2
2
5
Surge. Cannot have attachments.
Forced: When Corsair Skiff engages you from the staging area, either raise your threat by 3 or it gains Boarding 1.
), place 2 progress on Jagged Reef. If you are off-course (
, 
, or 
), deal 2 damage to each 
-
5
5
Eye of the Beast cannot attack.
While Eye of the Beast is engaged with a player, The Thing in the Depths attacks that player during the combat phase (deal and resolve a shadow card for this attack).
3
1
5
Surge. Grapple ( highest printed quest points ).
Forced: After Crushing Arm is detached from a location, it makes an immediate attack against the first player.
2
1
3
Forced: When Umbar Sentry attacks, either remove 1 progress token from the main quest, or it gets +2 for this attack.
Umbar remained at war with Gondor for many lives of men...
–The Return of the King
You must find a cool place to rest, out of the sun's burning gaze...
Forced: At the end of the round, remove X progress from the main quest. X is the tens digit of the temperature.
Response: When Seek Shade is defeated, reduce the temperature by 10.
When Revealed: Increase the temperature by 4.
Shadow: Either raise the temperature by 2, or return attacking enemy to the staging area after this attack.
Alone in a hostile land, cut off from help, you struggle to find your bearings...
Each player cannot have more than 5 cards in his hand. (If you have more than 5, immediately choose and discard cards from hand until you have only 5.)
Response: When this stage is defeated, each player draws a card.
The Uruks of Mordor attack with a savagery that is difficult to match.
Each Orc enemy in the staging area gets -5 engagement cost.
Each Orc enemy engaged with a player gets +1
3
1
3
1
1
1
While Broken Courtyard is in the staging area, the main quest cannot have progress tokens beyond its printed quest points value.
Shadow: Either remove 2 progress from main quest, or return attacking enemy to staging area after this attack.
3
1
3
When Revealed: Dungeon Warg makes an immediate attack against the player who controls the most allies.
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1
Dungeon Cell gets +X where X is the printed
of the attached objective.
While Dungeon Cell is in the staging area, it gains:"Forced: After an ally is destroyed, attach it to Dungeon Cell if there is no objective attached to Dungeon Cell."
The path through the hills has led too far up, and now you walk along exposed heights where there's nowhere to hide. You need to find a way down.
Each player's threat cannot be reduced.
Response: When Find a Way Down is defeated, each player reduces his threat by 3.
2
0
3
Surge. Cannot be optionally engaged.
While Stray Goblin is in the staging area, it gains:"Forced: After a player engages an enemy, Stray Goblin engages that player."
Shadow: Add Stray Goblin to staging area.
2
1
2
While the active location has the Dark trait, Black Bats cannot take damage.
Shadow: If the active location has the Dark trait, attacking enemy cannot take damage this phase.
3
1
3
6 ★
1 
Cannot have restricted attachments.
When Revealed: The first player chooses a player to take control of Eagle of the North. The chosen player may choose and discard a non-unique enemy in the staging area.
3
1
3
Surge. Cannot be optionally engaged.
Forced: When the encounter phase begins, Hunting Eagle engages the first player.
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 (+2 instead if attacking enemy has the Creature trait).
2
1
2
Forced: After Easterling Outrider engages a player, either place 1 resource on Easterling Pursuit, or Easterling Outrider makes an immediate attack.
Shadow: Discard an attachment you control.
The Easterlings are fearless warriors, but a stern defense may dissuade them.
When Revealed: After an Easterling enemy enters play, attach the top Easterling treachery in the discard pile to that enemy.
Forced: After Warriors of the East becomes the current quest, the highest Easterling enemy in the staging area attacks the first player.
2
1
3
Servant of Sauron engages the first player.
Forced: After the engaged player raises his threat, Servant of Sauron makes an immediate attack. (Limit once per phase.)
The shadow of Mordor is on the servants of the Enemy, and they inspire fear in your companions. Only a stout heart can stand against them.
Forced: After an enemy engages a player, that player raises his threat by 1.
Response: When Shadow of Fear is defeated, reduce each player's threat by 3.
When Revealed: Gollum makes an immediate attack. If no attack was made this way, discard all tokens from Sméagol and flip him to Gollum.
Shadow: Raise your threat by 2 (by 4 instead if Gollum is engaged with you). Shuffle Stinker back into the encounter deck.
4
1
3
Forced: After Easterling Skirmisher attacks and destroys a character, that character's controller must return the location he controls with the highest to the staging area.
Forced: After an enemy is defeated, place 1 progress on Contested Square if it is in the staging area.
While you control Contested Square, it gains:"Forced: After a character you control is destroyed, if you control Contested Square, returns Contested Square to the staging area."
2
1
2
Forced: After Spawn of Shelob engages you, either discard the top card of your deck, or Spawn of Shelob gets +2 until the end of the round.
Shadow: Exhaust a character you control.
2
1
2
Forced: After Guard Dogs engages you, deal 1 damage to a character you control.
Shadow: Put Guard Dogs into play engaged with you.
The dungeons of Dol Rhugar are full of prisoners with no hope of escape.
No more than 4 progress can be placed on the current quest each round.
Response: When this stage is defeated, the first player chooses a Castle side quest. Each player looks at his facedown cards under that quest and adds 1 to his hand.
3
1
2
Shadow: attacking enemy makes an additional attack immediately after this one. (Deal a new shadow card for that attack.)
1
1
2
Forced: When a location is revealed from the encounter deck, put 1 progress on Smaug the Golden.
Burgle: The first player shuffles his deck and reveals the top card. He may discard 1 card from his hand that matches the revealed card's sphere and type.
When Revealed: Put 1 progress token on Smaug the Golden. Then, spend X 
resources or advance to stage 4A. X is the number of progress tokens on Smaug the Golden.
Burgle: The first player shuffles his deck and reveals the top card. He may discard 2 cards from his hand that match the revealed card's type.
When Revealed: Choose a different quest to be the current quest until the end of the round, if able. If the current quest did not change as a result of this effect, this card gains Doomed 3.
Down, heedless of order, rushed all the dwarves of Dain to his help. Down too came many of the Lake–men, for Bard could not restrain them... –The Hobbit
When Revealed: Attach to a hero. (Counts as a Condition attachment with the text: "Limit 1 per hero.Forced: After a player fails a Hide test, discard attached hero.")
"He is not far away. I wish to find him. If he passes will you tell me? I will come back with gold."
–Black Rider, The Fellowship of the Ring
When Revealed: The first player must either exhaust The One Ring or raise his threat 3.
Shadow: Attacking enemy gets +1 (+2 instead if The One Ring is exhausted).
When Revealed: At the end of the phase, each enemy in the staging area engages the first player. If the One Ring is exhausted, this effect cannot be canceled.
"Also," he added, and his voice sank to a whisper, "the Ring draws them" –The Fellowship of the Ring
When Revealed: Attach to the Ring-bearer. (Counts as a Condition attachment with the text:"Forced: At the beginning of each quest phase, either exhaust The One Ring or reveal and additional encounter card this phase.")
Once more the desire to slip on the Ring came over Frodo... –The Fellowship of the Ring
When Revealed: The first player must either exhaust the Ring-bearer or reveal and additional encounter card
Shadow: Defending player raises his threat by 3.