An army from Angmar marches on the Dúnedain city of Annúminas. Your friends need time to prepare the defense, so you ride out to meet the enemy.
Setup: Set Lieutenant of Angmar Battering Ram, Enemy Camp Siege Tunnel, each copy of Host of Angmar and each copy of Dúnedain of Annúminas aside, out of play. Each player searches the encounter deck for a different enemy and adds it to the staging area. One of these enemies must be Vanguard of Carn D–m. Shuffle the encounter deck.
It's up to you to harry the Orcs and slow their approach to the city.
Forced: At the beginning of the round (before the resource phase), place 1 resource here. Then, if there are 4 resources here, advance to stage2.Response: At the end of the round, remove 10 progress from this stage, then the players at each other stage reveal 1 fewer encounter card during their next quest phase (to a minimum of 0).
The Elf you rescued is Mendor, a servant of the Elvenking. He offers to guide you to the hidden kingdom, yet even Mendor struggles to keep his way as night settles over Mirkwood.
When Revealed: The opposing team searches the top 5 cards of the encounter deck for a card with cost 1 or less (2 or less if there are two or more players), sets it aside, and shuffles the encounter deck. Reveal the set aside card. Its 'when revealed' effects cannot be canceled.
Progress cannot be placed on locations in the staging area.
During the travel phase, the players must travel to a location, if able.
Forced: After characters are committed to the quest, no more than 5 progress can be placed here this round (10 progress instead if Mendor is committed to the quest).
It has been years since there was news of Balin's expedition to Moria, but in recent months there have been rumors of growing darkness there. You traveled to the Mines to investigate these tidings. Upon reaching the Doors of Durin, you are surprised to find a foul–smelling pool at its feet, and a fell creature blocking your way.
Setup: Each player adds 1 resource to each of his heroes' resource pools. Add The Watcher to the staging area.
While this stage has at least 5 progress on it, The Watcher is considered to be engaged with each player and attacks each player in turn order during the combat phase. (Deal and resolve a shadow card for each attack.)
Forced: When The Watcher is defeated, flip it over and add Chamber of Mazarbul to the staging area.
This stage cannot be defeated while The Watcher is in play.
It has been years since there was news of Balin's expedition to Moria, but in recent months there have been rumors of growing darkness there. You traveled to the Mines to investigate these tidings. Upon reaching the Doors of Durin, you are surprised to find a foul–smelling pool at its feet, and a fell creature blocking your way.
Setup: Each player adds 1 resource to each of his heroes' resource pools. Add The Watcher to the staging area.
While this stage has at least 5 progress on it, The Watcher is considered to be engaged with each player and attacks each player in turn order during the combat phase. (Deal and resolve a shadow card for each attack.)
Forced: When The Watcher is defeated, flip it over and add Chamber of Mazarbul to the staging area.
This stage cannot be defeated while The Watcher is in play.
You entered Moria with the hope of finding Mithril, but you have become lost underground instead. Below the ancient mansions of the Dwarves, untold dangers lurk in the darkness.
Setup: Add Dark Pit to the staging area. The opposing team searches the encounter deck for one different 0-cost enemy or location per player and adds them to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Surrounded by utter black and running low on supplies, you must find your way out of Khazad–d–m before it's too late.
Forced: When Dark Pit is explored, flip it over and set Durin's Bane aside, out of play. Each player searches the top 5 cards of his deck for a card, adds it to his hand, and shuffles his deck.
This stage cannot be defeated while Dark Pit is in play.
The Mines of Moria are vast beyond your imagination. Though you feel that you are making progress, one wrong turn could mean disaster.
When Revealed: The opposing team searches the top 5 cards of the encounter deck for a card with cost 1 or less (cost 2 or less instead if there are two or more players), sets it aside, and shuffles the encounter deck. Reveal the set aside card. It's 'when revealed' effects cannot be canceled.
Add the active location's
to the staging area.
During the travel phase, the players must travel, if able.
The Mines of Moria are vast beyond your imagination. Though you feel that you are making progress, one wrong turn could mean disaster.
When Revealed: The opposing team searches the top 5 cards of the encounter deck for a card with cost 1 or less (cost 2 or less instead if there are two or more players), sets it aside, and shuffles the encounter deck. Reveal the set aside card. It's 'when revealed' effects cannot be canceled.
Add the active location's to the staging area.
During the travel phase, the players must travel, if able.
Setup:
Players prepare their fleet.
Prepare the Corsair deck.
Set the following enemies aside: all 7 unique enemies (including the Dreadnaught), 2 copies of Black Sails, and 1 copy of Corsair Warship.
Add the Cobas Haven loction to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Add 1 resource to each hero's resource pool.
Flip this card over and place it next to the quest deck.
Each player draws 1 additional card during the resource phase.
Quest Action: Deal 10 damage to a non-unique enemy engaged with a player in any group. (Group limit once per game.)
If a player controls no ship-objective, that player is eliminated from the game.
And looking thither they cried in dismay; for black against the glittering stream they beheld a fleet of borne up on the wind: dromunds, and ships of great draught with many oars, and with black sails bellying in the breeze.
–The Return of the King
As the presence draws near, doubt and fear surround you like a vast shadow. You must find daylight, your must escape from the Black Pit...
While Search for an Exit is the active quest card, only flip it to side 2B at the beginning of the staging step.
The Nameless Fear attacks each player in turn order during the combat phase (deal and discard a shadow card for each attack). Characters are eligible to attack The Nameless Fear while it is in the staging area.
If The Nameless Fear has 10 or more damage on it, remove all damage from it and advance to the next stage. Players may bypass this quest card at the end of the combat phase.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: When stage 3b is revealed, discard all Mount and Artifact cards from play. Each player must also discard allies he controls until the total printed cost of allies he controls is 6 or less.
"Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not."
–Gandalf, The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for Foundations of Stone scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Goblin Scout
2x Goblin Swordsman
1x Goblin Follower
3x Burning Low
1x Branching Paths
1x Many Roads
3x Cave In
3x Drowned Treasury
1x Mitril Lode
4x Moria Bats
During setup, players are instructed to set the Foundations of Stone encounter set aside, out of play. Shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck with the Goblins of the Deep encounter set icon into the standard encounter deck. Then shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck with the Foundations of Stone encounter set icon into the remainder of the set aside Foundations of Stone encounter set.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Locations with time counters on them cannot be discarded from play by player card effect.
A smoke as of fire and battle arose, and again the sun went down in a burning red that faded into a grey mist...
–The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for THe Antlered Crown scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Dunland Prowler
1x Dunland Berserker
2x Dunlending Bandit
3x Raven Skirmisher
3x Raven War-camp
2x Driven Back
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Antlered Crown encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin. Note: Dunlending Horde has the 'Dunlending Warriors' encounter set icon and should be shuffled into the Raven deck during setup.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: After choosing a starting hero and randomly setting another hero aside facedown, instead of the standard captured deck setup, shuffle any remaining heroes into your captured deck, then place the facedown set aside hero on the bottom of your captured deck.
The players cannot win the game while a hero is captured (underneath an encounter card, or in their captured deck).
"Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them! Take them away to dark holes full of snakes, and never let them see the light again!"
–The Great Goblin, The Hobbit
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Escape from Mount Gram scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
4x Prison Cell
3x Dungeon Guard
1x Jailor Gorn kh
2x Interrogation
1x Goblin Tormentor
1x Cruel Torturer
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Escape from Mount Gram encounter deck.
Note: This Nightmare Deck includes a card for the Angmar Orcs encounter set, Orc of Thaurdir. During setup, this card should be set aside along with the rest of the Angmar Orcs encounter set.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
"Then I thought in my heart that we drew near to the Sea; for wide was the water in the darkness, and sea–birds innumerable cried on its shores."
–Legolas, The Return of the King
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Voyage Across Belegaer scenario. Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Southron Sailor
1x Starlit Sea
1x Fog Bank
2x Calm Waters
2x Thrown Off Course
1x Scouting Ship
Then shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Voyage Across Belegaer encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
?*: Some Cards in the Grey Havens Nightmare Decks have Sailing Success symbols (?) with an asterisk (*) next to them. This indicates that the card has a Forced effect which will trigger when the card is discarded during a sailing test.
These seas are strange and bewildering. Try as you might, you cannot find any stars you recognize in the overcast sky. You realize now that you may never find your way back to shore.
When Revealed: Set your heading to the worst setting (?).
Sailing. Cancel the first ? symbol found during each Sailing test.
Forced: At the end of the quest phase, if your heading is on-course (?), this stage is defeated.
When this stage is defeated, look at the top 3 stages of the quest deck and advance to one of your choice, placing the others on the bottom of the quest deck.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
While you are at the same stage as the Stormcaller, the main quest gets +X quest points, where X is the Stormcaller's remaining hit points.
...the Sea became a word of fear among them, and a token of death, and they turned their faces away from the hills in the west.
—The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Flight of the Stormcaller scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
- 2x Calm Waters
- 2x Corsair Skiff
- 2x Southron Sailor
- 2x Serpent's Blade
- 1x Hidden Cove
- 2x Jagged Cliff
Then shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Flight of the Stormcaller encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
☸*: Some Cards in the Flight of the Nightmare Deck have Sailing Success symbols (☸) with an asterisk (*) next to them. This indicates that the card has a Forced effect which will trigger when the card is discarded during a sailing test.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: When the 'when revealed' effect on stage 2B resolves, also search the encounter deck and discard pule for each copy of Umbar Bridge and each copy of Inspiring Fury and shuffle them into the second encounter deck.
Forced: When the 'when revealed' effect on stage 3A resolves, also search the encounter deck for The Cursed Sword and attack it to the set-aside Captain Sahír.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The City of Corsairs scenario.
Remove the following card, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Corsair Infiltrator
2x Fog Bank
2x Starlit Sea
2x Scouting Ship
2x Serpent's Tail
1x Streets of Umbar
During setup, players are instructed to set The City of Corsairs encounter set aside, out of play. After doing so, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck that have The City of Corsairs encounter set icon into the set aside The City of Corsairs encounter set. Then, use the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck that have the Coast of Umbar encounter set icon to build the standard encounter deck and Corsair deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and placr it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to being.
Wheel*: Some cards in The City of Corsairs Nightmare Deck have Sailing success symbols (Wheel) with an asterisk (*) next to them. This indicates that the card has a Forced effect which will trigger when the card is discarded during a Sailing test.