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This Deluxe Edition of Reiner Knizia’s acclaimed Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation combines a superb craftsmanship with an exciting expansion for this award-winning game.
The Confrontation is a two-player board game in which players take control of the forces of Sauron, seeking to find their master’s ring, or the forces of the free peoples of Middle Earth seeking to destroy Sauron's ring in the fires of Mount Doom. One of the most acclaimed board games of recent years, The Confrontation allows players to control many of the famous characters of Tolkien's famous trilogy, while playing an intense 30-minute game that is a wonderful combination of bluffing and strategy. The Confrontation is designed by renowned game designer Reiner Knizia, and considered amongst his best works.
WHAT'S NEW:
Deluxe Confrontation gives the game a new and larger gameboard, larger sculpted plastic stands, and completely new artwork and graphic design. The game includes 18 entirely new characters in addition to the classic characters found in the original. The new characters allow players to play an entirely new game, or mix the new and the old characters for an entirely different game experience. 4 new Special Cards are also included, for additional special actions.
From the Box: The time has come for the final confrontation between Good and Evil in Middle Earth. Will the Hobbit Frodo and his companions bring the Ring to Mount Doom in Mordor? Or will they fall to the forces of Lord Sauron and lose Middle Earth to eternal darkness? Only one side can win!
The Confrontation is a complete stand-alone game of strategy, bluffing, and adventure for two players.
This deluxe edition of The Confrontation features stunning new artwork, a larger game board, four additional special game cards, and 18 beautifully sculpted character stands. In this edition you will not only be able to play the original classic game, but also an entirely new game variant with 18 new Lord of the Rings characters. Furthermore, players can enjoy an exciting draft game variant in which they may choose which of the 36 available characters to field.
- The Lord of the Rings
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I think they all really work well together first of all it's a great idea why not introduce some more people to gaming
- I think it's a great resol solution but a wonderful way to do it is with a dinner party
- Playing Lord of the Rings on octagon just so much more convenient than in real life and easier to find people to play with
- I adore The Game of Thrones board game
- I can't complain because the ending and the narrative that went along with the end of that playthrough was pretty exciting
- I have to say that was uh that was incredibly uh rewarding and meaningful to read so thank you for taking the time to do that
- we always after playing a game say we need to do this more often
References (from this video)
- Host thinks it's fantastic and really good.
- It's high fantasy and Lord of the Rings.
- Host generally dislikes high fantasy stuff like elves, wizards, and spells, but enjoys this game.
- High fantasy
- Lord of the Rings universe
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Stratego-like — Described as a Stratego kind of game with special powers.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- what mechanism isn't used enough what game mechanism what thing in the game do you really like that you think is awesome that isn't in enough games you just think why why aren't we why aren't we always doing this
- I love that mechanism there's a 167 games on Board Game Geek that list Mancala as a mechanism
- Mancala is the mechanism that is not used enough
- it's a doozy because it's one of your favorite games that you should hate one of those games that you think I love that game it's great but it does defy every part of my taste and everything about myself that I've known for the last however many years I've been on this Earth
- really really heavy Euros where it's like oh let's do this thing well you've got to trudge through a massive rule book and there's 65 million things to remember and learn
- really heavily story driven games I find it to be a lot of work you know I just have to read the whole paragraph now and I don't want to read a paragraph when I play a board game
- those surprises are very satisfying and a lot of fun to find out
- what are the games that you have to buy into to enjoy what he meant by that are what are the games that you really have to invest into what you're doing to actually enjoy the game
- when people are stood up excited want to win trying their best really invest in the game it's phenomenal Stand Out Stellar exciting fun
- those type of things really investing in the experience and that got us all riled up they'll get everyone playing excited and anxious and nervous
- I think games are better when people invest in them
References (from this video)
- Great battle of wits
- Super quick, easy, fun, and super exciting to play
- Really like
- Fantastic
- The Lord of the Rings
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hidden Movement — You can't see what your your opponent's units are so you want to try to work out it's a small board and you want to work out how to get across to the other side essentially and get rid of your opponent's pieces in the best way possible.
- Stratego-like — Essentially another rhinocchinesia Stratego Style game where you one player plays the goodies the other one plays the baddies in The Lord of the Rings journey.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The first thing I'm sacrificing is not a rule book which we spoke about last month inserts for board games get rid of them get them gone they're mostly bad
- I think about the fancy flight insert they're kind of like cardboard and the trough the cardboard little thing therefore throwing away it's a shipping insert so that all the contents of the game doesn't go wildly around the Box during Transit it's not going to be kept
- The reason this was an incredibly difficult list for me to write is because there are hundreds of games with massive franchises plastered all over them some of which are fantastic so I am told but I'm just not really a big fan of almost any of the big IPS that there's classically lots of games about
- It's a lot of bluffing and strategy and just fun stand-up moments
- So that's my list of 10 games that have IPS on I really really love
- Short answer to that is no
- I get emotionally manipulated by media a lot of the time so I stay clear of anything that's gonna really bummed me out make me feel bad because I feel bad enough and I don't need my hobby to make me feel bad as well
- I have never seen it being possible in board games I wouldn't say it's not possible in board games but it's also not where I want to go with the board game hobby personally although I'm happy that I exists for other people
- The community it's that it's playing it's having fun with friends that type of thing
References (from this video)
- fun, compact two-player experience
- high thematic engagement
- better with more plays to unlock strategy
- scaling can vary with player count limitations
- two-player tactical skirmish
- fantasy Middle-earth dueling
- heroic, thematic confrontation
- Junta
- Star Wars: Rebellion
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area control / card-driven skirmish — two players operate hero units and effects on a shared map to outmaneuver the other
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's board game adjacent let's just say it's kind of like an activity where you've got a big map on the table and you're trying to solve crimes
- i really really like tapestry
- it's simple but fun
- the fan track keeps you relevant when you're behind
- it's a bundle of fun
- i love calico
- radlands is a fantastic two-player card dueling lane fighter
References (from this video)
- IP familiarity, compact footprint
- short playtime may disappoint heavy gamers
- confrontation and strategy
- LOTR duets of hero vs hero
- abstract head-to-head
- Cobble & Fog
- Jekyll & Hyde
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- two-player abstract duel — each side commands a hero with unique abilities.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a fantastic engine building game
- Rules are important for checking mine
- cheater cheater pumpkin eater
- I am crushing you like a grape
- Town 66 going right above
- that Lord of the Rings confrontation pack
- this is the cube challenge
- Calico fits perfectly in the cube with room to spare