The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth | The Epic 2-Player Strategy Board Game | A Legendary Battle for Middle-Earth | Simple to Learn Fun for Fantasy Fans | Ages 10+, 30 Mins

This is a brilliant game for those who are fans and those who aren’t. The artwork on the cards is stunning and the game mechanics are clear and well-executed. So pleased with this!

This was my first Duel game and as a lover of Lord of the Rings I couldn’t have picked a better one. Firstly it’s not too complex which allowed me and my partner to pick up and play quite quickly. It has a bunch of different victory conditions which adds to the depth and replay-ability. Great value for money as it’s now one of our go to games and gets tabled very frequently.

I played this at Christmas with my son who is a big tabletop gamer and understands all these sorts of things better than I! The first run through of the game was slow and laborious, and required many frequent trips to the instructions. The instructions were not bad, and there is a link to a good video online also, but it's still a lot to process. Once you have played once, subsequent games are much better flowing and quite fast moving. The quality of the board and pieces etc is great, not premium not not at all skimpy and thin plastic/card etc. It's a lot of fun to play, and if you have an LOTR nerd in your house, then they (like I) will enjoy the setting. It says 2 player, but was easy to play on 2 teams of 2, collaborating on the best strategy with a teammate etc. Really enjoyed it, and also enjoyed the compact box size - easy to store!

Really fun game, immersive artwork (it's not something I'd normally pay attention to but it looks great). It's a game that seems pretty complicated when you're first explaining it, lots of win conditions, lots of different mechanics but my wife and I picked it up like halfway through the first game. Once you've played it once the rules come second nature and as you play more the strategy starts to emerge which makes it really replayable. As a LOTR fan, love the added theme. Really works well with the mechanics of the game

A must have for any LOTR fan. The only downfall is the game instructions aren't very clear. Recommend watching a how to play on YouTube. The artwork for game looks great

Really good 2-player game with high production values. It is a re-implementation of 7 Wonders Duel, but the little battle map and the theme are quite different, making it easy to pull out instead of 7 Wonders without actually replacing it. If you haven't played 7 Wonders Duel, this game is essentially played across 3 rounds, with each player choosing to either be Sauron or The Fellowshipe. Players draw cards from a laid-out "pyramid" in turn order, trying to either put armies on the little "battle board", collect ring cards to "more the hobbits closer to Mount Doom" or "catch the hobbitses". You can also ally yourself with the various races (for some neat bonuses), collect money, collect "skills" or money, and buy "fortresses" to secure locations on the battle map. There's a lot going on, but it is quick and breezy and doesn't overstay its welcome.

Pros: Beautiful artwork, easy to learn, quick to play, great LOTR theme, multiple winning conditions, everything fits in the box tidy, the different cards per chapter keeps the game interesting, a lot of replayability due to the 2 different sides and variation of cards and winning conditions. Cons: Only for 2 players (I'd love an equivalent for up to 4 players).

We have never played this sort of game before but wanted to try getting into card/board/strategy games. We loved this, it is so easy to pick up and there are so many different ways to play and win. Definitely a great game to enter into this format

The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth takes the familiar rhythm of 7 Wonders Duel and refreshes it with clever mechanical shifts and a well-integrated theme. The difficulty level isn’t significantly higher, but it definitely has more going on tactically — between the area control, tower building, and dynamic race icon bonuses, every decision feels like it carries a bit more weight. I especially appreciate that repeat turns are much rarer here. When you do get one, it’s a meaningful swing, not a multi-turn combo that forces your opponent to sit in stunned silence while you build an empire. This keeps the pacing snappy and cuts down on the mental gymnastics required to plan five turns ahead just to survive. The resource economy also feels less punishing — your opponent hoarding wood doesn’t suddenly triple your costs, and gold maintains its value without becoming a discard snowball. Replayability is strong thanks to asymmetrical leaders and evolving strategies across plays. On the visual side, the Nazgûl and Hobbit tracks are surprisingly adorable, and the artwork overall nails a tone that’s both epic and approachable. It's the kind of box that looks good on your shelf and plays well in a 30-minute session — portable, quick to set up, and endlessly replayable. If you're a fan of 7 Wonders Duel or just want a great two-player game with solid replay value, satisfying tactics, and lovingly Middle-earth-flavored art, this one hits the mark.

WONDERFUL GAME. If you’re already familiar with 7 wonder duel of Bruno Cathala & Antonie Buzza you’ll absolutely love it. It’s less agressive tho. Bruno is a genius designing Norse’s games!!! I have 7 games of his.

This was a present for my son (more to play with my grandson really) It arrived well in time and looked really good, I might buy another to have in the house.

I would recommend this game! So fun and easy to learn. Has great replayability. Its a quick 2 player game that we bring out and play when we want to enjoy a good game.

But, there are better games if you are a LOTR fan (Fate of the Fellowship). The game is quick and fun to play. The parts feel nice. There are 3 ways to win the game, but both players cannot compete for the same victory due to the limited number of cards. But, I would not say it to be a drawback.