Everything you say in this review about what a commitment this game would be makes sense. I definitely wouldn't have time to play it, probably not even once. However I've had two glasses of wine so I just bought it.
Just wait for that Saturday when the weather sucks, and a friend of yours or your partner is bored, set up the game and go with the flow. It is an amazing experience for any Fantasy and Tolkien fan, and the gameplay is just bloody stellar.
doesnt take much time i believe. First play could take up to 5+ hours, but consequent plays took me max 4h, in a very lazy and chatty afternoon. If we were really focused, 3h.
So after watching this review, I bought the game, found a friend who was into LotR as much as me and started playing it on a regular basis.....Its now 1½ year later and we still play this game every 2nd week. It has become my favorite game of all time, it has defined multiple new friendships i have made and it is still as exciting to play now as when I started playing 1½ year ago. Thanks SU&SD for making this review and really communicating how a glorious experience this game can be. PS: And yes, the game is still complicated, have properly only played the game right without a rules mistake 2-4 times :)
Had a buddy in high school who was really into strategy games like me. Maybe two days a week we would get together at his house and play this game for an hour or two in the dining room where we kept this board permanently set up. When we finished the game, we would reset it, change sides, and start over again. After spending a few hours at it, if we didn't feel like finishing, we just walked away and left everything exactly where it was and picked it back up in a few days. Really, really fun times.
@Stella Hohenheim That Tolkien did not do a great job of portraying them. For all the talk about different people and races coming together in the face of adversity, the good guys are all white, and the brown people are working for the villain of the story. Here: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkien_and_race
Note: this is a reference to the OP's avatar, which, at the time of posting, is the symbol of the Paradox faction from Lego Universe. Also yes, I am back here rewatching this. Again.
The depth of this game is best explained this way: The books The Lord of the Rings could be read as an in depth game report for one specific match of War of the Rings. The reviewers hardly mentioned the cards, but everything that could have happened story wise is on the cards.
Congrats for 1M views guys. This was the video that introduced me to SU&SD, which have been my guide of board gaming world ever since entering the hobby. I genuinely believe that you guys are one of the best RUclipsrs out there, and this is one of your best videos. I love you guys Quinns, Paul, Matt, and Tom!
One of the things that simply amazes me about this game is that, despite the massive disparities between the Shadow and the Free Peoples, most of the games I play of it come down to just a handful of actions at the end. The race between Frodo getting to the top of Mount Doom or the Shadow earning its 10th VP is almost always intensely close. That is an enormous achievement for a game as asymmetrical as this one is.
This is the best game in our collection and the best 2-player game I have ever played. It is so thematic. It's not a board game, but a gaming experience for people who love Lord of the Rings -- the books. I am so glad I bought this game and cannot recommend it highly enough. The more you love Lord of the Rings (love as in, you've read it over and over for the last 30 or 40 years and have a lifetime of investment in Middle Earth), the more you will be floored and amazed by this fantastic game. My husband and I play this game, but not all in one sitting. We set a timer for 45 minutes and when it goes off, we finish the turn we're on and leave it out on the table until the next day. That's usually 3-4 turns per night. A game takes about 3.5 hours, so 3 or 4 nights. We find this is the best way for us to attack this game, and the long down time between sessions gives you loads of time to think about what you're going to do next. :)
You and your husband play this game exactly the way my old buddy and I used to play it. We were major geeks about LotR, too. We both had the Extended Editions of the movies, had read the books, we both had matching elvish cloaks, weapon replicas (including Glamdring and Sting among many others), and we had a few of the rings of power, too. This game was by nerds for nerds.
Wow, we don't have that much merchandise, but we've both read the books so many times. I love the films, but nothing can match the books. Tolkien's not the greatest prose writer ever, but for world building, he is unmatched.
Completely agree: WotR made me far more interested in LotR and its lore. But for anyone interested in this game - PAINT THE BASES OF THE MINIATURES. It makes playing it so much smoother and easier when you can tell which faction is which at a glance. I've even gone as far as painting the rims of the faction chits on the political track for the same reason.
Just get those rubber ring thingies to snap the figurines in to. It makes the game 2x less frustrating. I got rubber ring thingies, and little mountain pieces. That way I can't forget where the mountains are, they are nice and visible. And keeping track of the different armies is much simpler.
This is a game where the theme and game mechanics are inseparable, if you're not a LoTR fan just forget about it. But if you are and if you're willing to invest some time, this game will offer you one of the best board gaming experiences of your life. It's a beast that I only pull from the shelf once or twice a year because it's the far opposite of a casual game. But it has remained through the years as my #1 favourite game of all time. It's one that I recommend to all LoTR fans.
This game was so powerful that it made me convert into a Tolkien Fan, it is easily the best game I've ever played and in the last few years I have never once had a bad game of the hundreds I've played.
In college we bought the first edition and played it with 4 players every weekend for a few months. I agree that it is my favorite board game of all time. I still remember my victory when I got the card to bring to dwarves the last step into the war and muster a couple units, which was just enough to save Dale or whatever location up there. Absolutely fantastic. Perfect combination of theme and implementation.
Also I spray painted each nation a different color. It gave a great feel of each nation being an independent entity joining in the war, especially if you ended up with mixed units in a single location. Elves were metallic silver, Dwarves were metallic gold of course. Not sure what the others were. Much Superior to the two colors that the game came with.
@Cardboard Clash Yikes. Let's hang together and play Twister! SU&SD (even if I completely disagree with them) always produce entertaining, thoughtful and thought-provoking reviews. Your videos are considerably... less than great.
The Bernie Bro Their humour is as terrible as Top Gear, that’s for sure. Plus they even played a generic, boring rock song in the video, like Top Gear do. Maybe you’re right.
I am so thankful for finally finding your channel. Probably most entertaining and worthy reviews on board-games I ever saw. Especially with the little puns and jokes, and those small improvised jokes like the dialogue between Sauron and Saruman. Love it! Keep it up!
Sauron is actually a really good singer, he once had a sing off with an elf, then he won and imprisoned the elf which was than devoured by his werewolf
I got this game for my birthday this year and fell in love with it! Last month I finished painting all the heroes and got one of the expansions! It's absolutely great!
This was an epic review. I watched it a second time through mostly because I was enthralled by the way the two of you talked about the experience. Keep it up guys!
This is the game that brought me to Boardgame's. Like You said. It's a steep learning curve. First 6 months there was always al lap-top and BBG to help us. Learning the game. And After 5 Year's It's stil our Top 1 game. And we can set it up blindfuld. And play the game within 2 hour's. But it's always a hard trip to Middle earth.
This remains my favourite of all your many presentations. It was in fact the first one I ever watched. I have been a regular watcher and subscriber ever since. Watching it always brings a smile and I have watched it many times for just that reason. Thank you boys for all you do.
What I love about the Shut up & Sit Down is the care and work they put into their videos. Not only the production. Every single video they treat like a special thing, with its own "story". With beginning middle and end. It's kinda funny to say this, but the writing on every video is VERY good. Their videos have souls. I watch some of the reviews more than once and get entertained every time. (War of the Ring is one of them, also Captain Sonar, Root, Treasure Island, Blood on the Clocktower, Great Western Trail... Not to mention the Megagame which is one of the best videos ever) Those videos mean a lot to me. Thank you Shut up & Sit Down.
This was hilarious. You truly showed the emotions you got playing this game, and it was extremely well written overall. Even as a 25 minute long review, I still watched it, like, three times just laughing at it. Thank you!
So I stumbled on this video and the RUclips channel. Well, I showed this to my friend and we decided to buy the game! (And now I can’t help but binge on this channel.) And you know what? This game really is time consuming. We spent HOURS setting it up and learning the rules. And then we spent hours to get HALFWAY through the game. So we’re going back this weekend to finish it. But, dang it, I can’t stop thinking about this game! Now that we know what we are doing, it feels really engaging. And the feelings and frustrations you talked about in the review are dead on. My buddy is looking at me march orcs across Middle Earth towards his elves and he’s panicking about how he doesn’t have enough soldiers. Meanwhile, I’m staring at all those strongholds thinking “I need more orcs! How am I supposed to get more orcs where I want them??!!” This game is tremendous fun.
0:30 Er... No, those weren't the Easterlings you were showing off there, they were the Haradrim, men from the South who rode atop the Mûmakil. Both the Easterlings and the Haradrim fought for Sauron in the War of th Ring but Sauron's special ability is controlling minds and dominating wills. The two Blue Wizards rallied the Easterlings who rejected the Dark Lord in Rhûn and started a rebellion, and the Haradrim were humanized by Sam in the books and Faramir in the films, by saying he wondered if they truly wanted to be here fighting for Sauron, and not instead to be with their families, and living happily and peacefully. Indeed they were deceived by Sauron or at worse were forced to fight.
Also, it's highly implied that a big part of why the Haradrim are Allies to Sauron in the War of the Ring is that years ago the Kingsmen, Western Men who fell to evil, settled in the port of Umbar in the south and subjugated the native Southrons. The Haradrim are written rather sympathetically in the story and in the appendices; they are a people destabilised and exploited by the greedy and tyrannical colonialists who are being made to go to war against their own interests.
@@obihugzenobi wtf. No? I think you are mixing up Lotr with Eragon there. The Orcs where made from tortured Elves and are evil to the core. There is nothing redeemable about them, thats the whole point of them.
*singing* "where did I put my ring, have you seeeeeen my jeweeell'ry" "My lord, i-im still here. I had other questions-" "OH, ... SEND THEM EAST SARUMAN" "Yes but how many? To send?" "...loads" "Ah, of course. Were you singing?" "I'M VERY BUSY" "Yes my lord" This skit is unbelievably good
Bought this game on the back of this review ... me and my dad absolutely love it! Played around 6 games so far and like you both said neither of us have swapped sides yet!
The Easterlings were never described as "dark skinned". They were described as being diverse and having skin colors from olive to sallow. Also they were in conflict with the Free Peoples long before orcs ever existed.
I got this game back in 2004 and played it a lot with the same friend. Its like you said: once both players got the rules, it is a great experience, and you can play it over and over again. Sadly I ve never „trained“ a new player to this point, so the game is sitting in my shelf... Watching your review made me laught (and cry... thinking at the good hours I spent with WotR) Thank you!
You guys do the best reviews out there ever! Not only you very well can relay the feel of a game but it is crazy entertaining and fun to watch! I watch other channels to learn more about a game. I watch yours to have fun!
This really is my favourite of your videos. One, it got this game off the fence and into my collection. Two, it's probably the best job you've ever done waxing poetic, but with frustration (ROOT comes close), but also I just love how the camera continues rolling a touch over long, and just how much of YOU I feel is in this video. Great watch and much appreciated.
You've bought yourself the best game there is IMO. Get a friend you see regularly who'd be into it and as the chaps say, play it often enough so that you recall the rules and little things. I have about 800 games and this is my most played and most loved, amazing in so many ways.
I've finally found myself some free time (and opponents) and played three games. So far, it's amazing. I can't seem to get this game out of my head, I just want to play it again. PS. I'm a huge fan of the movie trilogy (that was the main reason I've bought the game) and I think this might actually be my favourite board game ever.
"You're expected to know what the Book of Mazarbul is; which sounds like someone who tried to pretend they're allowed to be in the library, when actually they're quite drunk" !! LOL
Have to agree with a lot of this, even if it is now my favourite game. I'm a big Tolkien fan and this game is hands down the most fun I've had with any LotR game in any format, mostly because it feels like LotR. There are so many references to things from the books and so many interesting things that can happen, that no two games will play out in the same way. I first played this with my sister, also a LotR fan. We had a first experience very similar to you guys; we both went away quite frustrated at the game and not really sure we'd ever touch it again. But then we talked the next morning, and had that feeling of 'we know we can do better next time' and what I really love about this game, is that this feeling never really goes away. Whether you win or lose the game, there are going to be moments you look back on and think 'I should've done something differently' and that's such a huge thing for me in gaming. You know that it wasn't your only choice, nothing forced you to attack that stronghold on that turn, but your impatience ended up with your attacking troops getting decimated. The cards are great fun too, it plays into the unpredictability of it all. You know how many units your enemy has in a given place, but they could well turn around and play a card that renders your own leaders completely useless, greatly weakening the effectiveness of your army. And I love that, I love this idea that there's always more to things than it seems. I also love the dice. I love the idea that they're your resources for the turn and you don't get to choose what you get. As someone once said "all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us" and this is what I mean; the whole game is a huge love letter to fans of the books. My sister and I also had this moment where we had set up for another game, this time we were going to switch sides. But when it came to it, we both wanted to play the same side again, and trying out new strategies and seeing if our luck could turn. In one of our first games, she felt crippled by the lack of dice, so in the next game she split Strider off within the first two turns of the game, and soon enough he went to Gondor and became Aragorn, giving her the extra die she had been craving. Yet on the very next turn, she made an attempt to take back Pelargir from my forces with Aragorn leading the charge, and as a result, he was killed and she immediately lost that die. It's one of those moments that we'll never forget because while it was hilarious to me, it was heartbreaking for her because she thought she was doing it 'right' this time, that by expanding her own opportunities and taking a more active approach, that maybe she could buy enough time for the Ringbearers, or maybe even counterattack. But in the end, the strategy she had been obsessing over in her mind was cut short because one combat didn't go her way and because I had played a card she had no way of knowing I had. And all of these are reasons I love this game. I love all the tiny facets of it, but it is certainly not for everyone. I love the dice as resources, and the fact that as the Shadow player, you're fighting Sauron's obsession with the Ring, and all you want to do is take this stronghold but you can't because Sauron is fixating on the Ring for the third turn in a row. I love the constant hiding, moving and hunting of the Fellowship, the way companions can split off or be killed off, the way companions can advance nations to be at war, or lend their strength to combats. I love that you can retreat into sieges and that sieges take extra time and effort from the attacking player that they don't want to spend. But I think the people who will get the most out of this game are those who are huge LotR fans, especially of the books. Film fans will probably enjoy it too, but I think for maximum enjoyment, anyone who loves the books and who knows all the places and races and all these little events that are referenced, will have the most fun with it. TL;DR This game is fantastic if you're a LotR fan, especially if you love the books and as these guys have said; it's deep and engaging and you'll end up obsessing over what you could've done differently after every session of play
This game is wonderful! I played this with my brother who lived with me for a year like every week for about a year. We NEVER got tired of it, if anything we liked it more and more and more. Then we got the expansions and it got EVEN BETTER. I have played easily 100+ games of this and it is super fun and enjoyable every single time I play (with my brother, everyone else we play against we have to chill out and not trash them in the first 4 rounds) But if you have one nerdy friend close by, this is easily one of the best boardgames you could ever play.
This one made a subscriber out of me- and it was only the last few seconds, the delivery of "And next week... War of the Ring!" that really made me go "Yeah, I gotta watch more of these guys." :-) Great video- informative, entertaining, and perfect for a major board game geek and minor Tolkien geek!
Just played my first game of War of the Ring! Turn One, I had the Elves immediately go to war, while my opponent had Sauron go to war, then began moving his forces from Dol Goldur and Moria to Lorien. Turn 2, Lorien fell and my opponent gained 2 victory points. Simultaneously, elves from Rivendell and the Woodland Realm each moved 2 spaces towards the now-empty strongholds. Turn 3, they arrived, and my opponent could not recover. What a great game!
If you read the Silmarrilion, the Easterlings and such are actually just a fraction of the people from that part of Middle Earth. Most of them were pretty chill, and their ancestors fought alongside the 'Elf Friends' (early humans from whom the Numenoreans came, and yes I know I butchered the spelling). It's not Tolkien's fault no one read the whole story.
The expansion of the first edition "Battles of the Third Age" is also amazing with two standalone scenario's to play (Battle of Helms Deep & Minas Tirith)
@michaelwilber774 well that's certainly a step in the right direction! The next obstacle is whether or not I need to buy a new passport in order to get a game started?! Lol
I was hesitant to watch this review for awhile because this is one of my favourite games, and I was afraid you guys would hate it. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it,and can still recommend it even if it's a niche game. Keep up the great videos!
That dissing on the Haradrim early in the video feels like someone wanted to make a joke and didn’t know the lore context behind it. There’s a story reason why the Haradrim were allied with the orcs. And it has to do with a theme you find even throughout the movies: corrupting of the race of men, regardless of affiliation or geographic location.
Thanks, I am happy to find others enjoying this gem. Impressed how accurate and almost living page after page adventures is possible with this game. Same as you, I don't play it often but did decide to keep it among my fav board game ever.
the way you guys explain the rules and how to play was simplistic but fun so you earned yourself a new subscriber, my friends and i do game nights once a month, and often the rules take hours to get everyone going. don't know if i want to buy this or not.
Props for the Final Fantasy VII Golden Saucer song you sang during the expansions introduction :) You guys are awesome and hilarious. Thanks for the wonderful content!
Love this review my buddy and I have been playing this game for 3 years now and have probably played upwards of 300 times. My all time favorite board game. The more you play the more fun it gets, one you get this massive game down there are 2 expansions adding even more, but once they're added and you understand them there is no going back. We can setup in about 5 minutes, even after 2 years of playing we were still finding rules we didn't know about. I have so many stories, and don't worry I play other board games. Again great review!!
I feel like this game would be amazing online with when you looked at a card that mentioned a place, there would be a ‘look at’ or view option that would highlight the area.
as kids, we used to start a game during vacation, leave it on the table and come back to it whenever we weren't playing outside or whatever, great times
Ya know, being a lifelong Tolkien super nerd, it didn't even occur to me that some of those problems you mentioned, would actually be problems, like the lack of flavor text, or no helping to find where a certain region is. I went into this game just...knowing. The moral: Make sure at least one of your gaming buddies knows their way around Middle Earth if you undertake this bad boy.
Like the bit talking about stakes of the game and story. It's exactly how it was in the books. The stakes are huge. You feel like Frodo is going to die for 3 books. As a big fantasy reader, not many fantasy books recapture this. Good for the game.
This was a very fair and cnosiderate review. That's what I like about you guys. The criticism, far from detracting me from the game, made me aware of the limitations/requirements inherent to the game, and I ended up buying it. Playing bi-monthly with the wife now :)
Excellent review and so true. As an actual Hobbit (and at least in a couple of scenes Frodo in LotR movies) I have only played the Peoples and no matter how many times I have played this game a tangible sense of dread falls over me from Turn 1. This is my top board game - with Nemesis and Kingdom Death Monster coming very close behind.
Lmao, little do they know that I’ve studied the map of Middle Earth since I was in kindergarten. I knew this skill would come in handy one day.
hehe.. i also managed to memorize most of those locations from hours of playing battle of middlearth rts game as a kid
Other player: what faction does the horse represent? And where the hell is nurnen?
Me: *picture of barron trump with the expert shirt*
I played Lord of the Rings risk, and had a map hanging above my bed.
I'm ready
just know that friends are not included
Raymund Mijares there’s always a catch!
Everything you say in this review about what a commitment this game would be makes sense. I definitely wouldn't have time to play it, probably not even once. However I've had two glasses of wine so I just bought it.
Just wait for that Saturday when the weather sucks, and a friend of yours or your partner is bored, set up the game and go with the flow. It is an amazing experience for any Fantasy and Tolkien fan, and the gameplay is just bloody stellar.
it really is a great game.
doesnt take much time i believe. First play could take up to 5+ hours, but consequent plays took me max 4h, in a very lazy and chatty afternoon. If we were really focused, 3h.
Damn I'm on glass two and looking to buy it
HAHAHAH
So after watching this review, I bought the game, found a friend who was into LotR as much as me and started playing it on a regular basis.....Its now 1½ year later and we still play this game every 2nd week. It has become my favorite game of all time, it has defined multiple new friendships i have made and it is still as exciting to play now as when I started playing 1½ year ago.
Thanks SU&SD for making this review and really communicating how a glorious experience this game can be.
PS: And yes, the game is still complicated, have properly only played the game right without a rules mistake 2-4 times :)
Had a buddy in high school who was really into strategy games like me. Maybe two days a week we would get together at his house and play this game for an hour or two in the dining room where we kept this board permanently set up. When we finished the game, we would reset it, change sides, and start over again. After spending a few hours at it, if we didn't feel like finishing, we just walked away and left everything exactly where it was and picked it back up in a few days. Really, really fun times.
how was the balance?
@@NoNameAtAll2 Pretty good, actually. I lost and won as both sides. It's definitely a strategy game.
so no cats in your house then XD
@@javierburgosh There were two in my house, but none in his. It certainly would not have been possible at my house, lol.
I know you're just pronouncing these names wrong just to piss me off specifically.
And he occasionally pronounces them correctly just to irritate me specifically. They _almost_ did it consistently, darnit!
Annoys me too!
@Stella Hohenheim That Tolkien did not do a great job of portraying them. For all the talk about different people and races coming together in the face of adversity, the good guys are all white, and the brown people are working for the villain of the story. Here: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkien_and_race
@@SpoonyBard88 Easterlings are never actually described as being brown that was a creative decision by Peter Jackson
@@SpoonyBard88 While Southern people are I believe describe as having dark skin, that's not the case of other the also evil Easterlings.
I'm ashamed at how many times I've rewatched this review. Probably going on 7 times at this point. I absolutely adore this game!
Maybe you should just play the game instead of watching this review? : )
You're ashamed of it yet you still comment about it.
I guess you could say that's a little... Paradoxical ;)
Note: this is a reference to the OP's avatar, which, at the time of posting, is the symbol of the Paradox faction from Lego Universe.
Also yes, I am back here rewatching this. Again.
@@tahunuva4254 And I'm back again...
@@andrewrichesson8627 Only 7 times, you have still much to learn padwan ;-)
"Sean Bean was like 'One does not simply walk into Mordor.' I know. I've tried... There's loads of orcs."
The depth of this game is best explained this way: The books The Lord of the Rings could be read as an in depth game report for one specific match of War of the Rings. The reviewers hardly mentioned the cards, but everything that could have happened story wise is on the cards.
Congrats for 1M views guys. This was the video that introduced me to SU&SD, which have been my guide of board gaming world ever since entering the hobby. I genuinely believe that you guys are one of the best RUclipsrs out there, and this is one of your best videos. I love you guys Quinns, Paul, Matt, and Tom!
L'Oreal; home of Cate Blanchett where you can receive a waterproof and a magic biscuit. Because you're worth it.
That feta cheese visual was amazing
The feta cheese and tomato Barad Dur was 11/10, oh my god. Thanks for another stellar review, dudes.
"Were you singing?"
"I'M VERY BUSY!"
LOL
One of the things that simply amazes me about this game is that, despite the massive disparities between the Shadow and the Free Peoples, most of the games I play of it come down to just a handful of actions at the end. The race between Frodo getting to the top of Mount Doom or the Shadow earning its 10th VP is almost always intensely close. That is an enormous achievement for a game as asymmetrical as this one is.
This is the best game in our collection and the best 2-player game I have ever played. It is so thematic. It's not a board game, but a gaming experience for people who love Lord of the Rings -- the books. I am so glad I bought this game and cannot recommend it highly enough. The more you love Lord of the Rings (love as in, you've read it over and over for the last 30 or 40 years and have a lifetime of investment in Middle Earth), the more you will be floored and amazed by this fantastic game. My husband and I play this game, but not all in one sitting. We set a timer for 45 minutes and when it goes off, we finish the turn we're on and leave it out on the table until the next day. That's usually 3-4 turns per night. A game takes about 3.5 hours, so 3 or 4 nights. We find this is the best way for us to attack this game, and the long down time between sessions gives you loads of time to think about what you're going to do next. :)
You and your husband play this game exactly the way my old buddy and I used to play it. We were major geeks about LotR, too. We both had the Extended Editions of the movies, had read the books, we both had matching elvish cloaks, weapon replicas (including Glamdring and Sting among many others), and we had a few of the rings of power, too. This game was by nerds for nerds.
PLEASE PLAY A BOARD GAME CALLED Shogun.
Nice. Good gamer control. Instead of playing over three nights, I usually find myself playing this three times in one sitting.
Wow, we don't have that much merchandise, but we've both read the books so many times. I love the films, but nothing can match the books. Tolkien's not the greatest prose writer ever, but for world building, he is unmatched.
@@SylvEdu I red "we both had matching Elvis cloaks" 😂
Completely agree: WotR made me far more interested in LotR and its lore.
But for anyone interested in this game - PAINT THE BASES OF THE MINIATURES. It makes playing it so much smoother and easier when you can tell which faction is which at a glance. I've even gone as far as painting the rims of the faction chits on the political track for the same reason.
That's it mate! Not caring to paint, I bought some colored permanent markers and colored the bases with ease.
I’m a big warhammer fan and player so I probably will thanks!
Just get those rubber ring thingies to snap the figurines in to. It makes the game 2x less frustrating.
I got rubber ring thingies, and little mountain pieces. That way I can't forget where the mountains are, they are nice and visible. And keeping track of the different armies is much simpler.
@@lystic9392 link to rubber thingies? :D
@@domiisbaack yeah rubber thingies!
24:00 “all games and jobs have been outlawed by the govt” damn watching this in 2020 hits different
I should have bought the game.
@@imaloser5689 you still can on ebay
@@wraithface4410 i called a local store and they ordered from a supplier, you may be able to find it that way, for probably less than on ebay
@@imaloser5689 Zatu games is where I bought my copy.
Oh right the covid thing
This is a game where the theme and game mechanics are inseparable, if you're not a LoTR fan just forget about it. But if you are and if you're willing to invest some time, this game will offer you one of the best board gaming experiences of your life. It's a beast that I only pull from the shelf once or twice a year because it's the far opposite of a casual game. But it has remained through the years as my #1 favourite game of all time. It's one that I recommend to all LoTR fans.
like risk
I'm really not a fan of LotR and I love this game. Goes to show the quality of this game.
This game was so powerful that it made me convert into a Tolkien Fan, it is easily the best game I've ever played and in the last few years I have never once had a bad game of the hundreds I've played.
In college we bought the first edition and played it with 4 players every weekend for a few months.
I agree that it is my favorite board game of all time. I still remember my victory when I got the card to bring to dwarves the last step into the war and muster a couple units, which was just enough to save Dale or whatever location up there.
Absolutely fantastic. Perfect combination of theme and implementation.
Also I spray painted each nation a different color. It gave a great feel of each nation being an independent entity joining in the war, especially if you ended up with mixed units in a single location.
Elves were metallic silver, Dwarves were metallic gold of course. Not sure what the others were. Much Superior to the two colors that the game came with.
these guys are the Monty Python of boardgames reviews
@Cardboard Clash Yikes. Let's hang together and play Twister! SU&SD (even if I completely disagree with them) always produce entertaining, thoughtful and thought-provoking reviews. Your videos are considerably... less than great.
These guys are the Top Gear of board games.
The Bernie Bro
Their humour is as terrible as Top Gear, that’s for sure.
Plus they even played a generic, boring rock song in the video, like Top Gear do.
Maybe you’re right.
HelloSadness101 bad day?
Harald Kaiser Hermann Bad life rather :/
Frolo King of the Bobbits lol
I am so thankful for finally finding your channel. Probably most entertaining and worthy reviews on board-games I ever saw. Especially with the little puns and jokes, and those small improvised jokes like the dialogue between Sauron and Saruman. Love it! Keep it up!
If I could never play another board game again, I would be content just listening to your guys reviews. I could binge watch you guys for weeks.
Sauron is actually a really good singer, he once had a sing off with an elf, then he won and imprisoned the elf which was than devoured by his werewolf
I got this game for my birthday this year and fell in love with it! Last month I finished painting all the heroes and got one of the expansions! It's absolutely great!
You painted them? Wow as someone who is big into warhammer 40K I gotta say with the size of these models you have my respect
This was an epic review. I watched it a second time through mostly because I was enthralled by the way the two of you talked about the experience. Keep it up guys!
“In a hole in the ground there lived a bobbit.”
Can't watch the trilogy now without hearing "bobbits".
Yes. Yes there did. Look up Bobbit Worm, and then wish you hadn't.
Yeah, I'm never going in the water again. Thanks.
"Not a nasty, smelly Bobbit, but a horny, creepy Bobbit."
"You can't just march into mordor - I know I've tried There are lots of Orcs!" haha xD
This is the game that brought me to Boardgame's. Like You said. It's a steep learning curve. First 6 months there was always al lap-top and BBG to help us. Learning the game. And After 5 Year's It's stil our Top 1 game. And we can set it up blindfuld. And play the game within 2 hour's. But it's always a hard trip to Middle earth.
This remains my favourite of all your many presentations. It was in fact the first one I ever watched. I have been a regular watcher and subscriber ever since. Watching it always brings a smile and I have watched it many times for just that reason. Thank you boys for all you do.
What I love about the Shut up & Sit Down is the care and work they put into their videos. Not only the production. Every single video they treat like a special thing, with its own "story". With beginning middle and end. It's kinda funny to say this, but the writing on every video is VERY good. Their videos have souls. I watch some of the reviews more than once and get entertained every time. (War of the Ring is one of them, also Captain Sonar, Root, Treasure Island, Blood on the Clocktower, Great Western Trail... Not to mention the Megagame which is one of the best videos ever) Those videos mean a lot to me. Thank you Shut up & Sit Down.
Thank YOU
This was hilarious. You truly showed the emotions you got playing this game, and it was extremely well written overall. Even as a 25 minute long review, I still watched it, like, three times just laughing at it. Thank you!
play with a friend...HAHAHAHAHAH HA ...HA...Ha...ha *sobs*
Whiskers. if I get this game, would you play it with me?
ikr :(
If we lived near each other we could
Any gamers in Northern Colorado, hit me up.
You win, whiskers!
So I stumbled on this video and the RUclips channel. Well, I showed this to my friend and we decided to buy the game! (And now I can’t help but binge on this channel.) And you know what? This game really is time consuming. We spent HOURS setting it up and learning the rules. And then we spent hours to get HALFWAY through the game. So we’re going back this weekend to finish it. But, dang it, I can’t stop thinking about this game! Now that we know what we are doing, it feels really engaging. And the feelings and frustrations you talked about in the review are dead on. My buddy is looking at me march orcs across Middle Earth towards his elves and he’s panicking about how he doesn’t have enough soldiers. Meanwhile, I’m staring at all those strongholds thinking “I need more orcs! How am I supposed to get more orcs where I want them??!!” This game is tremendous fun.
0:30 Er... No, those weren't the Easterlings you were showing off there, they were the Haradrim, men from the South who rode atop the Mûmakil. Both the Easterlings and the Haradrim fought for Sauron in the War of th Ring but Sauron's special ability is controlling minds and dominating wills. The two Blue Wizards rallied the Easterlings who rejected the Dark Lord in Rhûn and started a rebellion, and the Haradrim were humanized by Sam in the books and Faramir in the films, by saying he wondered if they truly wanted to be here fighting for Sauron, and not instead to be with their families, and living happily and peacefully. Indeed they were deceived by Sauron or at worse were forced to fight.
Yeah i got a bit jaded by that explenation they presented, quite the disservice to Tolkien and his work.
We don't actually know anything about what the Blue Wizards did aside from "going East" but yeah, otherwise correct.
Also, it's highly implied that a big part of why the Haradrim are Allies to Sauron in the War of the Ring is that years ago the Kingsmen, Western Men who fell to evil, settled in the port of Umbar in the south and subjugated the native Southrons. The Haradrim are written rather sympathetically in the story and in the appendices; they are a people destabilised and exploited by the greedy and tyrannical colonialists who are being made to go to war against their own interests.
@@obihugzenobi wtf. No? I think you are mixing up Lotr with Eragon there. The Orcs where made from tortured Elves and are evil to the core. There is nothing redeemable about them, thats the whole point of them.
Shut up nerd
*singing* "where did I put my ring, have you seeeeeen my jeweeell'ry"
"My lord, i-im still here. I had other questions-"
"OH, ... SEND THEM EAST SARUMAN"
"Yes but how many? To send?"
"...loads"
"Ah, of course. Were you singing?"
"I'M VERY BUSY"
"Yes my lord"
This skit is unbelievably good
Bought this game on the back of this review ... me and my dad absolutely love it! Played around 6 games so far and like you both said neither of us have swapped sides yet!
👍
The Easterlings were never described as "dark skinned". They were described as being diverse and having skin colors from olive to sallow. Also they were in conflict with the Free Peoples long before orcs ever existed.
I got this game back in 2004 and played it a lot with the same friend. Its like you said: once both players got the rules, it is a great experience, and you can play it over and over again.
Sadly I ve never „trained“ a new player to this point, so the game is sitting in my shelf...
Watching your review made me laught (and cry... thinking at the good hours I spent with WotR)
Thank you!
You guys do the best reviews out there ever! Not only you very well can relay the feel of a game but it is crazy entertaining and fun to watch! I watch other channels to learn more about a game. I watch yours to have fun!
That bit with the pear made me a subscriber.
For me it was the chairscoot at 15:47
This really is my favourite of your videos. One, it got this game off the fence and into my collection. Two, it's probably the best job you've ever done waxing poetic, but with frustration (ROOT comes close), but also I just love how the camera continues rolling a touch over long, and just how much of YOU I feel is in this video. Great watch and much appreciated.
Bent elves? Are there any other kind?
Its okay I can make that joke I'm half-elvish
Underrated comment right here officer!
Jim Ticka Have you chosen to be apart of the race of men? Or are you one of the eternal eldar?
Bloody knife ears
Bought this game like a month ago and the beginning of this review made me think I made a mistake.
But the bobbits saved my hopes and dreams.
You've bought yourself the best game there is IMO. Get a friend you see regularly who'd be into it and as the chaps say, play it often enough so that you recall the rules and little things. I have about 800 games and this is my most played and most loved, amazing in so many ways.
This is the best game ever.
I've finally found myself some free time (and opponents) and played three games. So far, it's amazing. I can't seem to get this game out of my head, I just want to play it again.
PS. I'm a huge fan of the movie trilogy (that was the main reason I've bought the game) and I think this might actually be my favourite board game ever.
@@Duchu26 you should reading the books
@@tigermuppetcut what are your top 10 games??
"You're expected to know what the Book of Mazarbul is; which sounds like someone who tried to pretend they're allowed to be in the library, when actually they're quite drunk" !! LOL
Have to agree with a lot of this, even if it is now my favourite game. I'm a big Tolkien fan and this game is hands down the most fun I've had with any LotR game in any format, mostly because it feels like LotR. There are so many references to things from the books and so many interesting things that can happen, that no two games will play out in the same way.
I first played this with my sister, also a LotR fan. We had a first experience very similar to you guys; we both went away quite frustrated at the game and not really sure we'd ever touch it again. But then we talked the next morning, and had that feeling of 'we know we can do better next time' and what I really love about this game, is that this feeling never really goes away. Whether you win or lose the game, there are going to be moments you look back on and think 'I should've done something differently' and that's such a huge thing for me in gaming. You know that it wasn't your only choice, nothing forced you to attack that stronghold on that turn, but your impatience ended up with your attacking troops getting decimated.
The cards are great fun too, it plays into the unpredictability of it all. You know how many units your enemy has in a given place, but they could well turn around and play a card that renders your own leaders completely useless, greatly weakening the effectiveness of your army. And I love that, I love this idea that there's always more to things than it seems.
I also love the dice. I love the idea that they're your resources for the turn and you don't get to choose what you get. As someone once said "all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us" and this is what I mean; the whole game is a huge love letter to fans of the books.
My sister and I also had this moment where we had set up for another game, this time we were going to switch sides. But when it came to it, we both wanted to play the same side again, and trying out new strategies and seeing if our luck could turn.
In one of our first games, she felt crippled by the lack of dice, so in the next game she split Strider off within the first two turns of the game, and soon enough he went to Gondor and became Aragorn, giving her the extra die she had been craving. Yet on the very next turn, she made an attempt to take back Pelargir from my forces with Aragorn leading the charge, and as a result, he was killed and she immediately lost that die. It's one of those moments that we'll never forget because while it was hilarious to me, it was heartbreaking for her because she thought she was doing it 'right' this time, that by expanding her own opportunities and taking a more active approach, that maybe she could buy enough time for the Ringbearers, or maybe even counterattack. But in the end, the strategy she had been obsessing over in her mind was cut short because one combat didn't go her way and because I had played a card she had no way of knowing I had.
And all of these are reasons I love this game. I love all the tiny facets of it, but it is certainly not for everyone. I love the dice as resources, and the fact that as the Shadow player, you're fighting Sauron's obsession with the Ring, and all you want to do is take this stronghold but you can't because Sauron is fixating on the Ring for the third turn in a row. I love the constant hiding, moving and hunting of the Fellowship, the way companions can split off or be killed off, the way companions can advance nations to be at war, or lend their strength to combats. I love that you can retreat into sieges and that sieges take extra time and effort from the attacking player that they don't want to spend. But I think the people who will get the most out of this game are those who are huge LotR fans, especially of the books. Film fans will probably enjoy it too, but I think for maximum enjoyment, anyone who loves the books and who knows all the places and races and all these little events that are referenced, will have the most fun with it.
TL;DR
This game is fantastic if you're a LotR fan, especially if you love the books and as these guys have said; it's deep and engaging and you'll end up obsessing over what you could've done differently after every session of play
Great write up! Your writing skills had me fully engaged throughout! Thanks! :)
@@pixxelwizzard Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
This is a amazing review and a amazing channel hope you guys get a lot bigger
And enjoy yourselves for as long as possible
17:00 'like a waterproof cloak or a magic biscuit'
I am amused and annoyed at the same time.
This game is wonderful! I played this with my brother who lived with me for a year like every week for about a year. We NEVER got tired of it, if anything we liked it more and more and more. Then we got the expansions and it got EVEN BETTER. I have played easily 100+ games of this and it is super fun and enjoyable every single time I play (with my brother, everyone else we play against we have to chill out and not trash them in the first 4 rounds) But if you have one nerdy friend close by, this is easily one of the best boardgames you could ever play.
This one made a subscriber out of me- and it was only the last few seconds, the delivery of "And next week... War of the Ring!" that really made me go "Yeah, I gotta watch more of these guys." :-) Great video- informative, entertaining, and perfect for a major board game geek and minor Tolkien geek!
Just played my first game of War of the Ring!
Turn One, I had the Elves immediately go to war, while my opponent had Sauron go to war, then began moving his forces from Dol Goldur and Moria to Lorien.
Turn 2, Lorien fell and my opponent gained 2 victory points. Simultaneously, elves from Rivendell and the Woodland Realm each moved 2 spaces towards the now-empty strongholds.
Turn 3, they arrived, and my opponent could not recover.
What a great game!
Somehow, it makes every single battle and movement completely critical, so few games make that happen.
I've watched this several times over the years because it is just one the best board game reviews I've ever seen. Brilliant!
Pure comedy gold. Bravo, gents! I watched with my kids and they laughed themselves silly. One of the greatest RUclips channels.
If you read the Silmarrilion, the Easterlings and such are actually just a fraction of the people from that part of Middle Earth. Most of them were pretty chill, and their ancestors fought alongside the 'Elf Friends' (early humans from whom the Numenoreans came, and yes I know I butchered the spelling). It's not Tolkien's fault no one read the whole story.
i adore that cheese-and-tomato tower like you wouldn't believe
You guys remind me of Richard Hammond (Matt ) and Jeremy Clarkson 😂 great chemistry, great story telling, speech and cadence 👏🏻 new subscriber
Just found this channel and I must say, its very interesting. SUBSCRIBED! Now time to surf through more of this channels content XD
Right that monologue towards the end about the humanity earned you a subscribe. Class job
The expansion of the first edition "Battles of the Third Age" is also amazing with two standalone scenario's to play (Battle of Helms Deep & Minas Tirith)
I've watched this review SEVERAL times knowing full well I could never convince anyone I know to play with me. But I find this video so mesmerising 😅
Lol id okay it with you
@michaelwilber774 well that's certainly a step in the right direction! The next obstacle is whether or not I need to buy a new passport in order to get a game started?! Lol
@@khorney202 haha that's alot of work
@michaelwilber774 it will be alot of work unless you use a 'u' when you spell the word colour? 😅
"On, on they went"
Epic game. Its one of the best boardgames ever made.
I was hesitant to watch this review for awhile because this is one of my favourite games, and I was afraid you guys would hate it. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it,and can still recommend it even if it's a niche game. Keep up the great videos!
Saruman the Shower Robe
He should have gone for Showerman
19:24 Is that supposed to be the Gold Saucer theme? (FFVII for those wo don't know)
recognized it immediately lol
>Easterlings, remember them?
You don't remember them brother, because those are Haradrim figs.
Lost it at 'bobbits'!
Don't forget the most important Bobbit of all... Brave little Frolo
GenestealerUK Frolo - the King of Bobbits
I assumed it was "bobitts" as in John and Lorena Bobitt.
Now, every time someone in the LOTR movies says "Hobbits", I will replace it with "bobbits" in my head.
That little git
I will never play this game. Thank you for giving me a chance to live vicariously through you both :)
That was the most entertaining board game reviews ever. Just found you guys. Subscribing as fast as a bobbit can...do something very bobbitish.
You guys are brilliant!!! Your review is a perfect balance of information and entertainment. Bravo!
That dissing on the Haradrim early in the video feels like someone wanted to make a joke and didn’t know the lore context behind it.
There’s a story reason why the Haradrim were allied with the orcs. And it has to do with a theme you find even throughout the movies: corrupting of the race of men, regardless of affiliation or geographic location.
Thanks, I am happy to find others enjoying this gem. Impressed how accurate and almost living page after page adventures is possible with this game. Same as you, I don't play it often but did decide to keep it among my fav board game ever.
Loving the golden saucer theme tune singing when presenting the expansions.
the way you guys explain the rules and how to play was simplistic but fun so you earned yourself a new subscriber, my friends and i do game nights once a month, and often the rules take hours to get everyone going. don't know if i want to buy this or not.
Can you please do a play though of this game?!
Props for the Final Fantasy VII Golden Saucer song you sang during the expansions introduction :) You guys are awesome and hilarious. Thanks for the wonderful content!
8:01 "The Fetaship"
Makes sense, since Saruon's tower is made of feta cheese.
I have one of the original copies of War of the Rings from the 1980's. No figures just hundreds of little card board pieces.
"Aspirations that make you feel warm are inportant".
Thank goodness. My board game collection relies on this
After that "tomato fiery eye" I just had to suscribe myself 😄
I actually teared up at the sacrifice of those little blue plastic Gondor soldiers. Big damn heroes, those guys.
Love this review my buddy and I have been playing this game for 3 years now and have probably played upwards of 300 times. My all time favorite board game. The more you play the more fun it gets, one you get this massive game down there are 2 expansions adding even more, but once they're added and you understand them there is no going back. We can setup in about 5 minutes, even after 2 years of playing we were still finding rules we didn't know about. I have so many stories, and don't worry I play other board games. Again great review!!
I wish someone will make digital version of this boardgame for pc.
I feel like this game would be amazing online with when you looked at a card that mentioned a place, there would be a ‘look at’ or view option that would highlight the area.
I thought I was the only person that injured his back setting un boardgames at 30 years old. Much love from Perú!
I have never played this game but who doesn't know where Minas Morgul is? xD
as kids, we used to start a game during vacation, leave it on the table and come back to it whenever we weren't playing outside or whatever, great times
I heard those opening notes and I was like Nobbel87 is that you?
Thanks for that! I was trying to so hard to remember where that music is from!
I searched for this comment because I couldn't have been the first to say it!
Ohhh! I played this 4 years back while living in brno. My friend bought this and we played for days... Such a great game, thanks for posting this!
Hilarious and informative review. You, guys, are the best :) !
Ya know, being a lifelong Tolkien super nerd, it didn't even occur to me that some of those problems you mentioned, would actually be problems, like the lack of flavor text, or no helping to find where a certain region is. I went into this game just...knowing. The moral: Make sure at least one of your gaming buddies knows their way around Middle Earth if you undertake this bad boy.
Like the bit talking about stakes of the game and story. It's exactly how it was in the books. The stakes are huge. You feel like Frodo is going to die for 3 books. As a big fantasy reader, not many fantasy books recapture this. Good for the game.
“Managed to Injure my back during the setup” lmfao. Dang this game is intense.
Reference pear sighting!
Isn't it suppose to be a banana for scale?
banana for scale dammit
Calling the Elven woodland Loreal would be the best non copyright description ever.
This was a very fair and cnosiderate review. That's what I like about you guys. The criticism, far from detracting me from the game, made me aware of the limitations/requirements inherent to the game, and I ended up buying it. Playing bi-monthly with the wife now :)
Watching this has brought sunshine to my day. Liked and subscribed.
"Noisy Gothic Seagulls."
Love it
Excellent review and so true. As an actual Hobbit (and at least in a couple of scenes Frodo in LotR movies) I have only played the Peoples and no matter how many times I have played this game a tangible sense of dread falls over me from Turn 1.
This is my top board game - with Nemesis and Kingdom Death Monster coming very close behind.
1. You can leave your borders when not at war. You can't cross other nations' borders.
2. You have to be activated to enter "at war" box.
Are there borders between a country and not-a-country?
NoName there are neutral lands that u can go into at any time.
Border on the board might as well be called a boarder :D. No need to be rude ;)
I'm watching this video for the third time in my life now... Why? Because you guys are hilarious!
So it’s Total War: Third Age, but in board game form. Sounds awesome
Longtime fan here and I think you guys levelled up. This review was amazing. Up there with the Descent review for me.
I don’t even play board games, nor do I want too. But I found this fascinating.