You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Each player may change hero cards he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. Each player shuffles 1 copy of The Searching Eye into his deck. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck and each player's deck: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard
"It's that Gollum! Snakes and adders! And to think that I thought that we'd puzzle him with our bit of a climb! Look at him! Like a nasty crawling spider on a wall." -Sam Gamgee, The Two Towers
Resolution: Each player must choose: either take a permanent +2 starting threat penalty, or earn 1 copy of The Searching Eye. Record each player's choice in the campaign log.
The marshes were at an end, dying away into dead peats and wide flats of dry cracked mud. The land ahead rose in long shallow slopes, barren and pitiless, towards the desert that lay at Sauron's gate.
–The Two Towers
Setup: Each player may change heroes he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. Place X resource tokens on this card, where X is the number of resource tokens on The Black Gate, as recorded in the campaign log. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard, The Passing of the Grey Company
Forced: At the end of the round, remove 1 resource token from this card. Then, if there are no resource tokens here, the p
Resolution: The first player must choose: - Keep The One Ring card and succumb to the power of Sauron. Then, the players lose the campaign.
- Destroy The One Ring card and defeat the power of Sauron. Then, the play
As you search the caves of Nibin–D–m you are ambushed by Goblins!
When Revealed: Add Goblin Chieftain to the staging area. Each player searches the encounter deck and discard pile for a different enemy of his choice and adds it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
The Goblins are led by a large chieftain who whips them into a frenzy. His soldiers attack you with reckless savagery and you struggle to gain the upper hand.
During the encounter phase, treat each enemy's engagement cost as if it were 0.
The stage gets +4 quest points for each enemy in play.
As the presence draws near, doubt and fear surround you like a vast shadow. You must find daylight, you 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.
When Revealed: Each player chooses 1 questing character he controls. Each questing character not chosen does not count its 
until the end of the turn.
Forced: After placing the 1st progress token on Narrow Paths, search the encounter deck and discard pile for Abandoned Tools and add it to the staging area, if able.
Players may bypass this quest card at the end of the combat phase.
The mountain peaks are almost in reach, but the swirling snows make it difficult to see, and your strength begins to drain away with the daunting final push to the pinnacle.
When Revealed: Shuffle all copies of Snowstorm in the encounter discard pile back into the encounter deck.
Characters are discarded from play if their Willpower is ever 0.
Players cannot defeat this stage unless they have 5 victory points. If the players defeat this stage, they have won the game.
With a groan the ground crumbles under your feet, the entire section of the tunnel giving way to a deep darkness and the rush of water. There is a feeling of weightlessness, followed by the icy wet clutches of an underground river.
When Revealed: Discard all Item, Armor, Weapon and Light cards and all encounter deck cards from play, Shuffle all enemy and treachery cards in the encounter discard pile together with the Foundations of Stone encounter set. This deck becomes the new encounter deck. Remove all other encounter deck cards from the game. Then, starting with the first player, each player draws a random stage 4 quest card. Remove all other stage 4 quest cards from the game.
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...
When Revealed: Add Drû-buri-Drû to the staging area.
You sense that the edge of the forest must be near at hand, but Woses are master huntsmen and a band of them block your path. your situation seems hopeless: there are simply too many of them. As they begin their attack, you realize your only hope of survival is to convince the Pukel–men that you are not their enemy.
Characters use their instead of 
when attacking enemies. If an enemy would be damaged this way, place progress tokens on it instead of damage tokens. When an enemy has progress equal to its hit points, add it to the victory display and place those progress tokens on the quest.
If the players defeat this stage, they have won the game.
When Revealed: End the current phase. Shuffle the encounter discard pile and the Orc deck into the encounter deck. Reveal Orc Ambush and Amon Forn and add them to the staging area.
You've hunted the Orcs to their secret gathering place on the northern edge of the Weather Hills: the old Dúnedain border fort of Amon Forn. With nowhere left to run, the Orcs turn and fight with desperate savagery.
Already weary from days of travel through harsh weather, you are hard pressed to match the Orcs' ferocity. You must rally your men or see them fall!
Each damaged character gets -1 .
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, either discard 1 resource token from Savage Counter-attack, or reveal an additional encounter card this phase.
If the players defeat this stage, they win the game.
Following the surprise attack on Fornost, you have agreed to help the Ranger, Amarthiúl, track the villains who captured his friend, Iârion.
Setup: Set Pack Leader aside, out of play. Make Shrouded Hills the active location. Add the Time objective to the staging area with Daybreak faceup. The first player takes control of Amarthiúl. Shuffle the encounter deck. Reveal 1 card from the encounter deck per player.
Your enemies' tracks lead you across the North Downs towards Angmar. In the barren lands between you and that dread realm, the nights are black and bitter cold, but it is the howling of Wargs that gives you chills.
While it is Day, each hero gets +1 .
Forced: When it becomes Night, raise each player's threat by 1.
You are getting closer to the edge of the Troll–fells, but exhaustion has taken its toll. One way or another, this journey is nearing its end...
When Revealed: Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck. Discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until a side quest is discarded. Reveal that side quest and add it to the staging area, if able.
Your wounded companions only slow your progress. With Trolls on your heels and foul weather overhead, you press onward.
Each damaged character gets -2 unless there is an active location with the safe keyword.
If the players defeat this stage, they have escaped the Ettenmoors with their lives, and win the game.
The Dream-chaser and her fleet depart from the Grey Havens, in search of the island from Calphon's dreams. Only a week out from the coast, the black sails of Corsair can be seen in pursuit!
Setup: Prepare the Corsair deck. Players prepare their fleet. Shuffle each stage 2 card in the quest deck so that their order is random, leaving stage 3 on the bottom. Search the encounter deck for 1 copy of Rolling Seas and 1 copy of Scouting Ship, and add them to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
While you are on-course (
), each Ship objective gets +2 .
When this stage is defeated, if you are on course (), look at the top 2 stages of the quest deck and advance to one of your choice, placing the other on the bottom of the quest deck. Otherwise, advance to the top state of the quest deck.
After days of aimless travel at sea, a dark mist settles along the ocean's surface, obscuring your visibility and frightening your ships’ crew. "Wait," Calphon says, "this happened in my dream, too... I think if we find a way through this mist, we shall be one step closer to the island."
When Revealed: Search the encounter deck and discard pile for 1 copy of Fog Bank and add it to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
While you are off-course (
, 
, or 
), each non-Ship ally gets –2 .
When this stage is defeated, if you are on-course (), look at the top 2 stages of the quest deck and advance to one of your choice, placing the other on the bottom of the quest deck. Otherwise, advance to the top stage of the quest deck.
Setup: Set Captain Sahír and Na’asiyah aside, out of play. Add The Havens Burn, the Dream-chaser, and 1 copy of Sahír’s Ravager to the staging area. Shuffle the encounter deck and discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until X locations with the Aflame keyword are discarded, where X is the number of players in the game. Add each discarded Aflame location to the staging area. Then, shuffle the encounter discard pile back into the encounter deck.
Corsairs are attacking the Grey Havens and burning the Elven fleet. You must defend the Havens from these fierce raiders and save as many ships as you can!
Forced: At the end of the combat phase, deal X damage to the Aflame location in play with the lowest Aflame value. X is the number of Corsair enemies in play.
Suddenly, all of the beacons and lights along the watch–tower are snuffed as fog rolls in from the west. "Pull up the sails!" you hear, but it is too late. The Corsair ships turn at once, and the Dream–chaser smashes into the rocks. You are plunged into the cold waters, struggling to stay afloat.
When Revealed: Each player assigns damage among non-Ship characters he controls equal to the total damage on each Ship objective he controls. Discard all Ship enemies, Ship objective and Ocean locations in play.
Your ships have shattered upon the rocks. You barely manage to make it to shore.
When Revealed: Shuffle the Corsair deck and Corsair discard pile into the second encounter deck. Search the encounter deck and discard piule for each copy of Battle-hardened and each copy of Watch Tower, shuffle them into the second encounter deck. Set the current encounter deck and discard pil aside, inactive. The second encounter deck becomes the active encounter deck. Advance to stage 3.
You've rescued Kahliel's son and several others from their dungeon cells, but you're not free yet: an entire garrison of Orcs occupies the fortress above you. One false move could bring them all down on top of you, so you quietly make your way towards the secret exit, hoping to avoid a fight.
When Revealed: Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck. Each player discards cards from the encounter deck until an enemy is discarded and adds that enemy to the staging area.
Each enemy in the staging area cannot take damage and gets +X engagement cost, where X is the number of progress tokens here.
Forced: At the end of the round, reveal an encounter card. Then, place 1 resource here if no enemies were engaged this round.
The players cannot defeat this stage unless there are at least 2 resources here.
The interior of Gundabad is dark and vast. Only by exploring the mines can you find your way.
When Revealed: Return Dagnir to the staging area.
If Exploring Gundabad is the current main quest, do not flip it over until the beginning of the quest phase.
Dagnir gets -5 engagement cost for each character the first player controls.
Response: After a player resolve an attack against Dagnir, if Dagnir has no hit points remaining, that player may discard a Reforged Wormsbane he controls to add Dagnir to the victory display. Then, the players win the game.
At the end of the combat phase, if there are 4 or fewer quests in the victory display, the players must bypass this stage.
You cannot play non-unique allies or put non-unique allies into play.
Forced: When you control exactly 9 unique characters, flip this card over.
You cannot play allies or put allies into play.
Each character you control gets +1 +1 and +1
Forced: After a character you control leaves play, flip this card over.
A blood–stained altar to the Dark Lord of Mordor looks to have been used recently. Though the carved stone is ancient, the blood and cloth you find on it are fresh. You search about frantically to find the captive Dorwinions before more are slaughtered.
When Revealed: Reveal 1 encounter card per player.
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, each player discards the top X cards of his deck, where X is 1 more than the number of quest stages in the victory display. Each player examines the cards he controls and the cards in his hand. If any of these cards are copies of the cards he just discarded from the top of his deck, he must discard those copies as well.
While there are 4 quest stages in the victory display, progress cannot be placed here.
Your deck cannot include ally cards.
Each of your heroes can have 1 additional restricted attachment. Reduce the cost of the first restricted attachment you play on each of your heroes each round by 1.
Refresh Action: If each of your heroes has at least 2 restricted attachments, flip this card over.
"...we that remain cannot forsake our companions while we have strength left."
–Aragorn, The Two Towers
Each of your heroes can have 1 additional restricted attachment and gets +1 for each restricted attachment on it.
Action: Exhaust this card to heal 1 damage from each of your heroes.
"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
At the far end of the Wainrider's track is a sharp turn along the side of a ravine. The racers have to pull hard on their reins to keep their horses from charging over the edge.
Race. This stage gets +4 quest points per player.
Forced: When this stage is defeated, make a racing test. To pass requires 1 TURN result, plus an additional TURN result for each stage you have completed this round. If the players pass the test, excess progress is placed on the next stage. If the players fail the test, each player discards an ally he controls.
Before returning to the camp. the Wainrider's track climbs a steep hill that rises above the plains surrounding it.
Race. This stage gets +4 quest points per player.
Forced: When this stage is defeated, make a racing test. To pass requires 1 STRAIGHT result, plus an additional STRAIGHT result for each stage you have completed this round. If the players pass the test, excess progress is placed on the next stage. If the players fail the test, place 2 damage per player on The Wainriders' stage.
During the confusion, bilbo stumbled won a tunnel and into Gollum's cave. There the Hobbit had to outwit the creature Gollum in a dangerous riddle contest to discover the way out.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Gollum and Bilbo's Magic Ring. Place Gollum and Bilbo Baggins in the riddle area and attach Bilbo's Magic Ring to Bilbo Baggins. Then, shuffle the encounter deck.
Players cannot advance to stage 3A unless both 1B and 2B are complete.
Progress tokens cannot be added to, or removed from, this quest except by answering riddles.
Cards in the riddle area are immune to player card effects and cannot leave the riddle area except by quest effects.
As soon as the host of their enemies was dense in the valley, they sent against it a shower of arrows, and each flickered as it fled as if with stinging fire. Behind the arrows a thousand of their spearmen leapt down and charged. The yells were deafening. The rocks were stained black with goblin blood. –The Hobbit
Battle. (Characters may use instead of when questing here.)
Players cannot advance from this stage unless stage 2 and stage 4 are complete.
Forced: If there is no progress on this stage at the end of the round, the first player adds the topmost enemy in the discard pile to the staging area, if able.
On all this Bilbo looked with misery. He had taken his stand on Ravenhill among the Elves – partly because there was more chance of escape from that point, and partly (with the more Tookish part of his mind) because if he was going to be in a last desperate stand, he preferred on the whole to defend the Elvenking. –The Hobbit
Siege. Characters may use instead of when questing here.)
Players cannot advance from this stage unless stage 2 and stage 3 are complete.
Forced: If there is no progress on this stage at the end of the round, each player must discard all resources from each hero's resource pool.
You are playing in Campaign Mode.
Setup: Each player may change hero cards he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. The players have earned the boon cards: Sting, Mithril Shirt, Glamdring, and Andúril. Each player chooses one and adds it to his hand. If any of those boon cards remain unchosen, shuffle them into the first player's deck.
"I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will." –Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Resolution: If Lust for the Ring is attached to a hero, the players have earned that burden.
They were just in time. Sam and Frodo were only a few steps up, and Gandalf had just begun to climb, when the groping tentacles writhed across the narrow shore and fingered the cliff–wall and the doors. One came wriggling over the threshold, glistening in the starlight. Gandalf turned and paused. If he was considering what word would close the gate again from within, there was no need. Many coiling arms seized the doors on either side, and with horrible strength, swung them round. With a shattering echo they slammed, and all light was lost. –The Fellowship of the Ring
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.
"I am going to the top, to the Seat of Amon Hen, to see what may be seen. And look! It is as my heart guessed, Frodo went this way. Follow me, and keep your eyes open!" –Aragorn, The Fellowship of the Ring
Forced: After stage 2B is discarded, if the total of encounter cards in this staging area is less than 4, reveal 1 encounter card.
If Frodo's Choice is not in play, any time players would place progress on this quest, discard an equal number of cards from the encounter deck instead.
Forced: After Frodo's Choice is revealed at this stage, advance to stage 4A.
Response: After you quest successfully, choose a player. That player draws 2 cards and lowers his threat by 2.
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Remove Gildor Inglorion and Mr. Underhill from the Campaign Pool. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck:
A Shadow of the Past, Flight to the Ford, The Ring Goes South
They followed their enemies now by the clear light of day. It seemed that the Orcs had pressed on with all possible speed. –The Two Towers
Resolution: If the pursuit value is 25 or lower, the players must choose: either each player earns one of the Skill boons (Intimidation, Hands of a Healer Forewarned, or Leader of Men) and attached it to a hero he controls, or one player ears the boon Beyond All Hope and chooses a hero from the list of fallen heroes. That player takes control of the chosen hero (removing it from the list of fallen heroes) and attaches Beyond All Hope to it. If a player controls more than 3 non-
heroes, he must remove heroes from the Campaign Log until he controls only 3 heroes. Changing heroes as a result of earning Beyond All Hope does not incur a +1 threat penalty. Add the earned cards to the Campaign Pool.
Then when they had laid their fallen comrades in a mound and had sung their praises, the Riders made a great fire and scattered the ashes of their enemies. So ended the raid, and no news of it came ever back either to Mordor or Isengard; but the smoke of the burning rose hight ot heaven and was seen by many watchful eyes. –The Two Towers
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Shuffle Saruman's Voice into the encounter deck. Remove each burden with these burden set icons from the encounter deck:
A Shadow of the Past, Flight to the Ford, The Ring Goes South
"Only lately did I guess that Saruman was to blame, and that long ago he had been spying out all the ways, and discovering my secrets. He and his folk are making havoc now." –Treebeard, The Two Towers
Resolution: If any player has 3 or fewer cards in his hand, the players have earned the Saruman's Voice burden card. If any player has 3 or more cards in his hand, the first player has earned the Palantír of Orthanc boon card. Add the earned cards to the Campaign Pool.
"You have become a fool, Saruman, and yet pitiable. You might still have turned away from folly and evil, and have been of service. But you choose to stay and gnaw the ends of your old plots. Stay then! But I warn you, you will not easily come out again. Not unless the dark hands of the East stretch out to take you."
–Gandalf, The Two Towers
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Each player may change hero cards he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. Each player shuffles 1 copy of The Searching Eye into his deck. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck and each player's deck: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard
"It's that Gollum! Snakes and adders! And to think that I thought that we'd puzzle him with our bit of a climb! Look at him! Like a nasty crawling spider on a wall." -Sam Gamgee, The Two Towers
Resolution: Each player must choose: either take a permanent +2 starting threat penalty, or earn 1 copy of The Searching Eye. Record each player's choice in the campaign log.
The marshes were at an end, dying away into dead peats and wide flats of dry cracked mud. The land ahead rose in long shallow slopes, barren and pitiless, towards the desert that lay at Sauron's gate.
–The Two Towers
Setup: Each player may change heroes he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. Place X resource tokens on this card, where X is the number of resource tokens on The Black Gate as recorded in the campaign log. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard The Passing of the Grey Company
Forced: At the end of the round, remove 1 resource token from this card. Then, if there are no resource tokens here, the players lose the game.
Resolution: The first player must choose: - Keep The One Ring card and succumb to the power of Sauron. Then, the players lose the campaign.
- Destroy The One Ring card and defeat the power of Sauron. Then, the players win the campaign.
"I have come," he said. "But I do not choose to do what I came to do. I will not do this deed. The Ring is mine!" And suddenly, as he set it on his finger, he vanished from Sam's sight.
–The Return of the King
"The realm of Sauron is ended!" said Gandalf. "The Ring–bearer has fulfilled his Quest." And as the Captains gazed south to the Land of Mordor, it seemded to them that, black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning–crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out towards them a vast threatening hand, terrible but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed; and then a hush fell.
–The Return of the King
There are reports of increased Orc activity around Ithilien, and you have been sent to investigate. You enter Osgiliath and cross the river. On the outskirts of the city, you see a horde that surpassses all expectations coming down the Morgul Road.
Setup: Search the encounter deck for 12 Scout cards, and add 3 per player (one of each title), to the staging area. Remove The Witch-king from the encounter deck and set him aside, out of play. Shuffle any unused Scout cards back into the encounter deck.
As the van of the army enters the city, some of the horde's outriders are aware of your presence, and head in your direction. Drawing back, your make a hasty retreat towards the river.
Players cannot travel to West Bank locations.
The outriders and scouts of the army have cut you off from the bridge. You desperately seek the likeliest place to cross the Anduin.
Players cannot travel to West Bank locations.
Each player cannot play or put into play more than 1 card from his hand each round.
The cold waters of the Anduin river rush before you, but the current is weaker here and you have to cross. The outriders and van of the Dark Lord's army are closing fast behind, and their archers will make the attempted crossing even more dangerous. The bravest members of your band turn back to distract the oncoming horde, so that the rest of you might escape.
Progress tokens from card effects cannot be placed on this quest card or the active location.
Players cannot travel to East Bank or West Bank locations.
In order to commit characters to the quest, a player must first choose a hero or 1 Ranger of Ithilien card he controls. Discard each chosen card from play.
When Revealed: Starting with the first player, each player searches the encounter deck and discard pile for 1 Oathbreaker enemy, reveals it, and adds it to the staging area. Add the Lord of the Dead to the staging area.
Shuffle the encounter deck.
Midnight. Battle (Characters use their instead of when questing.)
Players cannot place progress on this stage unless they control Derufin.
If the players defeat this stage, they have escaped the Blackroot Vale with Derufin and won the game.
An army from Angmar marches on the Dúnedain city of Annúminas. Your friends need time to prepare the defense, so you ride out to meet the enemy.
Setup: Set Lieutenant of Angmar Battering Ram, Enemy Camp Siege Tunnel, each copy of Host of Angmar and each copy of Dúnedain of Annúminas aside, out of play. Each player searches the encounter deck for a different enemy and adds it to the staging area. One of these enemies must be Vanguard of Carn D–m. Shuffle the encounter deck.
It's up to you to harry the Orcs and slow their approach to the city.
Forced: At the beginning of the round (before the resource phase), place 1 resource here. Then, if there are 4 resources here, advance to stage2.Response: At the end of the round, remove 10 progress from this stage, then the players at each other stage reveal 1 fewer encounter card during their next quest phase (to a minimum of 0).
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
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.
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: 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.
When Revealed: Search the encounter deck, discard pile and victory display for Goblin Gate and add it to the staging area, if able. Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck. Discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until X enemies have been discarded, where X is the number of players in the game. Reveal all enemies discarded by this effect.
When Revealed: The first player loses control of Arwen Undómiel and attaches her to Goblin Gate (she is now guarded by Goblin Gate). While she is guarded, the first player cannot gain control of Arwen Undómiel.
Goblin Gate gets +1 quest point for each enemy engaged with a player.
Progress cannot be placed on this stage unless the players control Arwen Undómiel.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A menacing ship leads the raiders, its charismatic captain bellowing orders to the Corsairs: "Kill the defenders!" he shouts. "Destroy their ships!"
When Revealed: Add Na'asiyah and Captain Sahír to the staging area, enemy side faceup. Each player reveals the top card of the encounter deck. Place resources on Na'asiyah and Captain Sahír equal to the amount of damage on the Dream-chaser. Add 1 resource to each other Raider enemy in play.
Resources on Na'asiyah are considered to be on Captain Sahír, as well (and can be removed as if they were on him).
Each Raider enemy revealed by the encounter deck enters play with 1 resource on it.
If both Captain Sahír and Na'asiyah are in the victory display, the players win the game.
You are playing Nightmare mode.
When resolving the "when revealed" effect of stage 3B, no more than X resources may be spent from Bilbo Baggins's resource pool, where X is the number of players in the game.
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Over the Misty Mountains Grim scenario. This scenario has two encounter decks. The first encounter deck consists of Over the Misty Mountains Grim and Western Lands encounter sets, and the second consists of The Great Goblin and Misty Mountain Goblins encounter sets.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from both of the standard encounter deck:
2x Cave Entrance
2x Lone-lands
2x Dreary Hills
2x Overhanging Rock
1x Great Cavern Room
1x The Great Goblin
3x Goblin Miners
3x Goblin Axeman
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck with the Over the Misty Mountains Grim encounter set icons into the remainder of the first encounter deck. Shuffle the cards with The Great Goblin encounter set icon into the second 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 gives 1 poison to a hero he controls.
Hundreds of angry spiders were goggling at them all round and about and above. It looked pretty hopeless. –The Hobbit
Begin with the standard quest deck and encounter deck for the Flies and Spiders scenario.
Remove the following cards, in the specified quantities, from the standard encounter deck:
3x Dark Bats
3x Hidden Path
2x Fighting Among Friends
5x Wicked Spider
1x Fat Spider
1x Giant Web
Then, shuffle the encounter cards in this Nightmare Deck into the remainder of the standard Flies and Spiders 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.