Sunday, 7 June 2020

Tolkien Early Board Games and Magazines

The is a look at the early Tolkien Board Games (also includes some aspects of Roleplaying\Wargamming). Most of the information is taken from the Tolkien Board Games site. Included are more details about magazines relating to the games, particularly magazines with rule enhancements (not just reviews).

* Are items I have in my collection.

Rules for Middle Earth (Generic Wargamming Variant)
1970
Leonard Patt
Courier Magazine Volume 2 Issue 7




Conquest of the Ring (Board Game)
1970
Hobbit Toys and Games

Dark Ages (System with Tolkien Variants)
1971
SPI
basic Wargamming system not based on Tolkien but there are Tolkien rule variants:

Jagdpanther Magazine in 1974 issues #7
Tolkien scenario "Rohirrim!"

Jagdpanther Magazine in 1974 issues #8
Tolkien scenario "Siege of Gondor”
Stated on the above Tolkien board game site, but I cannot confirm that this scenario is actually in this magazine - I have a scan of the magazine and it is not in it.
Note: Siege of Barad-Dur game is in this magazine (see below).

Chainmail (Variant)
1973
basic system not Tolkien but has Tolkien rule variants

Panzerfaust #60
“Fantasy Wargaming A’la Tolkien”
Battle of the Five Armies Rules Variant for Chainmail Wargaming system


     

The Live Ring Game (LARP rules)
1973
Wendell Hill
Self published


This has continuously been evolved with more up to date rules

Quest for the Magic Ring (Board Game)
1973
Land of Legend

Version 1 - unpublished with different rulebook

Version 2


La Vivandiere (Magazine only, no game)
Volume 1 No 4
1974
Palikar Publications
“Fantasy Wargaming and the Influence of J.R.R. Tolkien”


Battle of Helms Deep (Board Game)
1974
Fact and Fantasy Games
Bagged

Version 1


Version 2 - different counters


Siege of Barad-Dur (Board Game)

* Siege of Minus Tirith (Board Game)
Fact and Fantasy
Bagged

3 versions, all 1975, all fundamentally the same
1st and 2nd version almost identical with 1st having white rule book.

2nd version


3rd version
different cover for the rules


Battle of the Slag Hills Mini Game
This mini game comes with Siege of Minas Tirith


Panzerfaust #68
Helms Deep Game Strategy article
Siege Minus Tirith reviews


Space Gamer #1
Review
   
five armies review
   
minas tirith review
   

Battle of Five Armies (Board Game)
1975/1976

Version 1 1975 Lore - Bagged (paper)


Version 2 1976 TSR - Bagged (plastic)


* Version 3 1976 TSR - Boxed


Dragon #1
Miniature Wargamming Conversion Rules



Campaign 81
Thumbnail review
(See War of the Ring below)

Siege of Gondor (Board Game)
1975
Panzerfaust #66


the following are game elements that someone made up from the instructions in the magazine


          

Two Towers (Wargame)
1975
Fantasy Games


War of the Ring (Board Game)
1976
Fantasy Games Unlimited

Version 1 - bagged


Version 2 - boxed

* War of the Ring/Games of Middle Earth (Board Game)
1976
SPI
Board Game
There are a lot of different versions, see link for more details
     

The following magazines have variants, not included are magazines with just reviews

* Moves #37
Extended three player rules


         

* Moves #39
Character variant


         

Moves #40
Variant and Designer rule change (small)


      

* Moves #44
Play By Mail variant


            

Campaign 81 (not listed on the grognard site)
Thumbnail review
(also contains Battle of Five Armies thumbnail review)


* Campaign #90
Rule additions



* Fire & Movement #7

Journey to Mount Doom: Samwise Gamgee (Replay)

Designer's Notes: War of the Ring: Richard Berg(Design Notes)



        

Space Gamer #18

The Great Northern War: War of the Ring for 2 to 5 Players: Glenn Rahman (Variant)



    
Note: the following letter regarding this article was published in Space Gamer #19


* Phoenix #30

From Wilderland to Western Shore: War of the Ring(SPI): Geoff Geddes (Variant)



    

Dragon #20 (not listed on the grognard site)
Hidden movement variant




Ann Arbor Wargamer #20

War of the Ring Clarifications: Jonathan Warshay(Errata)

Self Published
2 Versions


There and Back Again (Board Game)
1977
West Coast Games
Bagged


Battle of the Ring (Board Game)
1977
WWW
Bagged

Also included in:
The Wargamer #1

Riddle of the Ring (Board Game)
1977
Fellowship Game
Bagged


*Minas Tirith - Battle of Pelennor Fields (Warhammer Scenario)
White Dwarf #53
1984


ICE Middle Earth Roleplaying
Article and Review
Space Gamer #73
1985


* Larsen Series
1996-2003
Miniature Wargames Magazine #162, #170, #183, #229, #241


A Guerra do Anel O Wargame
2002
Free, web published, as pdf
Minas Tirith Battle

Ringmaster
This is not an ‘Early Board Game’ but is unusual and one I need.
2006
Self published

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4 comments:

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  3. Gioacchino Prestigiacomo4 January 2024 at 09:18

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Gioacchino Prestigiacomo4 January 2024 at 23:33

    Hi! Has someone news about the scenario Helm's Deep by Wallace Gable? It was published in 1975, perhaps in a issue of the Courier?

    ReplyDelete

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