Middle Earth: Strategy Battle Game
A tabletop masterpiece brought to us by the creators of the venerable Warhammer series, this competitive miniature wargame is set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe, and is praised by many as a easy-to-learn, pleasure-to-play system.
Publisher: Games Workshop
Type: Tabletop Miniatures Game, Army
Genre: Fantasy
Playstyle: Competitive
Mechanics: Dice
Assembly Required: Yes
Pre-painted: No
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How to Battle Across Middle Earth
Got your interest piqued and you've decided to win glory battling for or against the forces of Sauron?
Below are some affiliate links for things I myself have purchased and tried out. See you on the field!
Battle of Osgiliath Set
If you're interested in playing against a friend who is also considering the game, or if you just want two opposing armies for yourself, a solid start for your collection. Comes with a force for Gondor and Mordor, each with hero units. In addition, includes the dice, rulebook, AND terrain you'll need to start playing. A crafting mat will also go a long way to saving your dinning room table from mishaps while assembling your collection!
Faction Battlehosts
If you have a friend who already owns the rulebooks, has some terrain pieces and dice, or if you're looking to bolster your army, here's the first (or next) option I'd recommend:
Supplemental Units
After a few battles, once you get a feel for the game and how your army operates, you can expand upon it with Games Workshop's vast selection of units and heroes. Worth it to check out their ME:SBG site just to get a sense of what's available.
Rulebook and Army Books
A note on books: GW is slated to release a new edition of the rules in the coming months. This will include updates to unit stats, and at least some minor changes to the rules. So I would recommend holding off on purchasing any of these for the time being. Check their site for updates on the release.
Storage /Transport
Suitable options for storing your armies really depends on how large you foresee it/them getting, and how you want to organize everything. I have little doubt my collection will grow to incorporate several factions in the game, and I prefer keeping them separated by faction. Given that, I'll be using the Jucoci storage solution with its 5-6 magnetized trays. I've heard that small zinc-played washers also work well to glue underneath the bases of the models.
Magnets (for larger, cavalry and monster units)
Painting
Tons of videos on YouTube for painting up whatever army you go with. That's usually my go-to source for how-tos and inspiration!
Army Building
I've found some solid options for list building for MESBG, check these out: