“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory.”
— Faramir, The Two Towers
Right, let’s talk about the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game—or MESBG as everyone calls it. I’ve been playing this for years now, and here’s the thing: it’s one of the few games that actually gets Middle-earth. Not just the names and places, but the feel of it, the weight of it, the way Tolkien’s world actually works.
What Makes MESBG Special
It Actually Feels Like Middle-earth
MESBG succeeds where most fantasy wargames fail—it captures the tone of Middle-earth, not just the names and places. The game’s mechanics reflect Tolkien’s narrative priorities in ways that other wargames simply don’t.
Individual heroism matters here in a way that feels authentic to Tolkien’s world. Named characters like Aragorn or Legolas can turn the tide of battle, but they’re not invincible—they can still die if you’re not careful. This isn’t some power fantasy where heroes wade through enemies without consequence. The Might, Will, and Fate system creates moments where heroes must choose between personal glory and tactical necessity, and those choices actually matter.
The weight of war is something MESBG gets right that most wargames get wrong. Casualties have meaning beyond points; losing a beloved character actually hurts. You’re not just losing a stat block—you’re losing someone you’ve invested in, someone whose story matters. The scale is appropriate to Tolkien too, with battles ranging from small skirmishes to epic clashes, but never losing sight of individual warriors. It’s not about abstract units moving around a board—it’s about people fighting for what they believe in.
The Rules Actually Work
The core rules are elegantly simple yet tactically deep—which is harder to pull off than it sounds. The priority system gets rid of that artificial “I go, you go” nonsense while keeping the tension high. You never know who’s going to act next, which means you can’t just plan your turn in isolation and ignore what your opponent might do.
Courage tests are where MESBG really shines. Morale isn’t just a number here—it’s a moment where your characters have to find their resolve, or run away like cowards. There’s something genuinely tense about rolling those dice, knowing that your carefully planned strategy could fall apart if your troops lose their nerve. Heroic actions let heroes seize initiative at crucial moments, creating those cinematic moments that make you cheer. It’s not just about moving pieces around—it’s about those clutch moments where everything hangs in the balance.
The warband structure encourages building armies that make sense thematically rather than just min-maxing for points. You’re not just looking for the most efficient combination of stats; you’re building something that feels right for the story you want to tell.
Remarkable Balance
Here’s the thing that surprised me most: despite covering the entire Third Age and featuring dozens of armies, MESBG actually stays balanced. There’s no single “meta” that dominates everything—experienced players can win with almost any army if they understand its strengths and play to its theme. That’s rare in wargaming.
The Challenge: They Don’t Know When to Stop Writing
The Problem
MESBG’s greatest weakness isn’t the mechanics—it’s the presentation. The rules are written in a deliberately verbose style that, while eliminating ambiguity, makes the game harder to learn and reference during play.
Example: Instead of “Models within 6” of an enemy may charge," the rule reads: “A model may declare a charge if it is within 6 inches of an enemy model at the start of the Move phase, provided it is not engaged in combat and has not already moved this turn.” I mean, come on.
Why This Happens
This verbosity comes from Games Workshop’s experience with rules disputes. Every potential ambiguity has been addressed with explicit language, creating a comprehensive but dense rulebook that reads like a legal document.
The Learning Curve
New players often struggle with the sheer volume of text they have to wade through. Finding specific rules during play requires the patience of a saint—you’ll spend half your first few games flipping through pages trying to find that one rule you need. The game appears more complicated than it actually is because of how it’s written, not because of what it does. Constantly checking the rulebook breaks immersion like a brick through a window, which is a shame because the actual gameplay flows beautifully once you know what you’re doing.
Army Design Philosophy
They Feel Right, Not Just Strong
MESBG armies are designed to feel right rather than to be mechanically optimal—and that’s what makes them special. Gondor feels like a proper fortress, defensive and disciplined with strong ranged support. When you field Gondor, you’re not just moving pieces around—you’re commanding the last great kingdom of Men, holding the line against the darkness.
Rohan is all about speed and mobility, with cavalry that can hit hard and get out fast. It’s like commanding a storm across the plains—fast and furious, but fragile if you get caught in a stand-up fight. Mordor overwhelms with numbers, fielding unreliable but dangerous troops where quantity beats quality every time. And Isengard runs like a well-oiled machine, with industrial efficiency and an elite Uruk-hai core that feels like the product of Saruman’s twisted genius.
Historical Accuracy
The game draws heavily from both Tolkien’s texts and Peter Jackson’s films, creating a rich source of inspiration while maintaining mechanical balance. It’s like having the best of both worlds.
The Community Factor
Active Support
MESBG benefits from a surprisingly active community:
- Regular updates: FAQ documents and errata keep the game current
- Tournament scene: Competitive play drives balance improvements
- Online resources: Extensive community support for new players
Battle Companies
The Battle Companies supplement adds narrative campaign play, though it’s less rigorously tested than the core game. The community has stepped in with the Battle Companies Community Edition and tools like battle-companies-manager.com, which shows how much people care about this game.
Verdict: A Tolkienian Triumph
MESBG succeeds in its primary goal: creating a wargame that feels like Middle-earth. The mechanical depth, thematic fidelity, and competitive balance make it one of the best licensed wargames ever produced.
Strengths: MESBG genuinely captures Tolkien’s tone and themes while maintaining excellent balance across all armies. The deep tactical gameplay provides meaningful choices, and the strong community support ensures regular updates and errata keep the game current.
Weaknesses: The verbose rule presentation creates learning barriers for new players, while the high model count required for larger games can be daunting. Some rules require frequent reference during play, which can break immersion.
For Tolkien Fans: This is the gold standard for Middle-earth wargaming. The investment in learning the rules pays off with deeply satisfying gameplay that honors the source material.
For Wargamers: MESBG offers a unique take on fantasy wargaming that emphasizes narrative over optimization. If you can get past the rulebook’s verbosity, you’ll find one of the most balanced and thematic wargames available.
The game proves that it’s possible to create a competitive wargame that remains true to its literary inspiration. In a hobby often dominated by power creep and mechanical arms races, MESBG stands as a testament to thoughtful design and thematic integrity.
Next up: A deeper look at Battle Companies and how it transforms MESBG into a narrative campaign system.