“Play as the Fellowship or Sauron and attempt to determine the fate of Middle-earth.”
Link: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/421006/the-lord-of-the-rings-duel-for-middle-earth
Playing Time: 30-45 Minutes
Weight: Light
Genre: Card Drafting
Designer: Antoine Bauza, Bruno Cathala
Players: 2
7 Wonders Duel is one of the best lightweight two-player games on the market, and the designers reworked it to create this little gem, one that both expands the original game as well as streamlining it, making a game that both speaks to fans of Lord of the Rings while losing none of it’s thinky charm.
The central engine is identical – players draft cards from a central pyramid of cards. The twist is simple, players can only draft cards that are fully uncovered, so drafting decisions center not only on what you’ll get but also what you leave exposed for your opponent to take. To further muddy the waters, the cards that are still partially covered may be face-up or face-down, meaning sometimes you’ll know what you’re giving your opponent and sometimes you’re flying blind.
The most welcome change to this addition is the replacement of the very abstract wargame with a very simple political map, where players can plant troops and towers in hopes of winning via dominance in Middle Earth. It’s very simple – this is no wargame – but still far more evocative of a true military battle and much more tangible for players to understand. It FEELS meatier, but it’s not, and that’s kind of where you want your light dueling games to live.
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