
- BGG rank
- BGG #230
- BGG rating
- 7.8
War of the Ring
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2004

Expansion for War of the Ring: Second Edition
Rules assistance for War of the Ring: Kings and Lords of Middle-Earth – Limited Edition
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
War of the Ring: Kings and Lords of Middle-Earth – Limited Edition is an expansion for War of the Ring: Second Edition released in 2024 for 2–4 players, 90–120 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 Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Card Play Conflict Resolution.
This new limited-edition expansion for War of the Ring comes in an “extended version” that will include a deluxe version of the content of both Kings of Middle-earth and Lords of Middle-earth, packaged together in a box matching the size of the previous Anniversary Release and Warriors of Middle-earth Limited Edition. Also included are deluxe versions of the Treebeard promo and of the mini-expansion The Fate of Erebor, with overlay tiles suitable for use with the normal and Deluxe game board. In this exclusive, deluxe edition you will find the entire content of both Kings and Lords of Middle-earth, upgraded to match the quality of our previous limited edition releases: A beautiful box, with double lid and magnetic opening, hot-foil printed and embossed, to match the size and style of the War of the Ring Anniversary Release and Warriors of Middle-earth Limited Edition. - Hand-painted miniatures – including the painted version of the Treebeard promo and three versions of each of the Free People sovereigns (starting, Awakened, Corrupted) with a specific color scheme – for a total of 18 figures in Kings, 8 figures in Lords, and Treebeard. - Two separate perfect-bound rulebooks, one for Kings and one for Lords, with textured covers and special paper. - Overlays and tiles in both standard and deluxe size (compatible with the Deluxe Game Mat or with the larger game board included in Collector’s Edition and Anniversary Release). - A special version of the mini-expansion The Fate of Erebor, with overlay tiles suitable for use with the normal game board, Deluxe Game Mat, and Anniversary/Collector’s Edition game board. - The promo card set The Seeing-stones. - Numbered authenticity certificate. Lords of Middle-earth, the first expansion for the War of the Ring Second Edition board game, allows players to explore new possibilities and create fresh gaming opportunities and new strategies. Important personalities, previously featured in the game only through Event Cards, are represented by specific figures and rules. New Characters include Elrond, Galadriel, Sméagol, Gothmog and the powerful Balrog of Moria, as well as alternate versions of Gandalf, the Witch-king and the Mouth of Sauron. New special Action Dice are included: Elven Ring Keepers dice for the Free Peoples player and Lesser Minion dice for the Shadow player. New versions of all the Companions of the Fellowship of the Ring are also included, to use with the optional “Council of Rivendell” rules. As an added bonus, figures for Aragorn and Gandalf the White are provided, accessories to the game that all true fans want to add to their copy of War of the Ring! Kings of Middle–Earth, the new expansion for War of the RingSecond Edition, introduces Sovereigns and Dark Chieftains. These two new types of Characters represent important personalities of Middle-earth with a vital role in the War of the Ring. The Sovereigns of the Free Peoples were targeted by Sauron’s attempts to bend the will of the peoples opposing him — using the palantíri (the seeing stones), through emissaries, like Gríma, and possibly with other subtle and deceitful means. At the same time, it was crucial for the morale of the Free Peoples to rally around these charismatic figures — Brand, Dáin Ironfoot, Denethor, Théoden, and Thranduil — to fight against the Shadow. The new rules, miniatures, cards, and Action dice included in this expansion will allow the players to fully develop this conflict and represent the role of these characters in your War of the Ring game. This expansion also adds three new Characters, the Dark Chieftains, to the Shadow hosts. Unlike the Ringwraiths, who were fully controlled by the Rings of Power, these powerful leaders of the Shadow Armies had distinct personalities, but ultimately all were subject to the commands of Sauron or Saruman. One Dark Chieftain is included for each of the three Shadow Nations — the Black Serpent, the Shadow of Mirkwood, and Uglúk. Includes Hunt tiles and Stronghold tiles suitable for use with both the standard edition and limited editions of War of the Ring, as well as for use with the War of the Ring Deluxe Game Mat. These two expansions can be played together or independently. This Limited Edition of Kings & Lords of Middle-earth has a total print run of 2000 copies. CONTENTS OF THE BOX 1 Rulebook (Lords) 8 Plastic Painted Figures (Lords) 5 Special Action Dice (Lords) 11 Cardboard Counters (Lords) 28 Event and Character Cards (Lords) 2 Reference Sheets (Lords) 1 Deluxe Treebeard Promo 1 Rulebook (Kings) 13 Plastic Painted Figures (Kings) 5 Corrupted Sovereign Rings (Kings) 2 Special Action Dice (Kings) 13 Character Cards (Kings) 19 Event Cards (Kings) 1 Sovereign Corruption Board (Kings) 14 Cardboard Counters (Kings) 2 Reference Sheets (Kings) 1 The Seeing-stones Promo 1 The Fate of Erebor Special Version THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE GAME. A copy of War of the Ring – Second Edition (Anniversary Release or normal version) or of the War of the Ring Collector’s Edition is required to play. -description from publisher's website
War of the Ring: Kings and Lords of Middle-Earth – Limited Edition supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for War of the Ring: Kings and Lords of Middle-Earth – Limited Edition is 90–120 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 War of the Ring: Kings and Lords of Middle-Earth – Limited Edition 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.
War of the Ring: Kings and Lords of Middle-Earth – Limited Edition belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Wargame. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Card Play Conflict Resolution. 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 War of the Ring: Kings and Lords of Middle-Earth – Limited Edition 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 War of the Ring: Kings and Lords of Middle-Earth – Limited Edition as an expansion for War of the Ring: Second Edition. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need War of the Ring: Second Edition to use it. Check that your edition of War of the Ring: Second Edition is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.