It’s a good time to be a fan of Middle Earth, as the famous J. R. R. Tolkien license is being put to work on both a new card game and miniatures battle game. First up is a “Living Card Game” from Fantasy Flight Games, but where this game differs from other LCGs is that it will be the first co-operative game for this format. Players build their decks, and then select a scenario that defines the victory conditions for the group. When the game is finished, everyone will either win or lose together.
The LCG format is increasingly popular due to its non-collectible nature. Players will still have to assemble decks from the cards they own, but the key difference between an LCG and a CCG is that there is no random card purchasing in LCGs. The core set includes 226 pre-determined cards for $39.95, and the game is expanded with monthly “Adventure Packs”. These packs contain a selection of new cards, usually with multiple copies of each to allow for easy incorporation into decks. Since there are no random cards, players can pick and choose which packs to purchase. The Lord of the Rings LCG is set to debut in April of this year.
The second new Lord of the Rings game will be a new line of HeroClix miniatures from WizKids. During the second half of 2011 both the LoTR HeroClix Miniatures Game and the LoRT HeroClix Strategic Board Game will be released in succession. In line with past HeroClix properties, there will also be booster packs to follow.
After seeing the HeroClix property nearly died off, it is great to see WizKids pick it up and continue to breathe new life into it. All twenty Lord of the Rings miniatures available at launch will be compatible with past HeroClix games, so here’s to some crazy cross-genre battles!
The strategic board game is a semi-cooperative experience where players take on the role of Nazgul in an attempt to capture the ring from Frodo. The semi-cooperative nature comes into play when Nazgul players are given the opportunity to work solo or in groups, with only those participating in the capture sharing in the victory.
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