Risk: Lord of the Rings Edition
by Parker Brothers
|
Our Price: $139.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $39.95 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
|---|
Toys and Games Reviews of Risk: Lord of the Rings Edition
Customer Review: If you like Risk youll love LOTR Risk
Summary: 5 Stars
Game board:The game board is a four fold design rather than a two fold design like the standard risk board. This makes the board seem less durable than the standard risk board.
The Map:
At first I was a little disappointed with the map, It does not show Gondor or Mordor, and I thought there could have been a little more detail put into some locations. The reasoning for not including Gondor or Mordor is that the manual states the game is based on the first two books of the trilogy. After playing several games on the board I have grown to like the map more and more. The balance of the continents seems to be pretty well thought out. Although Rhun can sometimes be held very easily by evil. Rhun is kind of the Austrailia of LOTR Risk, it isn't worth much bonus, but it is easy to hold. The rest of the continents are balanced well, mostly being hard to gain a bonus from them, especially when you have experienced risk players. Overall I'm very pleased by the map, but it could have been a little better with a few small changes.
Leaders:
Leaders and Strongholds can make a very big difference in the outcome of the game. You get to place a leader unit, represented by a shield, at the beginning of the game; you can also get leaders by drawing an "Appoint a Second Leader" Adventure card. What leaders do is travel along with your armies and give a +1 attack or +1 defense bonus to your single highest dice roll. So if you rolled a 5, 4, 1 you then have a 6, 4, 1. As you can imagine having a leader with you in the battle will greatly help your chances of winning. Your leader does not count as an army, it is just there to modify the dice.
Strongholds:
Fortresses such as Helm's deep and Isengard provide your units with a +1 to defense (there is no attack bonus for being in a stronghold). This bonus makes holding strongholds easier and can in the case of Moria, be used as a very strong choke point. When you have a leader at a stronghold the effects stack so you have +1 to attack and +2 to defense. So for example if you were attacked with 6, 4, 2 and you had 4, 4. You would have 6, 4 so you would kill two of your enemies armies instead of one each.
Cards:
There are two major types of cards, Territory cards and Adventure cards.
Territory cards are just like in Risk, except some territories always belong to evil and some territories always belong to good, so you can't start with Orcs in the Shire.
There are three types of adventure cards,
Mission Cards
Event Cards
Power Cards
Mission cards give you some kind of mission (hence the name), an example mission is, Bree, if your leader moves into or conquers Bree, you then get a reward, in this case if you are good you get 2 extra armies anywhere in Arnor, if you are Evil you get 6 extra armies anywhere in Arnor.
Event Cards, when you draw one of these cards you play it immediately, an example is `The Entmoot' If Fangorn is controlled by good that player gets two extra armies, If it is controlled by evil they lose to armies there.
Power cards, are cards that you can play when you want and they can help you significantly for example `Courage Alone will not save you' Play in response to an enemy attack on one of your territories, Gain 4 extra armies in the territory being attacked. Some Power cards are also used to slow the movement of the fellowship.
The Fellowship, represented by the One Ring is moved at the end of each players turn, it has to move through 15 territories and once that is complete and they arrive at Mordor the game is over, however there are some places where the Fellowship is tied up for a while. In Moria, LothLorien, and Mordor you must roll a die, and it must be a 4,5,or 6 for the fellowship to move on. Some Power cards can slow the movement of the ring, such as the Gollum or Balrog cards. These cards can be used to extend the gameplay. Whoever goes last can have a big advantage since they will be the last to takeover territories from other players and complete missions.
When the game is over, you count up your points. You get 1 point per territory, + points for continent bonus if you hold one. +2 points per stronghold that you own, +points gained by completing missions or playing power cards.
2 player game
The two player game works by having good, evil, and neutral armies, the neutral "player" only defends, does not get reinforcements, and is placed on the neutral territories, the good player gets the good territories and the evil player vice versa. The 2 player game does work well and can be fun, but it seems a little too weighted toward evil, the evil player starts out with territories that are more connected, and with a little easier access to conquering the continent of Rhun right away.
3 & 4 player game
With three or four players this game really shines, it is an absolute blast, it has all the fun and strategy of regular risk but many new twists and tactics to consider.
Pros:
A lot of Fun
It's Risk in Middle Earth
Adds news strategies that will keep it interesting for a long time
Works with as little as 2 players
The game seems pretty well balanced for the most part
Cons:
The map could be improved
The two player game seems to favor evil
Customer Review: Explore the lands of Middle Earth...and conquer them!
Summary: 5 Stars
Risk has always been one of the most fun and time-consuming board games ever...starting a game at 10 at night and sitting there until 3 am, trying to crush your friends with military might and conquering the planet...what could be more fun than that?Well, conquering Middle-Earth as either the forces of evil or good is definitely the answer! Lord of the Rings: Risk Trilogy Edition is an excellent game with many new features that will keep you up long into the night. There are many new types of 'Mission Cards' and 'Adventure Cards' with unique gameplay fetures that will make the game much more interesting. The game pieces themselves are excellent, accurately representing the forces of Good and Evil: Elves, Rohirrim, Eagles for the Good sides, and Orcs, Nazgul and Trolls for the Evil sides. There are 2 Good and 2 Evil armies, and the new Lord of the Rings game options make use of that fact. There are 'Leader' pieces which give bonuses to any batallions within its territory, which help in invading and defending. There are also simplified games for 2 people.
If you've played Risk in the past, then you'll pretty much know what you're doing, but there are many new rule sets for the Lord of the Rings edition that need to be studied before you can play the game properly. It takes a while to get used to, but in the end, its a fun game experience that will last a long time.
I only have one or two things that nag me...the pieces could have been differentiated a bit more. While they look good, I would've liked to have seen some variety in the Evil pieces...perhaps one side could have been Saruman's army, with Uruk'hi replacing the Nazgul and Trolls. Also, the leader pieces are represented as shields, Uruk'hi shields with White Hand designs for evil, and Elven shields for the Good sides. It would have been nice to see the Leader pieces be unique, such as having Evil characters like Saruman, The Witch-King, Sauron, the Balrog or the Two Towers and others, and the Good Leader pieces with Fellowship characters, namely Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, or perhaps Theoden, Elrond, etc. Minor, if nit-picky complaints, but it would've made the game that much more unique and detailed.
As for a real complaint...the instruction book could have been just a bit more clear...the new rules aren't really explained too well and leaves alot up to interpretation. The instructions almost seem to go as if the player would already be completely familiar with the rules, so you should take some time to look them over thoroughly.
Overall, LotR: Risk Trilogy Edition is a fun game that brought back memories, and a whole new addiction to the game. Just be warned before you buy: there are MANY versions of LotR: Risk going around out there. Apparently, Amazon does not stock the latest version, which is 'Trilogy Edition', which has the newest card packs and gameplay rules and variations. Make sure you are getting the correct one! The game sold out so quickly that it has become hard to find. If you are a Rings fan, then you will absolutely love this game. I very highly recommend it!
Customer Review: Excellent Game, Worthy of LOTR Mantle!!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you like Risk, you'll love this! And while you don't have to like LOTR to enjoy it, it certainly adds to your enjoyment. The units (Elven Archers, Orcs, Riders of Rohan, Dark Riders, Eagles and Cave Trolls) are nice eye candy, which stand for 1,3,5 armies. (And I highly recommend you treat them as such since the board will get cluttered otherwise). The variant rules not only make it more fun, but more strategic...1) Leaders -- increase highest die roll by 1 (offense and defense)
2) Strongholds -- increase highest die by 1 (defense only)
3) Middle Earth map -- some impassable boundaries of water and mountains
4) Three different types of adventure cards -- Mission, Event and Action
Adventure Card Examples...
Mission: Moving a Leader into a Site of Power country grants bonus armies
Event: "Raiders" card... draw three country cards; each loses half their armies
Action: "Wormtongue" card... remove 2 armies from country you're attacking and add them to your country
Action Example 2: "Under the Mountain" card... attack a country through a normally impassable mountain
But what really makes this game shine is the ending. Instead of the often times tedious prolonging end game of regular Risk (one player must conquer everything) this is based on a time limit. Independent of gameplay is the One Ring that advances through one country after each person's turn -- 16 countries/turns. However, that's not set since people can play cards to impede its movement, and there are three countries where a 4 or greater must be rolled before it can advance. One of those is the very last country.
Which means you have no idea who's going to be the last person to play, which can make all the difference in who wins since once the ring slides off the board, the game is over and whoever has the most points wins. Points are totaled from...
1) Number of individual countries
2) Points from owning entire "continents"
3) Numbers on the action cards you've played
4) Two points per stronghold country you own
So the last person can make a bold play at the end, hoping they'll be the last to play. But if not, it leaves them wide open for attack. My friends and I first thought these rules would be less fun than conquering everything, but after only one game, we saw the obvious strategy (and luck) elements which really add to the intensity. Plus, later in the same day we played a regular Risk game with 5 people that lasted for 4 hours -- ugh! We immediately went back to LOTR Risk.
Again, highly recommended for any Risk player. Only limitation I don't care for is 4 players max rather than 6, but otherwise, there's no reason not to buy this if you enjoy Risk.
Customer Review: An absolute treat even if you've never played Risk before.
Summary: 5 Stars
This game combines much of the original classic version of Risk, but has lots of new elements to make it exciting and fresh. For example, the map is totally (and beautifully!) redone in full color to look like the familiar Middle Earth map from Tolkien's books. The basic layout of different colored regions is maintained (similar to continents in the first game), but there are new considerations like mountains or rivers, which are impassable (unless two territories are linked by a bridge). The combat units are also similar to the original version, but now the pieces are in the shape of orcs, elves, dark riders, cave trolls, etc. in a way that gives the game a very distinctive LOTR feel.
There are also new concepts like leaders (who provide a combat bonus and can complete missions to gain bonus battalions), strongholds (which give a defensive advantage), and various "Adventure cards" that can add unexpected twists to the "plot" by injecting unforeseen events or assigning missions to your leaders. The map is also dotted with "Sites of Power" which, when captured by a leader, allow that player to obtain an Adventure Card.
Totally new to the game are the "time limit" imposed by the inexorable march of the Fellowship as it bears the One Ring (a replica is included with the game) ever closer to the fires of Mount Doom to end the game. When that happens, a point scoring system is used to determine the winner, with points being earned for playing your Adventure cards.
Overall, I give this one five stars for fun and excitement. Its visual appearance also far surpasses most board games. Yes, this game retains much of the feel of classic Risk, but it also creates a sense of grand adventure as you immerse yourself into Middle Earth and refight the War of the Ring. LOTR Risk is a wonderful treat and a great value for many hours of family "together" time.
My son, who is a total LOTR addict, recently bought this game at the local toy store. Our family of four sat down together and figured out the rules, and before long we were deep into the game and having a wonderful time. The hours passed quickly and before we realized it, it was 1:00 am but no one wanted to quit. LOTR Risk is fast becoming a new favorite.
Customer Review: not as complicated as i thought
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been playing standard old Risk for 10 years or so. When I opened the box for the LOTR version I was a little intimidated. It offers several new twists to the game. 1. The territories you begin with and many rewards differ based on whether you chose to play as the forces of good or of evil. It determines your units as well.
2. It adds leader units that give a bonus to attack and defense rolls.
3. Certain territories have strongholds that give a bonus to defense rolls.
4 Certain territories have places of power that can reward you with power cards.
5. Mission cards tell you to capture a particular place of power, and doing so rewards you with reinforcements that differ whether you fight for good or for evil.
6. Power cards allow you to take actions such as magically reinforce a territory that is being attacked. Some differ whether you are good or evil.
7. The Fellowship that moves along the route taken in the book from the Shire to Mordor, and once it gets there the game ends.
8. Instead of the traditional Risk units you get trolls/dark riders/elves and the like.
9.Oh yeah, you get to play in Middle Earth.
I like:
New units are a refreshing change, as is finally playing on a different map. The powers really keep you on your toes since you are NEVER secure.
I dislike:
The Fellowship is just a bad idea. In theory I think you could possibly get only 3 turns before the game ends. I would just disregard the Fellowship altogether. And like someone else said, the map is really "busy". There is just a whole lot of stuff going on like bridges, mountains, and strongholds and the territories are really small. The map should be enlarged.
And this game is certainly not for 9-year olds, unless they are some sort of child prodigy. It's a fairly complicated game with all its new additions. I would say 15-years plus. I'm 21 and I still think it's complicated.