The Battle of Five Armies

About this board game

The Battle of Five Armies is a self-contained miniatures battle game for two players, with games lasting about 120 minutes. Released in 2005, it recreates the Battle of the Five Armies from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

The game uses 10mm miniature figure blocks for each of the forces present in the battle. Its rules system is based on Warmaster, another Games Workshop game, providing the foundation for this large-scale fantasy conflict.

The box includes everything needed to play, including unpainted plastic miniatures, terrain, an unpainted plastic modular hill, and a colour-printed cardstock river. Players can clip the miniatures together for a relatively quick setup, or glue and paint them for a more visually satisfying miniatures experience.

• 10mm plastic miniature figure blocks
• Terrain, a modular hill, and a printed cardstock river
• A main scenario based on the Battle of Five Armies
• Rules for creating and playing your own scenarios

The primary scenario focuses on the famous battle from Tolkien’s story, while the included scenario rules allow groups to design their own engagements. This gives the game a structure for its central conflict while leaving room for custom battles.

The Battle of Five Armies also had additional metal miniatures sold separately in blister packs. Although those miniatures are no longer available, the rules for including them are provided in the game box.