Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (2002)

About this game

An asymmetrical Stratego-like game themed around The Lord of the Rings. Each player controls a force of 9 unique characters (light vs. dark) whose identities are hidden from their opponent at the beginning of the game. Each player also starts with a hand of 9 unique cards, which are used in resolving combats as the characters move out across the board. The victory conditions of the players are also asymmetrical: the Fellowship player wins by moving Frodo into Mordor (thus destroying the One Ring), while the Evil player wins either by killing Frodo or by moving 3 Evil characters into the Shire. Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation has also been the object of an extended edition (see Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation) comprising the original characters and a full set of new characters.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 2.2/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.