Let me start by saying I like this game. I've played many miniatures games before--like Warhammer 40K, and we use models with our pencil-and-paper D&D campaign-and this is a nice, quick, exciting skirmish of a game. This is my first foray into the kind of miniature battle game where all of a miniature's statistics are on the model itself, and once you know what all the symbols mean it is a real time saver. Which is key in this game, because it's all about the fast action fighting.

The models are incredible, finely detailed and on hexagonal bases. Three sides are considered to be the model's front and the others are its flanks and back. Because of this, it is important to make sure each model is facing the way you want at the end of your turn, for combat figurings out.

Beyond miniatures, components in the LOTR Miniatures Game starter set include a double-sided map representing two battlefields, a burned-out village, and a field with a rocky road through it. Each battlefield features multiple types of terrain, adding an additional element of strategy to battles. These are clearly marked, but did add a bit of confusion for figuring out line-of-sight the first time we played the game.  

Two things absolutely cinched this game for me: In the starter kit there are two models for Frodo. One is normal with him holding Sting, ready to strike, with the One Ring in the palm of his hand (look close!) and the other, a figureless hexagon to represent Frodo with the ring on! How cool is that? Pretty cool. But not as hotly cool as the to-scale 10-hex-base Balrog model (sold separately of course, accompanied by a Gandolph the Grey figure of equal power). Kick. Ass! This thing is amazing. ... you just have to check it out to understand the awesomeness that is Sabertooth Game's attention to fine detail and coolness. But enough of my geeking, on to the game itself.

The LoTR Miniatures Game combat system really captures the epicness of the battles in the movies and books. The rules are a little confusing at first but after our first playtest we got them down. The two main confusions were over combat order and damage chains. Both concepts were hard to understand when just read about, but easy to pick up once applied in play.

Combat order, unlike other turn-based games, is handled all at once and damage is not assessed until all attacks have been made. This allows for the true heroic characteristics of Tolkien's warriors to come out.

For example, say there are two Uruk-Hai warrior minion models fighting one Boromir hero figure. (These figures aren't all included in the starter kit, but it's one of my favorite scenes in the stories so I'll recreate it here for the example!) There is one Uruk-Hai on the right front diagonal space and one Uruk-Hai on the left front diagonal space of the Boromir model. Everyone is facing everyone, so no worries of figuring out flanking bonuses or damage chains (more on this later). For clarity, let's call the Uruk-Hai's side, oh I don't know, the Enemy's side and Boromir, how about, the Hero's side. So the two enemy Uruk-Hai's have just moved up to attack Boromir. Now we get to the fighting itself. First the attacking side goes, they role six-sided die for each attack by each model, separately, and calculate damage. Uh-oh, looks like Boromir dropped below 0 health. So he dies and the Enemy wins, right?