So, you want to know about Third Age Total War? In case you weren’t already aware, this is a popular total conversion mod for Medieval II: Total War, converting it into a grand strategy experience set in J.R.R. Tolkein’s Middle-Earth fantasy setting, around the time of the popular Lord of the Rings trilogy.
It’s not even remotely endorsed by the Tolkein estate, and Creative Assembly also generally discourage mods based on other IPs. In the absence of a decent, modern Lord of the Rings strategy game, it’s also one of the only options available if you’re looking for an authentic and comprehensive LOTR-style experience.
The original mod was released back in 2009, and was updated through to 2012 with the 3.2 update that added in a playable fellowship campaign, new custom settlements, and a raft of other changes and revisions. It hasn’t been updated in the years since, however, and new projects have arisen to try and fill the void, the three main ones being Third Age: Total War 4.0, Third Age Total War – Divide and Conquer, and Third Age Total War Reforged.
The original mod, this overhaul requires Medieval 2: Total War’s Kingdoms expansion. It offers “epic and strategically demanding battles” with 14 unique and fully fleshed out factions from the Third Age, including hero units, as well as an accurate map of Middle-Earth.
The newest of the more popular spin-off projects (released in 2020), TATW 4.0 is described as an “unofficial continuation” of the original mod, although the author claims this is an independent project started from scratch and not associated with the original creators.
This is officially a sub-mod for the original Third Age – Total War mod, requiring the most up to date 3.2 version. It focuses specifically on multiplayer, rebalancing factions and their respective units as well as adding in new content to make online matches more enjoyable. It also borrows from the Divide and Conquer sub mod, below.
This is another sub-mod, and the biggest to have been developed in the decade or so since the original mod’s abandonment. It was first released in 2015, but is still in active development with the current version – 4.6 – released in April 2021. A full 5.0 release is being actively worked, although there’s no timetable for it currently.
