I have yet to invest in LOTR lcg, but am excited to buy into the game and give it a try. I do have a concern and I was hoping you guys could lend me your experience. Once in, do you have to purchase all the expansion/sub expansions to be competitive? Can I choose certain expansion I think I would enjoy and build from there? It just seems overwhelming, where do I start after the core set? Thanks, cheers.

https://talesfromthecards.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/new-player-buying-guide/

Unlike other LCGs, there is no arms race to keep up with the current card pool or meta. You can buy the expansions at your leisure. There is no competition in a coop game except for keeping up with the encounter deck, and each product usually provides the player cards one needs to beat the included quest.

Here is an excellent buyer's guide. I personally recommend buying the expansions at their release order, except for the Heirs of Numenor expansion pack and cycle which is best left last.

I don,t have the Ring Maker cycle, mainly because I don't like the Doom cards, and for financial reasons. I also only buy adventure packs that have player cards that I like, so I don,t have them all. And the gem is still great!

Agree with FetaCheese.

Do remember that to play the quests from the Adventure Packs you need the corresponding Deluxe Expansion:

APs from Dwarrowdelf need Khazad-dum;

Aps from Against the Shadow need Heirs of Numenor;

APs from Ring-maker need Voice of Isengard;

etc...

But that is just to be able to play quests , you can buy the Aps and use the player cards...

Thank you all for your help. That link was great FetaCheese. I've decided to go in order and ease myself into the world of the rings, and grasp a better understanding of how expansions work.

Thank you all for your help. That link was great FetaCheese. I've decided to go in order and ease myself into the world of the rings, and grasp a better understanding of how expansions work.

That's what I did also, and Khaza-dum and the AP have fantastic quests!

I've been buying in order of release too, and I think that's a very satisfying way to proceed. You will be able to build decks containing only cards available when a scenario was released, which allows you to experience the game's evolution exactly as the designers intended.