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Conclusion:
When this game is described to you (or at least to me) it sounds awful. You immediately think of Stratego and sigh. Why did they have to ruin a Lord of the Rings game. This is one of the most beloved books and movies of all time. Why oh why?
Yet, once you start playing the game you noticed that you judged it unfairly. That perhaps you judged the book by the cover and maybe you should not have. Why oh why did you judge this game so unfairly? You are actually having fun playing this. And this is Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (Deluxe Edition).
The game is rather simple. The only complexity comes from learning the individual powers (listed on the cards and they are simple). Strategy comes next. I might get flamed for this, but, like a game of Chess, this game is a thinker.
I haven't played the other versions, but this game is very nice to look at and I actually like the art work. The art work is unique and not from the movie license. The reason why this game has a following is the mix of easy to play with deep strategy; the game has risk that you can take and the payoff of a reward.
One player plays the light side and one the dark side. It is fun to try and get the fellowship into Mount Doom, while <PERSON> and his crew try to reach the Shire. The movement rules are easy to learn and the fighting is fun. The fighting does come down to card play, bidding, and a lot of bluffing. The fighting is not all luck; you have to watch what cards have been played and the better you know your opponent the more likely you are to win.
Each character has a unique power that makes sense for the character. It is fun to play a game as the light side and the next game as the dark side. This game likely won't be the main event, but it is a game that you can start playing and find a night has "wasted" away and you had a ton of fun.
This is a keeper. I particularly like the Deluxe Edition as it has a variant and extra characters (not sure if other editions have these options also). 366
While not a favorite game of mine, it is a game that I can back to over and over. It plays two players (only!), but it plays fast. I highly recommend this game.
Components:
The components in the box are top notch. While this is not your usual tricked out edition, every thing in the box is very nicely down.
I will start with the board. The board folds out and shows a map that is the setting of the Lord of the Rings. While not exactly accurate to the maps from the book, things are listed well enough for an abstract version of The Lord of the Rings. The colors used are muted to not take away from the action, but the different areas on the board are easy to see.
The bidding cards (for fighting) are good quality. They are large and the art work is great. The characters are represented by plastic holders that have the character cards inserted so you can only see it from one side (your opponent cannot see who is who). They are hard plastic and look very nice. The art work of all the characters are nice, but the font might be on the small side (but not hard to read). Everything in the box is good quality and you will be happy. Just don't expect the super primo pimped out edition.
Rule Book:
This is a Fantasy Flight Game (FFG) so you get the big oversized rule book. It is full color and full of pictures and examples. The art work on the front (same as on the box) is fantastic.
I found this rule book to be wonderful and one of the best from FFG. It is simple to learn this game and the rule book is great at teaching it. There are a lot of examples in the book. There is the regular game and a variant that is explained (it uses another set of cards). The rule book explains all the cards and it is very helpful when you have questions.
There are also two Player Reference Sheets (one for each player) that describe all the cards and how they work.
The problem with the rule book and Player Reference Sheets (PRS) are they are so big. The PRS is way too big for to be useful on a table. Okay, it is very useful, but a smaller one would be useful and wouldn't take up so much valuable table room.
Flow of the Game:
Each player chooses a side: light or dark; good or bad. 336