How I Finally Started The War of the Ring
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| Image by Ares Games |
[4 min read]
War of the Ring Second Edition has a reputation.
Big board. Lots of pieces. A rulebook that feels like it expects homework.
For a long time, that was enough for me to not play it.
This article isn’t a review. It’s how I got it to the table anyway—twice—without really knowing what I was doing, and why that was exactly the right way to begin.
If you’re sitting on a heavy game and waiting until you “understand it properly,” this is the alternative.
Part One — What Actually Stops You
Before I played, the friction looked like this:
- Setup felt like a commitmentNot because it’s complicated in design—but because it’s big. Armies across Middle-earth, all needing to be in the right place.
- The rulebook didn’t landI read it, but it didn’t stick. Too many moving parts without context.
- It felt like I needed the “right moment”The right opponent. Enough time. Enough understanding.
So I didn’t start.
That’s the real barrier with games like this—not complexity, but the feeling that you need to clear a threshold before you’re allowed to begin.
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| It took me a while, but the end result of the setup promised an epic story |
Part Two — What I Did Instead
I removed the idea that the first game needed to be “correct.”
Instead:
I used Dized to guide setup and turns (it works surprisingly well as an app)
I played both sides solo
I focused mostly on one system: moving the Fellowship
I accepted that I would get rules wrong
And I did get rules wrong.
In my first game, I misplayed the hunt for the Ring. I was allocating more hunt dice than I should have been allowed, which made the final stretch into Mordor feel impossible. The Ring-bearers succumbed to corruption right near the end.
At the time, it felt brutal.
Afterwards, it was obvious what had gone wrong.
And more importantly: the game still worked.
Part Three — What Actually Helped
Three things made this playable.
1. Playing first made the rules make sense later
After the first game, I went back to the rulebook.
It clicked.
Not because I suddenly became smarter—but because I had context. I’d seen the systems in motion. The words had something to attach to.
Reading first hadn’t worked. Playing first did.
2. Focusing on one thing reduced the noise
In both games, I naturally gravitated toward a single idea:
Game 1: Get the Fellowship to Mordor
Game 2: Try for a Free Peoples military victory
Everything else became background.
That made decisions easier. It gave the game shape.
Without that, I think it would have felt overwhelming.
3. The game holds up, even when you don’t
This was the surprise.
Even with mistakes, the game produced strong moments.
In the first game, companions were falling one by one to protect Frodo and Sam as they moved towards Mount Doom.
In the second, the entire war pivoted. The Elves pushed north. Gondor sacrificed cities to get to war. And everything came down to a desperate siege in Umbar—one remaining unit, Gandalf holding the line, the Shadow throwing everything at them and failing to break through.
None of that required perfect play.
It just required starting.
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| Focus on the southernmost units - that was where the military victory was won |
Part Four — What I’d Do Again (and What I Wouldn’t)
If I was starting again tomorrow, I’d keep this simple:
- Start with a focusPick one way to win and lean into it.
- Use something to guide your first turnsAn app, a video—anything that gets you moving without stopping to interpret rules constantly.
And I would not:
Try to fully understand the rulebook upfront
Worry about playing “correctly”
Wait for the perfect opponent or moment
Final Thoughts
After two solo games:
One loss (partly due to a rules mistake)
One win (barely, and dramatically)
More importantly:
None of that was true before I started.
If you’re looking at a heavy game and hesitating, try this:
Don’t aim to learn it.
Aim to play one imperfect game.
That’s usually enough to get you past the part that was stopping you.
Dashmeister
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| Image courtesy of The Esoteric Order of Gamers |
This blog is written by me, with a little help from AI editing for clarity and tone. All ideas, feelings, and memories are mine.
