Who goes first?
From the publisher’s rulebook

Who goes first in The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth?

Repos English base game

The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth Repos English base-game box

The Sauron player takes the first turn. Players then alternate turns.

Rule details

Choose or randomly determine who plays Sauron and who plays the Fellowship during setup.

Turn alternation continues across chapter boundaries; the player who ends one chapter does not automatically start the next.

Source & edition

All 14 Repos Production starting rules

Image: © Repos Production, Middle-earth Enterprises, and cover artist Vincent Dutrait (precise ownership not stated on product page) · Repos Production (official Asmodee UK distributor)

If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.

If there’s a tie

The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.

Related games and editions

Browse available game rules

Free game-night tools: score keeper · turn timer · dice roller · all tools

Embed this answer on your site

Copy this HTML into a blog post, forum or game café page. It’s plain text with a link back to this rule, so it works almost anywhere. More embed options

Found a different instruction in your edition? Send a correction with the game, edition, and source.