I really hate using sleeves. I hate the way they feel and how the cards shuffle with sleeves on. However, I also love my games and hate it when my cards get worn or damaged. So far I have resisted sleeving my LotR:LCG game but I'm reconsidering now that I'm starting to see some wear on them.

So, I'm wondering how many other people out there prefer to play unsleeved? Thoughts?

The art sleeves are coming out soon - I plan to use them.

I prefer playing unsleeved but I have to confess I've been considering sleeving them recently for the same reasons as you. Some signs of wear.

A Related question - are the ultra pro soft sleeves good enough for this game?

Or is worth paying the extra and going for premium - it is almost 6 times the prices... (3 bucks for 50 vs. 1 buck for 100)

I use penny sleeves pretty much exclusively on cards of this size. All my LCG decks (CoC, W:I and LotR) are penny sleeved.

Sleeves aren't so bad. You get what you pay for, though. If you buy penny sleeves, you'll probably be annoyed at them. I use the FFG sleeves, and they are fabulous. Took me a while for my OCD tendencies to get over the fact that they are ever so slightly big for the cards, though. Not to mention they are **** expensive. The art sleeves coming out soon will be even more so. I've liked Mayday sleeves on other games. And the price isn't too horrible. I've considered switching, even though I already have about 500 FFG sleeves. Basically, in the long run it would save money.

I originally used Ultra Pro sleeves and even at 25% of the cost I don't think it was worth it...there have been numerous times where cards have inadvertently wound up in the wrong decks due to cards sticking to each other, I have also found it difficult to shuffle for the same reason.

I’m new to sleeving, so perhaps the sleeves will be better over time or maybe I just bought the wrong kind. Regardless I went and bought the FFG sleeves to replace the Ultra Pro ones and think they are great…but expensive!

I've used sleeves on Arkham Horror and its various expansions, but I only just recently got AGoT and LotR LCG's, and have thus never used them on LCG's before. In Arkham Horror, my main complaint is that sleeves prevent the cards from stacking very well, and it also makes them more challenging to shuffle. This is not as big a deal in Arkham Horror as I imagine it would be in an LCG where you're shuffling your decks much more frequently.

However, I really like the look of the LotR art sleeves, so I imagine I'll end up trying them out for this game at least, if not AGoT.

I don't like sleeves either. I prefer the feel of the actual card. Besides, a bit of wear just adds character.

yes i like the feel of the card too, and id rather put the money to adventure packs

Dam said:

Thanks, I do have ~ 270 ultra pro deck protectors, so I will probably just use those for the decks and buy some penny sleeves for the encounter cards.

I use the standard FFG clear card sleeves. They are awesome to me. Extremely durable and very affordable (2.50-2.99 per 50). Also, what I like the best about clear sleeves is that you still get to see the beautiful card art on the back of the cards (graphic card sleeves eventually pick up tons of wear and scratch/ fade). However, "Each to his own boys, there's plenty for all!" (Animated Hobbit)

The coloured FFG sleeves are very good. Tight fit, stiff back. But the new UltraPro coloured sleeves are tighter. MayDay sleeves are also supposed to be good, but I've only ever used (and found) the board game sizes.

It's easier to shuffle with good sleeves, and unprotected cards get banged up quickly from normal use. The cards do get quite a bit quicker when sleeved up, so get help from a friend with manly hands if shuffling the encounter deck is a problem

I'd buy the LotR art sleeves in a heartbeat if I saw them actually available. The CoC/Arkham sleeves are great, but pre-orders turn me off.

As of now, I just have my Hero cards sleeved. I might sleeve all the cards down the line, but mostly if I have particular decks that I really intend to use on a near consistent basis. That way I can use the sleeves for the extra purpose of quick visual identification.

Wow, i'm suprised so many people don't prefer sleeves!

I started with other games and did a lot of online trading, and having sleeves simply means you are protecting some of the money you've invested. For LCGs, you aren't trading, however, will you wear your cards to the point that they don't look as great or that you need to buy more?

I also play poker and flick the corners of two stacks to shuffle, then cut, and so on. I never jam two edges together to shuffle.
That's where I find slips to be so great! You can really shuffle a lot more freely as the edges are sharper and the slips' surface can be a lot smoother.

I prefer the 'el cheapo' sleeves as I found Ultro Pro sleeves had been getting shorter and shorter over time and i'd simply had enough. (The opposite OCD of another poster.) The 'el cheapo' sleeves are quite thin so shuffle really well, however, my brother bought the FFG sleeves and they are longer than Ultra Pro and more durable than the 'el cheapo' sleeves. I would seriously consider buying them next as I feel they are near perfect for my tastes.

Brand new slips don't stack well for a short period of time, maybe a dozen games, but will flatten slightly and will have less air/change shape.

Lastly, I find that cards in brand new slips, like lacker on wood, just makes the card's design and artwork really POP!

I love sleeves and the glossy feel they give to my deck

I have never used sleeves and always hated the idea. I love the feel of cards and I don't like the idea of glossy covers. However, I want to protect my cards.

I'm looking at picking up some to try them out, but I can't decide what to go with. What I REALLY want are some clear sleeves so I can see the actual backs. I see that FFG makes some, but I can't actually find them anywhere. Do they still make these and are they the same quality as the colored back ones (it looks like they might be different types of sleeves)? I see Dragon Shield clear sleeves but those are more expensive, and from what I read are longer than the cards are which will bug me I think. Anyone have opinions on those?

Also, anyone with sleeves want to take some pictures of their cards in sleeves?

Got to say the FFG coloured sleeves are excellent and really add a touch of class to the game. Nice tactile feel and sturdily built.

The FFG clear sleeves are great - I know that most FLGSs will order them for you, but if that's not great for you, then you can certainly order them direct from FFG.

radiskull said:

I usually order everything online... but I can't find these anywhere right now. FFG does not have them in stock, Miniature Market does not have them in stock. Cool Stuff Inc does not have them in stock. Amazon has 1 seller selling them... but at more than 3 times the price.

Any idea the difference between the FFG clear sleeves and the Dragon Shield sleeves?

I really wasn't expecting to sleeve my decks. I did try to resist b/c I think shuffling w/ sleeves is more difficult than without. Also, the extra space that the decks take up sleeved is irritating, but not as irritating to me as seeing the wear on the art of the cards. I use clear Ultra Pros that I bought in bulk (I think it was like 10 boxes of 50 for like $18).

Well, I bought a set of Dragon Shield clear sleeves for testing out. I still prefer the feel of bare cards, but these things are nice! They handle a lot better than I was expecting from sleeves. I'd like to also try out some of the plain FFG clear ones if they ever get them back in stock... then it's just a matter of deciding whether to sleeve ALL the cards or just the decks I use.

i always play with sleeves i hate te see my cards get damaged.
for lord of the rings LCG i use Ultra Pro clear sleeves (new size) for encounter / Quests cards. and for the 4 spheres i use color sleeves that match the symbol color or close 2 matching. neutral cards i sleeve black.

im however thinking of switching to only clear sleeves cause the artwork on the back is pretty awesome. i wudnt use the FFG art sleeves cause in my oppinion art sleeves do get sticky and dirty quite quickly, and the ultra pro ones (the colored for sure) have some sort of rough texture that prevents them from getting sticky.

just sharing my oppinion.

Used to sleeve my MtG cards simply because I didn't want to ruin some of the more precious rares...

When I started playing Thunderstone I didn't sleeve the cards (because I thought: it's just a deckbuilding game, so what the heck), but later regretted that decision due to the fact that you can notice the differences between older and newer cards very easily... so it's not really hard to tell if the card you're going to draw is from the base set or from an expansion...

When it comes to LCG and especially Lord of the Rings I'm a big fan of sleeves and use the clear ones by FFG. They're a bit bigger than the cards, but I don't mind, because they shuffle well and have a nice feel to them.

Just my two cents...

I play primarily multi-player, so I find sleeving essential. Different sleeves make it easy to identify which cards belong to whih deck ("was that my Steward of Gondor, or yours?"), along with all of the other advantages people have mentioned.