LOTR Risk

I played it once when it first came out. The person that brought it over was dating my sister and since she has moved on i have not seen the game since. I do remember that it was on okay game.

On a side note, my family plays Catan a lot and my wife especially really likes it. I have the 3 big box expansions for it and we play it with Seafarers quite a bit and have added in a few things from Traders and Barbarians. I can’t wait to try Cities and Knights as well as the last three scenarios in Traders adn Barbarisans.

The person that brought it over was dating my sister and since she has moved on

Clearly, had he brought over a REAL GAME, like Axis and Allies,  she wouldn’t have felt the need to move forward with her life.

LOTR Risk, pfftp.

I used to play LOTR Risk and I did enjoy it. I remember that they later released a small expansion for it, and then after that a full version with both the original plus the expansion combined. I did not buy either the expansion or the full version when they came out as I felt it was a money-making scheme, and I remember people complaining at the time about it being a rip-off. I gave my original copy away to a friend a few years ago and have not played since.

Nobody in my area who plays Axis and Allies let alone Risk, and wife gets frustrated with the game cause I always win (even though I dumb down my playing), strategy games are not her forte I’d say.

I played LOTR Risk one time. It is extremely unbalanced if it is a 3-player game, or at least it was the way we played it. We may have misinterpreted the rules, but as the Free Peoples, I was outnumbered 2:1 from the start. I chose the wrong strategy for the setup, and the game was effectively over at the start of turn 2. I’d like to play it again sometime, but it really is just Risk. It all comes down to the dice rolls, and Lady Luck is a fickle mistress with me.

LOTR RISK is by far my favorite Risk incarnation.  I would certainly disagree that it is unbalanced, because it is simply Risk, or at least that is the way we always play it. My brothers and cousins and I never play Free Peoples vs. Evil, nor do we play with the Fellowship (destroying the Ring).

We just play straight up Risk… deal the territory cards, place your starting pieces and go at it like normal. In this way it is much more dynamic than classic Risk is. We do play with the Strongholds and the Ring Cards (which are really a lot of fun to play with).

The mountains, rivers, bridges, strongholds, sites of power and ring cards add so much variety to an otherwise completely one-dimensional game. Also, maybe this is my perception, but the map layout is much more fun than regular Risk. The connections among territories are much greater, creating a more compact but mobile defensive line. Additionally, Classic Risk tends to foster inaction, treaties and alliances and bad starting position if you are the last to place… while alliances and treaties can still occur in LOTR Risk, these problems are generally precluded. The board is much more open being able to only play with 4 teams and each person can have a legitimate shot at winning.

Overall, it is just much more dynamic than Classic Risk. Every game is not the same (as it usually is with Classic Risk). You have many more options.

(I am referencing the “Trilogy Edition” which includes Mordor, Gondor and Harad… which were left out of the first version of LOTR Risk that came out before it… FYI)

and wife gets frustrated with the game cause I always win

YOU BEAT YOUR WIFE?!?!?

After a few games it seemed that everything degenerated into a “amass all pieces into one territory and capture as much territory as possible, forcing the other player to do the same on their turn, ad nauseum”.

@ABWorsham:

@skinny1:

I played it once when it first came out. The person that brought it over was dating my sister and since she has moved on i have not seen the game since. I do remember that it was on okay game.

On a side note, my family plays Catan a lot and my wife especially really likes it. I have the 3 big box expansions for it and we play it with Seafarers quite a bit and have added in a few things from Traders and Barbarians. I can’t wait to try Cities and Knights as well as the last three scenarios in Traders adn Barbarisans.

We just play regular Catan. How is the game changed with the expansions?

It really depends on which expansion is added. Seafarers adds ships and a pirate ship that acts like the robber in the base game. Cities and Knights changes the game a little by adding walls and 3 metropolises to the game so people are racing to get them. Cities are upgraded by a flip chart and once a certain level is reached you get special priviledges. Knights can be used to chase away the robber or block other players roads. It is quite fun. The Traders and Barbarins expansion adds new scenarios and campaign games. They can be combined or played seperately depending on how long of a game you want. They are all good if you like Catan but want to add a little variety to the base game.

@Gargantua:

The person that brought it over was dating my sister and since she has moved on

Clearly, had he brought over a REAL GAME, like Axis and Allies,  she wouldn’t have felt the need to move forward with her life.

LOTR Risk, pfftp.

He did play some A&A games but it was more than which games were or were not played.

Played this weekend, and go figure, 3rd turn, the baddies find the ring…damn lucky ass 12 roll…and the good guys were in great position…just the only spot that we didn’t have, was the game ender.

I don’t remember that in any version I ever played?

@Mallery29:

Played this weekend, and go figure, 3rd turn, the baddies find the ring…damn lucky ass 12 roll…and the good guys were in great position…just the only spot that we didn’t have, was the game ender.

Then DON’T PLAY WITH THE FRICKIN’ RING!

Play like classic Risk but use the strongholds and/or cards. Much less predictable than playing with the Fellowship/Ring and I think a lot more fun than classic Risk.

I don’t understand why everyone thinks they have to play with the Fellowship… I always thought that was lame because it was like you weren’t playing Risk but rather hide and seek or something. And it can get over with so quickly.

We’d have to remove all the ring specific cards.  I’m assuming you completely randomize the territories at that point and everybody is own their own?

Already was mad about the defeat in Global (finished in turn 11 I think), so losing this way (the baddies finding the ring) after having a good allied start was just mind blowing to me…I was very frustrated by the time we started our 2nd game of LOTR Risk.

@Mallery29:

We’d have to remove all the ring specific cards.  I’m assuming you completely randomize the territories at that point and everybody is own their own?

Already was mad about the defeat in Global (finished in turn 11 I think), so losing this way (the baddies finding the ring) after having a good allied start was just mind blowing to me…I was very frustrated by the time we started our 2nd game of LOTR Risk.

I definitely sympathize with the losing streak… better luck next time. But then again, that is where we kick ourselves while we are down: it should be a better strategy next time. Nothing like a little self-resentment for motivation.

But yes, I take out all ring (Fellowship) specific Ring Cards and just use the rest (special moves, happenings, reinforcements, leaders, sites of power, etc…). We usually play that you can get one a turn as long as you conquer at least one territory with your leader. Although you could make it however many you want.

Yes, territory cards are randomized at the start and dealt to all players at the beginning (removing the wilds of course). You make placements based on any convention you like; usually we roll to see who places their armies first and cycle clockwise. The person who places last then gets to take their turn first and the person who placed first takes their turn last. To be somewhat fair.

There is also a way to play with territory card reinforcements, which you may be familiar with. Sometimes we use it and sometimes we don’t. I tend to think that doing so upsets some balance in the game, but it can be interesting.

Other than Strongholds existing and being bound by rivers and mountains, the game is played mechanically the same as classic Risk.

What irony.