Nicely showcased, Mike! I picked this up at Target last Friday, and played the first three chapters that afternoon. This is definitely a lighter-weight game, but the theme really comes through (for me, anyway), and it is an enjoyable puzzle. I like that each chapter plays VERY differently from the previous one, and that the One Ring cards have varied functions, depending on the chapter. Ravensburger has been releasing some really interesting family-weight games (and at good prices!) lately, and this is a good example of what they are doing. One note: Ravensburger - like a lot of European and especially German publishers recently - has moved away from using shrink wrap altogether, and I like to see that too.
Great showcase as always, Mike, thank you. I think the only mistake you did is attacking the Troll from a space with a living Goblin (at 30:37 and 31:07) where the chapter rules states attack the troll "with no Goblin tokens in either space" (makes sense).
***Moria Rules errors - you can't attack the troll when there are goblins on your space*** COMPONENTS - As mentioned, the cards are fairly rough and you might want to sleeve them. The book is fine and sits flat pretty well. The minis and cardboard tokens do their job, though it's tough to tell which hobbit is which. 0:00 - Introduction 1:00 - Game Overview 3:56 - Chapter 1 (Fleeing Hobbiton) 16:07 - Chapter 2 (Council of Elrond) 24:54 - Chapter 3 (Moria) 37:36 - Mini-Review
They could have given same some Po-tay-toes! lol My GW LOTR hobbits are a pain to differentiate atm. Merry and Pippin are like identical twins, and both Sam and Frodo are holding swords. Will be better once I get to paint them all, though I'll still get Merry and Pippin mixed up! lol I also have a plastic Sam with a frying pan which is an easy ID! Thanks for showcasing the game, Mike. Think this will be a pass for me as the replayability looks a bit thin, and I have the Kinizia LOTR board game. The other thing is that I play almost 100% solo. (Poor Pauli no friends! lol) The Adventure Book game looks to be a light coop puzzle game, which is a plus imho. If I spent more time with my non gaming family I think I would pick it up.
In Moria, there should be two extra goblins who start on the goblin track so you initially only need to defeat two to complete the one challenge, unless the plot deck brings one out sooner
For me, Frodo is always yellow, Sam red, Pippin green and Merry blue due to Knizia's boardgame. The same is true for the choice of the scenarios. But I guess, the game would be too easy for my taste.
In Moria, I don't think there is a path on the bottom of the troll. At least in the video, it looks like just a light line to show what spaces need to be filled to do that wound. It wouldn't have made a difference in the play, I don't think. Initially it reminded me a bit of the Knizia LotR adventure game from ages ago, but obviously way lighter.
Oh darn it, I think you’re right! That would have forced me to kill at least one more goblin and move everyone further, so could have required another corruption or two. I don’t know that I’d say it’s lighter than the Knizia game. It’s been years since I played that one, but from what I can remember it was of a similar weight
@@plaidflannelgeek I'm guessing it's a trick due to the lighter background on the bottom side. There's definitely a line there, and it looks the same to me.
I guess you are not counting UK being in EU because of Brexit. And maybe you are technically right. But I pre-ordered the game from Amazon UK and I am not a UK resident (never been there actually). I live in EU member state and I'm using the service of a shipping company in my country with a UK address and they will deliver it to me (dirt cheap). Don't you have companies that are offering such delivery service in your country? I wouldn't assume that my country is somehow special and the only one with such companies. You should look around in you country for a similar service.
@@Michael.Virtus Hi man... is not me that don't consider UK in EU and you are right there are import taxes. Honestly I don't like to kind of cheat the law althought most of the time the VAT money are wasted... I can wait I have a lot of boardgame to play :P
Nice video, but will be skipping this game. This format worked really well for Princess Bride, a very light game for a very light film, it worked mechanically and thematically. For something so chunky as LotR this seems far too little trying to do far too much. Maybe if it had covered only Fellowship I'd be more interested.
@@OneStopCoopShop Even for Princess Bride it only just worked enough for people who are fans of the film. I bought that one knowing that painting the minis will be a fun exercise. The book being a book in the film and as a board was a meta design, and the plot cards being the interruptions from the film... I mean the game is flimsy but BY GOD it is thematically satisfying. This just looks... a bit hamfisted and ugly. Really appreciate you showing it off though, knowing which games are not for me is even more important than being shown the games that are.
*big mistake with this video (chapter 3* You have to have completed ALL of the other challenges to complete the final one. You haven’t defeated the troll so could not have completed the chapter
You might want to watch the video... I kill the cave troll right around the 31:33 mark. I took off the wound tokens afterwards because they were cluttering the space.
Nicely showcased, Mike!
I picked this up at Target last Friday, and played the first three chapters that afternoon. This is definitely a lighter-weight game, but the theme really comes through (for me, anyway), and it is an enjoyable puzzle. I like that each chapter plays VERY differently from the previous one, and that the One Ring cards have varied functions, depending on the chapter. Ravensburger has been releasing some really interesting family-weight games (and at good prices!) lately, and this is a good example of what they are doing. One note: Ravensburger - like a lot of European and especially German publishers recently - has moved away from using shrink wrap altogether, and I like to see that too.
Glad you are enjoying it too!
And agree on the shrink wrap. I don’t miss it at all :)
Great showcase as always, Mike, thank you.
I think the only mistake you did is attacking the Troll from a space with a living Goblin (at 30:37 and 31:07) where the chapter rules states attack the troll "with no Goblin tokens in either space" (makes sense).
Yeah, someone pointed that out on BGG too. I’ll have to add a bigger correction later.
My fault for filming my very first play of that scenario 😅😅😅
***Moria Rules errors - you can't attack the troll when there are goblins on your space***
COMPONENTS - As mentioned, the cards are fairly rough and you might want to sleeve them. The book is fine and sits flat pretty well. The minis and cardboard tokens do their job, though it's tough to tell which hobbit is which.
0:00 - Introduction
1:00 - Game Overview
3:56 - Chapter 1 (Fleeing Hobbiton)
16:07 - Chapter 2 (Council of Elrond)
24:54 - Chapter 3 (Moria)
37:36 - Mini-Review
Great job as always Mike! Looks like a quality family time intro game.
Yeah, it’s not much deeper than that, but good fun regardless
They could have given same some Po-tay-toes! lol
My GW LOTR hobbits are a pain to differentiate atm. Merry and Pippin are like identical twins, and both Sam and Frodo are holding swords. Will be better once I get to paint them all, though I'll still get Merry and Pippin mixed up! lol
I also have a plastic Sam with a frying pan which is an easy ID!
Thanks for showcasing the game, Mike.
Think this will be a pass for me as the replayability looks a bit thin, and I have the Kinizia LOTR board game.
The other thing is that I play almost 100% solo. (Poor Pauli no friends! lol)
The Adventure Book game looks to be a light coop puzzle game, which is a plus imho.
If I spent more time with my non gaming family I think I would pick it up.
Boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew!
In Moria, there should be two extra goblins who start on the goblin track so you initially only need to defeat two to complete the one challenge, unless the plot deck brings one out sooner
That’s incorrect. If you look at step 3 of the setup rules, it says to put the other 2 goblins “near the board”. They do not start on the track
Solid overview, Mike! Really enjoyed The Princess Bride and so happy to see this model is continued with different IPs.
I really like the changes in this one, though Princess Bride was fun too
Got, played and loved the Princess Bride one but that was entirely nostalgia.
Can't really argue with that! 😅
An excellent light , casual game . Good solo better co op I think.
I'm definitely looking forward to running through it with my wife and kids :)
For me, Frodo is always yellow, Sam red, Pippin green and Merry blue due to Knizia's boardgame. The same is true for the choice of the scenarios. But I guess, the game would be too easy for my taste.
As long as you have your own consistent identification system 😅
Thanks Mike
Seems like a slightly meatier version of the Princess Bride one.
Yes, based on the scenarios and the one ring cards I'd agree.
In Moria, I don't think there is a path on the bottom of the troll. At least in the video, it looks like just a light line to show what spaces need to be filled to do that wound. It wouldn't have made a difference in the play, I don't think.
Initially it reminded me a bit of the Knizia LotR adventure game from ages ago, but obviously way lighter.
Oh darn it, I think you’re right! That would have forced me to kill at least one more goblin and move everyone further, so could have required another corruption or two.
I don’t know that I’d say it’s lighter than the Knizia game. It’s been years since I played that one, but from what I can remember it was of a similar weight
I'm pretty sure this is not correct. I can't see a difference between the line below the troll and the other 3 in my copy.
@@jvv76 interesting. It looks a little light on camera, but maybe it is in a fold somehow?
@@plaidflannelgeek I'm guessing it's a trick due to the lighter background on the bottom side. There's definitely a line there, and it looks the same to me.
Yeah, looking back there IS a movement line. Not sure why I was so quick to agree that there wasn’t, lol 😅
Its a shame that a german company releases games for Target only… which you cant get in germany… i hope they will release this later in the year…
I hope so too!
Interesting for the family... but not able to find it in EU.
I think (could be wrong) that the Target exclusivity will eventually run out and it’ll be more widely available 🤞
I guess you are not counting UK being in EU because of Brexit. And maybe you are technically right. But I pre-ordered the game from Amazon UK and I am not a UK resident (never been there actually). I live in EU member state and I'm using the service of a shipping company in my country with a UK address and they will deliver it to me (dirt cheap). Don't you have companies that are offering such delivery service in your country? I wouldn't assume that my country is somehow special and the only one with such companies. You should look around in you country for a similar service.
@@Michael.Virtus Hi man... is not me that don't consider UK in EU and you are right there are import taxes. Honestly I don't like to kind of cheat the law althought most of the time the VAT money are wasted...
I can wait I have a lot of boardgame to play :P
Nice video, but will be skipping this game. This format worked really well for Princess Bride, a very light game for a very light film, it worked mechanically and thematically. For something so chunky as LotR this seems far too little trying to do far too much. Maybe if it had covered only Fellowship I'd be more interested.
Yeah, you aren’t wrong. They rush through big portions of the books. Reminds me of the Knizia LOTR game and its fast pace
@@OneStopCoopShop Even for Princess Bride it only just worked enough for people who are fans of the film. I bought that one knowing that painting the minis will be a fun exercise. The book being a book in the film and as a board was a meta design, and the plot cards being the interruptions from the film... I mean the game is flimsy but BY GOD it is thematically satisfying. This just looks... a bit hamfisted and ugly.
Really appreciate you showing it off though, knowing which games are not for me is even more important than being shown the games that are.
*big mistake with this video (chapter 3*
You have to have completed ALL of the other challenges to complete the final one. You haven’t defeated the troll so could not have completed the chapter
You might want to watch the video... I kill the cave troll right around the 31:33 mark. I took off the wound tokens afterwards because they were cluttering the space.
first...^^
Awesome thx