The Lord of the Rings Online
Publishers: Decipher / Worlds Apart
You've wondered how Gimli gets around in that chainmail underwear and pondered how Aragorn gets all the chicks.
The Lord of the Rings Online TCG might not answer those burning questions, but it will let you fulfill your desire to game 24/7.
Exit the Twilight Zone
The Lord of the Rings Online eliminates the muss and fuss of record-keeping, boiling the game down to the ultimate experience. You'll never argue about whether you paid that roaming penalty or knocked a burden off Frodo to pay for Aragorn again. It's just you and up to five opponents, kicking ass the way Tolkein himself would have intended if he lived in the CCG era. You'll know all your options in a millisecond, even if you're flopping around with a convoluted ninja Gollum deck like I do. In fact, if you're a beginner, the online game is definitely the way to go; the interface takes one of the most complex games on the market and makes it play like the kiddie-most anime title.
Win the Race to Mount Doom
What sets LotR Online apart from the competition is online-only cards. In fact, two game mechanics — triumph and menace — were created solely for virtual play. Each of these adds a roleplaying element of sorts to the game; the computer will perform a 'check' each turn to determine whether triumph (for free peoples cards) or menace (for shadow minions) will activate. Cool twist, indeed.
You'll find constructed formats in addition to Standard, Open and block.
They are:
- Highlander: No more than one copy of any card permitted in your deck.
- No-Rares: The budget-minded player's dream.
- Movie Block: All cards from Fellowship, Towers and King blocks, plus Reflections are playable, except for the Standard X-List.
- Culture Shock: All your free peoples cards, aside from your Ring-bearer and One Ring, must be from the same culture. Same goes for your shadow side; one culture only.
You've got two reasons to participate in leagues and other events online. There are the obvious booster packs and prizes that becoming an accomplished player brings. But there are also hot promo cards like the recent Eomer, Forthwith Banished, which you can score only through participation. These aren't digital-only cards, either; joining the right league or spending enough event passes on sanctioned events will net you the promos in physical form. In other words, you can't complete your collection without going online.
Playing in virtual Middle-earth has plenty of other privileges, as well. Like the ability to qualify for premier series events — the LotR version of Magic's pro tour or the Vs. System pro circuit — from the comfort of your living room. Each month offers another online PSQ so you can earn premier points, cash prizes, and even byes for high-level cardboard tourneys like continentals and worlds. Bottom line: Decipher has done a helluva job merging the cardboard and online worlds, better than any other product out there.
From Inquest Gamer #122, June 2005, Page 68