The first player gains control of Aragorn. If Aragorn leaves play, the players lose the game.

Action: Spend 2 resources from Aragorn's resource pool to ready a hero.

"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dunadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil’s son of Gondor."
–The Two Towers

Sentinel.

Reduce the cost of the first Rohan ally you play from your hand each round by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

"Arise now, arise, Riders of Théoden!" –The Two Towers

Cannot have restricted attachments.

Action: Deal 1 damage to Treebeard to give him +1 and +1 until the end of the phase. (Limit 5 times per phase.)

"I am not altogether on anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on my side..."
–The Two Towers

Sentinel.

Response: After an enemy is revealed from the encounter deck, ready Gimli.

"Give me a row of orc-necks and room to swing and all weariness will fall from me!"
–The Two Towers

Ranged.

Response: After Legolas participates in an attack that destroys an enemy, draw 1 card.

"He stands not alone," said Legolas, bending his bow and fitting an arrow with hands that moved quicker than sight. –The Two Towers

Cannot have restricted attachments. Enters play exhausted.

Response: After Quickbeam enters play, deal 1 damage to him to ready him.

"I am Bregalad, that is Quickbeam in your language. But it is only a nickname, of course." –The Two Towers

Combat Action: Ready Háma. He gets +3 until the end of the phase. At the end of the phase, discard Háma. (Limit once per round.)

"I am the Doorward of Théoden," he said. "Háma is my name." –The Two Towers

Attach to a hero or Legolas.

Response: After attached character participates in an attack that destroys an enemy, exhaust Arod to place 1 progress token on any location.

"A smaller and lighter horse, but restive and fiery, was brought to Legolas. Arod was his name." –The Two Towers

Play only if you control at least 1 Ent character.

Attach to a character. Limit 1 per character.

Attached character gets +2 hit points.

The effect of the draught began at the toes, and rose steadily through every limb, bringing refreshment and vigour as it coursed upwards, right to the tips of the hair. –The Two Towers

Attach to a Rohan hero. Restricted.

Reduce the cost to play Herugrim on Théoden by 1.

Response: After attached hero is declared as an attacker, exhaust Herugrim to add attached hero's to its for this attack.

"Here, lord, is Herugrim, your ancient blade." –Háma, The Two Towers

Play only if you control at least 1 Ent character.

Action: Search the top 5 cards of your deck for any number of Ent cards and add them to your hand. Shuffle the other cards back into your deck.

"...it is a gathering of Ents – which does not often happen nowadays." –Treebeard, The Two Towers

Play only after the resolving enemy attacks step is complete.

Combat Action: Exhaust and discard a Rohan ally you control to choose and discard a non-unique enemy engaged with you.

"Helm is arisen and comes back to war. Helm for Théoden King!" –Riders of Rohan, The Two Towers

Play only if you control Aragorn.

Quest Action: Choose 3 heroes committed to the quest. Ready those heroes. Until the end of the round, each of the chosen heroes gets +1 , +1 , and +1 .

"We shall makes such a chase as shall be accounted a marvel among the Three Kindreds: Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Forth the Three Hunters!" –Aragorn, The Two Towers

Attach to Gandalf.

Gandalf gains ranged and sentinel.

Action: Exhaust Shadowfax to ready Gandalf.

"He is the chief of the Mearas, lords of horses, and not even Théoden, King of Rohan, has ever looked on a better." –Gandalf, The Two Towers

Permanent.

Setup: Attach to a Warrior hero.

Response: After attached hero is declared as the only attacker against a non-unique enemy, exhaust Intimidation to give that enemy -2 for this attack.

"None knows what the new day shall bring him," said Aragorn. "Get you gone, ere it turn to your evil!"
–Aragorn, The Two Towers

Permanent.

Setup: Attach to a Healer hero.

Action: Exhaust attached hero and Hands of a Healer to heal up to 3 damage from a hero.

"Life to the dying
In the king's hand lying!"
–Herb–master, The Return of the King

Permanent.

Setup: Attach to a Ranger hero.

Response: After attached hero is declared as a defender against a non-unique enemy, exhaust Forewarned to discard 1 shadow card from that enemy.

"Faint and far are the feet of our enemies."
–Aragorn, The Two Towers

Permanent.

Setup: Attach to a Noble hero.

Response: After attached hero quests successfully, exhaust Leader of Men to add 1 resource to attached hero's pool.

"Take this, dear lord!" said a clear voice. "It was ever at your service."
–The Two Towers

Permanent.

Setup: Attach to a hero.

Attached hero gets +1 +1 +1 and cannot have treachery card attachments.

"Beyond all hope you return to us in our need!"
–Aragorn, The Two Towers

Attach to Aragorn.

Quest Action: Exhaust Aragorn and Palantír of Orthanc to discard the top card of the encounter deck. If Aragorn's is greater than the discarded card's you may add Palantír of Orthanc to the victory display and remove it from the campaign pool to choose a player. That player reveals 1 fewer encounter card this phase (to a minimum of 0).

Poisoned Counsels functions like a player card.

Forced: After you draw this card, discard all other cards in your hand.

"And ever Wormtongue's whispering was in your ears, poisoning your thought, chilling your heart, weakening your limbs..." –Gandalf, The Two Towers

Treat each Captive's text box as blank. Captives are in play but are not under any player's control. If there are no Captives in play, the players lose the game.

Forced: At the end of the refresh phase, increase the pursuit value by 1. Then, if the pursuit value is 30 or greater, the players lose the game.

Toughness 3. Cannot have attachments.

Allies cannot be declared as attackers or defenders against Uglúk.

"I am Uglúk. I command." –The Two Towers

Forced: After Grishn kh enters play, the first player attached 1 of the Captives to him. If Grishn kh is defeated, place the attached Captive faceup underneath To Isengard!

Forced: At the end of the quest phase, deal 1 damage to the attached Captive.

Peril. Toughness 1. Archery 1.

When Revealed: Either increase the pursuit value by 3, or reveal an additional encounter card.

Uglúk shouted, and a number of other Orcs of nearly his own size ran up. –The Two Towers

While the Wold is the active location, it gains:"Response: After The Wold is explored, each player draws 1 card."

Travel: Increase the pursuit value by 1.

Ahead and eastward they saw the windy uplands of the Wold of Rohan that they had already glimpsed many days ago from the Great River. –The Two Towers

While Eastemnet is the active location, it gains:"Response: After Eastemnet is explored, add 1 resource to each hero's resource pool."

Travel: Increase the pursuit value by 1.

...the Horse–lords had formerly kept many herds and studs in the Eastemnet, this easterly region of their realm... –The Two Towers

X is the number of locations in the staging area.

Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 If this attack destroys a character, increase the pursuit value by 1.

...the green plains of the Rohirrim stretched away before them to the edge of sight. –The Two Towers

Forced: After any amount of progress is placed on Banks of Entwash, increase the pursuit value by 1.

Shadow: Either increase the pursuit value by 1, or this attack is considered undefended.

"...north–west to the issuing of the Entwash there lies still a wide land." –Aragorn, The Two Towers

When Revealed: Either immediately end the quest phase and increase the pursuit value by 3, or deal 1 damage to each character commited to the quest. This effect cannot be canceled.

"We have come at last to a hard choice," he said. "Shall we rest by night, or shall we go on while our will and strength hold?" –Aragorn, The Two Towers

When Revealed: Each character commited to the quest gets -1 until the end of the round.

Shadow: Attacking enemy makes an additional attack against you after this one.

"I am weary as I have seldom been before, weary as no Ranger should be with a clear trail to follow." –Aragorn, The Two Towers

When Revealed: The players cannot place more than 3 progress on the current quest this round. (This does not count progress placed on the active location.)

Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 If this attack destroys a character, increase the pursuit value by 1.

Add 1 to the total in the staging area for each resource token here.

Forced: At the end of the quest phase, place 1 resource token here.

If there are 8 resource tokens here, add The Defense of Helm's Deep to the victory display and advance to stage 5A.

Forced: After Wild Hillman attacks, place 1 progress on the active location.

Shadow: Place 1 progress on the active location. Attacking enemy gets +1 for each progress on the active location.

Peril. Archery 1.

When Revealed: Warrior of Dunland makes an immediate attack against you.

Forced: After Warrior of Dunland attacks and destroys a character, place 3 progress on the active location.

Toughness 1. Archery 1.

Forced: After Soldier of Isengard attacks and destroys a character, place 1 progress on the current quest.

Shadow: Exhaust a character you control.

While The Hornburg is the active location, reduce the archery total by 1 for each player in the game.

Forced: When The Hornburg is explored, assign X damage among characters in play. X is the number of enemies in play.

But the Hornburg still held fast, like an island in the sea. –The Two Towers

While Deeping Wall is the active location, each hero gets +1

Forced: When Deeping Wall is explored, raise each player's threat by 4.

The Deeping Wall was twenty feet high, and so thick that four men could walk abreast along the top, sheltered by a parapet over which only a tall man could look. –The Two Towers

X is the 1 more than the number of allies controlled by the first player.

Forced: When Deeping Culvert is explored, each player searches the encounter deck and discard pile for an enemy, reveals it, and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.

Orcs had crept like rats through the culvert through which the stream flowed out. –The Two Towers

While Postern Door is the active location, each hero gets +1

Forced: When Postern Door is explored, until the end of the round, players cannot declare attacks.

There was a small postern–door that opened in an angle of the burg–wall on the west, where the cliff stretched out to meet it. –The Two Towers

While Helm's Gate is the active location, if any player is not engaged with an enemy, the first player reveals an encounter card at the end of each staging step.

Forced: When Helm's Gate is explored, each enemy gets -20 engagement cost and +2 until the end of the round.

Surge.

When Revealed: Attach to the active location. (Counts a Siege attachment with the text: "Each enemy gets +1

Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 If this attack destroys a character, place 1 progress on the current quest.

When Revealed: Place 3 progress on the main quest (bypassing any active location). Until the end of the round, treat each character's text box as if it was blank (except for Traits).

Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +2 and gains Toughness 2 until the end of the round.

Peril.

When Revealed: The enemy in the staging area with the highest makes an immediate attack against you. If no attack is made this way, Reckless Hate gains surge.

Shadow: Attacking enemy makes an additional attack against you after this one.

Peril. Doomed 2.

When Revealed: Either remove 1 resource token from The Defense of Helm's Deep, or reveal 2 additional encounter cards.

Shadow: Return attacking enemy to the staging area after this attack.

While Ent of Fangorn is in the staging area, it gains: "QuestAction: Exhaust a hero you control to discard the top card of the encounter deck. If that hero's is greater than the discarded card's place 1 resource here. Then, if there are 3 resources here, discard them to take control of Ent of Fangorn. Any player may trigger this effect."

Indestructible.Immune to player card effects. Cannot leave the staging area.

Forced: When Saruman is dealt a shadow card with a Wizardry effect, the defending player resolves that Wizardry effect as if he is the only player in the game.

Forced: After a player draws any number of cards, Saruman attacks that player. Deal and resolve 2 shadow cards for this attack. Then, remove 1 damage from Saruman.

While Saruman has any hit points remaining, the players cannot win the game.

Doomed 2.

Forced: After Gríma attacks a player, that player shuffles Gríma back into the encounter deck and reveals an encounter card.

Shadow: This attack is considered undefended.

Forced: After Lieutenant of Orthanc attacks and destroys a character, that character's controller discards 1 random card from his hand.

"Saruman kept enough wisdom not to trust his Orcs. He had Men to guard his gates..." –Merry, The Two Towers