Flocking to the serpent banner: Decolonising The Lord of the Rings Workshop’s tabletop war-game?
— Brian Egede-Pedersen, independent scholar
Paper given 8 July 2021 at J.R.R. Tolkien: Medieval roots and Modern branches
In August 2004, the Games Workshop company released the “The Battle of Pelennor Fields” expansion to their The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game. This expansion differs from much of the main game, since much is told from the point of view of the Haradrim leader. How, then, are the Haradrim portrayed, and why was this approach chosen? This depiction is mostly sympathetic, with Gondor seen as occupiers; no doubt influenced by the context of the unpopular war in Iraq. The conclusion is that Games Workshop became an unorthodox and political voice attempting to decolonize the world of Tolkien.
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