The Lord of The Rings: The Return of King Deck Building Game

A very solid gaming experience. I am only somewhat experienced with deck-builders, having player Star Realms and Dominion. This game is very smooth and shows a lot of play testing went into the design. The card text is self explanatory, play is balanced, and the movie/book themes do not feel forced. There is lots of potential to alter & customize the deck: for example I like to winnow out most duplicate cards for streamlined two-player games. You can change the lineup of "archenemy" bosses who must be defeated and there are optional "impossible mode" bosses that can be added for a more challenging game. You choose to play as one of seven Hero characters, each with a special ability that can significantly guide your strategy. The most distinguishing feature unique to this deck builder is the Path Of the Ring, a map that charts the One Ring's progress toward its destruction in Mount Doom. Several cards make the Ring either progress along the Path or move backward, delaying its destruction. The Ring's destruction is not required and it does not end the game, but it has considerable impact on the outcome.

This game basically uses the Ascension or Star Realms game mechanics with a Lord of the Rings theme. Like the Quarriors style HeroClix Lord of the Rings dice game, players work together to defeat Sauron yet at the end of the game there is one heroic player who is crowned the champion.I have played this game with my wife and we both thought it was very fun with a fair amount of strategy involved. I would estimate it to be 70% strategy / 30% luck. It does matter how you play your hand and which cards you acquire as to how well you will do against other players.My only warning is that the game time listed on the box seems to be far shorter than what I have experienced in just a two player game. The box says 30-45 minutes but our games seem to last between one and two and a half hours. Perhaps more seasoned players may know quickly how they want to handle most situations but especially for beginners plan on a much longer game than what is advertised. I assume a four player game could take much longer. This doesn't bother me since I play games to have fun, use my noggin, and kill some time.

Good quality cards. Interesting game to play.

I am a lord of the rings fan. I love the Fellowship Game and I am really enjoying the Return of the King too. They added a destruction of the One Ring component to this version of the game which is great. The heroes now have hero specific cards right in your deck. Again this is along the theme/idea of Dominion but still feels more thematic and a lot more random since the card that are available, the ambushes.. .a lot can really throw your strategy. The one downside is there were maybe two or three cards that we had to search for clarification online. It was just the way it was written that left questions.This is fun 2 player, it's better 3 or higher but don't let that discourage you! If you didn't like the other games, this will certainly not change your mind.

My wife and I love these Cryptozoic deck builders and the LotR themes are our favorites. Having already played the FotR and TTT versions, we quickly snagged this when it went on sale for $15. Now that we have played it several times, I would have easily paid more for it.The game helps to build on the previous two games, but is completely enjoyable as a stand alone game. What makes RotK better than the previous versions is the inclusion of the Path of the Ring. This helps give a visual marker of how close players are to destroying the Ring and the forces of Sauron.Easily our favorite of the three, this can also be combined with cards from the others to form unique adventures. The rule book offers the best advice for combining the games and does a great job of helping new players understand the rules and cards.NOTE: In my photo, the box shows my custom made storage insert. The actual box contents will look drastically different.

Love it. It coincides nicely with the Hobbit and series of LOTR games. I have a praise and a complaint for Cryptozoic. Praise: My impossible mode archenemy cards were warped upon arrival. I contacted them, and they sent new ones right away, so that was good service. Complaint: They put a sticker inside the box that has a code, when you go to their website, it gives you nothing. They have said in their forums for the last 3 years they are working on it. Obviously, it's just a code to get you to their website and sign you up. Therefore, they should be honest enough to state that, and not keep claiming they are working on it. Kind of pitiful. However, I can't argue with the games they produce and the fun I have with my kids and friends.

I ordered 2 of this item one for a friend and one for me. The seller took the time to write me a message to confirm I didn't accidentally purchase an extra by mistake and waited for confirmation before shipping instead of just taking the money and saying well its their problem now.100% amazing customer service. Extremely fast message replies. Shipping was expeditious. 10/10 all around and would recommend the seller every time.