Based on the popular ‘Lord of the Rings ‘ movie trilogy, the ‘Armies of Middle-Earth’ series of figures first appeared on toy store shelves in June 2003. Known to collectors by its acronym AOME , the series grew to over 120 figures plus accessories and environments. This list attempts to identify every figure & boxed set known. So whether you’re collecting poses or packaging, the list will help you know what is out there.

Battle Scale – 2-inch Figures in a 6-inch World

For the last 30 years the 4-6 inch action-figure dominated the toy figure world. In Jan 2003 when Play Along announced a large new series of 2-3 inch figures, it was considered risky by many and not expected to succeed. Play Along however felt there were fans who, given a choice, would like to recreate large battle scenes with up to hundreds of figures rather then collect just one of each character. ‘Battle Scale’ was a new name for the old ‘Toy Soldier’ scale popular in the 50’s & 60’s. In the end, it did as well as other scale series. It won the interest of some young collectors & also older collectors thrilled to see something again in their scale.

The Makers – Play Along and Art Asylum

Two toy companies, Play Along and Art Asylum, co-produced the AOME series. Art Asylum managed design, development and sculpting, while Play Along provided funding, marketing and distribution. The main sculpting was actually accomplished by Gentle Giant Studios using computer scan technology. Of these only Play Along’s name appears on packaging. In 2004 JAKKS Pacific acquired Play Along & their name was also on wave 7 sets. The figures were made and painted in Hong Kong.

The Listings – Terms & abbreviations

E = English version packaging
B = Bi-lingual version packaging (French & English titles)
R = Re-issues: Usually meant only slight differences in packaging or paint shades. Exceptions are noted w/ sets.
Waves: Refers to series issued in groups of 3-5 every few months.