Like all RTS games the object is to build an economy and military units to both defend it and to attack your enemies. In the case of LOTR: The Battle for Middle-Earth II you can, in both skirmish and online play, take on the role of men, elves, dwarves, goblins and the forces of Mordor and Isengard. There is also a campaign mode that will take you through some of the events of the saga or a Battle of the Ring mode.

The economy model for the game is very simplistic. To gain wealth it is a simple matter of making the appropriate building for your race, which will then generate income based on how good its coverage area is. Placement is the key, with your building icon displaying the percentage of income you can expect from a site as you hover over the terrain. It's an easy method but it may not suit die-hard RTS fans seeking a more in-depth economic model, and it does not allow strategies such as capturing mineral nodes, killing peasants and the like. In effect the economic model very much takes a back seat in this game.

In keeping with the simplistic build model you create a few worker units (not many are needed), who go off and build the required structures on any available suitable ground. There are some basic structures such as the fortress, forge, barracks etc. with little variation in function between the factions (a goblin slaughter house having the same basic function as a dwarven mine). Building structures is done at a frantic pace and as long as you have the cash, a sizeable town can be built very quickly. There are some interesting add-ons you can build onto your structures such as catapults, gates, etc. and these can make city assault a costly business.

One of the constraining factors doing an RTS game based on the LOTR mythos is that you are largely restricted to the units and equipment presented in the books and movies. Accordingly, in the game each playable race has a limited amount of units. You'll find the standard infantry unit and missile troops that can be upgraded in both armour and weaponary. There are, of course, the trolls and drakes on the evil side and in an endeavour to add some more diversity, goblin spider riders and a dwarven battle wagon have been added to the mix. Naval units are also available in the game. These include troop ships, warships and bombard ships. Some of the campaign missions see you building quite a sizeable fleet, and the ability to land troops from the sea adds an interesting strategic element to the game.

Basic infantry units are produced from your barracks one formation at a time, with additional upgrades allowing for flag bearers and improved armour and weapons. Larger units such as siege weapons and battle wagons are produced one item at a time. Once again the production speed is quite fast, however you are limited to the amount of units you can produce by command points. As you proceed in the game you acquire more command points and accordingly can have more troops.