5
4
6
Forced: After Orc Captain engages you, make a Fortitude test. If you fail this test, reveal the top card of the encounter deck.
(|) (|)
Shadow: If this attack destroys a character, return attacking enemy to the staging area.
4
3
5
Forced: After Big Uruk engages you, either raise your threat by 4, or Big Uruk makes an immediate attack against you.
(|)
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 for each ally you control.
3
2
3
When Revealed: Gollum makes an immediate attack against the first player. If Gollum is not in play, search the encounter deck and discard pile for Gollum and put him into play engaged with the first player.
Shadow: If attacking enemy is Gollum he makes an additional attack after this one.
When Revealed: Make a Fortitude test. If The One Ring is exhausted, add (|) (|) to the test. If you fail this test, raise your threat by 10.
(|) (|)
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 (+2 instead if you failed a Fortitude test this round).
When Revealed: Each player makes a Fortitude test. If you fail this test, deal 1 damage to each character you control. Until the end of the round, treat the printed text box of each damaged character as if it were blank (except for Traits).
(|) (|)
Shadow: If you failed a Fortitude test this round, this attack is considered undefended.
When Revealed: Attach Heavy and Tired to the hero with the most attachments and exhaust that hero. (Counts as a Condition attachment with the text: "Limit 1 per hero. Attached hero cannot commit to Fortitude tests.Forced: After you Fail a Fortitude test, exhaust attached hero and discard each non-objective attachment on it.")
(|)
"This extra weight is killing me. It must go."
–Frodo Baggins, The Return of the King
3
1
3
Forced: After Orc of Mordor engages you, exhaust a character you control.
Shadow: Exhaust a character you control.
4
2
3
Forced: After Snaga Archer engages you, deal 2 damage to a character you control.
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 (+2 instead if the defending character is damaged).
5
2
5
Forced: After Uru Soldier engages you, raise your threat by 2.
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 If this attack destroys a character, return attacking enemy to the staging area.
When Revealed: The first player must choose: either exhaust The One Ring and reveal an encounter card, or discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until an enemy is discarded and put it into play engaged with him.
Shadow: Discard a non-objective attachment you control.
When Revealed: Each player must choose: either discard your hand (with at least 3 cards in it), or reveal and encounter card.
Shadow: Attacking enemy makes an additional attack after this one.
When Revealed: Each player must choose: either discard a questing character you control, or raise your threat by 1 for each questing character you control.
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 If this attack destroys a character, reveal the top card of the encounter deck.
When Revealed: Each player exhausts a character he controls. If The Eye of Sauron is in the staging area, characters cannot be readied by player card effects this round.
Shadow: If The Eye of Sauron is in the staging area, attacking enemy gets +2 and returns to the staging area after this attack.
Setup: The first player claims The One Ring and attaches it to the Ring-bearer.
Attached hero does not count against the hero limit. The first player gains control of attached hero.
If The One Ring leaves play, the players lose the game.
Frodo has been captured by the Orcs of Cirith Ungol and imprisoned at the top of their tower, but Sam is determined to rescue his master.
Setup: Set Shagrat aside, out of play. Add The Two Wachers (location side faceup) and Topmost Chamber to the staging area. The first player loses control of the Ring-bearer and place it faceup under Topmost Chamber as a guarded objective. Then, the first player attaches Last of the Company to a hero he controls and attaches The One Ring to that hero.
He could see no obstacle, but something too strong for his will to overcome barred the way. –The Return of the King
Each non-unique location gets -1 and cannot leave the staging area.
While The Two Watchers is in the staging area (enemy side faceup), it is considered to be engaged with each player.
The stage cannot be defeated while The Two Watchers is in play.
There could not be much doubt: there was fighting in the tower, the orcs must be at war among themselves, Shagrat and Gorbag had come to blows.
–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 in the game. Add each enemy discarded by this effect to the staging area.
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until an enemy is discarded. If there is a copy of that enemy in the staging area, discard that copy as well. If there is not, add the discarded enemy to the staging area.
This stage cannot be defeated unless Topmost Chamber is in the victory display. When the Ring-bearer is free of encounters, this first player gains control of it.
"It's the gate. There's some devilry there. But I got through, and I'm going to get out. It can't be more dangerous than before. Now for it!"
–Sam Gamgee, The Return of the King
When Revealed: Add Last of the Company to the victory display. Attach The One Ring to the Ring-bearer and exhaust the Ring-bearer. The first player moves The Two Watchers from the victory display to the staging area (location side faceup). Each other player reveals an encounter card.
The players cannot travel to The Two Watchers unless there is at least 12 progress on this stage.
While The Two Watchers is in the staging area (enenmy side faceup), it gets +3 and +3 and is considered to be engaged with each player.
The stage cannot be defeated while The Two Watchers is in play. If this stage is defeated, the players win the game.
Setup: Each player may change heroes he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. Attach A Heavy Burden to the hero with Last of the Company attached. Each player chooses an Item boon (excluding And煤ril) from the campaign pool and sets it aside, out of play. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck, then flip this card over: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard and The Passing of the Grey Company
Forced: When the players advance to stage 3A, attach A Heavy Burden to the Ring-bearer. Attach each set aside Item boon to Shagrat as a guarded objective. When Shagrat is defeated, return each guarded boon to its owner's hand.
Resolution: If Shagrat is in play, remove each Item boon attached to it from the campaign pool. (The players have lost those boons.)
The will of the Watchers was broken with a suddenness like the snapping of a cord, and Frodo and Sam stumbled forward. Then they ran. Through the gate and past the great seated figures with their glittering eyes. There was a crack. The keystone of the arch crashed almost on their heels, and the wall above crumbled, and fell in ruin. Only by a hair did they escape.
–The Return of the King
Immune to player card effects.
X is twice the stage number of the main quest.
Forced: After the players travel here, flip The Two Watchers to its enemy side and move it to the staging area.
They were like great figures seated upon thrones. Each had three joined bodies, and three heads facing outward, and inward, and across the gateway.
–The Return of the King
5
2
4
Immune to player card effects. Cannot be optionally engaged.
Forced: When The Two Watchers deals any amount of damage, cancel that damage and raise the defending player's threat by X instead. X is the amount of damage just canceled.
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.
Setup: Each player may change heroes he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. The first player may raise each player's threat by 1 to search his deck for Anduril and add it to his hand. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck: A Shadow of the Past, Flight to the Ford, The Ring Goes South, The Passage of the Marshes, Shelob's Lair
They were come to the last end of their folly, and stood forlorn and chill in the grey light of early day before towers and walls which their army could not assault with hope...
–The Return of the King
Resolution: Record the number of resource tokens on The Black Gate in the notes section of the campaign log. If a Wraith on Wings is in the victory display, remove that copy from the campaign pool. If the first player controls Gwaihir, add him to the campaign pool. The players have earned that boon. If a hero is in its controller's discard pile, do not add that hero's name to the list of fallen heroes.
"So it ends as I guessed it would," his thought said, even as it fluttered away; and it laughed a little within him ere it fled, almost gay it seemed to be casting off at last all doubt and care and fear. And then even as it winged away into forgetfulness it heard voices, and they seemed to be crying in some forgotten world far above: "The Eagles are coming! The Eagles are coming!"
–The Return of the King
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.
Setup: Each player may change heroes he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. Place X resource tokens on this card, where X is the number of resource tokens on The Black Gate as recorded in the campaign log. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard The Passing of the Grey Company
Forced: At the end of the round, remove 1 resource token from this card. Then, if there are no resource tokens here, the players lose the game.
Resolution: The first player must choose: - Keep The One Ring card and succumb to the power of Sauron. Then, the players lose the campaign.
- Destroy The One Ring card and defeat the power of Sauron. Then, the players win the campaign.
"I have come," he said. "But I do not choose to do what I came to do. I will not do this deed. The Ring is mine!" And suddenly, as he set it on his finger, he vanished from Sam's sight.
–The Return of the King
"The realm of Sauron is ended!" said Gandalf. "The Ring–bearer has fulfilled his Quest." And as the Captains gazed south to the Land of Mordor, it seemded to them that, black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning–crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out towards them a vast threatening hand, terrible but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed; and then a hush fell.
–The Return of the King
Setup: Create two separate staging areas: one for The Black Gate Opens and one for Mount Doom. Divide the players into 2 teams, one for each scenario. No more than 4 players can be assigned to each scenario and the number of players assigned to Mount Doom cannot be more than the number of assigned to The Black Gate Opens. Shuffle 1 copy of In Darkness Bind Them into each encounter deck. Place The Eye of Sauron in the Mount Doom staging area with its correspdonding side faceup. Flip this card over and set it next to the Mount Doom quest deck.
Ignore the Forced effect on the Mount Doom campaign card if it is in play.
Forced: At the end of the round, the first player chooses a scenario (The Black Gate Opens or Mount Doom). Each player at the chosen scenario draws 1 card. Each player at the other scenario reduces his threat by 3. Then, the player who controls the Gwaihir objective-ally may give control of it to another player (at either scenario).
At the end of the round, if the last player at either scenario is defeated, both teams lose the game. If the Mount Doom scenario is defeated, both teams win the game.
"His eye is now straining towards us, blind almost to all else that is moving. So we must keep it. Therein lies all our hope."
–Gandalf, The Return of the King
Add Eye to each Fortitude test.
Forced: At the end of the round, flip The Eye of Sauron, then move it and each Nazg没l enemy in the staging area to The Black Gate Opens staging area. The first player may raise each player's threat by 3 to cancel this effect.
Each enemy in the staging area gets +1 and -10 engagement cost.
Forced: At the end of the round, flip The Eye of Sauron, the move it and each Nazg没l enemy in the staging area to the Mount Doom staging area. The first player may raise each player's threat by 3 to cancel this effect.