Well, whatever else did you think this post's title was referring to?
In my last post I promised that entries for the ensuing month would focus on solitaire games from my collection as yet unplayed. However, with the recent release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, I've decided to take a more thematic approach to this week's game (although it is one I've played solitaire previously): The Lord of the Rings Card Game from Fantasy Flight Games.
The LotR Card Game is one of FFG's 'Living Card Games' - a response to the crash of the CCG market in lieu of the disastrous rush of many game companies to cash-in the success of Magic: The Gathering (which almost lead to the demise of Chaosium, whose excellent CCG Mythos I shall be posting about at a later date). The LCG model involves producing card games via an introductory box with fixed of cards (no randomisation), and allowing players to expand on this through regular releases of fixed expansion decks, meaning that competitive players aren't spending huge sums of cash ripping open randomised booster packs in search of rare cards.
The LotR Card Game is one of FFG's 'Living Card Games' - a response to the crash of the CCG market in lieu of the disastrous rush of many game companies to cash-in the success of Magic: The Gathering (which almost lead to the demise of Chaosium, whose excellent CCG Mythos I shall be posting about at a later date). The LCG model involves producing card games via an introductory box with fixed of cards (no randomisation), and allowing players to expand on this through regular releases of fixed expansion decks, meaning that competitive players aren't spending huge sums of cash ripping open randomised booster packs in search of rare cards.
Whilst The LotR Card Game is no stranger to my table, this week games have included a previously unplayed expansion: The Hobbit: Under Hill and Over Hill.
Whilst the core game explores the build up to the War of the Ring (being set twelve years prior to the events of The Lord of the Rings), The Hobbit: Under Hill and Over Hill is the first of a set of 'saga' additions to the game that will eventually enable you to play your way through the entirety of epic story arc of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
The LotR Card Game is designed for both solitaire or collaborative play, pitting players against scenarios consisting of a number of stages (usually three), each represented by a card. Scenario cards also define the contents of the encounter deck, consisting of a number of challenges and enemies players must overcome in pursuit of the scenario's objectives. To do so, each player chooses a number of heroes (again, each represented by a card), portraying many of the well-loved figures from Middle Earth (in The Hobbit expansion, these include Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield). Heroes have distinctive characteristics and abilities which aid players in fulfilling scenario conditions and thus winning the game. Each player also constructs a deck of around 50 cards, from which they draw a hand of 6 at the start of the game, gaining an additional draw each turn. These cards can be played at various points to garner allies, equipment and other benefits which will facilitate players/heroes success. Cards are paid for using resource tokens acquired by heroes throughout the game (also usually at the start of each turn). Heroes and cards have an associated trait such as lore, tactics or spirit, such that cards can only be paid for using resources from a hero with a corresponding trait. This, in turn, effects deck-building, in that choosing heroes with the same trait makes it easier to pay for cards, but limits the kind of cards that can be included in the deck.
The LotR Card Game with Hobbit expansion set up for first play
As per most solitaire or collaborative games, The LotR Card Game utilises a variation of the 'doom track' mechanic. In The LotR Card Game, this is the Threat Tracker, represented by a nifty cardboard dial. The Tracker is initially set according to the value of the heroes chosen. The more powerful the hero, the higher his or her cost, and the higher the Threat Tracker is set. If at any point the Threat Tracker reaches a Threat Level of 50, the game ends and the player(s) lose.
Achieving scenario objectives often involves placing a number of progress tokens on the card marking the current scenario stage. When these equal or exceed the quest number of the card, that stage of the scenario is completed and the players move to the next stage. Acquisition of progress tokens is via questing. This involves exhausting a number of heroes, then revealing cards from the scenario encounter deck. If the combined willpower of the exhausted heroes is greater than the threat level of revealed encounter cards (which remain in what is called the 'staging area' from turn to turn, so their combined threat level regularly increases), then players have quested successfully, and place a number of progress tokens on the current scenario equal to difference between the heroes willpower and the threat level of revealed cards. If the heroes' willpower is lower than the combined threat of revealed cards, then the Threat Tracker is increased by the difference. Following this, if any monsters have been revealed, they may have the opportunity to attack and do damage (and possibly kill) the heroes. However, only heroes who are not exhausted can defend against and counterattack monsters. The game is, therefore, all about effective resource management - of when to devote heroes to questing, and when to leave heroes free to deal with various beasties (orcs, trolls, goblins, giant spiders and the like).
The problem is that the game is so damn difficult to beat (or at least some of the scenarios are). During earlier plays (without The Hobbit expansion), I found that a typical scenario took about 8 plays to beat, with each new play requiring a refining of the player deck and choice of heroes. In this respect, I've also found The LotR Card Game to be too 'gamey' - or at least very much a 'gamer's game' with an emphasis on number-crunching, deck-building strategy and card synergy rather than theme. My experience so far with The Hobbit expansion (8 plays this week) reinforces this, in that it doesn't seem to play very well using thematic deck/set of heroes - indeed, looking on Boardgamegeek, received wisdom seems to be that using Gimli (a hero from the game's core set) - who of course does not appear in the narrative of The Hobbit, even though his old dad Gloin does - is one of the best ways to beat the first scenario (in which Bilbo, Thorin and company famously have to deal with a trio of hungry trolls). After 8 plays, I've not come anywhere near beating this scenario using the themed cards and heroes included in this expansion, usually loosing the game by turn 3 (I've found that a typical scenario usually lasts about 10-12 turns or longer). It's not that I mind a game being difficult, or being beaten more times than I win; rather - and to use a somewhat tired analogy - for me it is about the journey and not the destination: if a game is dripping with theme and narrative, and seems reasonably well-balanced such that I have at least a chance of winning every 5 plays or so, then all is well and good. But frankly, with so many games ending so abruptly, I've become somewhat disillusioned with The Hobbit expansion. This is a shame, as I was really excited about beginning what I anticipated as being an epic journey through the entirety of the events of War of the Ring (and thus flinging more of my hard-earned cash FFG's way); now I'm on the cusp of giving up. FFG themselves have recognised this as a problem, subsequently releasing a set of optional rules to facilitate themed play - rules which I did in fact institute for all of this week's games, but seemingly to no effect.
The problem is that the game is so damn difficult to beat (or at least some of the scenarios are). During earlier plays (without The Hobbit expansion), I found that a typical scenario took about 8 plays to beat, with each new play requiring a refining of the player deck and choice of heroes. In this respect, I've also found The LotR Card Game to be too 'gamey' - or at least very much a 'gamer's game' with an emphasis on number-crunching, deck-building strategy and card synergy rather than theme. My experience so far with The Hobbit expansion (8 plays this week) reinforces this, in that it doesn't seem to play very well using thematic deck/set of heroes - indeed, looking on Boardgamegeek, received wisdom seems to be that using Gimli (a hero from the game's core set) - who of course does not appear in the narrative of The Hobbit, even though his old dad Gloin does - is one of the best ways to beat the first scenario (in which Bilbo, Thorin and company famously have to deal with a trio of hungry trolls). After 8 plays, I've not come anywhere near beating this scenario using the themed cards and heroes included in this expansion, usually loosing the game by turn 3 (I've found that a typical scenario usually lasts about 10-12 turns or longer). It's not that I mind a game being difficult, or being beaten more times than I win; rather - and to use a somewhat tired analogy - for me it is about the journey and not the destination: if a game is dripping with theme and narrative, and seems reasonably well-balanced such that I have at least a chance of winning every 5 plays or so, then all is well and good. But frankly, with so many games ending so abruptly, I've become somewhat disillusioned with The Hobbit expansion. This is a shame, as I was really excited about beginning what I anticipated as being an epic journey through the entirety of the events of War of the Ring (and thus flinging more of my hard-earned cash FFG's way); now I'm on the cusp of giving up. FFG themselves have recognised this as a problem, subsequently releasing a set of optional rules to facilitate themed play - rules which I did in fact institute for all of this week's games, but seemingly to no effect.
That said, previous plays have been enjoyable albeit difficult, so it is likely that I will give this another go. The cards themselves are absolutely beautiful, and as per usual with FFG, production values are of the very highest - all of which draws me to the game. However, the frustrating nature of game play - at least with the first Hobbit expansion (there is one other which completes the story) does mean that, on the Gaming Self-Abuse Scale (tm), this currently scores a 6/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment