At the same time as the great armies besieged Minas Tirith…

When Revealed: Put Hold the North and Eastern Assault (Normal side faceup) into play in their own area, outside of the 4 stages. If you are playing in easy mode, flip Eastern Assault to its Easy side.

A great pallisade protects the verdant farmlands to the east.

Response: After the players quest successfully at this stage, each player at this stage may draw 1 card.

Forced: After The Eastern Defenses is added to the victory display, reveal 2 encounter cards.