![\"Der](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/hdrgef_t.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Publisher<\/b>: Ravensburger<\/p>\n
Author<\/b>: Reiner Knizia<\/p>\n
Tester<\/b>: Aaron Haag<\/p>\n
Game Tested<\/b>: 2001 release<\/p>\n
Scenario<\/b>: Frodo and his friends Sam, Merry and Pippin flee through the towns of
\nMiddlearth to prevent Sauron from taken the ring back from him. Two to four players play
\ncharacter cards for each town in order to receive victory points.<\/p>\n
The Game<\/b>: Although designed by the same author this game is not an extension or
\nsequel to the “Lord Of The Rings” game series published by Kosmos\/Hasbro. In
\nfact, there is very little reference in the game mechanics to the Lord of the Rings theme
\nand one may assume that Ravensburger decided to use the current LotR hype for marketing
\nreasons only as the game itself is an abstract card-laying game. The cards use
\nphotographs of characters of the LotR movie and this may explain the relatively high
\nprice.<\/p>\n
Up to four players use identical sets of 22 cards to gain control over 10 towns of
\nMiddlearth. To do this players in sequence place cards next to the two cards representing
\na town from their hand. ![\"Das](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/hdrgef.jpg\")
Of the 22 cards each player receives 6
\nrandomly drawn cards. Once all ten spaces surrounding a town are occupied players earn
\npoints depending on their relative strength in that town. Each character card has a value
\nbetween 0 and 5. Players may play any number of cards valued 1 or<\/b> one higher
\nvalued card. The one card with value 0 and the Nazg\u00fbl may be played in addition. All
\ncharacter card values of a player on the cards bordering the currently scoring town are
\nadded up and the top scoring players receive the victory points printed on the town card.
\nAdditionally, some towns provide a “ring” to the strongest player. Such a ring
\nmay be used in subsequent turns to protect a character just played. In addition most
\nrings provide special powers that influence the character cards played in a town or the
\ntown itself.<\/p>\n
The player who placed the card which initiated the scoring of a town is the first
\nplayer to place a new town on the table. The two cards of the new town must be placed
\nnext to each other and next to already placed character cards. This means that characters
\ncan score twice in a game. It is therefore a considerable advantage to place the last
\ncard for a town because only then one is able to place the new town cards in a favorable
\nposition.<\/p>\n
Some towns (black) are more dangerous than others (white) because in black towns
\nstronger character cards may be placed on top of already played cards. And there is the
\nNazg\u00fbl card of which each player has exactly one. The Nazg\u00fbl is used to remove an already
\nplayed card from the table. Frodo (value 3) is however always protected by the ring
\nagainst being covered up or being removed.<\/p>\n
The game ends when either the last (tenth) town has been completed or all but one
\nplayer have run out of cards.<\/p>\n
Playing Time<\/b>: The game can be explained in about 5 minutes. Playing time is 20
\nto 45 minutes.<\/p>\n
Similar Games<\/b>: Samurai<\/a>, Corruption<\/a><\/p>\n Westpark Gamer’s Opinion<\/b>: Besides the fact that the game’s atmosphere The victory points per town vary from the lesser valued towns (5 points total plus 1 “Finishing” a town by placing a card on the last free space is of a Aaron’s Rating<\/b>: 6 (out of 10)<\/p>\n Westpark Gamers’ Rating<\/b>: 4<\/p>\n
\nbears no resemblance to LotR whatsoever, which may disappoint players looking exactly for
\nthis, “Die Gef\u00e4hrten” is not a bad game at all. Due to the nature of card games
\nthere is an element of luck but the game mechanics provide sufficient room for tactics
\nand timing. I personally believe that the game is rather more complex than one may think
\nafter one has played it just once or twice – a typical Knizia so to say.<\/p>\n
\nrings) in the beginning to the higher valued towns (13 points) towards the end of the
\ngame. Some careful resource management with respect to character cards is asked for here.
\nIt is also quite important to keep an eye on the card layout on the table. First, this
\nprovides valuable information about the cards other players are still able to play;
\nsecondly, one must avoid that one player gains many “high-valued” sides for
\nplacing new towns and thirdly, the edge of the table is often approaching faster then one
\nmay think. It is a good idea to agree beforehand how this last situation is dealt with –
\neither towns may only be placed where it is possible to play all character cards (not
\nquite to the rules though) or the cards are shifted on the table (not as easy as it
\nsounds). On smaller tables I suggest you move to the floor anyway.<\/p>\n
\nconsiderable advantage in this game. On the one hand it enables a player to tip the
\nscales in this town by playing a high valued card and gaining higher victory points and
\non the other hand it enables a player to decide upon the location of the next town. This
\n“double scoring effect” is what makes the game rather complex and which forces
\nthe players to carefully think and plan ahead. As a consequence there may be very little
\nplayer interaction and a lot of thinking and calculating in a group of
\n“serious” gamers.<\/p>\n