 11.50 euros (https://www.tolkienshop.com/contents/en-uk/p453.html) A copy is in the Tolkien Archives of Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, USA, in the 1992 Tolkien Centenary Collection (https://archives.wheaton.edu/repositories/3/resources/479). There might be a copy in the Bodleian Library's Tolkien Collection, or in the archives of the Tolkien Society. Or maybe you could find one online.
23