The Lord of the Rings Battle of Osgiliath review: "A superb route back into the game"

That isn't plastic and cardboard weighing down The Lord of the Rings Battle of Osgiliath. It's nostalgia. This thing is like a time capsule from the early 2000s; opening the box and seeing an array of classic sprues yanks you back to those starter sets based on the movies that would come out each Christmas. You're even getting plastic terrain that's more than a little reminiscent of the ruins from that very first release in 2001. And funnily enough, this is the point.

Although it's a good place to kick off if you're a newcomer, returning or lapsed players of the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game are going to get the most out of the experience. The Lord of the Rings Battle of Osgiliath is like slipping into a comfortable pair of slippers or a snuggly cardigan.

What is it, and how does it work?

For want of a better word, this is a 'starter set' for the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game (formerly The Lord of the Rings, and then The Hobbit). As such, it has everything you need to get going with the fast-paced skirmish wargame; alongside a hardcover copy of the core rules, dice, and entry-level scenarios, you're getting all the heroes, villains, monsters, and troops you need to cause some good old-fashioned carnage. 

However, The Lord of the Rings Battle of Osgiliath is on a slightly grander scale than the likes of Warhammer 40,000 or Age of Sigmar's beginner packs; it contains enough soldiers for a modest but fully-formed army. That makes it a true follow-up to 2018's Battle of Pelennor Fields, the last boxed set released for the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game.

Much like that one, you're getting a host of miniatures from days gone by (Warriors of Minas Tirith, Rangers of Middle-earth, Morannon Orcs, and a Mordor Troll) along with brand-new sculpts for its heroes. Faramir, not to mention his trusty lieutenants, have been given reimagined plastic models with dynamic poses, while Orc general Gothmog has turned up with an on-foot and Warg-mounted plastic variant. This is the first time any of the above have been available in anything other than metal, so their inclusion is the big draw for existing players.

They're not the only feather in Battle of Osgiliath's cap, though. You're also getting many weighty sprues with which to make modular ruins, and they can be constructed in predefined patterns or freeform if you'd prefer to let your creativity run wild.

Gameplay - is it any good?

The Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game was always one of the most accessible of its kind, and nothing's changed in the 20-odd years since it joined the best board games on shelves. Perhaps even more so than something like Warhammer Underworlds: Gnarlwood, the rules are elegantly straightforward but versatile enough to keep you engaged for the long haul (there's a reason it's remained virtually unchanged since 2001, after all). 

It's a very simple system when you come down to it; each turn has clearly-defined steps, and the act of crossing swords is down to rolling D6 dice and comparing scores on an easy-to-read table. You don't need to worry about complex modifiers here, and even when 'Heroic' actions get thrown into the mix, they simply build on what's already there rather than making you juggle something more strenuous.

In short, The Lord of the Rings Battle of Osgiliath doesn't change any of what makes the game work so well. This is more of an addition to the range than a revamp; it still uses the same updated rules from Battle of Pelennor Fields. Indeed, I was able to swan in after a literal decade away and get right into the swing of things with minimal effort. 

That's largely because the featured campaign does such a good job of drip-feeding you the game's mechanics - you'll never bite off more than you can chew. Once you've got a handle on the basics, more elements are added until you're balancing everything the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game can throw at you. It's very well done.

You won't feel like you're running on training wheels too much, either. Its four scenarios are themed after that tense sequence near the beginning of Return of the King where Orcs stage a night raid on Osgiliath, and even though they are unashamedly teaching you the system bit by bit, they still manage to do so with an atmosphere suited to the plot. Following an initial scrap where Gothmog's troops swarm toward a defensive line of Gondor soldiers (seeing as they don't have bows, the Orcs must use cover to their advantage unless they want to become pincushions), you move on to an ambush by Faramir's Rangers in which they're trying to neutralize a lost Mordor Troll before it can attract reinforcements. Things then wrap up with a desperate charge through enemy lines to escape via the stables. It's suitably intense, and the gameplay's ever-changing fortunes - where the warrior who's missed every shot so far suddenly strikes an impossible blow - makes for a lot of memorable drama. Actually, it reminded me of why I fell in love with this system all those years ago. Veterans might find this too pedestrian, of course, but it does at least include suggestions for how to ramp up the complexity in each mission with bonus, lore-friendly minis.

While we're on the subject of minis, most models remain exactly as they were back when they originally launched. This is an indication of how well the sculpts have aged; even though there are some signs of past manufacturing restrictions (like odd bridges of plastic between weapons and clothing), they're remarkably timeless. 

Happily, the new additions fit into this lineup well despite making full use of modern advances for more dynamic poses. I was a particular fan of Faramir vaulting over ruins into action. 

Battle of Osgiliath's modular ruins are equally good, if not better. I've been lucky enough to make scenery using some of the best 3D printers around, and nothing I've done has matched the detail of these models. There's a precision and depth to them that you won't find anywhere else, and I'm truly impressed by what they can do - especially the seemingly innocuous edge pieces that actually cover up any seams. 

Just be warned that these aren't a breeze to put together. While the walls slot into place perfectly, there are a lot of pieces to sift through - following the provided instructions can take longer than you'd think. In addition, the floor tiles are a bit of a pain to construct. Despite having nubs that should fit together nicely, I struggled to get them all binding with glue. It wasn't a disaster by any means, but it was fiddlier than I'd have liked.

Still, the effort is worth it. These are magnificent pieces of terrain, and they elevate any table. Even if you're just fighting on the kitchen surface, for that matter. While I'd have liked to see a printed map surface or board of the kind you get in other Warhammer beginner boxes (it reduces the magic somewhat to be playing with these amazing models on the carpet, for example), the stakes of the game quickly transport you away from all that.

Should you buy The Lord of the Rings Battle of Osgiliath?

There's a lot to love with this boxed set. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Games Workshop has done an excellent job here. With that in mind, those who were on the fence about returning to the system after some time away shouldn't hesitate - Battle of Osgiliath is a superb route back into the game. Meanwhile, veterans will find those ruins and new hero sculpts worth the price of admission alone. 

Complete beginners may be put off by the price, meanwhile, but if your budget can stretch that far, there's no denying the amount of value you're getting. What's more, the onboarding is better than most board games for adults of this kind. It's as good an entry point as you're likely to get.

So, should you take the plunge? Absolutely - I've got no trouble recommending this one.

How we tested Battle of Osgiliath

This review was conducted with a sample provided by Games Workshop. After receiving it, I immediately set about constructing and painting its miniatures so that they could hit the tabletop as soon as possible (this included the modular ruins, whose construction was spread across multiple evenings). Along with pitting the defenders of Osgiliath against Gothmog's army, I also dug into its scenarios and pored over the rulebook to see what had changed since the last update.

For more info on our process, check out how we test board games and tabletop RPGs at 12DOVE via our guide.

For more tabletop shenanigans, don't miss these highly-recommended board games for 2 players, the top cooperative board games, and essential Star Wars board games.