[OT] Lord of the Rings TCG

I think Glóin and Frór both require a Dwarf to be in play in order for you to play them. So you'd need to either start Gimli and Glóin, or Gimli and Frór. Nice idea, though.

 

Gloin doesn't need a Dwarf to play. Fror does, so that's why I'll put in Gloin.

 

Just wanted to say that they had on display the online version of the LOTR TCG game. I will tell you the interface looks just awesome. My son signed up to play test the game. The game will be compatible for both Mac and PC. They said the game should be out in the first part of next year. No exact dates were mentioned.

There is a question as to how much they will be charging for the virtual cards. Personally I hope they don't try and charge the same amount for them as they do for real cards. If the price is anywhere affordable, it would be an awesome product. There is a screen shot of the game over at the DecipherCon photo area for Saturaday events.

DecipherCon Photo's

R'Bolt

 

I'd much rather use Apprentice, which is free, than pay money for a similar program.

 

Well... I've never personally used Apprentice to play cards, so I can't speak to the interface and the ease of actually playing a game. I will say that Decipher is somewhat in a awkward situation, given if they make the online game too affordable and easy to play, they may in fact undercut the sales of real cards. I would suspect that there aren't too many gamers who could afford to do both.

Perhaps a montly suscription fee to play might make more sense. I don't really have an idea how their online Star Trek game works.

R'Bolt

 

Yay! Faramir came today! Perfect timing because Ishould get my TTT tomorrow! Woo hoo


It is a shame that the online games cost money. I believe more people (like me) would participate if it didn't have a cost.

24 hours to go, to go, there's 24 hours to go.

 

On the subject of the online card games:

I've been told the same issue came up in regards to their Star Trek CCG Online, and apparently charging a subscription fee rather than selling virtual cards makes it a computer game rather than a card game, which wasn't part of their license with Paramount. I wouldn't be surprised if their contract with New Line is similar. If that's the case and it is considered a computer game, then it certainly won't work for LotR, since Electronic Arts has exclusive rights to games based on the movies and Vivendi Universal has exclusive rights to games based on the books, which leaves Decipher with no way in. And given that the TCG is based on both the books and the movies, I don't think they could even make the game and get EA or Universal to publish it, since only one company could publish it and either way one would be infringing on the other's rights.

Too bad. I really think the best format for this type of thing is an Everquest-like pricing policy, where you buy the game in a software store (for a relatively low price), and then pay-to-play on a monthly basis. That way every player would have as many copies of a card as they want, rather than having to buy virtual packs and make virtual trades to get the virtual cards you need. That brings me to the one thing that will definitely keep me out of the online TCG: no proxies. I'm not lucky enough to have 4 copies of every card (or 8 really, since I usually play against an opponent who uses my cards), but I like to play friendly games pretending that I do. That's something I can do in the real game that I can't online. Besides, how do I know I really want to trade for that extra copy of Aragorn unless I try playing with it first?

 

Well personally... I think a surcharge of sorts (say 25 or 30% additional tacked onto actual cards) might make the online game desirable to a considerable group of gamers. By this I mean perhaps a pricing structure where puchases of cards would provide the buyer with a certificate of purchase from an online dealer or local card shop which would be redeamable at the virtual card site. I don't know how you would implement the mechanics given the possibility of cheating would be possible.

Card Pricing (for example):

Online
$70 Booster Box (w/o virtual cards)
$95 Booster Box (with virtual cards)

Retail
$120 Booster Box (w/o virtual cards)
$150 Booster Box (with virtual cards)

etc. Working the virtual card pricing along with card purchases would prevent those who only want to play online from benifiting by having them available at 25% of the price that regular card players would have to pay in order to play the game.

R'bolt

 

1) Regarding online game:

I guess it would be silly to NOT make people pay for cards. With apprentice, you can build a deck that can have any card you wish. Not a good idea for a company that makes the cards tro give players a chance to play with every card. I mean, since there's not many people in my area to play with, I would even consider to stop collecting and only play online.

2) Regarding getting cards:
My local retailer isn't getting boosters till tomorrow (Thursday, Western Australian time). He said that booster were $180AUD.

What a ripoff! I thought, but then I checked. Is it true that there are 36 boosters in the pack?

Heh heh, if it was 30, thern I was going to ask for 30 boosters.

3) List for the deluxe starter:

The One Ring, The Ruling Ring x1
Gimli, Unbidden Guest x1
Legolas, Elven Comrade x1
Gandalf, The White Wizard x1
Have Patience x2
Long I Fell x3
Under the Living Earth x3
Desert Soldier x3
Desert Spearman x3
Easterling Axeman x3
Easterling Guard x2
Easterling Infantry x2
Easterling Leiutenant x3
Gathering to the Summons x2
Men of Rhûn x2
On the March x2
Southron Scout x3
Éomer, Sister-son of Théoden x2
Éowyn, Lady of Rohan x2
Sword of Rohan x2
Frodo, Tired Traveller x1
Hobbit Sword x2
Sam, Samwise the Brave x1
Severed His Bonds x2
Swiftly and Softly x2
Western Emyn Muil x1
Wold of Rohan x1
Streets of Edoras x1
White Rocks x1
Hornburg Parapet x1
Hornburg Armory x1
King's Room x1
Wizard's Vale x1
Palantír Chamber x1

3) A funny story.
Yesterday, my wife said "Can you get a book on baby names"

"We already have two" I replied

Then I got my "Tolkein Encycleopedia" and "Guide to the Star Wars Universe". Needless to say, my lovely wife was not amused (Then again, who is to say that I was joking)

 

Hey, there would be nothing cooler then having an Elf name. You should name your baby, if she is a girl, Nimrodel or Varda. And if its a boy Gil-Galad or Elrond.

 

Actually, I was thinking Luthien or Galadriel for a girl.

 

I don't know about Elvish names for kids. They sound nice, but they're just too, I don't know, graceful? It sounds too formal for friendly use ("Hey Celebrimbor, wanna go for some beers with the guys?"), but too silly for formal use especially if you know where it comes from ("Hello, I'm Gil-galad Perkins, CEO of TriCorp Industries."). Although if you're really set on using an LotR name, how about Thorin or Samwise for a boy? Luthien is actualy a pretty good name for a girl though. Barahir might be okay for a boy too. His friends could call him Barry.

Just don't name your kid Eomer, or he'll spend his whole life telling people that it's pronounced "ear-mer", not "A-O-mer".

 

Anyone check out the new foils available in the LOTR's extended DVD set? I think they're pretty neat. In addition, some of the new movie footage is pretty spectacular. Any thoughts?

R'Bolt

 

How much is a Saruman card worth?

I've been thinking about playing LOTR TCG a lot lately but I can't afford it at the moment.

For now I'll just get the singles of the characters that I like.

 

Yeah, actually the cards are a main reason of why I'm getting the special extended edition. I didn't know they were foil, though! awesome, more of an incentive.

 

Yeah... they're foil.

With respect to card prices you might want to check out the following links. They've got pretty reasonable prices when it comes to singles in my opinion.

Rendevous Point
The Card Table

R'Bolt

 

I've put together 3 decks so far: Gondor Rangers/Uruk archery, Elf archery/Raider burdens, and Rohan power and Dunland site control. The Elf deck is the weakest of the 3, but the other 2 are fairly evenly matched.

 

Curious Bib, if you're playing Rohan alone or by chance mixing them with Gandolf or Elves?

R'Bolt

 

Okay, on the baby naming thing, Sam is the front runner (Samuel, not Samwise. My wife is very conservative in such things)

My box was pretty cool. First up, I think it had 37 boosters. One of the packs was a little, well, thick. It had two sets of commons, making it a pack of 18 cards.

I got both Sarumans (or is that Sarumen)and Gandalf. A good mix of rares altogether.

 

My Rohan deck has Gandalf (Pilgrim, since the others don't really fit) and Hearken in it to help Théoden out. But he is not really important to my strategy, so I'm not afraid to kill him if I need to. Besides, he and his old Staff laugh at Uruk Vanguards.

 

Ooh, I'm now rated 1864; I'm still 5th in Oregon, though. I've gone undefeated in the past couple tournaments, which has helped out my rating tremendously.

 

Has anybody tried to make an Isengard deck that combines the Grima support cards from TTT with the Isengard Orcs from RotEL? It seems almost like they were meant to go together. Cards like Unferth, Wounded, and Banished help out the direct damage side of the Isengard Orcs, while cards like Grima (either version is good, but Wormtongue is better), Men Will Fall, and Leechcraft can help the low-power Orcs survive and even win skirmishes. Saruman can be an important component of the deck too. Since you'll be using a lot of conditions you won't want to use Saruman's Power, so Black Traitor can help you out. Or you can use Servant of the Eye to get favorable matchups, and even get a power fighter with Saruman's Staff. He can also help out any weather cards you want to use (like Saruman's Snows or Wizard Storm, both good for IsenOrcs) by using A Fell Voice On the Air, or just by exerting for the cost instead of your Orcs doing it. Coupled with the right Free Peoples side and adventure path, I think such a deck could be effective (though it would be weak to Ring-bound Rangers since mosr of the Grima cards target unbound companions). It wouldn't be as strong as site control Uruks, but it would be much more unique and it may catch some people off guard.

 

I'm now rated 1928, 92nd in the world, and 3rd in Oregon! I feel so special.

 

My son got to see the Two Towers at a preview showing at the theater he works at. He said the movie was awesome and it's all I can do to get him to be quiet! Got our tickets for the 18th. Can't wait.

R'Bolt

 

Uruk trackers are big in my meta, so I put together a deck that is designed purely to combat Uruks. It worked so well in fact that I beat every Uruk deck I played in my last tourney, but I lost to a Moria deck. I guess it needs a little fine tuning before it can play against other cultures.

Starting:
Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer
The One Ring, Isildur's Bane
Boromir, Lord of Gondor
Merry, Friend to Sam

Adventure deck:
[1] The Riddermark
[2] Rohirrim Village
[3] Westemnet Plains
[4] White Rocks
[5] Helm's Gate
[6] Hornburg Armory
[7] Hornburg Causeway
[8] Ring of Isengard
[9] Palantír Chamber

Free Peoples (38 + 2 starting):
Aragorn, King in Exile X3
Aragorn's Bow
Armor
Blade of Gondor
Calaglin, Elf of Lórien
Cliffs of Emyn Muil
Dagger Strike
Defend It and Hope X2
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell X2
Escape
Faramir, Son of Denethor X2
Faramir's Bow
Fearing The Worst X2
Flaming Brand X2
Foul Creation X2
Galadriel, Lady of Light X2
Hobbit Sword X2
O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
Orophin, Lórien Bowman
Ranger's Sword, Blade of Aragorn
Saelbeth, Elven Councilor
Sam, Son Of Hamfast
Swiftly And Softly
Sword of Gondor
The Last Alliance of Elves and Men X3
Thrarin, Dwarven Smith

Shadow side (40):
Burn Every Village X2
Death To The Strawheads
Dunlending Looter X4
Dunlending Pillager X2
Dunlending Ransacker X3
Dunlending Robber
Hides X4
Hill Chief
Hillman Horde X3
Hillman Rabble
Hillman Tribe X4
Iron Axe
No Refuge
No Retreat
Saruman, Rabble-rouser X2
Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul
Úlairë Nertëa, Messenger of Dol Guldur
War Club X4
Wild Man Raid
Wulf, Dunlending Chieftain X2

Pretty standard Dunland site control stuff for the Shadow side, so it doesn't need much explaining. As for the FP side, I included several anti-Uruk cards like Fearing the Worst, Defend It And Hope, Orophin and Saelbeth. My 3 big rangers will be able to take down anything that gets through, and Merry can get them out of a tight spot if needed.

The idea is to go first, so I can have a better chance of using my site control cards. Calaglin will ensure safe double moves. If I can get a big lead on my opponent, he will often be forced to double move to keep up, which will hurt him.