Middle-earth. War of the Ring.

Steward Denethor II rules from Minas Tirith. Gondor guards the western bank of the Anduin and the southern sea approaches.

King Theoden rules from Edoras. Isengard threatens Rohan's western approaches and its ties with Gondor.

Sauron gathers his armies in Barad-dur. His fortresses threaten Gondor, while Dol Guldur presses the woodland realms from the south.

Saruman fortifies Orthanc and prepares his own campaign. Rohan's western defenses stand in the way of his ambitions.

Cirdan watches over the Grey Havens. Lindon connects the western coast with the roads of Eriador.

Elrond protects Imladris, a meeting place for messengers and travelers resisting the Shadow.

Galadriel and Celeborn guard Lorien. Across the Anduin, the influence of Dol Guldur reaches toward their borders.

Thranduil rules the northern forest. His realm depends on woodland paths and ties with Dale and Lake-town.

Dain II Ironfoot rules Erebor. Its alliance with Dale protects trade and the approaches to the Lonely Mountain.

King Brand rules Dale. The northern people and the dwarves of Erebor face a shared threat from the east.

Aragorn II leads the Rangers of the North, heirs of Arnor. In T.A. 3018 the northern kingdom has not yet been restored.

The Shire lives by its harvests, crafts and familiar customs. The wider war arrives through rumors and dangerous visitors.

Bree and its neighboring villages stand at an old crossroads. Travelers bring both trade and danger.

Grimbeorn the Old leads the Beornings, who guard the Anduin crossings and routes between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood.

Dunlending chieftains remember old disputes with Rohan. Saruman offers weapons and a chance for revenge.

Southern armies gather to support Mordor. Harad is represented as a combined scenario faction.

Eastern armies threaten Dale and the routes of Rhovanion. Several peoples are grouped into one strategic faction.

The Corsairs of Umbar threaten Gondor's coast. Their havens connect the war at sea with campaigns from the south.

The dwarf communities of the Iron Hills east of Erebor form a separate regional force of Durin’s Folk, tied to the Kingdom under the Mountain.

The Orcs of Goblin-town, Gundabad and Moria are grouped as a playable side, not a single historical state.

Sauron’s fortress in southern Mirkwood is a separate command, threatening Lórien and the woodland peoples.

The Ents guard Fangorn. Treebeard is its best-known elder; their decision to march has not yet been made.

Human communities along western Mirkwood face Orcs and Dol Guldur. They are represented separately from the Beornings.

The dwarf communities of Ered Luin maintain their crafts and ties with their eastern kin.

Lake-town links the trade of Men, Elves and Dwarves. Its community is represented separately from the Kingdom of Dale.

Ghân-buri-Ghân’s forest people dwell in Drúadan Forest by the White Mountains. Their hidden paths matter to the southern front.