FFG Tolkien-based games

By Sagremor, in War of the Ring

Hello Everyone,

I've been wondering which of the FFG games beased on Lord of the Rings and general Middle-Earth is the most interesting.

I wanted to know Your opinions before I buy anything. If I like Runebound, Arkham Horror, which of those games I might llike best?

Thanks

If you as me I would say War of the Ring but I am slightly biased (check out my page at www.warofthering.webb.se ).

It would also be dependant on the number of players you normally play with. If it just you and a friend War of the Ring is undisputed but The Confrontation is also a good two-player game.

If your gaming group consist of at least four people every time Arkham Horror is a good cooperative game (and highky moddable with all the expansions it has).

As far as FFG's Tolkien based games, I am only familiar with War of the Ring. I will add that WotR is my favorite two player game. I try to play this one 2-3 times per month. The only reason it isn't played more is because 5-6 people show up to our weekly boardgame day.

It's a competitive game, so no co-op like Arkham Horror. There is a 4 player option with two teams of two, but this is different than the team mechanic in something like Battlestar Galactica.

Two FFG published games that I own with similarities are Age of Conan (designed by the same company that made WotR) and BattleLore. Like WotR, these are war games that utilize dice and cards. Age of Conan shares more similarities with WotR than BattleLore. Both of these games are lighter affair, imho. It may take a couple of plays to get things right, but even when mistakes were initially made, the game was still great fun.

As far as theme goes, I don't think I have a played a game that better captures it than War of the Ring. Each play of the game conjures imagery from the books and movies. The artwork and flavor text on the cards only adds to this sensation. The fact that it's got some great components doesn't hurt either.

I like to win games when I play, but this is one, win or lose, that when it's over, I've had a great time. In fact, playing it, we spend nearly as much time talking about the session as it took to play it.

If you are a Lord of the Rings fan and have even a remote interest in war games, this is an absolute must for your collection.

Middle-Earth Quest is a game I also enjoy. It is a fantastic 'one vs. team' game that has some cool mechanics. The map board is gorgeous and it has some really nice components. You definitely feel like you are in middle earth when you are playing this game. However, despite the inclusion of major characters from the novels as NPCs, the theme of M-E: Q doesn't attain the same heights as WotR. But if you've got more than two players, it's great fun.

How do you like the expansion?