Yogah of Yag said:
I want to pick your brain, if I may. What is very, very good with the LotR game, in terms of its mechanics, presentation, etc. Thanks.
Well, War Of The Ring has a very strong theme and presentation. You really feel that you are there fighting the war of the ring. The many miniatures are a treat and the board is quite good.
In terms of mechanics, I have to say that for starters this boardgame manages to make every single game played feel unique. Furthermore, each play plays differently from all others, so there's a lot of replayability in this boardgame, which is a very good thing.
There are different victory conditions for both sides in the game, which makes for an interesting game as each player tries to compete in different areas while at the same time tries to outdo the other player.
The game uses dices and cards to resolve turns and battles, which is something very rare to see in modern euro boardgames, most of them do not use dice or a strong luck factor. However, in this game the dice work in its favor and makes for a very fun game. Each player uses their own pool of dice, called action dice, to resolve their turn – alternating one after the other. Players use die to muster units or enlist leaders, move units, play events and attack opposing armies. This way it makes sure that you do not get everything you want and makes the game quite challenging.
Do not think that because this game has many dice it is like risk though, it isn't, it's so far ahead of it that when you play it you won't even make that comparison between WotR and risk.
Furthermore, this boardgame includes a political mechanism that allows for nations to interact between each other. This mechanic makes the game quite fun.
The downside is that this is a rather complex game not to be taken lightly. It requires a bit of dedication in learning the rules and applying them into practice, but trust me it's quite worth it.
The best part? The boardgame is completely faithful to the story. It recreates the battles of the third age in such a way that it ties so well to the story and makes lots of 'What if?' scenarios possible and feasible.
The Conan boardgame is made by the same guys and seems to be based on these rules. If that is true then trust me on this, the Conan boardgame will be one of the best boardgames of this year and a must-buy to all Cona fanatics. It'll be true to Howard and a great game to play. It's one of the boardgames I am most looking forward to, along with Agricola and Through The Ages.
Hope this satisfies your curiosity. :wink:
EDIT: Oh, and if you're real curious about War Of The ring, go here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9609
