Tales of Middle-Earth mod brings the War of the Ring to Age of Empires II

We never turn down the opportunity to send men to their deaths to recover a piece of jewelry.

We never turn down the opportunity to send men to their deaths to recover a piece of jewelry. Lord of the Rings continues to be great modding fodder, proven most recently by Tales of Middle-Earth. The total conversion adapts RTS classic Age of Empires II, adding 18 LOTR factions ready to clash steel on maps based on iconic battles.

Tales's team created "over a hundred buildings" to erect and tear down at will as you march upon the enemy, including "famous Middle-Earth landmarks like Orthanc, Barad-dûr, The Golden Hall, or Elrond's Homely House." Almost 30 new unit types are also included, which means you can finally set an army of Uruk-Hai against a gaggle of elves as punishment for shooting them in the nose at Helm's Deep in the films.

Multiplayer support and custom scenarios also work with the mod, so you and a friend can grapple for the One Ring together—in a gentlemanly way, of course. Mod DBhouses all the necessary files to get started. Hey, you were looking for an excuse to reinstall the excellent Age of Empires II anyway.