War for the Ring
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WAR FOR THE RING is a turn-based strategy game for the ZX Spectrum 128K — a free, non-commercial tribute to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien.

A game lost, and found again. In my school days, on a 48K Spectrum, I wrote a game about the War of the Ring:
a strategic map of Middle-earth on one side and — when two armies met — a first-person fencing duel on the other.
Many years later the tape went brittle, the listing vanished, and for decades it lived only as a memory.
WAR FOR THE RING is that game, rebuilt from memory and reimagined for the 128K.

What it is. Take the Free Peoples or the Shadow (versus a friend, or the machine at four difficulties).
The Free Peoples win by bearing the One Ring into Mount Doom or by military victory; the Shadow wins by destroying the Fellowship
or conquering the West. March armies across Middle-earth, raise troops in your cities, lead them with heroes,
and out-think your enemy turn by turn — while the Fellowship moves unseen, carrying the Ring toward the Fire as the Eye sweeps the road.

The twist — step into the battle. Most strategy games of the era settled a fight with a roll and a number.
This one lets you DROP IN: walk a single champion through the melee, first-person, and strike and shield in real time.
Storm a city and a wall and gate rise before you. You can't break the maths — but a steady hand can shave a close fight your way.
Prefer the old way? One key and the numbers settle it at once.

The legend, in its machinery. Every famous turn of the story is a rule you can use: the Hunt for the Ring, the Black Gate feint,
Gandalf & the Balrog, the Witch-king, Smaug, the Ents, the Barrow-downs, Rohan asleep under Grima. There is an in-game book of lore.

Under the hood: ZX Spectrum 128K (+2/+3); AY-3-8912 sound; fully redefinable keys; 1-2 players, four AI difficulties; hand-tuned Z80 assembly.

Getting started: load WAR.TAP on a 128K Spectrum or emulator; choose your side, glance at the lore (L), press ENTER.
Move with Q/A/O/P, pick up an army with ENTER, march it, SPACE to end your turn.

Small update on 20.06.2026: tidied up the strategic map a little, and added an option to roll the dice yourself
for tactical battles (a few of you asked for it). New version is up, same links.

Written and restored by LAWLORD, 2026.
