The Lord of the Rings TCG: How it has Positively Changed Peoples' Lives!
Lao_of_Gondor @ 5:55 pm EST

Hey gang! Usually I report in with strategy guides, FAQ's and a host of all other sorts of LOTR TCG related gaming material. But today is different. Today, I would like speak to all of you with a different voice - a voice of reflection.

The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game is so many things to so many people. For the competitive player, it is the chance to seek out paths of glory against skilled opponents and fierce competitors. For enthusiasts, it is an opportunity to collect yet another precious and timeless collectible to place alongside their numerous Tolkien based treasures, books, maps, photos and figurines. For the casual gaming fans, it is a pocket-sized travel-ready aspect of the literary work–perfectly suited for the occasional pick-up game where socializing is the goal, not winning.

And then for many others...including myself, it is all of the above, some aspects more than others - but most importantly–it is the way that has changed many personal areas of my life...for the better.

I have seen first-hand how other trading card game communities coexist. I have felt the gritty essence of the competitive spirit loosed upon tournaments and the players. I have seen these communities fall under the yoke of such strife! But thankfully, I have not seen much of this type of presence in our game. Quite the contrary. The Lord of the Rings TCG is THE game which has given us the opportunity as competitors, enthusiasts and fans to grow together as friends, to become closer as people and to share how the Lord of the Rings experience has influenced each one of our lives.

The Lord of the Rings TCG has brought us so many special, precious and life-affirming possibilities. It has provided us with possibly one of the most important life changing opportunities we seldomly ever take advantage of: the opportunity of meeting new people! For me personally, this game has given me more than I could have ever hoped for. Throughout the course of my career in this game, I have met and become friends with incredible people (including fellow TOR.n staffers Flinch, Quickbeam and Calisuri), become a Rider of Rohan (Decipher's Product Champion Program), become a staff member of TOR.n, and most importantly - I met one of my best friends, Ram Deleon, and recently became Godfather to his son - Samuel. Who knew that The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game could offer so much? Maybe it's new motto should be: One game - many blessings.

Here is another incredible story I would like all of you to really read. It is probably one of the most wonderful LOTR TCG life-changing tales I have ever read. This comes from the desk of Kyle Heuer:

Couple Gets Engaged Playing The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game

About four months ago Decipher was emailed a request by a player of The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game who was preparing to ask his long-time girlfriend to marry him. Mike Sugden and his girlfriend, Beth Brown, had grown very close while playing The Lord of the Rings TCG. The time they spent playing the game with each other meant so much to them both that he decided to propose while they played a game.

Mike's request was simple: would Decipher make a special card for him to propose to Beth with? Decipher responded with a resounding 'yes'.

Mike worked with us to develop the game text that would be on the card. He wanted Beth to have a choice for both the answer to his proposal and gameplay. Mike selected the culture, title, cost, card type, and game-text. Then the card, Will You Marry Me?, was ready.

Valentines Day (February 14) finally rolls around and Mike is set with his cards. He builds Beth's deck for her – as he usually does – but this time leaves out any card that would let her look at his hand. Mike needed to surprise her with the card and an untimely peek from Sting would ruin the whole proposal. About half way through the game Mike draws the card and a ring to play it with. Mike is incredibly nervous at this point, but is ready to propose.

It becomes Mike's turn to play, but just as he is about to play the card to propose there is a knock at the door. Beth's best friend dropped by to hang out and chat. Mike is now stuck on the brink of proposing to the woman he loves! Twenty minutes later, after some coaxing from Mike, Beth's friend finally departs.

As Mike begins play, he plays a Sting to his Frodo and looks at Beth's hand. Mike wanted to make sure that Beth had plenty of minions to play so that there would be a real choice for her – there were five big minions for Beth to play. Mike plays the card and the ring for Beth, then adds 30 twilight into the pool. Beth gets confused and asks to read the card.

After a few moments of silence, Beth looks at Mike and asks, "Do you expect an answer right away?"

Mike responds, "We can leave it here in the Shadow phase for a bit."

Beth looks at the card again, then at Mike, then at the card again. She starts to cry. Through the tears she finally gave him his answer... "I won't play any minions."

Mike and Beth embrace.

Believe it or not, they continued the game after all that. Mike went on to win the game, but technically Beth won as Mike had an illegal deck. Sorry Mike, have to give it to her :)

I had the pleasure of talking with Beth since the proposal and I asked her what she thought of all this. She said it was perfectly "geeky-romantic" and she is very happy. She did say that she was disappointed that she couldn't play any of her minions, because she would have smashed him with what she had in her hand.

Congratulations to both of you.

Kyle Heuer
Promotions Coordinator

To view the article in it's entirety and to see the custom made proposal card, please click HERE

The "Proposal" card is precious in a very, very special way, and I think Decipher deserves a great deal of acclaim for responding to this type of deep personal request. I mean, this falls right in line with some of the great proposal gestures of all time! Most importantly however is that two fans' lives have been incredibly changed forever thanks to what essentially is just a "simple trading card game". Wow, stories like this really pull at the heartstrings!

If you have a story on how the Lord of the Rings has positively affected your life in one form or another, please share it with us. We would love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading,

Lao of Gondor