War of the Ring: The Game of Middle Earth (1976)

Players command the forces of Gondor and Mordor to decide the fate of Middle Earth. The game involves the quest of the fellowship and the military situation simultaneously. As the game was not properly licensed, it was quickly pulled from distribution and is, as a result, quite rare. (Description from the Diplomacy Boardgame Compendium and Gallery) This game is based on the basic game mechanics of Diplomacy (moves, holds, supports and convoys), but is set in Tolkien's world of Middle Earth. The game is played either by two opponents or four players (two per team, one controlling armies and fleets and one controlling the other individuals). Because the game is intended to be played by two opponents (a person or a team), the one part of the traditional game of Diplomacy that is not preserved in this game is the diplomacy itself. Despite the lack of negotiations, the basic game mechanics are taken from Diplomacy but with a number of extensions or modifications. Armies and fleets are supported by supply centers, but can have single, double, or triple strength. In addition to armies and fleets, there are a number of characters/roles, such as Gandalf, Strider, The Ringbearer, and the Nazgul, each of which has certain attributes or abilities (for example some characters increase the strength of the army they accompany). There are a variety of special rules regarding terrain, as well as victory points given in special circumstances such as The Ringbearer getting to Mount Doom, a Nazgul with the Ring getting to Barad-Dur, the Ring being captured by Mordor's strongest army, and others.