Richard Jordison and Fact & Fantasy Games bring us this sequel to their HELM'S DEEP (see PF 65 and Charles Starks's article in this issue), simulating the climactic battle from J.R.R. Tolkien's classic work of fantasy: THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Like M.D. it is not boxed but wrapped in plastic and is mailed in an envelope. The mapboard is 19"x 2511 on fairly heavy, cream-colored paper printed with black, brown and green ink. The rules are in a 16 page (counting covers) 531"x8h" booklet, offset printed, photo-reduced typewriting. unlike M.D. the unit counters are die-cut this time - each side having 60 V' square counters~ Green for Mordor (bad guys) and gold for Gondor (good guys). Also included are three 8 1/2"x11", sheets of paper: one contains the Reinforement Schedule and Time Track (18 turns, 6 1/2 of which are night) on one side and Examples of Play on the other. Another has the Terrain Effects Chart and Combat Results Table an one side and rules for the Ring Option on the other - which allows the Gondor player to attempt to use the One Ring of Power against its creator. And the third contains a mini-game, BATTLE OF THE SLAG HILLS (the last battle of the War of the Ring, before the Morannon Gates into Mordor) with map on one side (black ink on green paper) and rules on the other - those needed in addition to the basic MINAS TIRITH rules - six extra unit counters are included for each side (in addition to those for the main game) but these are uncut and unmounted.

This game, of course, covers the same situation as did John Van Devender's SIEGE OF GONDOR do-it-yourself game in PF #66. His interpretation of the geography of the Pelonnor Fields and the city of Minas Tirith was cosiderably different and more simplified from that of this game. Due to scale considerations the city is only shown as three levels instead of seven. Here each hex represents 800 yards from side to side, one turn equals four hours of 'real' time, and each counter equals about 500 soldiers of Gondor or 1,000 of Mordor. In addition to various infantry and cavalry types, which fight in the conventional board-game way, there are archers with a 3 hex range (2400 yards is a hell of a bow shot!), Mordor's two catapults with a 5 hex range, Grond, the battering ram, Oliphants and various heros/leader, namely the chief Nazgul, Gothmog, Aragorn, Faramir, Gandalf and Theoden.

These heroes have two principal uses: They are the only pieces allowed to stack on the same hex with another unit, so they serve to reinforce critical areas. Also their presence bolsters the morale of their own units within a 3-hex range while lowering enemy morale, These morale effects are represented by additions or subtractions to the die roll on the CRT. Morale is also effected by darkness/dawn and (if the Ring Option is used) the status of the Ring (the Gondor player has difficulty in maintaining control of it).

MINAS TIRITH is the best Tolkien boardgame yet. It is a very interesting situation - of the same pattern as the classics of Avalon Hill: a small starting force defending against great odds utilizing defensive terrain and playing for time until the arrival of large and powerful reinforcements. M.T. has more Tolkien flavor about it than HELM'S DEEP.

The morale rules are a big help here, and an interesting innovation to game mechanics also. I would especially recommend it to Tolkien buffs, as well as to anyone interested in pre-gunpowder battles. It is available from the publisher, some hobby shops, or from PANZERFAUST (see ads) for the very reasonable price of $5.50 ppd.

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