I recently purchased the Gears of War Board Game and am really enjoying the solo play. Thinking about doing more tabletop gaming and was debating some of the solo-play card games available, namely Lord of the Rings and Space Hulk: Death Angel. I've read several reviews, downloaded and read the rules for both games (are ALL Fantasy Flight manuals written oddly?) and still am not sure which of the games to get.

I'm not a huge fan of either license so that's not a factor. Both games seem (based on my limited understanding of the rules) to favor luck over strategy or skill, which has me a little worried. I might get the Mrs. to play a pity game or two with me but 99% of the play will be solo. So I'm soliciting opinions: Is one game better/more fun/best for solo? Are they similar enough that buying both would be a waste, or would that give me more variety in my gaming options?

I know a lot of this comes down to personal preference. Just looking for some guidance from folks who have braved the trail before me. Thanks in advance for all responses.

Hi, I'm actually returning this week to the hobby after around a decade of purely electronic gaming, so my opinion may be way off the general consensus. I can't speak about which is best or most fun because I haven't played Death Angel (I plan on getting it this week when I order Gears of War though). What I can tell you about Lord of the Rings so far is that while it is very luck dependent in what cards you draw, a lot of the gameplay comes through deckbuilding and seeing how that deck does against each encounter. It probably helps that I enjoy the IP but it's neat building say, a dwarf deck and then seeing which quests it can deal with and which it utterly fails at. I've also had a lot of fun putting together, testing and tweaking a deck that can deal with every adventure so far. Playing with the missus has mostly been about the actual game (though she did try her hand at deckbuilding too) and the co-op dynamic and it almost feels like a different game in terms of play, but as far as the solo game goes I think your level of enjoyment will depend on how much you like fiddling with and creating decks.

Okay, well I bought (and played a bunch of) Death Angel this week. It's definitely absolutely nothing like LotR in any sense beyond them both being card games. I think both games are great fun, though LotR is something of a longer term investment (and perhaps a bit of a slow burner) with Death Angel being more of an instantly gratifying experience (that may lack in replayability). I would definitely suggest getting them both to pretty much anybody who enjoys co-op or solo games.

I've played both a bunch of times. I really prefer LotR, there's a LOT more variety in terms of both what you're playing and what you're playing against.

Space Hulk is reasonably fun and I enjoy it, but after a few plays I start getting tired of it. It's cheaper than LotR though.

I've got both games and it depends if you want a quick game or a bit of longevity. Space Hulk is ok, but it gets very repetitive very quickly. There isn't much strategy to it other than where you want your marines to go and which way to face them. LotR has more intrest for me as there is the added challenge of building decks. Coming from a MtG background that really appeals to me. It's also more of an investment in time and money as well though.

You might also wait for the Star Wars LCG to see if it improves on the solo play experience over LOTR, or if you prefer the SW franchise.