Trashdome - War Of The Ring vs SW: Queens Gambit

WELCOME TO TRASHDOME!

This is part of a series of bloody matches to the death. Show support for your favorite game so it will do better in the fight. You can support it by writing why you think its the better game and more importantly by betting on it. End your first post in this thread with the title of the game you're placing a bet on (i.e. voting for) so its clear to me when reading it later. You have until Friday when I tally the bets and declare the winner. The winning game may return for future matches, the loser will be dead. I will reserve my vote for any tie-breakers.

Although you should be familiar with both games, there is no rule that says you have to have played both of them. The only rule in Trashdome is this;

Two games enter! One game leaves!

Ken is going to hate you for pairing these two together.

Personally this is an easy vote for War of the Ring. Deeper, better looking, more satisfying.

VOTE: War of the Ring, no doubt about it.

One of my favourite games of all time. Tense, nail-biting action to the very last second. Some games do seem to end on the result of the final die roll, but for me, that's a sign of incredible game balance, not just a luck-filled dice-a-roo. The luck of the card draw is just as important as the results of the dice, and over such a longish game, it evens out pretty well.

I've never played Queen's Gambit, and the $80 price tag on eBay is too much for me. Sure, it sounds exciting, but so do many of my other games which I don't get to play enough. If I found a forgotten copy in a store, I'd probably buy it without a second thought though.

I suppose the single most attractive feature of both games is the attractive narrative flow throughout the entire game play.

Ironically, WotR was my gateway game to the Euro scene, which tolled the death-knell for my Warhammer addiction.

I doubt I'll ever get a chance to play SW:QG, which is a shame. It looks like a fun time, but the Trashdome is ruthless and unforgiving, so I vote for WAR OF THE RING.

Great theme, mostly top-notch components, and terrific gameplay. An all-timer for sure. You'd have to pry this game out of my cold, dead hands.

The winner by a mile: Star Wars: The Queens Gambit


Star Wars: The Queens Gambit is a blueprint on how to make a big box thematic game. It holds a noble distinction in the world of gaming in that it is one of the few games that is better than the movie it is based on.

The game earns a gold medal in BALANCE! Yes, it is so well balanced that all the games I have played it has always come down to the wire.

The components kick the ass of any game and the multi levels are intriging enough to make even Spock smile.

There is a lot going on in this game, 3 battles at once and with so much going on the complexity was scaled back and the fun factor was scaled up which always make for the best games!

War of the Ring is a mish mash of over complex rules, cards jammed with too much text and an uninspired game that pales in comparison to the trilogy of movies. While I will admit this game is much better than the coop Lord of the Rings game, it is still too long and dry.

The best Lord of the Rings game, is Lord of the Rings:The Confrontation

War of the Ring. I haven't played the other title but WotR immerses you in theme almost like no other game... it's absolutely brilliant, from the cards incorporating elements of the book, to the way the race for Mt. Doom is handled through the tile draw, which leaves you chewing off your fingers in anticipation of more deadly corruption. Also, love how the individual characters come through and can impact the game. Aragorn, Gandalf, Saruman etc. are much better implemented in this one, than say a certain Conan in the Age of...

Not as easy as it looks.

Both are great games, full of theme and direct narrative transposition. Both have that change-in-scale thing going on that I really like that enables the games to depict multiple layers and sizes of conflicts. WotR has an innovative dice-based action system, QG is really a Richard Borg-style card activation game in disguise.

The argument for WotR is that it's the richer, more strategically rewarding game.

The argument for QG is that it's more accessible and probably more fun to play.

The argument against WotR is that it's a little opaque and pretty complex for what it is.

The argument against QG is that it's a little scripted-feeling and some parts are better implemented than others.

But QG has a deciding factor: Gungans. There's nothing that lame in WotR. This one goes to WotR based on the Gungan factor alone.

Hmm. This thread made me take a close look at Queen's Gambit for the first time, and I must say I'm impressed.

However...

Vote: War of the Ring

I haven't played the Queen's Gambit, though it looks like my kind of game. I gotta support my favorite 2 player game of all time, though.

As for the source material:
Lord of the Rings > Episode I

I haven't played either game, though I studied both of them carefully as potential acquisitions. I'm slightly biased because I played the original War of the Ring many years ago, and I can see vast improvements in the FFG version, despite some mistakes involving components.

They are both solid AT games with strong themes, which is a huge plus for me. And both games are flawed in their own ways. Ultimately, for me, it comes down to theme. Like Aarontu said, LotR is much better source material than Episode 1, so the strong theme is more enjoyable in War of the Ring. Also, Queens Gambit looks a little bit too Fisher-Price with that palace section of the layout.

Looks like availability is a strong advantage in WotR's favour, as a bunch of us have never played it before.

Edit: it = Queen's Gambit.

Yeah, that may be the case...QG was from 2000, and it really wasn't available for that long. It's not outrageously expensive, but I'd not be surprised to see it fetching $300+ in the next 5-10 years. A reprint is almost impossible.

I haven't played WotR yet, therefore:
Vote - Star Wars

LvT

War of the Ring.

HOW IN THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE THIS SHIT?!?!



Okay, fine.


WINNER: War of the Ring.


It is a tight contest. I have to go with the variance and wider array of options available in War of the Ring.

Queen's Gambit is a beautiful thrill ride, a real pleasure. Highly accessible. Awesome components. Better than the movie on which it is made from. However, it is constrained by comparison. Once you know what you're doing, games are going to play out similarly-ish.

But what fun it is.


So the slight nod is in WotR's direction.



These are my two favorite games. MAD DOG, YOU BASTARD~!