advanced graphics engine than does Battle Realms, with variable weather and lighting effects. The engine is able to generate eye candy such as blowing grass and units sporting bloodstained weapons after they have killed enemy units. The game records the number of enemy units killed by each of the player's units as part of the interface when each is selected. Campaigns The game features a Good and an Evil campaign, in which one fights the War of the Ring from opposing sides. The game does not actually dwell on prominent battles such as the Battle of the Pelennor Fields (except for the Battle of the Hornburg, featured in the Good campaign) but rather presents scenarios based upon Tolkien’s writings (with varying degrees of license taken). For example, the Good campaign starts with Gimli and the Dwarves fighting the Orcs in the Iron Hills, and one Evil mission has Grishnákh destroying the Beacons of Gondor. A more faithful scenario is the defense of Osgiliath with Boromir and Faramir. Multiplayer The game also features a multiplayer mode of gameplay, where players fight against either the computer (skirmish) and/or other players (via network) on preset or user-created maps. Like Battle Realms, this mode includes several variations like Razing and Survival. Factions and units The game features two factions to choose from: The Free People of Middle-earth (the good side), and The Minions of Sauron (the evil). The Free People include Men – such as those of Gondor and Rohan, the Rangers of the North, and the Beornings – as well as the Elves and the Dwarves. Allied creatures include the Ents and Huorns. Playable heroes on this side include the Fellowship of the Ring, as well as leaders such as Faramir and Erkenbrand. The Minions of Sauron include the various kinds of Orcs and Goblins, Wargs (ridden by the Orcs), Trolls, the Haradrim Men, and the giant spiders of Mirkwood. Playable Evil heroes include Gollum and the Witch-king of Angmar. Other people or creatures from Tolkien's works featured in the game, though not normally playable by either side, include the Wild Men of Drúadan Forest and Barrow-wights. The assignment of regular unit roles (infantry, cavalry, ranged units, or spellcasters) to Tolkien's fictional people or realms is limited, to an extent. For example, creatable Gondor units are limited to infantry (Gondor Swordsmen) and Rohan units are limited to Riders of Rohan. The only creatable