Ares Games ‘The Battle of Five Armies’ Hits in July

One of the most hotly anticipated games of the summer is surely The Battle of Five Armies from Ares Games. The title is part of the War of the Ring series and follows the events of the climactic battle which concludes J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Two players will duke it out as the forces of light and darkness each aim to sweep the other from the field.

The Battle of the Five Armies will be published in seven languages with the English edition arriving in July.

From Ares Games:

The stalwart warriors of the Free Peoples – Elves, Dwarves and Men – formed an uneasy alliance to defend the Lonely Mountain and the treasure of Smaug. Now, they are facing the endless horde of minions of the Necromancer. The Shadow Armies, led by Bolg, son of Azog, are going to sweep the ruins of Dale and the Front Gate with an unstoppable onslaught.

Will the Goblins come through the mountain soon enough to overwhelm the Free Peoples with a two-pronged attack? Can the arrival of Beorn, the skin-changer, turn the tide in favor of the Free Peoples? Will the coming of the Eagles stop the Goblins from crossing the mountain?

The Battle of Five Armies is a two-players game that allows you to re-create the epic conclusion of The Hobbit, the world-renowned masterpiece by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Shadow player commands the armies of Bolg, son of Azog, the King of the Goblins of Mount Gundabad, while the Free Peoples player is in control of Men, Dwarves and Elves, led by Gandalf to fend off the goblin army.

Based on the acclaimed mechanics first used in the War of the Ring boardgame, The Battle of Five Armies merges action dice and event cards, to make each game a unique experience. The system has been further enhanced by the addition of the “Fate Track” mechanic, handling the arrival of the allies and the triggering of special events. All the key characters in the battle – Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin, Dain, the Elven King, Bard, Beorn, Bolg – are featured with powerful special abilities and unique sculptures.

The Battle of Five Armies includes 125 plastic figures and many more top-quality components.

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...

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