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 M
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, bot
You are playing Campaign Mode.
Setup: Attach Mr. Underhill to the Ring-bearer. Add Gandalf's Delay to the staging area. Shuffle Gildor Inglorion and The Ring Draws Them into the encounter deck.
"The Shire, he may be seeking for it now, if has has not already found out where it lies. Indeed, Frodo, I fear that he may even think that the long-unnoticed name of Baggins has become important."
-Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: Choose Gandalf's Delay or The Ring Draws Them and add it to the Campaign Pool. Then, choose Gildor Inglorion or Mr. Underhill and add it to the Campaign Pool. The chosen cards have been earned by the players.
You are playing Campaign Mode.
"Black horsemen have passed through Bree. On Monday one came down the Greenway, they say; and another appeared later, coming up the Greenway from the south.
-Aragorn, The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: Starting with the first player, each player may choose one of the following boon cards and attach it to a hero he controls: Tireless Ranger, Skilled Healer, Valiant Warrior, Noble Hero. The chosen cards have been earned by the players.
You are playing Campaign Mode.
Response: After an ememy is declared as an attacker, shuffle the top card of the burden deck into the encounter deck to cancel that attack. (Any player may trigger this ability.)
"They have drawn off for the time being. But not far, I fear. They will come again another night, if we cannot escape. They are only waiting, because they think that their purpose is almost accomplished, and that the Ring cannot fly much further."
-Aragorn, The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: Add each burder card in play, in the encounter deck, and in the discard pile to the Campaign Pool. The added cards have been earned by the players.
You are playing in Campaign Mode.
Setup: Each player may change hero cards he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. The players have earned the boon cards: Sting, Mithril Shirt, Glamdring, and Andúril. Each player chooses one and adds it to his hand. If any of those boon cards remain unchosen, shuffle them into the first player's deck.
"I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will." –Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: If Lust for the Ring is attached to a hero, the players have earned that burden.
They were just in time. Sam and Frodo were only a few steps up, and Gandalf had just begun to climb, when the groping tentacles writhed across the narrow shore and fingered the cliff–wall and the doors. One came wriggling over the threshold, glistening in the starlight. Gandalf turned and paused. If he was considering what word would close the gate again from within, there was no need. Many coiling arms seized the doors on either side, and with horrible strength, swung them round. With a shattering echo they slammed, and all light was lost. –The Fellowship of the Ring
You are playing in Campaign Mode.
Setup: Shuffle the burder treachery cards Pursued by the Enemy and Shadow of Fear into the encounter deck. Add the burden objective cards Grievous Wound and Overcome by Grief to the staging area.
"Well, well!" said the wizard. "The passage is blocked behind us now and there is only one way out – on the other side of the mountains." –The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: The first player must choose one of the burden treachery cards (Pursued by the Enemy or Shadow of Fear), and one of the burden objective cards (Grievous Wound or Overcome by Grief) and add to the Campaign Pool. If The Balrog is still in play, the first player must choose all 4 burden cards instead. The chosen burdens have been earned by the players.
They ran on. The light grew before them; great shafts pierced the roof. They ran swifter. They passed into a hall, bright with daylight from its high windows in the east. They fled across it. Through its huge broken doors they passed, and suddenly before them the Great Gates opened, an arch of blazing light. –The Fellowship of the Ring
You are playing in Campaign Mode.
Setup: Starting with the first player, each player chooses 1 of the following boon cards: Phial of Galadriel, Three Golden Hairs, Lórien Rope, or Leaf-wrapped Lembas, and attaches it to a hero he controls. The chosen boon cards have been earned by the players. Shuffle Followed by Night and Ill Fate into the encounter deck.
"But this I will say to you: your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all." –Galadriel, The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: If Fallen into Evil is attached to a hero, add that hero to the list of Fallen Heroes in the Campaign Log.
The first player chooses either Followed by Night or Ill Fate to be added to the campaign pool. The chosen burden card has been earned by the players.
Each player chooses 1 hero he controls (other than the Ring-bearer or Aragorn) to be taken captive. Record the name of each "captive" in the Notes section of the Campaign Log.
I would have guided Frodo to Mordor and gone with him to the end; but if I seek him now in the wilderness, I must abandon the captives to torment and death. My heart speaks clearly at last: the fate of the Bearer is in my hands no longer. The Company has played its part. Yet we that remain cannot forsake our companions while we have strength left. Come! We will go now. Leave all that can be spared behind! We will press on by day and dark! –Aragorn, The Two Towers
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Remove Gildor Inglorion and Mr. Underhill from the Campaign Pool. 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
They followed their enemies now by the clear light of day. It seemed that the Orcs had pressed on with all possible speed. –The Two Towers
Resolution: If the pursuit value is 25 or lower, the players must choose: either each player earns one of the Skill boons (Intimidation, Hands of a Healer Forewarned, or Leader of Men) and attached it to a hero he controls, or one player ears the boon Beyond All Hope and chooses a hero from the list of fallen heroes. That player takes control of the chosen hero (removing it from the list of fallen heroes) and attaches Beyond All Hope to it. If a player controls more than 3 non-
heroes, he must remove heroes from the Campaign Log until he controls only 3 heroes. Changing heroes as a result of earning Beyond All Hope does not incur a +1 threat penalty. Add the earned cards to the Campaign Pool.
Then when they had laid their fallen comrades in a mound and had sung their praises, the Riders made a great fire and scattered the ashes of their enemies. So ended the raid, and no news of it came ever back either to Mordor or Isengard; but the smoke of the burning rose hight ot heaven and was seen by many watchful eyes. –The Two Towers
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Each player may change hero cards without incurring the +1 threat penalty. 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 shield–wall was broken. Erkenbrand of Westfold has drawn off those men he could gather towards his fastness in Helm's Deep." –Ceorl, The Two Towers
Resolution: Each player with a copy of Poisoned Counsels in his hand, deck or discard pile has earned that burden. Add the earned cards to the campaign pool.
Down through the breach of the Dike charged the king's company. Down from the hills leaped Erkenbrand, lord of Westfold. Down leaped Shadowfax, like a deer that runs surefooted in the mountains. The White Rider was upon them, and the terror of his coming filled the enemy with madness. The wild men fell on their faces before him. The Orcs reeled and screamed and cast aside both sword and spear. Like a black smoke driven by a mounting wind they fled. –The Two Towers
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Shuffle Saruman's Voice into the encounter deck. Remove each burden with these burden set icons from the encounter deck:
A Shadow of the Past, Flight to the Ford, The Ring Goes South
"Only lately did I guess that Saruman was to blame, and that long ago he had been spying out all the ways, and discovering my secrets. He and his folk are making havoc now." –Treebeard, The Two Towers
Resolution: If any player has 3 or fewer cards in his hand, the players have earned the Saruman's Voice burden card. If any player has 3 or more cards in his hand, the first player has earned the Palantír of Orthanc boon card. Add the earned cards to the Campaign Pool.
"You have become a fool, Saruman, and yet pitiable. You might still have turned away from folly and evil, and have been of service. But you choose to stay and gnaw the ends of your old plots. Stay then! But I warn you, you will not easily come out again. Not unless the dark hands of the East stretch out to take you."
–Gandalf, The Two Towers
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Each player may change hero cards he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. Each player shuffles 1 copy of The Searching Eye into his deck. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck and each player's deck: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard
"It's that Gollum! Snakes and adders! And to think that I thought that we'd puzzle him with our bit of a climb! Look at him! Like a nasty crawling spider on a wall." -Sam Gamgee, The Two Towers
Resolution: Each player must choose: either take a permanent +2 starting threat penalty, or earn 1 copy of The Searching Eye. Record each player's choice in the campaign log.
The marshes were at an end, dying away into dead peats and wide flats of dry cracked mud. The land ahead rose in long shallow slopes, barren and pitiless, towards the desert that lay at Sauron's gate.
–The Two Towers
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Each player must choose: either add 1 resource to each of his heroes' pools, or shuffle 1 copy of Brace of Coneys into his deck. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck and each player's deck: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard
So they passed into the northern marches of that land that Men once called Ithilien, a fair country of climbing woods and swift–falling streams. -The Two Towers
Resolution: Each player who chose to shuffle a copy of Brace of Coneys into his deck during setup has earned that boon. Add each earned copy to the campaign pool. Record the name and quantity of each enemy underneath The Black Gate in the notes section of the campaign log.
"Here is the last parting of our ways," said Faramir.
"If you take my counsel, you will not turn eastward yet. Go straight on, for thus you will have the cover of the woodland for many miles." –The Two Towers
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Attach A Heavy Burden to the Ring-bearer. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck and each player's deck: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard
"There is another way. O yes indeed there is. Another way, darker, more difficult to find, more secret. But Sméagolnknows it. Let Sméagol show you!" -The Two Towers
Resolution: Add a Heavy Burden to the campaign pool. The players have earned that burden.
"Master, dear master," he said, but Frodo did not speak. Ass hehad run forward, eager, rejoicing to be free, Shelob with hideous speed had come behind and with one swift stroke had stung him in the neck. He lay now pale, and heard no voice, and did not move.
–The Two Towers
Setup: Each player may trade heroes without incurring a 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 these 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
"...there is only one way through the mountains that will bring me to the coastlands before all is lost. That is the Paths of the Dead." –Aragorn, The Return of the King
Resolution: Add each copy of Overcome by Fear attached to a player's threat dial to the campaign pool and record the name of each player it was attached to. If Army of the Dead is in the victory display, add the Army of the Dead boon to the campaign pool. The players have earned each card added to the campaign pool
Then Aragorn said: "The hour is come at last. Now I go to Pelargir upon Anduin, and ye shall come after me. And when all this land is clean of the servants of Sauron, I will hold the oath fulfilled, and ye shall have peace and depart for ever. For I am Elessar, Isildur's heir of Gondor." –The Return of the King
Setup: The first player may raise each player's threat by 1 to search his deck for Andúril and add it to his hand. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck:
"There is a great fleet drawing near to the mouths of Anduin, manned by the Corsairs of Umbar in the South. They have long ceased to fear the might of Gondor, and they have allied with the Enemy, and now make a heavy stroke in his cause."
–Beregond, The Return of the King
Resolution: Count the number of resources on The Corsair Fleet and record that number in the notes section of the quest log. Remove Army of the Dead from the Campaign pool.
"But mighty indeed was Aragorn that day. Lo! all the black fleet was in his hands; and he chose the greatest ship to be his own, and he went up into it."
–Gimli, The Return of the King
Setup: Set each Harad enemy recorded in the campaign log aside, out of play. The first player attaches Andúril and Banner of Elendil to Aragorn and set him aside, out of play. Add The Corsair Fleet to the staging area (Gondor side faceup) and place X resources on it, where X is the number recorded in the campaign log. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck, then flip this card over.
Forced: When the players advance to stage 5B, add each set aside Harad enemy to the staging area.
Resolution: Add 1 copy, per player, of Wraith on Wings to the campaign pool. The players have earned those burdens. If Esquire of Gondor or Esquire of Rohan is attached to a hero, that hero's controller has earned that boon.
Thus came Aragorn son of Arathorn, Elessar, Isildur's heir, out of the Paths of the Dead, borne upon a wind from the Sea to the kingdom of Gondor.
–The Return of the King
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 Andúril) 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
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
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
You are playing Campaign Mode.
Setup: The first player attaches Old Bogey-stories to a hero in play.
It was not called the Old Forest without reason, for it was indeed ancient, a survivor of vast forgotten woods; and in it there lived yet, ageing no quicker than the hills, the fathers of the fathers of trees, remembering times when they were lords. The countless years had filled them with pride and rooted wisdom, and with malice. –The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: If there are at least 12 damage tokens on Old Man Willow, the players have earned the Old Bogey-Stories boon card.
Tom Bombadil burst out laughing, "Well, my little fellows!" said he, stooping so that he peered into their faces. "You shall come home with me! The table is all laden with yellow cream, honeycomb, and white bread and butter. Goldberry is waiting. Time enough for questions around the supper table. You follow after me as quick as you are able!" With that he picked up his lilies, and then with a beckoning wave of his hand went hopping and dancing along the path eastward, still singing loudly and nonsensically.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
You are playing Campaign Mode.
Setup: While any player is at stage 4B, the first player cannot lose control of the first player token.
Even in the Shire the rumour of the Barrow–wights of the Barrow-downs beyond the Forest had been heard. But it was not a tale than any hobbit liked to listen to, even by a comfortable fireside far away. –The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: The players have earned the Ho! Tom Bombadil! boon card.
At last they set off. They led their ponies down the hill; and then mounting they trotted quickly along the valley. They looked back and saw the top of the old mound on the hill, and from it the sunlight on the gold went up like a yellow flame. Then they turned a shoulder of the Downs and it was hidden from view.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
Setup: Add Dol Guldur to the staging area, attach a threat dial to it, and set its value to 5. Then, increase it's value by 5 for each player. For the rest of the game, that threat dial is the siege tracker and it displays the city strength of Dol Guldur. Flip this card over.
"...we were drawing nigh to Dol Guldur, and that is still a very evil place; we do not go that way."
–Legolas, The Fellowship of the Ring
While Dol Guldur's city strength is 0, each Lieutenant enemy loses indestructible.
While the players are at stage 3, this card gains:"Forced: After resolving the Forced effect on Dol Guldur, randomly select a stage 3 that was not in play this round and resolve its Forced effect. Then, discard all progress from the current stage 3 and advance to a new stage 3 of your choice."
At the end of the round, if Dol Guldur's city strength is 0 and there are no Lieutenant enemies in play, Dol Guldur is captured and the players win the game.
After the fall of the Dark Tower and the passing of Sauron the Shadow was lifted from the hearts of all who opposed him, but fear and despair fell upon his servants and allies. –The Return of the King
Setup: Create 3 separate staging area, each with its own quest deck and encounter deck. Divide the players into 3 teams, one for each staging area. One team puts Dol Guldur into play in their staging area, attaches a threat dial to it, and sets its value to 5. Then, increase its value by 5 for each player at each stage. For the rest of the game, that threat dial is the siege tracker and it displays the city strength of Dol Guldur. Each other team removes their copy of Dol Guldur. Each other team removes their copy of Dol Guldur from the game. Flip this card over.
...there was long battle under the trees and great ruin of fire...
–The Return of the King
While Dol Guldur's city strength is 0, each Lieutenant enemy loses indestructible.
While the players are at stage 3, this card gains:"Forced: After resolving the Forced effect on Dol Guldur, the team with Dol Guldur in their staging area resolves the forced effect on the stage 3 that was not in play at any stage this round. Then, each team discards all progress from their stage 3 and advances to a new stage 3 of their choice. Each team must choose a different stage."
Response: At the end of the round, a player who controls Host of Lórien or Power of Lórien may give control of that card to another player at any stage.
If the last player at a stage is eliminated, the siege falls and the entire group loses the game. At the end of the round, if Dol Guldur's city strength is 0 and there are no Lieutenant enemies in play at each stage, Dol Guldur is captured and the players win the game.
They took Dol Guldur, and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleared.
–The Return of the King