Lord of the Rings LCG

[AJ]

Anyone else play it just got it yesterday and LOVED it rules are very good it has a well done cost system good artwork clean easy to understand abilities there is a lot of deck building strategy.Whats your thoughts on it.

[TheKarazyvicePresidentRR]

How is a living card game different from a tcg or ccg?

[EmJayBee83]

All of the cards in an LCG are fixed rarity (like the the packs of new cards in FoOF and RoA). So there is a starter set which has a fixed number of a wide assortment of cards and then periodically a booster is released that contains a complete playset of new cards. For example, in Android: Netrunner you can have up to three copies of any card in a deck. Every six weeks or so (on average) a new datapack of 60 cards (3x of 20 different cards) comes out. Following the release of six data packs a deluxe expansion comes out (3x55 cards). And then a new cycle begins.

The primary advantage of the LCG is that a player can keep up with all of the cards in the game without spending a ton of money. It also helps the game buzz because there is a new set of cards to talk about every six weeks.

[TheKarazyvicePresidentRR]

Sorta like munchkin where all new sets are standardized but in a CCGesqe context. Got it.

[AJ]

Sorta like munchkin where all new sets are standardized but in a CCGesqe context. Got it.

Yup.

[Lampy 2.0]

I play it myself! It was the first LCG I picked up! I really enjoy it.

[Blisstake]

What i never see is SCG's. It stands for Sports Card Games.

[Lampy 2.0]

What i never see is SCG's. It stands for Sports Card Games.

There have been a few around over the years. Two notable ones are MLB Showdown and WWE Raw Deal. However, both games have been discontinued.

[AJ]

I play it myself! It was the first LCG I picked up! I really enjoy it.

Whats your favorite sphere of influence. Do you have any expansion packs and if so what do you reccomend since at the moment all i have is the core set.

I really enjoy too. as soon as i finish school i race home to play.

[Isildur]

I play it myself! It was the first LCG I picked up! I really enjoy it.

Do you have any expansion packs and if so what do you reccomend since at the moment all i have is the core set.

Purchase the expansions in order of release. The game has a ever so slight power creep that happens ever couple of "AP" and Deluxe expansions... so if you start of by purchasing the newest expansions first you are going to have a hard time with the quests.

[AJ]

I just orderd the Hunt for Gollum and the Conflict at the Carrok adventure packs.

[Lampy 2.0]

I play it myself! It was the first LCG I picked up! I really enjoy it.

Whats your favorite sphere of influence. Do you have any expansion packs and if so what do you reccomend since at the moment all i have is the core set.

I really enjoy too. as soon as i finish school i race home to play.

My favorite sphere of influence is Leadership. It's been my favorite since I started playing when it came out, and the fact that it added my favorite LOTR character in that sphere, Sam Gamgee, I love it even more!

Also, get the Mirkwood cycle of packs, as well as the deluxe expansions Khazad-Dum, Heirs of Numenor, and the upcoming Voice of Isengard. If you get these, this would mean that you get access to the cards in the cycle that followed that expansion. You can't play the quest "Watcher in the Water," for example, if you don't have the Khazad-Dum expansion.

If you want to reanact scenes from The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, get the Saga Expansions. There are two for the Hobbit (which cover the storyline in it's entirety) and the Lord of the Rings has just started up. The first one is called "The Black Riders" and it is based on the first half of "Fellowship." The second expansion based on LOTR is supposed to come out fairly soon, and it's called "The Road Darkens." And "Black Riders" has my favorite character, Sam, in it, so BUY IT!

[AJ]

They made Sam a hero SWEET. Sam is my favorite character from the Lord of the Rings so im going to have to pick that one up I should be getting the 2 packs I ordered today so I am very happy about that.

My favorite sphere of influence is Tactics.

[Lampy 2.0]

Sam is a good card, if you ask me!

[browarod]

I just ordered the core set from Amazon, super excited to play this! I've been reading up on it and people have been saying the core set *can* support up to 4 players but that it's best with 1-2. Is there a best next thing to buy in addition to the core set that makes it better to play with 3-4 people?

[Professoralstad]

Sam is a good card, if you ask me!

That doesn't look anything like Sean Astin...The game is clearly flawed.

[Lampy 2.0]

I just ordered the core set from Amazon, super excited to play this! I've been reading up on it and people have been saying the core set *can* support up to 4 players but that it's best with 1-2. Is there a best next thing to buy in addition to the core set that makes it better to play with 3-4 people?

Yes... another core set. This is one thing I dislike about FFG's marketing strategy. But, if you'd like, you can use calculators for the other threat trackers. If you do it that way, then you can play with just one box.

That doesn't look anything like Sean Astin...The game is clearly flawed.

That's because the game is based on the books and not the movies.

[EmJayBee83]

That doesn't look anything like Sean Astin...The game is clearly flawed.

That's because the game is based on the books and not the movies.

I just hate it when people write quickie novelizations trying to cash in on a popular movie.

[browarod]

I just ordered the core set from Amazon, super excited to play this! I've been reading up on it and people have been saying the core set *can* support up to 4 players but that it's best with 1-2. Is there a best next thing to buy in addition to the core set that makes it better to play with 3-4 people?

Yes... another core set. This is one thing I dislike about FFG's marketing strategy. But, if you'd like, you can use calculators for the other threat trackers. If you do it that way, then you can play with just one box.

Would starting to buy the expansions help at all with that or are the threat trackers (whatever they are) only in the core set?

Speaking of expansions, you guys have said to buy them in order. Is there a list somewhere of release dates for the various sets? I checked Wikipedia but the page for this game doesn't exist currently.

[Lampy 2.0]

Would starting to buy the expansions help at all with that or are the threat trackers (whatever they are) only in the core set?
Speaking of expansions, you guys have said to buy them in order. Is there a list somewhere of release dates for the various sets? I checked Wikipedia but the page for this game doesn't exist currently.

Threat trackers are only available in the core set. However, the core set comes with 4 small sized decks, each one based on one of the spheres so you can play the game with one core set, but you'd need, like I said earlier, calculators or something to keep tabs on the other two player's threat.

And you don't necessarily need to buy the expansions in order, but if you do want to do that, here's a list. The core set should be first, then the Mirkwood cycle. http://fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm=129&esem=2

[Korunks]

Speaking of expansions, you guys have said to buy them in order. Is there a list somewhere of release dates for the various sets? I checked Wikipedia but the page for this game doesn't exist currently.

Although Lampy beat me in posting the FFG site, Board Game Geek has some handy information on the sets and what is required to play what.

Core Set (includes 12 heroes, player and encounter cards, and 3 scenarios):

    Passage Through Mirkwood (Difficulty Level=1)
    Journey Down the Anduin (DL=4)
    Escape from Dol Guldur (DL=7)

NB: The Core Set is required to play ALL expansions

Deluxe Expansions
DE: Each contains 2 heroes, player and encounter cards, and 3 scenarios:
1) Khazad-dûm includes:

    Into the Pit (DL=5)
    The Seventh Level (DL=3)
    Flight from Moria (DL=7)

   2) Heirs of Númenor includes:

    Peril in Pelargir (DL=5)
    Into Ithilien (DL=4)
    The Siege of Cair Andros (DL=7)

   3) The Voice of Isengard includes:

    The Fords of Isen (DL=?)
    To Catch an Orc
    TBA

Adventure Packs
AP: Released in cycles of six, each AP contains 1 hero, player and encounter cards, and 1 scenario:
1) Shadows of Mirkwood

    The Hunt for Gollum (DL=4)
    Conflict at the Carrock (DL=7)
    A Journey to Rhosgobel (DL=6)
    The Hills of Emyn Muil (DL=4)
    The Dead Marshes (DL=5)
    Return to Mirkwood (DL=7)

   2) Dwarrowdelf
(Khazad-dûm required to play these APs)

    The Redhorn Gate (DL=6)
    Road to Rivendell (DL=4)
    The Watcher in the Water (DL=5)
    The Long Dark (DL=7)
    Foundations of Stone (DL=6)
    Shadow and Flame (DL=8)

   3) Against the Shadow
(Heirs of Númenor required to play these APs)

    The Steward's Fear (DL=5)
    The Drúadan Forest (DL=6)
    Encounter at Amon Dîn (DL=5)
    The Assault on Osgiliath (DL=8)
    The Blood of Gondor (DL=6)
    The Morgul Vale (DL=7)

[browarod]

Thanks very much for the information, that's very helpful!

For those that have been playing the game for awhile, does buying a second core set make things markedly better/more fun (other than adding the "official" threat trackers for the 3rd and 4th player)? I.e. does it allow you to combine the 2 sets of each deck to make a larger, better deck and/or just give you more options when playing with just the core set and then branching out into the expansions?

Basically, is it worth buying a second core set off the bat or should I save my money for collecting the expansions?

[Isildur]

Thanks very much for the information, that's very helpful!

For those that have been playing the game for awhile, does buying a second core set make things markedly better/more fun (other than adding the "official" threat trackers for the 3rd and 4th player)? I.e. does it allow you to combine the 2 sets of each deck to make a larger, better deck and/or just give you more options when playing with just the core set and then branching out into the expansions?

Basically, is it worth buying a second core set off the bat or should I save my money for collecting the expansions?

Buying a second Core set is worth it almost just for the extra Gandalfs and that 1 cost purple card that lets you play a ally for one turn. If you like the game just buy a second one.

Now buying a third core set is a different story :p thats where the cost to fun ratio but get a little off balance.

Btw if anyone is interested I would be willing to sell my Lotr LCG collection if the price is right I have....
2 Core Sets
Mirkwood Expansions 1-6
The Hobbit Saga Expansion 1

[AJ]

Korunks has everything but The Voice of Isengard deluxe Expansion and the first 2 of the ringbearer cycle The Dunland Trap and The 3 Trials.

[TheJaylor]

Thanks very much for the information, that's very helpful!

For those that have been playing the game for awhile, does buying a second core set make things markedly better/more fun (other than adding the "official" threat trackers for the 3rd and 4th player)? I.e. does it allow you to combine the 2 sets of each deck to make a larger, better deck and/or just give you more options when playing with just the core set and then branching out into the expansions?

Basically, is it worth buying a second core set off the bat or should I save my money for collecting the expansions?

Buying a second Core set is worth it almost just for the extra Gandalfs and that 1 cost purple card that lets you play a ally for one turn. If you like the game just buy a second one.

Now buying a third core set is a different story :p thats where the cost to fun ratio but get a little off balance.

Btw if anyone is interested I would be willing to sell my Lotr LCG collection if the price is right I have....
2 Core Sets
Mirkwood Expansions 1-6
The Hobbit Saga Expansion 1

How much would that generally cost? I haven't played before so I'm not really sure what the range is for the "right" price.