What do you "assign" to the Shire?

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by TGEW

I assign listening to the LotR soundtracks for the first time in a long while.

Seconded! Legate and I did that a few days ago and we also played the LotR board game and it was very nice, all of it.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

I assign Facebook status updates that send one rushing to book airline tickets over Christmas holidays.

How about status updates that instigate long discussions over who loves Lord of the Rings better, and who is the most dedicated Anglophile?

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Seconded! Legate and I did that a few days ago and we also played the LotR board game and it was very nice, all of it.

I wish I had a LotR board game.... But it's nice that Downers can get satisfaction and joy out of simple things like that!

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

I wish I had a LotR board game.... But it's nice that Downers can get satisfaction and joy out of simple things like that!

If you ever come to Finland we can play it. *nudgenudge*

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

I wish I had a LotR board game....

Make your own.

It'll be a lot more fun than anything you buy at the store...

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

Make your own.

It'll be a lot more fun than anything you buy at the store...

True, but it's a lot easier to buy a ready made one... projects like that tend to remain unfinished... (*remembers a not so distant plan of a game where players are nazgûls looking for the Ring and can for example meet Tom Bombadil and have tea with him* )

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

True, but it's a lot easier to buy a ready made one... projects like that tend to remain unfinished... (*remembers a not so distant plan of a game where players are nazgûls looking for the Ring and can for example meet Tom Bombadil and have tea with him* )

I guess it depends on how complicated it is... Three friends and I put one together in the space of three hours over the same number of days. It was simple, but it was amazing... largely because sometimes it involved doing very, very silly things like Dwarvish Victory Dances and spazzing a la film!Galadriel.

Unfortunately when we parted one another's company we had to split the pieces of the game in memory of the amazing times we had. I got the best part of all (the "action cards") but later passed it on when I knew I wouldn't be able to see anyone else in the group again.

Doesn't mean I don't remember exactly how it went and couldn't 1). instruct people or 2). make another one at any time...



Personally, though, I still want someone to come out with a Risk: Beleriand game.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Seconded! Legate and I did that a few days ago and we also played the LotR board game and it was very nice, all of it.

Which one? We've got a few now. I enjoy the trivia based one best because I like quizzes, but the others are pretty good, plus the artwork is rather nice and they're worth having for that alone. The big War of the Ring one cannot go up though now, with The Whirlwind about and lots of little plastic figures and dice he can eat.

Errr, to keep it on topic.......I send Board Games to The Shire!

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Which one? We've got a few now. I enjoy the trivia based one best because I like quizzes, but the others are pretty good, plus the artwork is rather nice and they're worth having for that alone. The big War of the Ring one cannot go up though now, with The Whirlwind about and lots of little plastic figures and dice he can eat.

Errr, to keep it on topic.......I send Board Games to The Shire!

It has a separate main storyline board and adventure boards (Moria, Helm's Deep, Shelob's Lair and Mordor), you play as a team and the artwork is by John Howe. Does that ring any bells?

And as for assignations, Leonard Cohen belongs to the Shire although I'm not sure if that'd be his favourite place.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

It has a separate main storyline board and adventure boards (Moria, Helm's Deep, Shelob's Lair and Mordor), you play as a team and the artwork is by John Howe. Does that ring any bells?

And as for assignations, Leonard Cohen belongs to the Shire although I'm not sure if that'd be his favourite place.

That's one we've got too, it's a strange game but once you play, it's great fun. You can get 'expansion packs' for it too, but we've only got the Sauron one so far, the Friends and Foes one is quite hard to find.

The little individual battles games are worth having if you can find them, we've got a 'Balrog Battle' one we bought in a London games shop when we were there for a few days a couple of years ago, and ended up playing that instead of going out

[The Saucepan Man]

Tolkein-based board games definately belong in the Shire.

Lommy, you mean the LotR collaborative game, right?

Lord of the Rings

Haven't played it for a while, but it's a cracker - and most challenging (especially, I think, for two players).

The there's the War of the Ring, an absolutely fantastic game, which recreates both the Fellowship's Quest to destroy the Ring and the tactical skirmishes and battles taking place at the same time. What's more, the Battles of the Third Age expansion allows you to recreate the battles of Helm's Deep and Pelennor Fields.

And then there is the latest in the set - Middle Earth Quest - a game set in the 17 year period between Bilbo's eleventy-first Birthday Party and the departure of Frodo and company on the Quest of the Ring. The characters are invented, but the situations which arise in the game are familiar. I have only played it a few times so far, but I am impressed with how well the game designers have brought to life a period which is really only referred to in the back story sections of LotR.

I should add that I do not work for Fantasy Flight Games - on the contrary, they have done well from me over the years - but it is fair to say that they are the premiere producers of Tolkien-themed board games. In consequence of which, I hereby consign them to the Shire.

[Hakon]

I assign Twilight Zone Conferences to the shire. I am at one now and it is great. I got to meet some great guys and I got to meet George Clayton Johnson. I will elaborate if anyone wants me to.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I assign having enough money in the bank to buy a two way ticket to Britain.

I also assign the Uncyclopaedia article for Maxwell Edison. It makes me happy!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

Lommy, you mean the LotR collaborative game, right?

Lord of the Rings

Haven't played it for a while, but it's a cracker - and most challenging (especially, I think, for two players).

Yeah, that was the one. I really liked it, it's brilliant. And I think it is quite challenging for two players, at first I wondered if it's possible to get to the end at all. (Although on second try we - or Lommy Gamgee, respectively, after poor me heroically sacrificed myself to be eaten by Sauron - made it almost to Mount Doom - although I think in the end, it's always "almost" and even one step closer makes a big difference.)

And then there is the latest in the set - Middle Earth Quest - a game set in the 17 year period between Bilbo's eleventy-first Birthday Party and the departure of Frodo and company on the Quest of the Ring. The characters are invented, but the situations which arise in the game are familiar. I have only played it a few times so far, but I am impressed with how well the game designers have brought to life a period which is really only referred to in the back story sections of LotR.

Hmm, that actually looks very interesting. I might as well try to get my hands on that.

And well, you may not be working for the company, but maybe you could ask them to give you some small reward after such large scale advertising I agree with you, though. Most importantly of all for me, the games are not just movie-based.

P.S. Should we assign SpM's return to the Shire...?

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

P.S. Should we assign SpM's return to the Shire...?

I was actually just about to.


Or we could make it more general and just assign all returns to the Downs by old members.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

I should add that I do not work for Fantasy Flight Games - on the contrary, they have done well from me over the years - but it is fair to say that they are the premiere producers of Tolkien-themed board games. In consequence of which, I hereby consign them to the Shire.

Just be very, very careful if you visit games shop Orc's Nest off Shaftesbury Avenue because you will have your bank manager holding his head in despair (but will probably be helping the economy, or something). Follow that with a trip to Forbidden Planet up the road and you'll be single-handedly getting us out of recession.