Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-27723099-20141229183426

After the thread What games (other than Minecraft LotR) do you play?, I want to continue with board games (or basically anything that isn't electronic). So, what LOTR board/tabletop/card/other games do you know and what is your favorite?

My unbeaten favorite is "The War of the Ring" from Ares (originally Phalanx). This game is just ubelievable in it's complexity and size. Included are: A big map of Middle Earth with regions and cities all around the world, over 200 plastic miniatures, over 100 cards, over 75 markers...in one word: It's MASSIVE. The rules consider everything that happened in the story at the same time. On the one side there is the war. The free people have little chance to win it, the evil side is just way to powerful. So it's the best to be passive and defend the cities. If the evil side conquered enough cities, it has won. On the other side, there is the ringbearer and the fellowship, slowly moving to Mordor to destroy the ring. Both players have to decide how to use their heroes/nazgul. Should Aragorn guide Frodo to ensure that he makes his way to Mordor safely? Or should he hurry to arrive in Gondor, to rule as a king? Should the nazgul use their powers to lead the evil armies to victory or should they hunt for Frodo? All the smaller events in the story, such as the ents, the corsairs of Umbar, Durin's Bane and many other things, are represented through the event cards.

Beside the main game, I also have two scenarios (for Gondor and for Rohan) that focus on one conflict and represent it in all the detail. This version has an even improved combat system, with influence through the terrain or the troop types. Every battle is a small minigame and very tactical. This makes me like the scenarios even more than the main game.

So, that was a bit much now for this game, but it shows how much I like it :D 