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The Rings of Rings

by Trevor McGregor
Marketing Coordinator, Organized Play

So what makes the latest version of The One Ring worthy of the name The Ring of Rings?

Is it the picture? Well, it is a very well done picture and looks incredible foiled. But I don't know if it is better than Isildur's Bane, The Ruling Ring, Answer to All Riddles, or Such A Weight To Carry. Not enough to make it the true Ring of Rings.

So it must be the lore, right? "'... ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul '" So while it is cool that it is in another language – the forbidden language of Sauron, the Black Tongue to be precise – what does it mean? It is from the passage where Gandalf tells Frodo about The One Ring. Points for being in a different language, but that passage has already been quoted on two different One Rings, so that isn't it.

If it isn't the picture or the lore, it must be the gameplay qualities. At first glance it doesn't jump right out as the Ring of Rings in terms of gameplay, but let's look a little closer and we will see that it has incredible gametext. It doesn't provide any extra vitality or strength for the Ring-bearer, so that brings it down a little. But it is the first One Ring to provide more Resistance, +2 at that! Mix this guy with the new version of Sam and you can have Frodo, Resolute Hobbit up to fifteen Resistance. The Ring of Rings will also help out all of your Resistance-challenged alternate Ring-bearers. So the resistance part is great, now onto the gametext. After two years of going with Skirmish and Maneuver timing to put on the One Ring, The Ring of Rings goes back to a Response. Like Isildur's Bane, it can respond at any time the Ring-bearer is about to take a wound. Different from Isildur's Bane, The Ring of Rings only adds one burden, not two. Not adding two burdens at a time will really help your Ring-bearer out if there is too much Archery or Regroup wounding coming your way.

Mix all of that together and you truly do have The Ring of Rings!

September 27, 2004