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The Battle of Five Armies
2014
Rules assistance for The Battle of Five Armies
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 90–240 min
- 13+
- Complexity 3.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Battle of Five Armies
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Battle of Five Armies is a board game released in 2014 for 2 players, 90–240 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Marco Maggi, Francesco Nepitello, and Roberto Di Meglio and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
Game description from the publisher: The Battle of Five Armies – based on the climax of JRR Tolkien's novel The Hobbit – pits the hosts of the Elvenking, the Dwarves of Dain Ironfoot, and the Men of the Lake led by Bard the Bowman against a horde of Wolves, Goblins and Bats led by Bolg, son of Azog. Will Gandalf turn the tide for the Free Peoples? Will the Eagles arrive, or Beorn come to the rescue? Or will Bilbo the Hobbit perish in a last stand on Ravenhill? The Battle of Five Armies features a game board representing the Eastern and Southern spurs of the Lonely Mountain and the valley they encircle, and a number of plastic figures representing troops, heroes and monsters. The Battle of Five Armies is a standalone game based on the rules for War of the Ring, which is from the same designers, but with the rules modified to function on a tactical level as they describe a smaller battle rather than the entire war. Ares Games plans to expand the Battles game system in the future, releasing expansions depicting other battles from the Third Age of Middle-earth narrated in The Lord of the Rings, such as the Siege of Gondor and the assault of Saruman against Rohan.
Publishers
- Devir
- Raven Distribution
- GaGa Games
- Heidelberger Spieleverlag
- Galakta
- Rexhry
- IELLO
- Planplay
- Ares Games
Questions and answers
The Battle of Five Armies supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for The Battle of Five Armies is 90–240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Battle of Five Armies for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Battle of Five Armies has a complexity rating of 3.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Battle of Five Armies belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Wargame. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Battle of Five Armies are: Marco Maggi, Francesco Nepitello, and Roberto Di Meglio. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Battle of Five Armies as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.