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'''Middle-earth Collectible Card Game''' (MECCG) is a collectible card game released by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]] in late [[1995]]. It is the first CCG based on [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]], with added content from [[Iron Crown Enterprises|ICE]]'s [[Middle-earth Role Playing|Middle-earth Role Playing Game]].
[[IMAGE:meccg.jpg|frame]]


The cards used in the game feature original artwork by a multitude of artists, many of them longtime Tolkien illustrators such as [[John Howe]], [[Ted Nasmith]], [[Angus McBride]], et. al.
'''Middle-earth Collectible Card Game''' (MECCG) is a collectible card game released by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]] in late [[1995]]. It is the first CCG based on [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]], with added content from [[Iron Crown Enterprises|ICE]]'s [[Middle-earth Role Playing|''Middle-earth Role Playing'' game]].
 
The cards used in the game feature original artwork by a multitude of artists, many of them longtime Tolkien illustrators such as [[John Howe]], [[Ted Nasmith]], [[Angus McBride]], et al.


==Overview==
==Overview==


In its basic form, it is a game for two to five players, each choosing one of the [[Istari|five wizards]] to represent themselves. A ''turn'' in the game consists of one player's wandering around Middle-Earth with the help of famous characters of Middle-Earth, trying to gather influence and power to aid in the battle against [[Sauron|The Dark Lord]], while another player tries to harass, and ultimately kill his ''characters'' with specific ''hazard'' cards. Then, for each player's turn, the roles change clockwise around the table (the player who was moving his characters then throws hazards at the player to his or her right). Any player may also win by acquiring and destroying [[The One Ring]] after a complicated set of events.
[[IMAGE:meccg_back.jpg|thumb|''Card back of MECCG'']]
 
In its basic form, it is a game for one to five players, each choosing one of the [[Istari|five wizards]] to represent themselves. A ''turn'' in the game consists of one player's wandering around Middle-earth with the help of famous characters of Middle-earth, trying to gather influence and power to aid in the battle against [[Sauron|The Dark Lord]], while another player tries to harass, and ultimately kill his ''characters'' with specific ''hazard'' cards. Then, for each player's turn, the roles change clockwise around the table (the player who was moving his characters then throws hazards at the player to his or her right). Any player may also win by acquiring and destroying [[The One Ring]] after a complicated set of events.
 
Later expansions have added the possibility to take the role of a [[Nazgûl|Ringwraith]] of [[Sauron]] ([[MELE]]), a corrupted wizard playing by his own rules ([[MEWH]]), the malevolent [[Balrogs|Balrog]] ([[MEBA]]), or even Sauron himself. The game is somewhat distinguished from most other CCG's with the use of two six-sided dice for a random factor and also by the actual map of Middle-earth, including ''regions'' your companies travel through, and ''site cards'' they visit.
 
MECCG won two Origins Awards: ''Best Card Game of 1995'' for ''MECCG: The Wizards'' and ''Best Graphic Presentation of a Card Game or Expansion of 1996'' for ''MECCG: The Dragons''. The game's production ended in 1999, when ICE lost the license that allowed them to use the content of Tolkien's ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit]]'' (this license was later bought by [[Decipher]], who used it to bring out another CCG, the ''[[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]''). MECCG still has a relatively loyal and active fanbase of players.
 
===Rarity===
 
Like the majority of collectible card games, individual cards in MECCG occurred more or less often in a booster or starter deck (except in [[MEBA]]). To describe the rarity of a card, [[Iron Crown Enterprises|ICE]] used a code system:
 
*'''R''' = Rare. 
*'''U''' = Uncommon.
*'''C''' = Common.
*'''F#''' or '''Fixed#''' = Part of a fixed set of cards (of a starter deck).
 
These abbreviations were often combined with second abbreviations (e.g., "CB2"). For more information on the second abbreviations, which varied in the different expansion and basic sets, see the "Card list"-sections for the individual card sets below.
 
==Products==
 
===Card sets===


Later expansions have added the possibility to take the role of a [[Ringwraiths|Ringwraith]] of [[Sauron]] (MELE), a corrupted wizard playing by his own rules (MEWH), the malevolent [[Balrogs|Balrog]] (MEBA), or even Sauron himself. The game is somewhat distinguished from most other CCG's with the use of two six-sided dice for a random factor and also by the actual map of Middle-earth, including ''regions'' your companies travel through, and ''site cards'' they visit.
*[[1995]]: '''''[[Middle-earth: The Wizards|The Wizards]]''''' (METW) - first basic set
**[[1996]]: ''[[Middle-earth: The Dragons|The Dragons]]'' (METD) - expansion set
**[[1996]]: ''[[Middle-earth: Dark Minions|Dark Minions]]'' (MEDM) - expansion set
*[[1997]]: '''''[[Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye|The Lidless Eye]]''''' (MELE) - second basic set
**[[1997]]: ''[[Middle-earth: Against the Shadow|Against the Shadow]]'' (MEAS) - expansion set
*[[1997]]: '''''[[Middle-earth: The White Hand|The White Hand]]''''' (MEWH)
*[[1998]]: '''''[[Middle-earth: The Balrog|The Balrog]]''''' (MEBA)


MECCG won two Origins Awards: ''Best Card Game of 1995'' for ''MECCG: The Wizards'' and ''Best Graphic Presentation of a Card Game or Expansion of 1996'' for ''MECCG: The Dragons''. The game's production ended in 1999, when ICE lost the license that allowed them to use the content of Tolkien's [[The Lord of the Rings]] and [[The Hobbit]]. This license was later bought by [[Decipher]], who used it to bring out [[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game|another CCG]]. The game still has a relatively loyal and active fanbase of players.
Two more expansion sets were designed, but never reached publication: ''The Dwarf-lords'' and ''The Elf-lords''. In addition, a complete revision of the MECCG was planned to be released in 1999, which was to be named ''Lord of the Rings Expandable Card Game'' (LORE CG).<ref>''CarolinaCon Regional MECCG Newsletter'', Issue 4 (January 1999). Interview with [[Coleman Charlton]].</ref>


==Card sets==
===Cards===


* '''''The Wizards''''' (METW) ([[1995]]): The first basic set, dealing with the ''good'' side, including most main characters from the books, like [[Gandalf]], [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] and [[Aragorn]]. Pretty straightforward gameplay with relatively simple ''marshalling point'' cards and ''hazard creatures''.
*[[Promotional MECCG cards]]
** '''''The Dragons''''' (METD) ([[1996]]): The first expansion set for METW. As the name implies, deals mostly with [[Dragons]], their treasure and the northern regions.
*[[:CATEGORY:MECCG cards|Individual MECCG cards]]
** '''''Dark Minions''''' (MEDM) ([[1996]]): Adds many powerful hazard cards including more [[Undead]] and introduces the ''agents'' - a subtle group of Sauron's servants, concentrating on intrigue and influence. Also adds an underground network of site cards, ''The Under-Deeps'', which later becomes The Balrog's realm.
* '''''The Lidless Eye''''' (MELE) ([[1997]]): The second basic set. Adds the possibility to play as a Ringwraith of Sauron and arguably makes the game more complicated with all sorts of support and effect cards.
** '''''Against the Shadow''''' (MEAS) ([[1997]]): The first and only expansion to MELE, although it also contains hero cards. Mostly balances the game by adding hazards against the ''minion'' player and some support resources for the hero. Notable are the hazard creature versions of the five wizards.
* '''''The White Hand''''' (MEWH) ([[1997]]): Further complicates the game by adding a third faction, the corrupted ''Fallen-Wizard'', whose player can use both hero and minion resources and characters, although with restrictions.
* '''''The Balrog''''' (MEBA) ([[1998]]): Adds a new sub-faction to the minions, Balrog, who mainly depends on the brute strength of his [[Orcs]] and [[Trolls]]. It is argued by the player base that since the production of MECCG ended after MEBA, the set remains a bit overpowered because it didn't get a "balancing set" published afterwards.


== Books ==
=== Books ===


*[[A Long-Expected Party: MECCG Sites and Scenarios]]
*''[[A Long-Expected Party: MECCG Sites and Scenarios]]''
*[[Middle-earth: The Wizards Companion]]
*''[[Middle-earth: The Wizards Companion]]''
*[[Middle-earth: The Wizards Player Guide]]
*''[[Middle-earth: The Wizards Player Guide]]''
*[[Middle-earth: The Dragons Player Guide]]
*''[[Middle-earth: The Dragons Player Guide]]''
*[[Middle-earth CCG Maps]]
*''[[Middle-earth CCG Maps]]''
*[[Middle-earth: Dark Minions Player Guide]]
*''[[Middle-earth: Dark Minions Player Guide]]''
*[[Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye Companion]]
*''[[Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye Companion]]''
*[[Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye Player Guide]]
*''[[Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye Player Guide]]''
*[[Middle-earth: The Wizards Casual Companion]]
*''[[Middle-earth: The Wizards Casual Companion]]''
*[[Middle-earth: Against the Shadow Player Guide]]
*''[[Middle-earth: Against the Shadow Player Guide]]''


==See also==
==See also==


*[[CarolinaCon Regional MECCG Newsletter]]
*[[CarolinaCon Regional MECCG Newsletter]]
*[[Mastering Middle-earth: Strategies for Middle-earth The Wizards]]
*''[[Mastering Middle-earth: Strategies for Middle-earth The Wizards]]''


==External links==
==External links==


* '''[http://meccg.net/ Official website]'''
* '''[http://meccg.net/ <nowiki>MeCCG.net</nowiki> (official website)]'''
* [http://gccg.sourceforge.net/ Software for playing online free]
* [http://gccg.sourceforge.net/ Software for playing online free]


{{references}}
{{card}}
[[Category:Card games]]
[[Category:Card games]]

Revision as of 08:07, 28 August 2014

Meccg.jpg

Middle-earth Collectible Card Game (MECCG) is a collectible card game released by Iron Crown Enterprises in late 1995. It is the first CCG based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, with added content from ICE's Middle-earth Role Playing game.

The cards used in the game feature original artwork by a multitude of artists, many of them longtime Tolkien illustrators such as John Howe, Ted Nasmith, Angus McBride, et al.

Overview

Card back of MECCG

In its basic form, it is a game for one to five players, each choosing one of the five wizards to represent themselves. A turn in the game consists of one player's wandering around Middle-earth with the help of famous characters of Middle-earth, trying to gather influence and power to aid in the battle against The Dark Lord, while another player tries to harass, and ultimately kill his characters with specific hazard cards. Then, for each player's turn, the roles change clockwise around the table (the player who was moving his characters then throws hazards at the player to his or her right). Any player may also win by acquiring and destroying The One Ring after a complicated set of events.

Later expansions have added the possibility to take the role of a Ringwraith of Sauron (MELE), a corrupted wizard playing by his own rules (MEWH), the malevolent Balrog (MEBA), or even Sauron himself. The game is somewhat distinguished from most other CCG's with the use of two six-sided dice for a random factor and also by the actual map of Middle-earth, including regions your companies travel through, and site cards they visit.

MECCG won two Origins Awards: Best Card Game of 1995 for MECCG: The Wizards and Best Graphic Presentation of a Card Game or Expansion of 1996 for MECCG: The Dragons. The game's production ended in 1999, when ICE lost the license that allowed them to use the content of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (this license was later bought by Decipher, who used it to bring out another CCG, the The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game). MECCG still has a relatively loyal and active fanbase of players.

Rarity

Like the majority of collectible card games, individual cards in MECCG occurred more or less often in a booster or starter deck (except in MEBA). To describe the rarity of a card, ICE used a code system:

  • R = Rare.
  • U = Uncommon.
  • C = Common.
  • F# or Fixed# = Part of a fixed set of cards (of a starter deck).

These abbreviations were often combined with second abbreviations (e.g., "CB2"). For more information on the second abbreviations, which varied in the different expansion and basic sets, see the "Card list"-sections for the individual card sets below.

Products

Card sets

Two more expansion sets were designed, but never reached publication: The Dwarf-lords and The Elf-lords. In addition, a complete revision of the MECCG was planned to be released in 1999, which was to be named Lord of the Rings Expandable Card Game (LORE CG).[1]

Cards

Books

See also

External links

References

  1. CarolinaCon Regional MECCG Newsletter, Issue 4 (January 1999). Interview with Coleman Charlton.
Licensed Collectible Card Games set in Middle-earth
  Middle-earth Collectible Card Game (1995-1998)
  The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game (2001-2007)
  The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game (2011-)
  The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (2023-)