go to MAIN go to TheGoldenShoppingCart

Your first step into the world of "German games"

Lord of the Rings: Confrontation by Reiner Knizia

Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation by Reiner Knizia art John Howe publish Kosmos/Fantasy Flight Players: 2 Duration: 20-30 mins. PACE: Quick COMPLEXITY: Medium. Not complicated but takes a few playing to understand how the characters actions all work together. LUCK: None. And lots, at the same time. The only random element is the other player and how he/she positioned the pieces on the board. But that is more about bluffing than luck. But there doesn't have to be luck if you probe carefully. But I tend to throw caution to the wind... TENSION: High. Games are nearly always close with lots of tough gambles. Theme of good vs evil and the race to win captured well. VICIOUS: High. The board is designed to make you fight...often. SOCIAL: Some. When a really tough decision must be made, it's fun to start bluffing out loud. "Don't do it! You'll lose!" :). VISUALS: Excellent. Tolkien artist John Howe creates a visual masterpiece. THEME: High. The perfect design for the theme. Captures the idea of the of the books in a 30 minute game perfectly. The pressing of the two forces and the urgency of the quest, as well as good use of action to capture characters' feel. GAMER APPEAL: Probably. There is hidden information, but a wily person can start to get an idea of what the other player is doing. Lots of second guessing in the card play too. NON-GAMER APPEAL: Probably. If not an L.o.t.R. fan, may not quite "get" how the characters actions should work, or may not enjoy the decisions as much. A must for Tolkien fans. 2 PLAYERS: Yes. A 2-player game. REPLAY: Excellent. Perfect Lord of the Rings theme that plays quick and allows for tons of variation in strategic piece placement and movement. Also the added twist of getting better at playing two very different sides in the battle. Played 25+ times. Good with 2 players Best with: 2 players

by Reiner Knizia

Quick summary | This game is the best 2-player game I've ever played. Basically each player has 9 pieces with different powers that they arrange on their side of the board, and both sides have different goals. The pieces are hidden from each other and can only be revealed by engaging in battle which means players must be on their toes and strategize carefully. But the game plays very quickly which makes it quick and actually fits the theme well, pitting the forces of Mordor against the mission of the Fellowship. For Lord of the Rings fans, this game is a must have as each side has 9 major character with powers that suit the character and make the game very theme heavy considering its simplicity. Some may point out the similarities between this and Stratego, and certainly the hidden pieces engaging in battle is similar, but this game definitely has its twsist with character powers and cardplay and a very unique board differentiating it from Stratego. This game is a lot of strategic fun, and because the pieces can be arranged differently each playing, it created a need for new approach every time you play. I don't want to make this sound like strategic genius, but it is probably the best 2-player, 30 minute game around. And that's worth something.

This page by Yirmeyahu Avery