From a player's PoV -
Combat in LotR is very fast paced. You're given a number "to hit", roll your 2d6 + Armed/Ranged/Unarmed Combat = X. If X = DM's Y "to hit" = "I hit the fell beasty!" Roll Xd6 for damage (for my dwarf: 3d6 + 2 for Great Axe) = "Fell beasty takes 5 - 20 points of damage".
DM tabulates damage v. "Fell Beasty's Armor can aborb X" Grutos did Y damage: Y - X = Z (15 - 7 = 8). Fell beasty has 10 Health w/5 wound levels = Grutos has nocked Fell Beasty down to 2 notches left on Fell Beasty's Healthy Level. Other characters or Fell Beasty can now attack (based on initiative) - or Grutos can decide - "I'm a damage sink, I don't dodge....I'm going to use my extra round to hack & slash into that thar Fell Beasty!" Repeat "to Hit" 2d6 + Armed Combat (Ranged or Unarmed) = X, DM states I need Y, X > Y so "I hit Fell Beasty" (Needed a 15 and I got a 19).
Not sure how the DM sees things, but from my perspective that's how combat works. As a Damage Sink:
Fell Beasty Hits > Does 12 Points Damage, Armor abosorbs 7, Grutos takes 5 points Damage. On Health-O-Meter, scratch off 5 squares from Healthy and now down to X - 5 in the first level of 5 Wound Levels. No Penalties "To Hit" - once again, begin hacking & slashing.
Depending on the DM, Initiative can be once per battle (yer stuck with what you have: If your roll = 4, then you're pretty much going last the whole battle). Or, Initiative can be rolled every round (You go last in the previous round, but now you roll a 10 and you get to go second, just before the Fell Beasties that rolled a 9).
Similar in structure to a good solid 3rd Edition DnD combat round, but not quite as complicated - very fast paced. Almost on par with the pace of the Epic Level Campaign that I was in with guys I've been gaming with for over 10 years. Very solid feature of LotR!!
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://ghlbeyerlein.tripod.com"> My web site</a>
<li> <a href="http://stations.mp3s.com/stations/358/grutos_metallipage.html">My MetalliStation</a>
<li><a href="http://www.grid.org/projects/cancer/"> United Device's distributive computing Cancer Research Project</a>
<li><a href="http://www.firstgov.gov">FirstGov.gov</a>
<li><a href="http://www.tsa.gov/public/index.jsp">TSA.gov</a>
<li><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/">Homeland Security</a>