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Produced by: Blizzard Entertainment
Distributor: Blizzard Entertainment
Author: Michael Morhaime, Samwise Didier, et al.
Year: 1995
System: MS-DOS, Windows 95 and Macintosh
Type: Strategy game
Distribution: Commercial
Availability: Commercially available
Warcraft II is a fantasy wargame where humans and orcs fight each other. There can be up to eight players. It is not based on Tolkien per se, but tons of Tolkien scenarios (many of which, no doubt, are not even known by me) have been created for it.
The following scenarios are described on this page.
Personal evaluation: An excellent game with very nice graphics and sound. It is clearly very influenced by Tolkien, but is nevertheless not a perfect choice for a Tolkien scenario. In particular, the game area is rather small so it is quite possible to make a good game about one single battle in the War of the Ring. Many authors, however, attempt to fit in the entire western Middle-earth, which in my opinion as a general rule is a big mistake.
Author: Ken "Adrian Blood" Reaverson
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Covers: Loosely based on the battle of Minas Tirith as described
in The Return of the King
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
This is a one-player scenario about the siege of Minas Tirith. It is divided in three parts: Cair Andros, The Fields of Pellenor and The Fall of Minas Tirith. It is different from most other one-player scenarios in that you play the part of evil and your task is to defeat the city.
Personal evaluation: The final part in particular is way too easy. The difficulty could have been increased by some Rohirric cavalry and a black fleet belonging to the good side. Apart from this and a few geographical details, The Fall of Minas Tirith is very enjoyable and recommended to anyone who do not have a moral objection against playing the dark side.
Author: Gregg Dickinson
Year: 1998
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
This one-player scenario exists in two version, one where the player plays Morgoth, one where (s)he plays the elves. The game is the first in a trilogy that continues with Second Age: The Last Alliance and Third Age: War of the Ring!.
Personal evaluation: Not too bad, overall, but playing the elves is ridiculously easy.
Author: Cyrille Artho
Year: 1997
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A six-player scenario where the players compete for power in Gondor.
The same author has also made the scenarios Minas Tirith and Numenor.
Author: Phil Aylesworth
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Covers: Loosely based on The Hobbit
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A one-player scenario which is based on The Hobbit.
Personal evaluation: Not very good. Not very bad. Not very anything.
Author: Gregg Dickinson
Year: 1997
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Covers: The Lord of the Rings
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
This scenario was originally titled Lord of the Rings, and as such exists in two version, one for a single player and one for seven competing players. A later version, re-titled Third Age: War of the Ring!, is for two players and forms the final part in a trilogy that also includes First Age: Morgoth vs. Elves and Second Age: The Last Alliance. It is loosely based on the war of the ring.
Personal evaluation: I have only played the one-player version and as such I find it pretty standard.
Author: M. K. "Halo 99" O'Connor
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
For whatever reason, the readme file of this scenario says that it is one-player, although it is actually for two players. It is set in the fourth age. Orcs are invading Middle-earth and the remaining free people have to stop them.
This scenario used to be one of the ten most popular at The Pud Zone.
Author: Martin Tulley(?)
Year: 1997
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A one-player, third-age scenario.
Personal evaluation: The usual boring stuff. And what are all those skeletons doing near Grey Havens?
Author: Kasper de Jonge
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A one-player scenario where you have to defend Lothlórien against orcs attacking from the Misty Mountains.
The same author has also made a scenario called Tolkien's Middle-earth.
Personal evaluation: Would be quite good if it was more difficult, say orcs attacking from the direction of Dol Guldur. Also, I have a notion that Tolkien would turn in his grave if he knew that you have to cut down a sizeable portion of the forest in order to win.
Author: Eric Tyson
Year: 1996
Version: 1.3
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A four-player third-age scenario for the power in Middle-earth.
Author: Quin "Vector" Breland
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A two-player third-age scenario for the power in Middle-earth.
Personal evaluation: The map is the most awful thing I have seen since my cat got sick from over-eating. It looks nothing like Middle-earth and there seems to be absolutely no point in the deviances. I have not been able to play it with two players, but in one-player mode it is too hard to be any fun.
Author: Matt Gu
Year: 1998
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A one-player third-age scenario. No building, only fighting.
Personal evaluation: While simpler in design than most other comparable scenarios, it is more of a military challenge. Recommended.
Author: Daniel Cortés(?)
Year: 1995
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A two-player third-age scenario.
Please contact me if you know for certain the name of the author of this scenario.
Author: Cyrille Artho
Year: 1997
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Covers: Chapter 6 in Book 6 of The Return of the King
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A two-player scenario. One plays the dark lord and the other the free people. The aim is power over Minas Tirith.
The same author has also made the scenarios Gondor and Adjacent Lands and Numenor.
Author: Ryan Hoffman
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A six-player scenario. Three orc and three human players compete for power in Mordor.
Author: Cyrille Artho
Year: 1997
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A five-player scenario. Each player starts in one corner of Numenor.
The same author has also made the scenarios Minas Tirith and Gondor and Adjacent Lands.
Author: Ben K.
Year: 1997
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Covers: The Lord of the Rings
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
Inspired by the (in his opinion) poor quality of the other scenarios that were on this page at the time, the author decided to make the "ultimate Lord of the Rings scenario". It tries to follow the plot of the books as closely as possible.
Personal evaluation: An innovative beginning but apart from that it is pretty much like all the rest.
Author: Gregg Dickinson
Year: 1998
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A three-player scenario set at the end of the Second Age. The game is the second in a trilogy that starts with First Age: Morgoth vs. Elves and ends with Third Age: War of the Ring!.
Personal evaluation: Not too bad, overall, but playing the elves is ridiculously easy.
Author: David Whitt
Year: 1997
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
One-player scenario where you have to defend Minas Tirith against the attacking orcs.
Author: Eric "Brain" Harlow
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
An eight-player third-age scenario for the power in Middle-earth.
Year: 1996
Author: Jarom Jones
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A six-player third-age scenario for the power in Middle-earth. Note that there is another Warcraft II scenario with a nearly identical title.
Author: Kasper de Jonge
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
A third age War of the Ring scenario where the player must try to defeat the evil orcs. One player. Note that there is another Warcraft II scenario with a nearly identical title.
The same author has also made a scenario called Lothlorien: The Dreamflower.
Personal evaluation: Apart from the map I have difficulties seeing what this scenario has to do with Tolkien's Middle-earth. It feels more than a little weird to start arming The Shire to the teeth and then marching south, crushing all resistance.
Author: Dennis
Kostroman
Year: 1996
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Covers: The Lord of the Rings
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
Starting off with only four peasants (bearing a strange resemblance to hobbits) and surrounded by Death Knights (black riders), this is a very difficult scenario to begin with. After a while you can travel around with the entire fellowship.
The map is twisted so that for example Minas Tirith is nearly the same size as Mordor.
Personal evaluation: An excellent scenario. Sure, the map looks weird, but it is done in a way cleverly thought out and actually enhances playability. The beginning of the scenario also requires quite a bit of thinking.
Author: Nathan Banks
Year: 1998
Version: 1.1
Type: Scenario for strategy game Warcraft II
Covers: The Lord of the Rings
Distribution: Freeware
Availability: Downloadable (see below)
Licensed: No
In this one-player scenario, the player plays rangers in Eriador and must overcome the forces of Saruman and Sauron.
Personal evaluation: I have not played it beyond the beginning, but it looks both tough and reasonably good.
