War of the Ring

[talwynor]

So I'm tempted to buy this game because I love the source material and the FFG production values. Having said that, the FFG rules are hit or miss for me - I hated Warcraft TBG and Marvel Superheroes, but loved the Warhammer cardgame and Descent.

I saw the Boardgamegeek entry which looks generally favorable, but if you've played this one, what's your take?

 

[scruffygrognard]

So I'm tempted to buy this game because I love the source material and the FFG production values. Having said that, the FFG rules are hit or miss for me - I hated Warcraft TBG and Marvel Superheroes, but loved the Warhammer cardgame and Descent.

I saw the Boardgamegeek entry which looks generally favorable, but if you've played this one, what's your take?

I just got the Collector's Edition and it is a piece of art... it's beautifully done. I got it exactly for the reasons you listed but am now afraid to use it.

Because of that, I'll eventually get the regular version and enshrine the Collector's Edition.

I can't comment on the rules at this point, as I haven't played it yet, but you can get lots of reviews over at www.boardgamegeek.com

 

[John Crichton]

Excellent game but it is very involved. I had no problem with the rules at all and they it the flavor of the game very well. Easily can eat up an entire day or night of playtime.

I'd have purchased it by now but my wife isn't very much into those types of involved boardgames.

 

[MerricB]

Brilliant, brilliant game. I've played it about 15 times, I think. Game time is generally about 2-4 hours, depending on circumstances, with most of my games being closer to 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

A few session reports:
* First game: Fellowship Dream Run
* Second Game Ever: Fellowship victory
* Sarah's Fellowship destroys The Ring
* How do you get to Mordor, Mr Nazgul?
* Bleeding, tortured, delayed... but the quest successful!
* Early strikes lead to Sauron victory
* Our first (and only) four-player game
* An epic game of 20 rounds
* Randy's second game: The Fellowship Speed to Corruption
* Corruption & Strife
* The Rivalry Renewed
* Stupid, Stupid Frodo
* Minas Tirith Resists - and Misinterprets rules!

Cheers!

 

[Sepulchrave II]

Awesome 2-player game. I've not played the mutiplayer option, but I don't think it would hold up as well. The Helm's Deep/Minas Tirith expansion is also awesome.

Since the SPI version in the late 70s/early 80s, I've been thinking about making a board game which captures the War of the Ring faithfully. Fortunately, so have these guys, and they made something far more subtle and nuanced than I could have possibly hoped for.

 

[Jhaelen]

Well, I prefer the 'Middle Earth Quest' game.

 

[Iron Sky]

I've played 3 games and watched 1.

I won all 3 I played (as Sauron), and the Fellowship won the game I watched.

I had alot of fun playing Sauron, especially because I have a thing for unlimited "free" troops in games. Marching massive waves of orcs against the Free Peoples is awesome. I have little desire to play the Fellowship (though I offered each game I played and the opponent refused).

The Free People's definitely seem to have an up-hill battle, the game pretty heavily (perhaps 'realistically') weighted in favor of Sauron. It's possible (though not likely) for Sauron to win without even doing anything. Park a Nazgul or two over the Fellowship and your job gets even easier.

That said, the pre-tilt to the scales gives the appropriate mood of dread and seeming overwhelming odds that the books and movies have. It also makes a Free People's victory more meaningful when you do pull it off.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I absolutely despise WoW:TBG. Huge disappointment. It's a gorgeous game and the chrome is great. As a game though? It utterly sucked. The only reason I didn't give it a 1 on BGG was because no game that looks that good can deserve a 1. Otherwise, I would have.

I had high hopes for Marvel Heroes. It looked great, sure. A1 Chrome. But the game? It is a card game masquerading as a boardgame. The minis and the map are just meaningless chrome. The card game -- which is what Marvel Heroes is all about -- does not suck. It's "ok". But the chrome is pretty much all expensive marketing and little more than a bait and switch. Marvel Heroes should be sold as a card game for $19.99. Given the price, I felt ripped off.

War of the Ring, otoh, is a game with awesome chrome, that isn't meaningless, which is ALSO a very enjoyable game.

I prefer Battlelore, Memoir '44, Tide of Iron and Game of Thrones (TBG). But War of the Ring is still a very good game.

 

[MerricB]

I absolutely despise WoW:TBG.

Funny; I have the same feelings about Tide of Iron.

Cheers!

 

[Steel_Wind]

Funny; I have the same feelings about Tide of Iron.

I shall have my second call upon yours. I trust you will be at the stone bridge by the north brook at dawn? Then we shall settle this outgrageous matter in a manner befitting gentlemen.