War of the Ring (Second Edition)
The WAR OF THE RING is a grand strategy board game that allows its players to immerse themselves in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS and experience its epic action, dramatic conflict, and memorable characters.
150m - 180m
2 - 4 Players
Ages 13+
Aeshe
So. Much. Theme. This is probably my favorite two-player game I have played thus far. The only reason I don't play it more frequently is the time length.
aircastle
This is the most complex game I've ever played. Many many fiddly rules. It's so much fun once you get them and internalize their reasons, as they all make sense. But it's a beast to learn. I've played Terraforming Mars, Terra Mystica, Star War Rebellion, Through the Ages, etc. Set aside many hours to learn the rulebook and several hours during the game to relearn/clarify them. First game took about 5-6 hours. Because of all the work we both did on the first game and prior to the first game, the 2nd game only just under 3 hours.
AI52487963
Thematically brilliant, but does take a very long time to play on first try. The more you play the clearer certain edge case rules become and the game flows a lot better. I wish the digital JAVA app was better implemented to allow play against the computer to get more familiar with it like Twilight Struggle. There's a ton of depth here, but hard to explore solo.