Setup: Search the encounter deck for 1 copy of the Forest Spider and 1 copy of the Old Forest Road, and add them to the staging area. Then, shuffle the encounter deck.
You are traveling through Mirkwood forest, carrying an urgent message from King Thanduil to the Lady Galadriel of Lorien. As you move along the dark trail, the spiders gather around you...
The nastiest things they saw were the cobwebs; dark dense cobwebs, with threads extradionairly thick, often stretched from tree to tree, or tangled in the lower branches on either side of them. There were none stretched across the path, but whether because some magic kept it clear, or for what other reasons they could not guess. - The Hobbit
The Lady Galadriel of L贸rien has asked you to investigate the area in the vicinity of Dol Guldar. While doing so, one of your allies was ambushed by Orcs, captured, and is now held in a dungeon cell...
Setup: Search the encounter deck for the 3 objective cards, reveal and place them in the staging area. Also, place the Nazg没l of Dol Guldur face up but out of play, alongside the quest deck. Then, shuffle the encounter deck, and attach 1 encounter to each objective card.
When Revealed: Randomly select 1 hero card (among all the heroes controlled by the players) and turn it facedown. The hero is now considered a "prisoner", cannot be used, cannot be damaged, and does not collect resources, until it is "rescued" (as instructed by card effects) later in this quest.
The players, as a group, cannot play more than 1 ally card each round.
Players cannot advance to the next stage of this quest unless they have at least 1 objective card.
Setup: Each player reveals 1 card from the top of the encounter deck, and adds it to the staging area.
Emerging from Mirkwood Forest with an urgent message from Lady Galadriel, you must make your way south along the Anduin River in order to reach the forst of L贸rien. As you leave the forest behind, you notice that you are being pursued, and thus quicken your pace...
When Revealed: Search the encounter deck for 1 Hill Troll is one is not already in play, and place it in the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Players cannot defeat this stage while any Hill Troll cards are in play.
As you approach the location of a small raft stashed on the riverbank, a fearsome Hill Troll emerges from behind a grouping of rocks, and attacks!
Marauding Goblins have raided a woodman village on the eaves of Mirkwood forest. The Goblins killed the guards and took many of the villages captive. Those left behind beg you to rescue their loved ones.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for 1 copy of The Eaves of Mirkwood and Goblin Troop. Add The Eaves of Mirkwood to the staging area and set Goblin Troop aside, out of play. Shuffle of the encounter deck.
You swear an oath to the survivors that you will rescue the captured woodmen and bring justice to the Goblins who attacked them, then you enter Mirkwood forest to find their trail.
You have pursued the Goblins that attacked a woodman village to the mountains of Mirkwood. The trail leads over a steep ridge where you discover the forgotten Dwarf home of Nibin–D鈥搈. You light a torch and enter in.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Goblin Chieftain, Cracked Pillar, and Cave Torch. Set Goblin Chieftain and Cracked Pillar aside, out of play. The first player attached Cave Torch to one of his heroes. Shuffle the encounter deck.
The Dwarves abandonded Nibin–D鈥搈 after an earthquake collapsed part of the mine, but it seems these Goblins have since adopted it as their home. The flickering light of your torch reveals a network of dark passages and you set about searching for signs of the enemy.
When Revealed: Each player searches the encounter deck for a different location and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
The ring Frodo Baggins inherited from his uncle Bilbo is indeed The One Ring. After conferring with the wizard Gandalf, Frodo decides to leave the Shire and take the ring to Rivendell.
Setup: Set Buckleberry Ferry aside, out of play. Add 1 Black Rider to the staging area and make Bag End the active location. Shuffle the encounter deck.
When a player fails a Hide test, each Nazg没l enemy in the staging area engages that player. (Trigger Forced effects after resolving this effect.)
The player cannot advance unless Bag End is in the victory display.
Frodo's friend insist on joining him in his adventure, but danger finds them sooner than anticipated when Black Riders appear in the Shire.
Frodo and his companions arrive at Bree to find the shadow of the Black Riders already on the crossroads town. Unsure of who to trust, they decide to lodge at The Prancing Pony. There they meet a friend of Gandalf named Strider who offers to lead them to Rivendell, but their movements are also tracked by less savory folk.
Setup: Set all copies of Ringwraith, The Witch-king, Midgewater, and Weathertop aside, out of play. Add The Prancing Pony and Bill Ferny to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
The player cannot advance while The Prancy Pony is in play.
In dark and loneliness they are strongest; they will not openly attack a house where there are lights and many people – not until they are desperate, not while all the long leagues of Eriador still lie before us. But their power is in terror, and already some in Bree are in their clutch. They will drive these wretches to some evil work: Ferny, and some of the strangers, and, maybe, the gatekeeper too.
鈥揝trider, The Fellowship of the Ring
The players cannot advance unless The Last Bridge is in the victory display.
Forced: At the end of the round, reduce the Ring-bearer's life by 1.
In the House of Elrond, the evil wound that Frodo received on Weathertop is healed and he is reunited with his uncle Bilbo. The One Ring cannot remain hidden in Rivendell for long, so Lord Elrond summons a council to decide what should be done to protect the Free Peoples of Middle–earth.
Setup: Set Lust for the Ring Redhorn Pass, Doors of Durin and Watcher in the Water aside, out of play. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: At the end of the planning phase, each player places the top card of his deck faceup in front of him, in player order, until there are a total of 4 faceup cards between the players. The first player chooses 1 faceup card to be played for 0 cost, 1 to add to its owner's hand, 1 to discard, and 1 to shuffle into its owner's deck. Then, either shuffle Lust for the Ring into the encounter deck, or raise each player's threat by 5. Advance to stage 2.
Trapped inside the Mines of Moria, the Company of the Ring must find their way through many twisting passages to reach the eastern door. But with every step they take into the Mines, there is a growing sense of dread...
Setup: Set The Balrog, The Great Bridge, and Chamber of Mazarbul aside out of play. Add Doom Doom Doom to the staging area and place 10 damage tokens on it. Each player adds 1 different location to the staging area.
Forced: After a player optionally engages an enemy, remove 1 damage from Doom Doom Doom.
There were not only many roads to choose from, there were also in many places holes and pitfalls, and dark wells beside the path in which their passing feet echoed. –The Fellowship of the Ring
Having barely escaped from Moria, the Company of the Ring flees into the forest of L贸rien where they are welcomed by the Elves of the Golden Wood and supplied with boats and other gifts by their Lord and Lady, Celeborn and Galadriel. Then, after a brief rest, they set out upon the River Anduin.
Setup: Set Frodo's Choice, Seat of Seeing, and Parth Galen aside, out of play. Add The Argonath and Sarn Gebir to the staging area.
Enemies get +2
and cannot be engaged. Skip the encounter phase.
The players cannot advance while The Argonath is in play.
So the Company went on their long way, down the wide hurrying waters, borne ever southwards. Bare woods stalked along either bank, and they could not see any glimpse of the lands behind. –The Fellowship of the Ring
The Orcs that attached the Fellowship at Amon Hen captured several members of the Company and are carrying them to Isengard. Aragorn and his companions decide to chase the Uruk–hai in an effort to rescue their friends...
Setup: Make Estemnet the active location. Add Ugl煤k and To Isengard! to the staging area. Each player chooses 1 non-
hero he controls to be a Captive and places it faceup underneath to Isengard! (If playing campaign mode, choose each "captive" from the Campaign Log instead). Set the pursuit value to 10.
X is the Pursuit value.
Ugl煤k cannot leave the staging area or take damage.
Forced: At the end of the combat phase, increase the pursuit value by 1 for each enemy in the staging area.
"With hope or without hope we will follow the trail of our enemies. And woe to them, if we prove the swifter!" –Aragorn, The Two Towers
The pursuit of the Uruk–hai has brought the Heir of Elendil to Rohan just as Saruman declares war on that land. Aragorn and his companions travel to Edoras to aid King Th茅oden, but their arrival is met with suspicion...
Setup: Set The Defense of Helm's Deep and 1 copy of Deeping Wall aside, out of play. Each player sets 1 copy of Soldier of Isengard aside, out of play. Then, the players must choose: either each player shuffles 1 copy of Poisoned Counsels into his deck, or advance to stage 2A (bypassing stage 1B).
When Revealed: Each player chooses 1 ally in his hand that matches the sphere of a hero he controls and puts it into play under his control.
Skip the quest phase and combat phase.
Forced: At the end of the round, advance to stage 2A.
"Hail, Th茅oden son of Thengel! I have returned. For behold! the storm comes, and now all friends should gather together..." –Gandalf, The Two Towers
Saruman's army has been defeated at Helm's Deep, but the Wizard's fortress is beyond Rohan's power to capture. However, the Ents of Fangorn have also suffered great injury because of Saruman and his Orcs. They have the strength to break Isengard, but only if they can be roused to attack.
Setup: Set Gates of Isengard Orthanc, Saruman, and Saruman's Staff aside, out of play. Add each copy of Ent of Fangorn to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Players cannot draw cards or gain resources. Do not commit to the quest or reveal encounter cards during the quest phase.
Forced: At the end of the round, place 1 resource here. Then, the players may advance to stage 2. If the players advance, the first player shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck and reveals 1 encounter card for each resource here. Then, remove each Ent objective in the staging area from the game.
Frodo and Sam left the Fellowship above the falls of Rauros and crossed the great river to climb the Emyn Muil upon the Eastern shore. After days of wandering through that maze of rocky crags, they have finally reached the edge of the Dead Marshes only to discover that Gollum is following them.
Setup: Put Gollum into play engaged with the first player. Each player searches the encounter deck for 1 location, reveals it, and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
The players cannot advance unless the first player controls Sm茅agol.
Forced: After a player declares any number of attackers against Gollum discard the top card of the encounter deck. Gollum gets +X for this attack, where X is the discarded card鈥檚
Things would have gone ill with Sam, if he had been alone. But Frodo sprang up, and drew Sting from its sheath. 鈥擳he Two Towers
"These cursed Southrons come now marching up the ancient roads to swell the hosts of the Dark Tower. Yea, up the very roads that craft of Gondor made." -Mablung, The Two Towers
Setup: Add The Black Gate and The Cross-roads to the staging area. Shuffle the Harad encounter set and place it facedown under The Cross-roads. Each player, except for the first player, searches the encounter deck for a different non-unique location and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, reveal the top facedown card from under The Cross-roads and add it to the staging area.
The players cannot defeat this stage while The Cross-roads is in play. When The Cross-roads is explored, the players win the game.
"The road may pass, but they shall not!"
鈥擬ablung, The Two Towers
Sm茅agol has led Frodo and Sam to the Morgul Vale, where he promises to show them a secret way over the Mountains of Shadow and into the land of Mordor, but Sam fears that Gollum may be leading them into a trap...
Setup: Set Cleft of Cirith Ungol, Shelob and The Great Spider encounter set aside, out of play. Put Sm茅agol into play under the first player's control. Make Morgul Vale the active location. Add Sm茅agol's Secret Way to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Progress cannot be placed on Underground locations.
Response: After Sm茅agol's Secret Way is explored, discard 3 random cards from each player's hand to discard each Nazg没l enemy in the staging area.
Forced: At the end of the quest phase, if Sm茅agol's Secret Way is in the victory display, advance to stage 2A.
"I must take new counsel for myself and my kindred. We must ride our own road, and no longer in secret. For me the time of stealth has passed. I will ride by the swiftest way, and I will take the Paths of the Dead." -Aragorn, The Return of the King
Setup: Set The Stone of Erech and Army of the Dead aside, out of play. Each player attaches a copy of Overcome by ~Fear to his threat dial. Remove each unattached copy of Overcome by
When Revealed: Each player may add 1 resource to the resource pool of each hero he controls. Each player who does so must raise his threat by 3.
Forced: At the end of the planning phase, discard all cards in each player鈥檚 hand and
"There at Pelargir lay the main fleet of Umbar, fifty great ships and smaller vessels beyond count. Many of those that we pursued had reached the havens before us..."
-Gimli, The Return of the King
Setup: Add The ~Corsair Fleet (Corsair side faceup) and Great Corsair Ship to the staging area. Each player searches the encounter deck for a Ship location and adds it to the staging area. Shuffl
Each Ship location in the staging area is immune to player card effects.
The players cannot defeat this stage while Great Corsair Ship is in play. When this stage is defeated, the
"Here will the hammer-stroke fall hardest. And for that reason Mithrandir came hither in such haste. For if we fall, who shall stand?
-Beregond, The Return of the King
Setup: Set Minas Tirith, Grond, The Witch-king, and each copy of ~Wraith of Wings aside, out of play. Search the encounter deck for a copy of ~Pelennor Field and make it the active location. Shuffle the encounter deck. The players may attach Esquire of ~Rohan and Esquire of ~Gondor
Skip the quest phase and combat phase.
Forced: At the end of the planning phase, p
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 O
Each non-unique location gets -1 Threat 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
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没r 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. Shuffl
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 pl
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. Shuffl
Dire. This stage gets +4 quest points for each player.
The first treachery revealed each quest phase is immune to player card eff
Setup: Search the encounter deck for 1 copy of the Forest Spider and 1 copy of the Old Forest Road, and add them to the staging area. Then, shuffle the encounter deck.
You are traveling through Mirkwood forest, carrying an urgent message from King Thanduil to the Lady Galadriel of Lorien. As you move along the dark trail, the spiders gather around you...
The nastiest things they saw were the cobwebs; dark dense cobwebs, with threads extradionairly thick, often stretched from tree to tree, or tangled in the lower branches on either side of them. There were none stretched across the path, but whether because some magic kept it clear, or for what other reasons they could not guess. - The Hobbit
The Lady Galadriel of L贸rien has asked you to investigate the area in the vicinity of Dol Guldar. While doing so, one of your allies was ambushed by Orcs, captured, and is now held in a dungeon cell...
Setup: Search the encounter deck for the 3 objective cards, reveal and place them in the staging area. Also, place the Nazg没l of Dol Guldur face up but out of play, alongside the quest deck. Then, shuffle the encounter deck, and attach 1 encounter to each objective card.
When Revealed: Randomly select 1 hero card (among all the heroes controlled by the players) and turn it facedown. The hero is now considered a "prisoner", cannot be used, cannot be damaged, and does not collect resources, until it is "rescued" (as instructed by card effects) later in this quest.
The players, as a group, cannot play more than 1 ally card each round.
Players cannot advance to the next stage of this quest unless they have at least 1 objective card.
Setup: Each player reveals 1 card from the top of the encounter deck, and adds it to the staging area.
Emerging from Mirkwood Forest with an urgent message from Lady Galadriel, you must make your way south along the Anduin River in order to reach the forst of L贸rien. As you leave the forest behind, you notice that you are being pursued, and thus quicken your pace...
When Revealed: Search the encounter deck for 1 Hill Troll is one is not already in play, and place it in the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Players cannot defeat this stage while any Hill Troll cards are in play.
As you approach the location of a small raft stashed on the riverbank, a fearsome Hill Troll emerges from behind a grouping of rocks, and attacks!
Marauding Goblins have raided a woodman village on the eaves of Mirkwood forest. The Goblins killed the guards and took many of the villages captive. Those left behind beg you to rescue their loved ones.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for 1 copy of The Eaves of Mirkwood and Goblin Troop. Add The Eaves of Mirkwood to the staging area and set Goblin Troop aside, out of play. Shuffle of the encounter deck.
You swear an oath to the survivors that you will rescue the captured woodmen and bring justice to the Goblins who attacked them, then you enter Mirkwood forest to find their trail.
You have pursued the Goblins that attacked a woodman village to the mountains of Mirkwood. The trail leads over a steep ridge where you discover the forgotten Dwarf home of Nibin–D鈥搈. You light a torch and enter in.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Goblin Chieftain, Cracked Pillar, and Cave Torch. Set Goblin Chieftain and Cracked Pillar aside, out of play. The first player attached Cave Torch to one of his heroes. Shuffle the encounter deck.
The Dwarves abandonded Nibin–D鈥搈 after an earthquake collapsed part of the mine, but it seems these Goblins have since adopted it as their home. The flickering light of your torch reveals a network of dark passages and you set about searching for signs of the enemy.
When Revealed: Each player searches the encounter deck for a different location and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Setup: Reveal 1 card per player from the encounter deck, and add it to the staging area.
Gandalf has requested your assistance in the search for the elusive creature known as Gollum. Your search begins in the Anduin Valley between Mirkwood Forest and the Misty Mountains
Forced: After the players quest successfully, the first player looks at the top 3 card fo the encounter deck. Reveal and add 1 of those cards to the staging area, and discard the other 2 cards.
You make your way along the banks of the Anduin River, a likely place for Gollum to find food.
Setup: Add The Carrock to the staging area. Remove 4 unique Troll cards and 4 copies of the “Sacked!” card from the encounter deck and set them aside, out of play. Then shuffle 1 “Sacked!” card per player back into the encounter deck.
While searching for Gollum in the Anduin valley, you recieve word that a group of Trolls have come to the Carrock.
Forced: After placing the 7th progress token on Grimbeorn's Quest, The Carrock becomes the active location. Discard the previous active location from play.
As this area is under the watch of the Beornings, you seek out their leader, Grimbeorn the Old, and discover he has already set out in a rage. You follow, hoping to find him before he confronts the Trolls.
The Eagle's wounds cannot be tended in the wilderness, so you attempt to bring the creature to Rhosgobel, where the wisdom of Radagast the Brown may be its only hope.
The hunt for Gollum has led you to the south, and you are now approaching Rauros falls and the nearby hills of Emyn Muil...
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Amon Hen and Amon Lhaw, and add them to the staging area. Then shuffle the encounter deck.
You are certain that Gollum has fled into the area, and you must explore until you find the fresh trail.
Forced: If there are no location cards in the staging area, the first treachery card revealed during the quest phase gains surge.
Players cannot defeat this stage until there are no Emyn Muil locations in play, and they have collected at least 20 victory points.
You have followed Gollum's trail for days, and are now closing in fast pursuit. In a last ditch effort to escape you, the creature has fled to The Dead Marshes.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Gollum, and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck, then reveal 1 card per player from the encounter deck and add it to the staging area.
'Yes, yes,' said Gollum. 'All dead, all rotten. Elves and Men and Orcs. The Dead Marshes. There was a great battle long ago, yes, so they told him when Smeagol was young, when I was young before teh Precious came. It was a great battle. Tall Men with long swords, and terrible Elves and Orcses shrieking. They fought on th eplain for days and months at the Black Gates. But the Marshes have grown since then, swallowed up the graves; always creeping, creeping.'
–The Two Towers.
Having captured Gollum, you must now escort him through Mirkwood Forest for interrogation at Thranduil's Palace.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Gollum. Choose a player to guard Gollum at the start of the game, and place Gollum in front of that player. Then shuffle the encounter deck. Reveal 1 card per player from the encounter deck, and add it to the staging area.
Mirkwood is always a dangerous place, but it is even worse with Gollum. Between the outbursts, tantrums, and the flying provisions, you are not afforded a moment's peace
Setup: Search the encounter deck for East-gate and Cave Torch. Put East-gate into play as the active location, and have the first player attach Cave Torch to a hero of his choice. Set First Hall and Bridge of Khazad-d没m aside, out of play. Shuffle the encounter deck.
You have been sent by the White Council to Moria, to deliver a message to Balin and his Dwarven colony. No one has heard from him in a while.
When Revealed: Reveal 1 encounter card per player, and add it to the staging area.
Player cannot advance to the next stage of the scenario unless Bridge of Khazad-d没m is in their victory display.
The doors of the East–gate hang crooked on their henges. The darkness inside the doorway is still and impenetrable, shutting out the last beams of a sinking sun.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Book of Mazarbul, and have the first player attach it to a hero of his choice. Shuffle the encounter deck.
When Revealed: Reveal 1 encounter card per player, and add it to the staging area.
You have discovered the fate of the Dwarven colony, and seek to leave Moria. But exiting may not be as simple as entering...
Setup: Prepare the quest deck. Add The Nameless Fear to the staging area. Remove all copies of A Foe Beyond from the encounter deck. Then, shuffle 1 copy of A Foe Beyond per player back into the encounter deck.
As you leave the Seventh Level, the air grows thick and drums begin to roll from the deeps. A man-shape shadow, yet greater, masses at the end of the hall, and begins to head straight for you.
When Revealed: Reveal 1 encounter card per player, and add it to the staging area. Then, add A Presence in the Dark to your victory display.
Celeborn has bid you to visit her father in Rivendell. Your journey takes you though the Redhorn Gate...
Setup: Add Caradhras to the staging area. Remove all copies of Snowstorm from the encounter deck and set them aside, out of play. Put Arwen Und贸miel into play under the control of the first player.
When Revealed: Reveal 1 card from the encounter deck per player, and add it to the staging area.
Your party has braved the snows of the pass, but now must travel North along the Misty Mountains for league upon league as you escort Arwen to her father's house.
Setup: Put Arwen Und贸miel into play under the control of the first player. Shuffle the encounter deck. Reveal 1 card from the encounter deck per player, and add them to the staging area.
This is a wild and perilous country, and it is dangerous to follow the roads. The mountains rise up on the right, impassively watching your slow trek among the foothills.
Elrond has asked you to scout the Mines of Moria on your return to Lorien, hoping to discover if it is the source of increased Orc activity along the Misty Mountains.
Setup: Remove The Watcher and Doors of Durin from the encounter deck and set them aside, out of play.
Your approach is blocked by a dark lake that slumbers beneath the face of the cliff. You must search for a way around the water.
When Revealed: Reveal cards from the encounter deck and add them to the staging area until there is at least X in the staging area. X is twice the number of players in the game.
Setup: The first player attaches Cave Torch to a hero of his choice.
Your party is scouting the Mines of Moria, searching for signs of Orcs. Dark tunnels and twisting passages spread out in all directions, a labyrinthine maze that you could wander in forever if you take the wrong path.
When Revealed: Discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until you discard X locations, where X is one less than the number of players in the game (minimum 1). Add those locations to the staging area, and shuffle the other discarded cards back into the encounter deck.
Each location gets +1 . If the players quest unsuccessfully, trigger all "Lost:" effects in play.
Your journey has led to a decrepit portion of the mines, untouched by Dwarven pick for many a year. The air grows thick with moisture, and the walls almost appear to be weeping.
Setup: Place the Foundations of Stone encounter set aside, out of play. The first player attaches Cave Torch to a hero of his choice.
A low rumble sounds from below. There are a variety of underground waterways in Moria, but they should not be disturbed.
When Revealed: Reveal 1 card from the encounter deck per player, and add it to the staging area.
As you reach the eastern realm of Darrowdelf the craftsmanship of the Dwarves is proudly displayed. But the sound of drums sound in the deep, and it appears that these halls are infested with Orcs.
Setup: Remove Dark Pit from the encounter deck and place it aside, out of play. Add Durin's Bane to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
A crack like lightning sounds before you, and a creature of shadow and flame blocks your way. It is an ancient demon of Morgoth, and its presence explains the massing in Moria.
When Revealed: Reduce each player's threat to 0. Reveal X cards from the encounter deck, where X is one less than the number of players in the game, and add them to the staging area.
The White Council has sent you by ship to Gondor to help fight the threat of Mordor. Upon arrival in the port city of Pelargir, you are greeted by Lord Alcaron who takes you to The Leaping Fish where you can speak privately.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for The Leaping Fish and Alcaron鈥檚 Scroll. Make The Leaping Fish the active location and attach Alcaron's Scroll to a hero.
Inside the tavern, Lord Alcaron looks nervously toward the door as he hands you a scroll bearing the seal of Gondor. He asks that you deliver it to Faramir in Ithilen, but the brigands who just entered look intent on taking it from you
Battle. (Characters use their 
instead of 
when questing.)
When Revealed: Each player must search the encounter deck for a copy of Harbor Thug and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
You've arrived in Ithilien with a sealed message for Faramir, only to learn that he has gone north to defend Cair Andros from massing enemy forces.
Setup: Add Celador to the staging area. Search the encounter deck for a copy of Ithilien Road and make it the active location. Each player must search the encounter deck for a copy of Southron Company and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Battle. (Characters quest using instead of .)
If the players complete this stage with Celador in the staging area, advance to stage 3A (bypassing stage 2).
Faramir has left a company of rangers in Ithilien, tasked on ambushing Southrons as the march toward Cair Andros. Their captain, Celador, offers to lead you to Cair Andros after the approaching enemy is destroyed...
The island fortress of Cair Andros, which guards Gondor's northernmost causeways over the river Anduin, is under siege! Battering rams rumble up the eastern causeway and rafts filled with Orcs float across the river toward the lightly defended northern banks.
Setup: Add The Approach, The Citadel, and The Banks to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Siege. (Characters quest using instead of .)
Players must deal damage from undefended attacks to the lowest Battleground location in play. If there are no Battleground locations in play, immediate advance to the next stage.
The assault is relentless, and the defenders grow weary. The tide is slowly but surely turning against you...
Even as foes mass from without, the Steward of Minas Tirith fears there are enemies within. You have been asked to investigate the possibility of a conspiracy within the White City...
Setup: Create the underworld deck. Remove Roots of Mindolluin from the encounter deck and set it aside, out of play. Shuffle all Villain cards and randomly set one aside, out of play, without looking at it. Remove the others from the game. Repeat this with all Plot cards.
When Revealed: Search the encounter deck for The Fourth Star and make it the active location. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: After the active location leaves play as an explored location, place 1 resource token on this quest.
If there are 4 or more resource tokens on Conspiracy, advance to the next stage.
You begin your investigation at The Fourth Star, a popular tavern...
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Dr没-buri-Dr没 and set him aside, out of play. Shuffle the encounter deck.
The leader of the underworld cabal from Minas Tirith has fled with his remaining henchmen. You have followed his trail to The Dr煤adan Forest, hoping to bring the nameless villain to justice.
When Revealed: Reveal 1 card from the encounter deck per player and add it to the staging area.
The Dr煤adan Forest is a wild and dangerous place. It is said that Woses, reclusive forest dwellers, still reside among the trees. You wonder if your quarry has considered the dangers of this course.
Setup: Set Ghulat aside, out of play. Put Lord Alcaron into play. Make Burning Farmhouse the active location. Add the Rescued Villagers and Dead Villagers objectives to the staging area. Then, shuffle the encounter deck and reveal 1 encounter card per player and add it to the staging area.
Emerging from the Druadan Forest with news of the conspirators' demise, you begin your journey to Minas Tirith. As you wake the following day, you see dark plumes of smoke rising across the lands of An贸rien.
When progress would be placed on Savagery of the Orcs, move an equal number of villager tokens from this quest onto Rescued Villagers instead.
If there are no villager tokens on Savagery of the Orcs, advance to the next stage.
In a smoldering village near Amon D卯n, you find none other than a tired Lord Alcaron. Pleased to see you, he requests your assistance in protecting the village.
Setup: Each player chooses 1 enemy and 1 unique location and add them to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
You have returned to Minas Tirith just in time to join the army of Gondor as it marches to Osgiliath. An army of orcs and southrons have garrisoned the ancient city, but Lord Boromir means to retake it. Eager to strike a blow against Mordor, you will see the city retaken or die in the attempt...
Player card effects cannot place progress tokens on locations in the staging area.
Forced: When an Osgiliath location leaves play as an explored location, the first player takes control of that location.
If the players control all Osgiliath locations in play at the end of the round, they have won the game.