From Barad-dur, the bulwark of the dark lord Sauron, and from Orthanc, the fortress of the wizard Saruman, a threat goes out to all of Middle Earth. Innumerable, nameless Orcs stream forth from both towers. The players support the side of good and guide the heroes of the story in the fight against the Orcs. If the Orc hordes succeed in forming a connection between the two towers, the dark side will have won and the players will all lose together. If, in their continuing quest, the players can hold back the Orcs for a very long time indeed, until the Ents reach Orthanc, then the player who has contributed the most to this success wins the game. - BoardGameGeek