Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) is a publishing company that has produced role playing, board, miniature, and collectible card games since 1980. Many of ICE's better-known products were related to J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, but the Rolemaster rules system, and its science-fiction equivalent, Space Master, have been the foundation of ICE's business.

History

Early years and Rolemaster

Pete Fenlon was running a six-year Dungeons & Dragons campaign set in Middle-earth while he was attending college in the late 1970s, when he started developing unique house rules with S. Coleman Charlton and Kurt Fischer. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1980, they wanted to make a business out of their special game rules, so they founded Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE), named after a regalia from Middle-earth. Aside from Fenlon and Charlton, ICE originally included Richard H. Britton, Terry K. Amthor, Bruce Shelley, Bruce Neidlinger, Kurt Fischer, Heike Kubasch, and Olivia Johnston, amongst others.

ICE soon published its first three game products: Arms Law (1980), The Iron Wind (1980), and Manassas (1981). ICE also expanded its original Loremaster supplements into a full-blown fantasy world to support Rolemaster, called the Shadow World, supported by dozens of adventures and sourcebooks. In 1986, ICE signed a publication contract to take over Hero Games' production and distribution. Later, with Hero Games staff leaving for other jobs, ICE took over the creative reins of Hero's products.

Middle-earth CCG

With the rise of collectible card games, ICE released Middle-earth Collectible Card Game (1995) and Warlords CCG (1997). In 1997, ICE bailed out Mayfair Games, a publisher well known for the Settlers of Catan board game.

Demise

In 1997, ICE suffered financial difficulties from a rapid decline in its distribution net; nearly 70% of ICE's distributors either went bankrupt or became moribund. By 2000, the company was in deep financial trouble, and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October 2000. This cost ICE the Middle-earth license, ending both the MERP and MECCG lines. Many of the authors and illustrators were not paid for substantial amounts of work.

Aurigas Aldebaron

thumb|right|ICE's logo since relaunch

In December, 2001, ICE's assets were purchased by Aurigas Aldebaron LLLC, an intellectual property ownership company. The new owners licensed the Iron Crown Enterprise name and other assets to Mjolnir LLC until 2011. Starting in January, 2011, licensing was transferred to Guild Companion Publications Ltd.

In 2016, Aurigas Alderbaron merged with Guild Companion Publications Ltd to create a single company: Guild Companion Publications. This company both holds the Iron Crown Enterprises intellectual property and produces and sells Iron Crown products.

On January 9, 2017, Guild Companion Publications Limited officially changed its name to Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd.

Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd

Iron Crown Enterprises continues to produce products for its Rolemaster and High Adventure Role Playing (HARP) line, including products set in the Shadow World.

Selected publications

Board games

  • Manassas (1980)