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
The Elf you rescued is Mendor, a servant of the Elvenking. He offers to guide you to the hidden kingdom, yet even Mendor struggles to keep his way as night settles over Mirkwood.
When Revealed: The opposing team searches the top 5 cards of the encounter deck for a card with cost 1 or less (2 or less if there are two or more players), sets it aside, and shuffles the encounter deck. Reveal the set aside card. Its 'when revealed' effects cannot be canceled.
Each enemy in the staging area gets -10 engagement cost, cannot be optionally engaged and cannot take damage.
Forced: After characters are committed to the quest, no more than 5 progress can be placed here this round (10 progress instead if Mendor is committed to the quest).
Your journey through Moria has been marked by all manner of terrible hazards, but you've discovered no sign of Balin's company. You hope that you might find some record of the Dwarven colony in the Chamber of Mazarbul.
When Revealed: The opposing team searches the top 5 cards of the encounter deck for a card with cost 2 or less (cost 3 or less instead if there are two or more players), sets it aside, and shuffles the encounter deck. Reveal the set aside card. Its 'when revealed' effects cannot be canceled.
Forced: At the beginning of the staging step, the first player must choose: either reveal an additional encounter card this phase, or no more than 5 progress can be placed here this phase.
This stage cannot be defeated while Chamber of Mazarbul is in play. When this stage is defeated, the players win the game.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: During setup, each player reveals 1 card from the encounter deck and adds it to the staging area.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Passage Through Mirkwood scenario found in the LOTR LCG core set.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
Ungoliant's Spawn x1
Black Forest Bats x1
Forest Spider x3
Dol Guldur Orcs x3
Old Forest Road x1
Forest Gate x2
Mountains of Mirkwood x3
Caught in a Web x2
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Passage Through Mirkwood encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
All Troll enemies gain the text: "Cannot have attachments."
If the encounter deck is empty (at any time), shuffle the encounter discard pile back into the encounter deck.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Journey Along the Anduin scenario found in the LOTR LCG core set.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Evil Storm
2x Treacherous Fog
2x Banks of the Anduin
3x Dol Guldur Orcs
2x Enchanted Stream
2x Despair
3x Misty Mountain Goblins
2x Necromancer's Pass
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Journey Along the Anduin encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: When stage 1B is revealed, the number of random heroes captured is determined by the number of players, as follows: 1-2 players = 1 hero captured, 3 players = 2 heroes captured, 4 players = 3 heroes captured. All captured heroes are turned face down and considered "the prisoner," cannot be used, cannot be damaged, and do not collect resources until they are rescued, (A single player cannot have more than 1 hero captured by this effect.)
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Escape from Dol Guldur scenario found in the LOTR LCG core set.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Dol Guldur Orcs
2x Enchanted Stream
1x Great Forest Web
3x Mountains of Mirkwood
2x Caught in a Web
1x The Necromancer's Reach
1x Necromancer's Pass
2x Under the Shadow
2x Tower Gate
1x Iron Shackles
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Escape from Dol Guldur encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: At the end of the refresh phase, choose an unclaimed Clue card not attached to a Mordor enemy and attach it to a Mordor enemy, if able. (If it was guarded, detach the encounter guarding it first. The newly attached Mordor enemy is now guarding it.)
If at any point there are four or more Clue cards attached to Mordor enemies, the players lose the game.
"Through Mirkwood and back again it led them, though they never caught him."
–Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Hunt for Gollum scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x River Ninglor
1x The Eaves of Mirkwood
2x False Lead
2x Misty Mountain Goblins
2x Banks of the Anduin
3x Gladden Fields
3x Eastern Crows
2x Treacherous Fog
3x Evil Storm
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Hunt for Gollum encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Stage 1A should read, "Remove 5 unique Troll cards" instead of 4.
Stage 2B should read, "WhenRevealed: Place Louis, Morris, Rupert and Stuart into the staging area."
Forced: At the end of the quest phase, if no progress was placed on the current quest this phase, place 1 progress on the current quest (bypassing the active location).
Reponse: After defeating a unique Troll enemy, you may choose and discard 1 “Sacked!” card from play.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Conflict at the Carrock scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Grimbeorn the Old
1x Louis
1x Morris
1x Stuart
1x Rupert
3x Bee Pastures
3x Oak-wood Grove
1x Roasted Slowly
3x Misty Mountain Goblins
2x Banks of the Anduin
1x Wolf Rider
2x Goblin Sniper
2x Wargs
2x Despair
2x The Brown Lands
2x The East Bight
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Conflict at the Carrock encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for 1 copy of Goblin Eagle-hunter and add it to the staging area. Then shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: The first Creature enemy revealed during each quest phase gains surge.
Response: After an Athelas card is placed in the discard pile, you may shuffle it into the encounter deck.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for A Journey to Rhosgobel scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
4x Forest Grove
1x Exhaustion
2x Swarming Insects
1x Festering Wounds
3x Mountains of Mirkwood
1x Chieftan Ufthak
2x Dol Guldur Beastmaster
1x Driven by Shadow
1x The Necromancer's Reach
2x Necromancer's Pass
2x Enchanted Stream
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard A Journey to Rhosgobel encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing in Nightmare mode.
No more than 1 progress can be placed on each location in the staging area each round.
Over them was a lane of pale–blue sky, around them the dark overshadowed River, and before them black, shutting out the sun, the hills of Emyn Muil, in which no opening could be seen.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Hills of Emyn Muil scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x The East Wall of Rohan
1x The North Stair
2x The Shores of Nen Hithoel
4x The Highlands
2x Slick Footing
2x Impassable Chasm
2x Dol Guldur Orcs
1x Chieftan Ufthak
2x Dol Guldur Beastmaster
2x The Necromancer's Reach
2x Necromancer's Pass
2x Enchanted Stream
3x Evil Storm
2x Pursued by Shadow
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Hills of Emyn Muil encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Players cannot reduce their threat.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for The Mere of Dead Faces, and add it to the stage area. Then, shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: After Gollum is placed in the discard pile, shuffle him into the encounter deck.
"They lie in all the pools, pale faces, deep deep under the dark water." –Frodo, The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Dead Marshes scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x A Wisp of Pale Sheen
1x Through the Mist
2x Great Marsh Worm
4x Fens and Mires
3x Eastern Crows
2x Pursued by Shadow
2x Treacherous Fog
1x Wolf Rider
2x Hill Troll
2x Goblin Sniper
2x Wargs
2x Despair
2x The Brown Lands
2x The East Bight
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Dead Marshes encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, the player who is guarding Gollum must either exhaust a hero he controls or resolve the "when revealed" effect of the topmost Tantrum card in the encounter discard pile.
Forced: When Stage 4A is revealed, search the encounter deck and discard pile for 1 copy of Attercop, Attercop and add it to the staging area, if able. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Return to Mirkwood scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Woodman's Glade
3x Wood Elf Path
3x Mountains of Mirkwood
2x Goblin Sniper
1x Marsh Adder
2x Wargs
2x Despair
2x The Brown Lands
2x The East Bight
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Return to Mirkwood encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: After Cave Torch exhausts, place 1 damage token on this card. Then, if there are 5 or more damage tokens on this card, remove Cave Torch from the game.
All about them as they lay hung the darkness, hollow and immense, and they were oppressed by the lonliness and vastness of the dolven halls and endlessly branching stairs and passages. –The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Into the Pit scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Goblin Patrol
2x Stairs of N in
2x Goblin Follower
2x Crumbling Ruin
3x Cave In
2x Fouled Well
2x Goblin Tunnels
5x Goblin Swordsman
Add the new quest card in this Nightmare Deck to the normal quest deck, in stage order. Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Into the Pit encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Set Overseer Maurûl and Chamber of Records aside, out of play.
Forced: When stage 2B is revealed, make Chamber of Records the active location (returning any currently active location to the staging area) and add Overseer Maurûl to the staging area. Then, shuffle all copies of Balin's Doom in the encounter discard pile back into the encounter deck.
"They seem to have made a last stand by both doors," he said; "but there were not many left by that time. So ended the attempt to retake Moria! It was valiant but foolish.". –Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Seventh Level scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Plundered Armoury
2x Hidden Threat
2x Upper Hall
2x Goblin Scout
2x Goblin Swordsman
2x Goblin Spearman
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Seventh Level encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin."Does not stack"
Some cards have passive abilities with the text "This ability does not stack with..." While two or more effects that do not stack with one another are active, only one of them will affect the game state.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
When a quest card is bypassed, shuffle it into the quest deck instead of placing it on the bottom.
While the Escape from Darkness quest card is in play, the Refresh Action on Abandoned Tools can only be triggered once each round.
"Fly! This is a foe beyond any of you.". –Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Flight from Moria scenario. Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Blocked by Shadow
1x New Devilry
3x Stray Goblin
2x The Mountains' Roots
3x Chance Encounter
2x Goblin Archer
1x Goblin Spearman
2x Plundered Armoury
3x Cave In
2x Dark and Dreadful
Shuffle the new stage 2 quest cards in this Nightmare Deck into the quest deck along with the rest of the scenario's stage 2 quest cards, leaving stage 1A on top of the quest deck. Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Flight from Moria encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
As the presence draws near, doubt and fear surround you like a vast shadow. You must find daylight, your must escape from the Black Pit...
While Search for an Exit is the active quest card, only flip it to side 2B at the beginning of the staging step.
The Nameless Fear attacks each player in turn order during the combat phase (deal and discard a shadow card for each attack). Characters are eligible to attack The Nameless Fear while it is in the staging area.
If The Nameless Fear has 10 or more damage on it, remove all damage from it and advance to the next stage. Players may bypass this quest card at the end of the combat phase.
You are playing in Nightmare mode.
Setup: Remove all copies of Blinding Blizzard from the encounter deck and set them aside, out of play. During this game, player cards in the victory display do not count their victory points.
Forced: When stage 2b is revealed, shuffle each set aside copy of Blinding Blizzard into the encounter deck.
A cold wind flowed down behind them, as they turned their backs on the Redhorn Gate, and stumbled wearily down the slope. Caradhras had defeated them.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Redhorn Gate scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Black Uruks
3x Mountain Warg
1x Knees of the Mountain
2x Turbulent Waters
2x Warg Lair
1x The Dimrill Stair
2x Fell Voices
2x Fallen Stones
3x Mountain Goblin
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Redhorn Gate encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing in Nightmare mode.
Forced: When an enemy with the ambush keyword engages a player during the quest phase, it contributes its
to the total in the staging area until the end of the phase.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Road to Rivendell scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter and quest deck:
1x Orc Outpost (quest stage 2)
2x Ruined Road
2x Barren Hills
1x Goblin Taskmaster
4x Black Uruks
3x Mountain Warg
3x Bitter Wind
2x Warg Lair
5x Goblin Spearman
2x Goblin Archer
2x Plundered Armoury
Add the new quest card in this Nightmare Deck to the normal quest deck, in stage order. Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Road to Rivendell encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing in Nightmare mode.
While Doors of Durin is in play, The Watcher cannot be engaged.
Forced: When a Tentacle enemy is destroyed, deal 1 damage to The Watcher if it is in play.
The players cannot win the game unless both Doors of Durin and The Watcher are in the victory display.
"Something has crept, or has been driven out of dark waters under the mountains. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world."
–Gandalf, Lord of the Rings
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Watcher in the Water scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x The Watcher
2x Makeshift Passage
4x Black Uruks
3x Mountain Warg
2x Warg Lair
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Watcher in the Water encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Durin's Greaves gains surge.
Lost: The first player must choose and discard an ally in play.
The world is grey, the mountains old,
The forge's fire is ashen cold
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls
The shadow lies upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazad-dum
—Gimli, The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Long Dark scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
4x Goblin Follower
1x Branching Paths
3x Burning Low
2x Stray Goblin
2x Chance Encounter
2x The Mountains' Roots
1x Abandoned Mine
2x Fatigue
4x Goblin Sneak
3x Rock Adder
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Long Dark encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: When stage 3b is revealed, discard all Mount and Artifact cards from play. Each player must also discard allies he controls until the total printed cost of allies he controls is 6 or less.
"Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not."
–Gandalf, The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for Foundations of Stone scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Goblin Scout
2x Goblin Swordsman
1x Goblin Follower
3x Burning Low
1x Branching Paths
1x Many Roads
3x Cave In
3x Drowned Treasury
1x Mitril Lode
4x Moria Bats
During setup, players are instructed to set the Foundations of Stone encounter set aside, out of play. Shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck with the Goblins of the Deep encounter set icon into the standard encounter deck. Then shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck with the Foundations of Stone encounter set icon into the remainder of the set aside Foundations of Stone encounter set.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Shuffle the 10 encounter cards with the
trait into a separate 'Balrog deck.'
When Durin's Bane would be dealt a shadow card, deal it from the Balrog deck instead of the encounter deck. Shadow cards dealt from the Balrog deck are discarded into a separate Balrog discard pile.
At the beginning of each combat phase (or if the Balrog deck runs out of cards), shuffle the Balrog discard pile back into the Balrog deck.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for Foundations of Stone scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Goblin Scout
2x Goblin Tunnels
3x Stray Goblin
3x The Mountains' Roots
3x Ranging Goblin
1x Fiery Sword
1x Many Thonged Whip
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Shadow and Flame encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
Play Tip: This scenario contains 10 treachery cards with the trait that have only a 'shadow' effect, and no 'when revealed' effect. These cards are never revealed from the encounter deck and are only ever dealt as shadow cards to Durin's Bane.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced; At the end of the combat phase, if Alcaron's Scroll is in the staging area, attach it to the enemy in play with the highest
Forced: At the beginning of the refresh phase, if Alcaron's Scroll is attached to an enemy, place 1 progress token on that enemy.
If at any point there are 3 or more progress tokens on any enemy, that enemy has escaped with the scroll, and the players lose the game.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Peril in Pelargir scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
4x Collateral Damage
2x Harbor Storehouse
3x Pickpocket
1x Harbor Thug
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Peril in Pelargir encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Set both copies of Mûmak Elite aside, out of play.
Forced: When quest stages 2A or 4A are revealed, add 1 of the previously set aside copies of Mûmak Elite to the staging area.
For a moment he caught a glimpse of swarthy maen in red running down the slope some way off with green–clad warriors leaping after them, hewing them down as they fled. Arrows were thick in the air. –The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Into Ithilien scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Blocking Wargs
2x Watcher in the Wood
3x Secluded Glade
3x Forest Bat
3x Southon Mercenaries
1x Overgrown Trail
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Into Ithilien encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Until the end of the game, player cards in the victory display do not contribute their victory points.
"Much must be risked in war," said Denethor. "Cair Andros is manned and no more can be sent so far." –The Return of the King
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Siege of Cair Andros scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Southron Mercenaries
2x Orc Arsonists
2x Orc Rabble
3x Orc Arbalesters
1x The Power of Mordor
2x Scourge of Mordor
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Siege of Cair Andros encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Heroes do not collect resources during the resource phase.
Setup: Add resources to each hero's resource pool until each hero has 5 resources. Search the encounter deck for 1 copy of Gard of Poisons and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Forced: After stage 2B is revealed, each hero with fewer than 3 resources gains resources until is has 3.
"Remnants of an older time they be, living few and secretly, wild and wary as the beasts." –Elfhelm, The Return of the King
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Drúadan Forest scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Lost Companion
3x Secluded Glade
1x Overgrown Trail
1x Dr–-buri-Dr–
1x Drúadan Elite
1x Drúadan Hunter
1x Stars in the Sky
1x Men in the Dark
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Drúadan Forest encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Ghulat cannot take damage unless there is at least 15 progress tokens on Protect the Villagers.
Setup: Place 1 progress token on Rescued Villagers.
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, either discard 1 villager token from Rescued Villagers, or reveal an encounter card.
"They are burning or despoiling all that is left in the vale." –Éomer, The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Encounter at Amon DŒn scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Burning Farmhouse
2x Gondorian Hamlet
1x Marauding Orc
1x Orc Rabble
3x Orc Ravager
2x Craven Eagle
2x Trapped Inside
2x Panicked!
2x Scourge of Mordor
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard the Encounter at Amon DŒn encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Add Palace Remains to the staging area.
If there are more Osgiliath locations in the staging area than players in the game, this card gains:"Response: At the beginning of the quest phase, choose 1 non-unique location. If the players quest successfully this phase, remaining progress made beyond the active location's quest points is placed on the chosen location
"This great array of spears and swords is going to Osgiliath." –Frodo, The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Assault on Osgiliath scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
4x Uruk Soldier
3x Southron Phalanx
2x West Quarter
2x East Quarter
1x Ruined Tower
1x Ruined Square
2x The Master's Malice
2x Street Fighting
3x Southron Mercenaries
1x Uruk Lieutenant
1x Orc Arbalasters
1x The Power of Mordor
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard the Assault on Osgiliath encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Each player takes 1 hidden card.
The players cannot win the game unless The Crossroads and Black Númenórean are in the victory display.
Then they yelled and dozens of other goblins had sprung out of the trees. –The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the The Blood of Gondor scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Black Númenorean
2x Evil Crow
2x Lying in Wait
4x The Dark Woods
1x Orc Rabble
1x Orc Arsonist
1x Scourge of Mordor
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Blood of Gondor encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Place 1 progress on To the Tower.
"If a man must needs walk in sight of the Black Gate, or tread the deadly flowers of Morgul Vale, then perils he will have. –Aragorn, The Return of the King
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the The Morgul Vale scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Forest Bat
1x Watcher in the Wood
3x Orc Arbalesters
1x The Power of Mordor
2x Morgul Sorcerer
2x Morgul Tracker
3x Morgul Road
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Morgul Vale encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: After the players advance to a new quest stage, each player with fewer than 3 cards in his hand draws 3 cards.
"Not in half a thousand years have they forgotten their grievance that the lords of Gondor gave the Mark to Eorl the young and made alliance with him." –Gamling, The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the The Fords of Isen scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Dunland Prowler
2x Dunlending Bandit
1x Dunland Berserker
2x Gap of Rohan
2x The King's Road
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Fords of Isen encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Each player shuffles 1 copy of Vigilant Orc into his out of play deck. Set both copiues of Mugash's Rage and any remaining copies of Vigilant Orc aside, out of play.
Forced: When the players advance to stage 3A, shuffle both copies of Mugash's Rage into the encounter deck.
There they picked up the trail of the Orcs. It needed little skill to find. –The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the To Catch an Orc scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Methedras Orc
1x Orc Skirmisher
1x Orc Hunter
3x Prowling Wolf
2x Methedras
1x Orc Cave
2x Orc Hunting Party
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard To Catch an Orc encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Each player searches the encounter deck for a Huorn enemy and puts it into play engaged with him. Shuffle the encounter deck.
The Player cannot defeat stage 1B or 2B unless Edge of Fangorn is in the victory display.
Ever nearer the tree–clad slopes of Fangorn loomed, slowly darkling as the sun went west. –The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Into Fangorn scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Deadly Huorn
3x Tangled Wood
3x Turned Around
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Into Fangorn encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
"I hear them," said Éomer; "but they are only the screams of birds and the bellowing of beasts to my ears."
–The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Dunland Trap scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
4x Boar Clan Warrior
4x Hithaeglir Stream
3x Plains of Enedwaith
1x Dunlending Ambush
1x Frenzied Attack
1x Low on Provisions
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Dunland Trap encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Each engaged Guardian enemy contributes its to the total in the staging area.
While the Trial of Intuition is the current trial, each Guardian enemy cannot be damaged, and each Barrow location cannot be the active location and is immune to player card effects.
"I am not ready for such a trial, if indeed I shall ever be so..."
–Gandalf, The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Three Trials scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Spirit of the Wild
3x Grim Foothills
1x Tangled Woods
3x Turned Around
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Three Trials encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Raise each player's starting threat by 5.
Progress cannot be placed on Crossing at Tharbad while Bellach is in play.
The houses looked large and strange to them. Sam stared up at the inn with its three storeys and many windows, and felt his heart sink.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for Trouble in Tharbad scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Orc Hunter
2x Orc Skirmisher
2x Tharbad Hideout
2x Hidden Alleyway
1x Decrepit Rooftops
2x Orc Hunting Party
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Trouble in Tharbad encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: When the players advance to stage 2A, add Ancient Marsh-dweller to the staging area (from out of play or engaged with a player).
There was a deep silence, only scraped on its surfaces by the faint quiver of empty seed plumes, and broken grass–blades trembling in small air–movements that they could not feel. –The Two Towers
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The NŒn-in-Eilph scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x A Weary Passage (Stage 1B)
1x Impassable Marshland (Stage 2B)
3x Neekerbreekers
1x Hidden Eyot
3x Finger of Glanduin
2x Off Track
1x Low on Provisions
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Nin-in-Eilph encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: When any amount of progress would be placed on a location in the staging area, reduce that amount to 1.
Scour: Deal 1 damage to a location in play.
"In Eregion long ago many Elven–rings were made, magic rings as you call them, and they were, of course, of various kinds..." –Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Celebrimbor's Secret scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Orc Skirmisher
1x Orc Hunter
3x Prowling Wolf
1x Ruined Plaza
1x City Remains
1x Ancient Foundation
3x Broken Lands
1x Spies from Mordor
2x Orc Hunting Party
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Celebrimbor's Secret encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Locations with time counters on them cannot be discarded from play by player card effect.
A smoke as of fire and battle arose, and again the sun went down in a burning red that faded into a grey mist...
–The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for THe Antlered Crown scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Dunland Prowler
1x Dunland Berserker
2x Dunlending Bandit
3x Raven Skirmisher
3x Raven War-camp
2x Driven Back
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Antlered Crown encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effects remain active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin. Note: Dunlending Horde has the 'Dunlending Warriors' encounter set icon and should be shuffled into the Raven deck during setup.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
"If simple folk are free from care and fear, simple they will be, and we must be secret to keep them so."
–Aragorn, The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Intruders in Chetwood scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Angmar Orc
3x Angmar Marauder
2x Chetwood Forest
1x Outlying Homestead
2x Borders of Bree-land
1x Rugged Country
1x Shrouded Hills
3x Surprising Speed
2x Sudden Assault
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Intruders in Chetwood encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Shuffle each copy of Captive Villager and Rearguard Ambusher into the Orc deck.
The players cannot win the game while a Captive Villager is guarded by an encounter card. If a Captive Villager leaves play, the players lose the game.
The land before them began to rise again, Away in the distance eastward they could not see a line of hills.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Weather Hills scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Cornered Orc
3x Sheltered Valley
1x Concealed Orc-camp
1x Angmar Marauder
2x Angmar Orc
3x Ruins of Arnor
2x Tragic Discovery
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Weather Hills encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Each player's deck cannot include more than 50 total cards.
Setup: Each player searches the encounter deck for a copy of Cursed Dead and places it in the encounter discard pile. Shuffle the encounter deck.
"Men call it Deadmen's Dike, and they fear to tread there. For the folk of Arnor dwindled, and their foes devoured them..."
–Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Deadmen's Dike scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Fornost Square
3x Broken Battlements
2x Norbury Tombs
2x Restless Evil
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Deadmen's Dike encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
As the light grew stronger it showed a silent shrouded world. Below their refuge were white humps and domes and shapeless deeps beneath which the path that they had trodden was altogether lost...
–The Fellowship of the Rings
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Wastes of Eriador scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Northern Warg
1x White Warg
1x Sudden Darkness
1x North Downs
2x Eriador Wastes
1x Cold from Angmar
3x Biting Wind
1x Freezing Blast
1x Shrouded Hills
3x Rugged Country
2x Pressing Needs
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Wasts of Eriador encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: After choosing a starting hero and randomly setting another hero aside facedown, instead of the standard captured deck setup, shuffle any remaining heroes into your captured deck, then place the facedown set aside hero on the bottom of your captured deck.
The players cannot win the game while a hero is captured (underneath an encounter card, or in their captured deck).
"Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them! Take them away to dark holes full of snakes, and never let them see the light again!"
–The Great Goblin, The Hobbit
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Escape from Mount Gram scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
4x Prison Cell
3x Dungeon Guard
1x Jailor Gorn kh
2x Interrogation
1x Goblin Tormentor
1x Cruel Torturer
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Escape from Mount Gram encounter deck.
Note: This Nightmare Deck includes a card for the Angmar Orcs encounter set, Orc of Thaurdir. During setup, this card should be set aside along with the rest of the Angmar Orcs encounter set.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Forced: When resolving the 'when revealed' effect on stage 2A or stage 3A, also discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until a location with the safe keyword is discarded. Attach that location to the newly revealed side quest, as a guarded objective.
"I reached here at last by a long hard road, up the Hoarwell and through the Ettenmoors, and down from the north. It took me nearly fourteen days from Weathertop, for I could not ride among the rocks of the troll–fells, and Shadowfax departed."
–Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Across the Ettenmoors scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Into the Ettenmoors
2x Shrouded Hills
3x No Rest
2x Arador's Bane
1x Troll-fells
2x Goblin Pursuer
2x Cold from Angmar
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Across the Ettenmoors encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Setup: Set the Sift through the Debris, Decipher Ancient Texts and Quiet the Spirits encounter sets aside, out of play. These sets are indicated by the following icons, respectively:
Forced: After you advance to stage 2b, for each of the above sidequests that was not defeated, shuffle the encounter set that matches its title into the encounter deck, and shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Treachery of Rhudaur scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
- 2x Decrepit Remains
- 2x Eerie Halls
- 1x Dark Covenant
- 2x Ruins of Arnor
- 2x Tragic Discovery
- 5x Cursed Dead
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Treachery of Rhudaur encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
Fear fell on all who beheld him; be he singled out the Captain of Gondor for the fullness of his hatred, and with a terrible cry he rode straight upon him.
–The Return of the King
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Battle of Carn D–m scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
1x Vile Afflication
1x Furious Charge
1x Orc Ambush
1x Angmar Orc
3x Angmar Marauder
3x Terror of the North
2x Accursed Battlefield
1x Blight of Carn D–m
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Battle of Carn D–m encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
Keyword: Siege
If a quest card has the siege keyword, when characters are commited to that quest, they count their total instead of their total
when resolving the quest. Enemies and locations in the staging area still use their in opposition to this quest attempt.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
For at that time the realm of Angmar arose in the North beyond the Ettenmoors. Its lands lay on both sides of the Mountains, and there were gathered many evil men, and Orcs, and other fell creatures.
–The Return of the King
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for The Dread Realm scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Witch of Angmar
2x A Fell Dread
1x Unholy Crypt
1x Sinister Dungeon
2x Dead Lord
3x Terror of the North
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard The Dread Realm encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
"Then I thought in my heart that we drew near to the Sea; for wide was the water in the darkness, and sea–birds innumerable cried on its shores."
–Legolas, The Return of the King
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Voyage Across Belegaer scenario. Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
2x Southron Sailor
1x Starlit Sea
1x Fog Bank
2x Calm Waters
2x Thrown Off Course
1x Scouting Ship
Then shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Voyage Across Belegaer encounter deck.
Finally, flip this setup card over and place it next to the quest deck. Its effect remains active throughout the game, which is now ready to begin.
?*: Some Cards in the Grey Havens Nightmare Decks have Sailing Success symbols (?) with an asterisk (*) next to them. This indicates that the card has a Forced effect which will trigger when the card is discarded during a sailing test.