Lower the cost to play In the Shadows by 1 for each Hobbit or Ranger hero you control.

Combat Action: Each enemy engaged with you with engagement cost higher than your threat gets -1 and -1 until the end of the phase.

He could see them stealing up the slopes, singly or in long files, keeping always to the shade of grove or thicket... –The Two Towers

Action: Ready the Ring-bearer to choose an enemy engaged with you. If the Ring-bearer's is greater than that enemy's lower its and by the difference until the end of the phase.

For a moment it appeared to Sam that his master had grown and Gollum had shrunk... –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

Play only if you control the Ring-bearer.

Planning Action: Brace of Coneys to the victory display to (choose 2): heal up to 2 damage from a hero, add 2 resources to a hero's pool, draw 2 cards, or reduce a player's threat by 2.

“'Sméagol always helps,' he said. 'He has brought rabbits, nice rabbits.'”
—Gollum, The Two Towers

Response: Exhaust a Weapon or Armor card attached to the defending character to cancel a shadow effect just triggered during combat.

"Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may."

-Éowyn, The Return of the King

Response: After a sentinel character is declared as a defender, it gets +2 Defense for this attack. If this attack deals no damage, ready the

...but alone in the porch upon the topmost step stood Beregond, clad in the black and silver of the Guard; and he held the door against them.

-The Return of the King

Quest Action: Until the end of the phase, each Noble hero gets +1 Willpower and does not exhaust to

Response: After you engage an enemy, search the top 5 cards of your deck for a Hobbit ally and put it into play (search you entire deck instead if that enemy's engagement cost is higher than your threat). Shuffle your deck. At the end of the round, if that ally is still in play, re

Action: Choose and ready 1 ally card.

"...no road looks toward safety any longer. Be vigilant!"
–Gandalf, The Return of the King

Action: Exhaust 1 hero you control to choose and ready a different hero.

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

Action: Until the end of the phase, all characters get +1 . All Gondor characters also get +1 until the end of the phase.

And the tree that was withered shall be renewed,
and he shall plant it in high places,
and the City shall be blessed.
–The Return of the King

Action: Put 1 ally card into play from your hand. At the end of the phase, if that ally is still in play, return it to your hand.

There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow.
–The Fellowship of the Ring

Response: After an ally card leaves play, that card's controller draws 2 cards.

"He fell defending the Hobbits, while I was away upon the hill."
–Aragorn, The Two Towers

Action: Ready all character cards in play.

"If there is only one way, then I must take it. What comes after must come." –Frodo Baggins, The Two Towers

Action: Choose a character. Until the end of the phase, that character gains +1 and +1 .

Throwing back his cloak, he laid his hand on the hilt of a sword that had hung concealed by his side. They did not dare to move.
–The Fellowship of the Ring

Action: Exhaust a character you control with the ranged keyword to choose a player. Deal 1 damage to each enemy engaged with that player.

Arrows thick as the rain came whistling over the battlements, and fell clinking and glancing on the stones. Many found their mark. –The Two Towers

Combat Action: Choose an enemy engaged with a player. That enemy cannot attack that player this phase.

A few brave men were strung before them to make a feint of resistance, and many there fell before the rest drew back and fled to either side. –The Hobbit

Action: Exhaust a character you control to immediately declare it as an attacker (and resolve its attack) against any eligible enemy target.

"...for he that strikes the first blow, if he strikes it hard enough, may need to strike no more." –Gandalf, The Two Towers

You must use resources from 3 different heroes' pools to pay for this card.

Action: Choose a player. That player's engaged enemies cannot attack that player this phase.

Without a word or cry, suddenly, the Riders halted. A thicket of spears were pointed towards the strangers...
–The Two Towers

Response: After a character is declared as a defender, deal 2 damage to the attacking enemy.

A swift stroke she dealt, skilled and deadly.
–The Return of the King

Action: Choose a player. That player may declare any number of his eligible characters as defenders against each enemy attacking him this phase.

...and when the task was done, there they would come to an end, alone, houseless, foodless in the midst of a terrible desert. There could be no return. –The Return of the King

Action: Reduce one player's threat by 6, or reduce each player's threat by 2.

"Welcome to Caras Galadhan!" he said. "Here is the city of the Galadhrim where dwell the Lord Celeborn and Galadriel the Lady of Lórien."
–The Fellowship of the Ring

Response: After you travel to a location, exhaust a character to place 2 progress tokens on that location.

Then Aragorn lead the way, and such was the strength of his will in that hour that all the Dúnedain and their horses followed him.
–The Return of the King

Response: Cancel a shadow effect just triggered during combat.

'The hasty stroke goes oft astray,' said Aragorn. 'We must press our Enemy, and no longer wait on him for the next move.'
–The Return of the King

Action: Choose a player. Shuffle that player's discard pile back into his deck. Remove Will of the West from the game.

"If Gondor has such men still in these days of fading, great must have been its glory in the days of its rising."
–Legolas, The Return of the King

Response: Cancel the “when revealed” effects of a card that was just revealed from the encounter deck.

"There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it"
–Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

Action: Choose an ally with a printed cost of X in any player's discard pile. Put that ally into play under your control. (The chosen ally can belong to any sphere of influence.)

"...we will fight on." –Boromir, The Fellowship of the Ring

Action: Choose an enemy engaged with a player. Return that enemy to the staging area.

The light of the torches and the fire flickered about them...
–The Hobbit

Action: Return 1 card from your discard pile to your hand.

The dwarves no more shall suffer wrong,
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.
–The Hobbit

Action: Choose a hero in any player's discard pile. Put that card into play, under its owner's control.

'Yes, fortune or fate have helped you,' said Gandalf, 'not to mention courage.'
–The Fellowship of the Ring

Action: Choose a character. Heal all damage from that character.

"...understanding, making and healing...These things the Elves of Middle–earth have in some measure gained, though with sorrow."
–Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

Action: Choose a player. That player draws 3 cards.

"That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the tress of that land."
–Legolas, The Fellowship of the Ring

Quest Action: Choose an enemy in the staging area. Until the end of the phase, that enemy does not contribute its

"Radagast is, of course, a worthy Wizard, a master of shapes and changes of hue; and he has much lore of herbs and beasts, and birds are especially his friends." –Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

Quest Action: Choose a location in the staging area. Until the end of the phase, that location does not contribute its

...Beorn advised them to take this way; for at a place a few days' ride due north of the Carrock was the gate of a little–known pathway through Mirkwood... –The Hobbit

Action: Look at the top X cards of any player's deck, add 1 of those cards to its owner's hand, and return the rest to the top of the deck in any order.

"Less welcome did the Lord Denethor show me then than of old, and grudgingly he permitted me to search among his hoarded scrolls and books."
–Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

Action: Choose a player. Heal all damage on each hero controlled by that player.

"...and my house is open to you, if ever you come back this way again."
–Beorn, The Hobbit

Action: Ready all characters in play.

"If there is only one way, then I muse take it. What comes after must come."
–Frodo Baggins, The Two Towers

Action: Put 1 ally card into play from your hand. At the end of the phase, if that ally is still in play, return it to your hand.

There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit...
–The Fellowship of the Ring

Response: Cancel the 'when revealed' effects of a card that was just revealed from the encounter deck.

"There is naught that you can do, other than resist, with hope or without it."
–Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

Action: Choose and ready 1 ally card.

"...no road looks toward safety any longer. Be vigilant!"
–Gandalf, The Return of the King

Response: Cancel a shadow effect just triggered during combat.

"The hasty stroke goes oft astray," said Aragorn. "We must press our Enemy, and no longer wait upon him for the move."
–The Return of the King

Response: After a sentinel character is declared as a defender, it gets +2 for this attack. If this attack deals no damage, ready the defending character.

...but along in the porch upon the topmost step stood Beregond...
–The Return of the King

Action: Return a card from your discard pile to your hand.

The dwarves of yore made might spells,
While hammers fell like rining bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep...
–The Hobbit

Combat Action: Return a Silvan ally you control to your hand to choose an enemy engaged with a player. That enemy cannot attack that player this phase.

"...we went ahead and spoke with feigned voices..."
–Haldir, The Fellowship of the Ring

Play during the Quest phase, before characters are commited to the Quest.

Action: Reveal 1 less card from the encounter deck this phase. (To a minimum of 1.)

Combat Action: Choose an enemy engaged with a player. That enemy cannot attack that player this phase.

A few brave men were strung before them to make a feint of resistance, and many there fell before the rest drew back and fled to either side.
–The Hobbit

Quest Action: Choose a location in the staging area. Until the end of the phase, that location does not contribute its

...Beorn advised them to take this way; for at a place a few days' ride due north of the Carrock was the gate of a little–known pathway through Mirkwood... –The Hobbit

Action: Exhaust a character you control to immediately declare it as an attacker (and resolve its attack) against any eligible enemy target.

"...for he that strikes the first blow, if he strikes it hard enough, may need to strike no more." –Gandalf, The Two Towers

Action: Exhaust a Dwarf character to place 2 progress tokens on the active location. (4 progress tokens instead if it is an Underground or Mountain location.)

"There is a land where our fathers worked of old..."
Gimli, The Fellowship of the Ring

Action: Choose a Dwarf character. Until the end of the phase, that character gets +3 .

Down from the wall leapt Gimli with a fierce cry the echoed in the cliffs. "Khazâd! Khazâd!" He soon had work enough.
–The Two Towers