One Year* with the Took

So maybe not quite a year. More like a year and a week. Though it had a rough start, it was October last year that I decided to start writing a blog focused on the LOTR: LCG. I struggled with a lot of things, what do I write about, what do I call it, can I keep this up for a year, would anyone read it? Though I feel like I’ve succeeded in some areas, and still need improvement in others, it’s been an experience for which I am very thankful and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.

This article won’t be very long. In fact calling it an article might be a little much. I just wanted to make a quick post saying Thank You to everyone who has read the blog, liked the blog, offered insight (good or bad) and so on. I’ve played several hobby games in my life (Yugioh, Magic, Pokemon, DnD, etc) as well as several video games (I was really into Halo in the early 2000s). I can say, without a doubt, that this community is the most welcoming and most wonderful I have ever been proud to be a part of.

I’ve heard a lot of people talk about it (over forums or on podcasts) but being a cooperative game based on a property such as Lord of the Rings really attracts a certain kind of person, and I think it’s the kind of person I’d like to see across the table for other games more often and I think it’s the kind of person I like to lean towards when I feel myself being pulled in the opposite direction (looking at you M:TG).

I can’t wait to see what the rest of this year and next year brings. I can’t wait to see how this game will grow and I can’t wait to see how the community will change as well. Since I’ve started the blog I see more and more contributors to the community, either as guest writers or starting blogs of their own. This is a very encouraging observation and its something I hope to see even more of as time goes on. Thanks to blogs like Tales from The Cards and Hall of Beorn being the cornerstone of such a community, I think that it will indeed continue to grow in that direction.

Anyway, that’s enough of me being sentimental. I would like to reiterate my thanks for such an awesome community, and for the blogs mentioned above. If it weren’t for you and for podcasts like WWPD, COTR, and The Grey Company I don’t know if I would’ve had the resources or confidence to start this blog on my own. Lastly I want to say thank you to anyone who contributed to the site in any way, whether it be through comments or allowing me to interview you a la Brandon from COTR or Beorn from Hall of Beorn or from writers like Gwaihir!

Ok. I’m for real this time. No more sentimental nonsense! Thanks again all!

-The Secondhand Took

P.S. – In a nice, coming full circle, sort of way I was able to play the Road Darkens this past weekend with two of my best friends. One, who’s getting married this weekend by the way, has played a few games with me and is getting more hooked as time goes by. The other, who’s much newer to the game, is a big fan of the theme (granted so are me and my other friend). We have been stumped by this quest on several occasions. Sometimes we lost outright, other times life got in the way and we had to scoop before our outcome was decided. Thankfully, on Saturday morning at 10:00am we had plenty of time to lead Frodo across the Hollin Ridge to the Misty Mountains, dodging wargs and crebain and other foul things. We made it to the doors of Durin after losing one of our Heroes to the Lure of the Ring, only to be thrown further into Peril with the arrival of the Watcher and the kidnapping of our dear Ringbearer. Thanks to some small amount of luck we were able to release him from the clutches of the terrible beast and in one last push finally make it inside the doors, with the watcher just moments away from ending it all. It was an amazing experience to say the least…