Aragorn has led the Men of the West to the very Gate of Mordor in a perilous gamble to keep the Eye of Sauron focused on him. After challenging the Dark Lord to come forth and face judgement, the Black Gate opens and an embassy from Barad–d鈥搑 rides out led by The Mouth of Sauron.
Setup: Add The Black Gate and The Mouth of Sauron to the staging area. Set Gwaihir aside, out of play. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Dire.When Revealed: In player order, each player places the top card of his deck faceup in front of him until their are a total of 4 faceup player cards between the players. Place the top 4 cards of the encounter deck faceup. Starting with the highest cost player card, pair each player card with the highest threat encounter card remaining until their are 4 pairs. For each pair, the first player must choose: either discard both cards in the pair, or reveal the encounter card to play the player card at no cost.
He gave a great cry, and turned, leaded upon his steed, and with his company galloped madly back to Cirith Gorgor. But as they went his soldiers blew their horns in signal long arranged: and even before they came to the gate Sauron sprang his trap. –The Return of the King
When Revealed: Each player searches the encounter deck and discard pile for a different Orc, Troll, or Nazg没l enemy and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle Gwaihir into the encounter deck.
Dire. During the staging step, the first player does not reveal an encounter card as normal. Instead, he reveals 1 encounter card for each resource on The Black Gate.
Forced: After the players quest unsuccessfully, discard the active location.
This stage cannot be defeated. Each round the players survive gives the Ring-bearer more time to fulfill the quest to Mount Doom.
Against all odds, the Ring–bearer has found his way into The Black Land of Modor, but a dangerous journey still lies before him and The Eye of Sauron yet searches for the spies who escaped from Cirith Ungol.
Setup: Add Mount Doom and The Tower of Barad-d没r to the staging area. Make Brake of Thorns the active location. Each player searches the encounter deck for a different location and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Fordo and Sam gazed out in mingled loathing and wonder on this hateful land. Between them and the smoking mountain, and about it north and south, all seemed ruinous and dead, a desert burned and choked.
–The Return of the King
Dire. This stage gets +4 quest points for each player.
The first treachery revealed each quest phase is immune to player card effects and gains surge.
They had gone some miles, and the road was at last running down a long slope into a plain, when Frodo's strength began to give out and his will wavered. He lurched and stumbled. Desperately Sam tried to help him and hold him up...
–The Return of the King
When Revealed: Search the encounter deck and discard pile and victory display for Mordor Road and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck and travel to Mordor Road.
Dire. Forced: After placing progress here from questing successfully, each player makes a Fortitude test. If a player passes this test, he places a resource here. If a player fails this test, he discards cards from the top of the encounter deck until an enemy is discarded and puts that enemy into play engaged with him.
At the end of the quest phase, if the number of resources here is equal to or greater than the number of players, advance to stage 3A.
The last stage of their journey to Orodruin came, and it was a torment greater than Sam had ever thought he could bear. He was in pain, and so parched that he could no longer swallow even a mouthful of food.
–The Return of the King
When Revealed: Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck and discard cards from the top until X locations are discarded, where X is the number of players in the game. Add each location discarded this way to the staging area.
Dire. The first treachery revealed each quest phase is immune to player card effects and gains surge.
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, the first player makes a Fortitude test. If the first player fails this test, no more than 5 progress can be placed here this round.
This stage cannot be defeated unless Mount Doom is the active location.
He was come to the heart of the realm of Sauron and the forges of his ancient might, greatest in Middle–earth; all other powers were here subdued.
–The Return of the King
When Revealed: Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck and discard cards from the top until X enemies are discarded, where X is the number of players. Add each enemy discarded this way to the staging area.
Dire. Allies cannot enter play and 'when revealed' effects cannot be canceled.
Forced: When Mount Doom is explored, the first player makes a Fortitude test. Discard 1 extra encounter card for each player. If the first player fails this test, the Ring-bearer claims The One Ring and the players lose the game. If the test is successful, the Ring-bearer completes the quest and the players win the game.