Middle-earth

A 1995 Tolkien card game where wizards send companies across Middle-earth while hazards trip up the other side.

Designer: Coleman Charlton
Published by: 999 Games
Editions by: Queen Games, Stratelibri, Joc Internacional, ACE Pelit Oy, Hexagonal, Iron Crown Enterprises

In this 1995 collectible card game from Iron Crown Enterprises, you are one of the Istari, the Wizards of Middle-earth, and your goal is to bring the greatest strength against the Shadow. You build a deck of resource cards (allies, items, factions, quests) and hazard cards that you throw at your opponent's company as it travels. Quests range from rescuing prisoners to the grand finale, the destruction of the One Ring. The twist is half your deck helps you and half harasses the other player, so every journey is a mix of racing and ambushing. The game is long out of print, a cult favorite for people who love the books and enjoy deckbuilding from a collection.

Play one of the Istari, the WizardsDecks split between resources and hazardsQuests from rescues to destroying the One Ring

Who it's for

You love Tolkien and collectible card games, and you want a deck-building duel that is as much about the journey as about the fight.

Not for you if…

You want something available at the store or a single-box game. It is out of print and collectible, so you will be hunting for cards.

Vibe's take

Journey-driven and cat-and-mouse. You advance your quests while spending the other half of your deck on trouble for your opponent, so every trip feels like a race with ambushes.