The Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings is a co-operative game where the object is to destroy the Ring while surviving the corrupting influence of Sauron. Each player plays one of the Hobbits in the fellowship, each of which has a unique power. The game is played on a number of boards: the Master board indicates both the physical progress of the fellowship across Middle Earth and the corrupting influence of Sauron on the hobbits, and a number of scenario boards which detail the events and adventures of particular locations. Progression across the boards is determined by playing cards (many of which represent the characters and items of Middle Earth), and the effects of corruption are represented by a special die. The game is lost if the ring-bearer is overcome by Sauron, or won if the ring is destroyed by throwing it into the volcanic fires of Mount Doom.
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Disclosure: I am sucker for most things related to Lord of the Rings (LOTR). Indeed, my gateway game was not Catan or Caracassonne as seems to be the case for many gamers. For me, it was the LOTR Living Card Game by Fantasy Flight Games.
I was at a comic-con, strolling past booths when I spied the LOTR: LCG box. Like a moth to a light, I was drawn in. What is an LCG? What treasures were in this box?
Not a particularly impulsive shopper, I went home and did some research. Not only was I blown away with the aesthetics and complexity of the game, but I went down a board-game rabbit hole and was overwhelmed by the depth and variety of games.
I phoned my FLGS, was told they had LOTR: LCG, I picked it up, took it home, opened the box, and was utterly baffled with the rulebook. This was unlike anything I had ever played. I combed through some how-to videos, some helpful blog posts, re-read the rulebook, and I was off.
I was hooked and the board-gaming hobby beckoned to me.
Fast forward a few years and a pile of games purchased and played, and I now know what genres of games float my boat and which leave me cold.
I’ve played a few games by Reiner Knizia. There’s no doubt he’s a prolific designer with legions of followers, but usually his games don’t reel me in. Can’t put my finger on it and perhaps I don’t wish to as I have nothing but the utmost respect for his contributions to the hobby.
So I was hesitant to pick up Lord of the Rings the board game. But reason was trumped by passion, and it tumbled into my shopping basket.
Out of the box, I was struck with the gorgeous artwork (can you really go wrong with a Jerry Seinfeld Frodo?) and the quality FFG puts into its games.
Players work together over the course of a few game boards (Conflict Game Boards), advancing tokens towards the end of main and side activity tracks, with the goal of giving the ring the heave, all while preventing Sauron from getting his evil mitts on our reluctant band of hobbits.
Admittedly, that last run-on sentence doesn’t give you a great feel for the game. But I can assure you the fun is in the teamwork and resource management: you play cards from your hand – no more than one brown and one grey card each – to advance along the game track.
The journey is not a waltz to Mordor, natch. At the start of your turn, you reveal a story tile. These can move you further along the board or deal you a nasty blow.
Finally, you need to ensure you are collecting the three Life Tokens – sun, star and heart – during your journey along each of the conflict boards. If you come up short at the end of each round, you are corrupted and move closer to Sauron.
Should Sauron move in line with or past the ring-bearer, it’s curtains for you and your crew.
There is much more to the game than the measly few rules I describe above and I found that the rule book wasn’t entirely clear on first (and second) read. Perhaps it’s just me, but I needed to put a few notes together to make sense of the beast. A few play-throughs later, however, it came together.
Hopefully, a few impenetrable rules won’t put you off from trying this game, especially if Lord of the Rings is up your alley. And I should note that this game is faithful to the books and not the movies; so Fatty makes an appearance. He’s the hobbit who aids Frodo and friends at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Pros:
Beautiful artwork (I have the most recent edition – this game was first published 2000) and good quality components
Good thematic feel
Excellent co-op
Very difficult to win
Demands prudent resource management
Cons:
Some may regard the game as repetitive
If LOTR is not your thing, each turn will feel mechanical rather than immersive
Overall:
While I find the rules to be an unholy mess in some places, the game itself has given my wife and me hours of entertainment. It definitely won’t be everyone’s cuppa, but for me, it has a cherished place in my collection.