Morgoth Bauglir drawing, Christopher Tolkien, Rings of Power, Telchar & Angrist

"Morgoth Bauglir"

 "That crown he never took from his head, though its weight became a deadly weariness."

-          The Simarillion, Of the Flight of the Noldor

 An ink drawing illustration for the "Wars of Beleriand" game.

Telchar’s notorious knife Angrist broke when Beren tried to take a second gem from the Iron Crown. What can one say about a blade that wounds the King of the World? Is there another?

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The Silmarillion is one of my favorite books. Few works of fantasy literature can compare in terms of epic scope and completeness of vision. I think it's safe to say it's as much Christopher Tolkien's as it is his father's: a beautiful collaborative effort, a true labor of love.

Recently, there's been yet a new generation of Tolkien fans brought into the fold, for good or ill, by the Rings of Power series. I admit I haven't seen any of it and I can't say I've heard good things. No need to go into all that, but we know how Tolkien felt about a great many things and what he thought and I know he wouldn't have been particularly pleased with how his creations have been treated by media these latter years. Telling that these projects were only greenlit after Christopher's death...

 

 

Repost from 2021: Wars of Beleriand Unpublished Wargame designed by Nate Dray.

 Edit 2/6/26 - Reposting this because I want to. I worked on this for like 20 years and it actually works pretty well. It's a shame I can't really share it with people because I can't quite bring myself to make it free because it was a ton - and I mean a ton - of work. :)

I should, though. Part of me would really like to...

 

Wars of Beleriand Update.

Still on it or back on it, really. 

Typing up the rulebook. Tweaking some graphics. But that about wraps it. There were some things - still are -- in the endgame latter stages of play, situations that only arise during the endgame part of the game, that weren't thoroughly played through before. Unique situations and things. The last few Turns are the most mechanically complex parts of the game. I'm sure there are things I missed, but...it should work and we'll correct as we go from here on.

Probably just release the rules online, post a link somewhere, something. 

 Wars of Beleriand rulebooks. Only two exist. They are different from each other and unique. 

 

 

Wars of Beleriand game Control Display. Players keep track of different Force types they control on this chart.

Players can have Complete or Incomplete Control of different Force types, or some Forces may be Controlled by a rudimentary AI algorithm unique to each class of Force.

 

 

 Wars of Beleriand game Dragon Maturation Track. The Morgoth player tracks the development of Dragon units Inside Angband with this. Dragons must be mature before they can be deployed and used against the Noldor Player.

 

 

 Sample Game of Wars of Beleriand in progress.

Note the Eagles counter, City Markers, and Ents and Green Elves in Taur-Im-Duinath. 

 

Wars of Beleriand, a Silmarillion board game, preview video.

 

 A short video by Winfield showing the Wars of Beleriand game parts and pieces etc. and a little about what will become of it.

Wars of Beleriand, Game Artist Nate Dray's wargame design based on Tolkien's "The Silmarillion" Update

Wars of Beleriand Update.

Still on it or back on it, really. 

Typing up the rulebook. Tweaking some graphics. But that about wraps it. There were some things - still are -- in the endgame latter stages of play, situations that only arise during the endgame part of the game, that weren't thoroughly played through before. Unique situations and things. The last few Turns are the most mechanically complex parts of the game. I'm sure there are things I missed, but...it should work and we'll correct as we go from here on.

Probably just release the rules online, post a link somewhere, something. 

 

Wars of Beleriand rulebooks. Only two exist. They are different from each other and unique. 

 

 

Wars of Beleriand game Control Display. Players keep track of different Force types they control on this chart.

Players can have Complete or Incomplete Control of different Force types, or some Forces may be Controlled by a rudimentary AI algorithm unique to each class of Force.

 

 

 Wars of Beleriand game Dragon Maturation Track. The Morgoth player tracks the development of Dragon units Inside Angband with this. Dragons must be mature before they can be deployed and used against the Noldor Player.

 

 

 Sample Game of Wars of Beleriand in progress.

Note the Eagles counter, City Markers, and Ents and Green Elves in Taur-Im-Duinath. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New maps drawn by Nate Dray for "There and Back Again" from West Coast Games

In 1977 a company called West Coast Games published a small run of a solitaire adventure board game based on “The Hobbit” called “There and Back Again,” designed by John Williams. It is rare, ugly and unlicensed.  I really like it.

(These two images are from boardgamegeek.com.)

Even though the map isn’t used much in the game - I redrew it.
Trying to capture an early 80’s Avalon Hill - Dragon Pass- sort of feel - and just doodling.

- Nate Dray

For more info on this game check out the Board Game Geek entry:
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6833/there-and-back-again

For more on on Tolkien board games see these sites:
http://www.freewebs.com/tolkienboardgamecollecting/
http://www.boardgame.de/tolkien.htm