There could not be much doubt: there was fighting in the tower, the orcs must be at war among themselves, Shagrat and Gorbag had come to blows.
-The Return of the King
When Revealed: Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck and discard cards from the top until X enemies are discarded, where X is the number of players in the game. Add each enemy discarded by this effect
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until an enemy is discarded. If there is a copy of that enemy in the staging area, discard that copy as well. If there is not, add the discarded enemy to the staging area.
This stage cannot be defeated unless Topmost Chamber is in the victory display. When the Ring-bearer is free of encounters, this first player
Aragorn has led the Men of the West to the very Gate of Mordor in a perilous gamble to keep the Eye of Sauron focused on him. After challenging the Dark Lord to come forth and face judgement, the Black Gate opens and an embassy from Barad-dûr rides out led by The Mouth of Sauron.
Setup: Add The Black Gate and The Mouth of Sauron to the staging area. Set Gwaihir aside, out of play. Shuffl
When Revealed: In player order, each player places the top card of his deck faceup in front of him until their are a total of 4 faceup player cards between the players. Place the top 4 cards of the encounter deck faceup. Starting with the highest cost player card, pair each player card with the highest threat encounter card remaining until their are 4 pairs. For each pair, the first player must choose: either discard both cards in the pair, or reveal the encounter card to play the pl
There could not be much doubt: there was fighting in the tower, the orcs must be at war among themselves, Shagrat and Gorbag had come to blows.
–The Return of the King
When Revealed: Shuffle the encounter discard pile into the encounter deck and discard cards from the top until X enemies are discarded, where X is the number of players in the game. Add each enemy discarded by this effect to the staging area.
Forced: At the beginning of the quest phase, discard cards from the top of the encounter deck until an enemy is discarded. If there is a copy of that enemy in the staging area, discard that copy as well. If there is not, add the discarded enemy to the staging area.
This stage cannot be defeated unless Topmost Chamber is in the victory display. When the Ring-bearer is free of encounters, this first player gains control of it.
Aragorn has led the Men of the West to the very Gate of Mordor in a perilous gamble to keep the Eye of Sauron focused on him. After challenging the Dark Lord to come forth and face judgement, the Black Gate opens and an embassy from Barad–d–r rides out led by The Mouth of Sauron.
Setup: Add The Black Gate and The Mouth of Sauron to the staging area. Set Gwaihir aside, out of play. Shuffle the encounter deck.
Dire.When Revealed: In player order, each player places the top card of his deck faceup in front of him until their are a total of 4 faceup player cards between the players. Place the top 4 cards of the encounter deck faceup. Starting with the highest cost player card, pair each player card with the highest threat encounter card remaining until their are 4 pairs. For each pair, the first player must choose: either discard both cards in the pair, or reveal the encounter card to play the player card at no cost.
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.
Attach to a location.
Attached location gets -1 
.
"Power to defy our Enemy is not in him, unless shuch power is in the earth itself."
–Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Action: Choose a player. That player draws 3 cards.
"That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the tress of that land."
–Legolas, The Fellowship of the Ring
Travel: Each player must exhaust 1 hero he controls to travel here.
As he drew nearer, he saw that it was made with spider–webs one behind and over and tangled with another.
–The Hobbit
When Revealed: The player with the highest threat level attaches this card to one of his heroes. (Counts as a Condition attachment with the text: 'Attached hero does not ready during the refresh phase unless you pay 2 resources from that hero's pool.')
The Lady Galadriel of Lórien has asked you to investigate the area in the vicinity of Dol Guldar. While doing so, one of your allies was ambushed by Orcs, captured, and is now held in a dungeon cell...
Setup: Search the encounter deck for the 3 objective cards, reveal and place them in the staging area. Also, place the Nazgûl of Dol Guldur face up but out of play, alongside the quest deck. Then, shuffle the encounter deck, and attach 1 encounter to each objective card.
When Revealed: Randomly select 1 hero card (among all the heroes controlled by the players) and turn it facedown. The hero is now considered a "prisoner", cannot be used, cannot be damaged, and does not collect resources, until it is "rescued" (as instructed by card effects) later in this quest.
The players, as a group, cannot play more than 1 ally card each round.
Players cannot advance to the next stage of this quest unless they have at least 1 objective card.
When Revealed: The player with the highest threat level attached this card to one of his heroes. (Counts as a Condition attachment with the text: "Attached hero does not ready during the refresh phase unless you pay 2 resources from that hero's pool.")
Setup. Attach to a hero.
Attached hero gains the 
resource icon.
Action: Exhaust the attached hero to place 3 progress on a location. (Limit once per campaign. Record in Campaign Log when used.)
1
2
3
6 ★
Action: Discard a card from your hand to add 1 resource to a Noldor's resource pool, or to Aragorn's resource pool. (Limit once per round.)
...the light of stars was in her bright eyes, grey as a cloudless night; yet queenly she looked, and thought and knowledge were in her glance, as of one who has known many things that the years bring.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
You are playing campaign mode.
Setup: Add the Myterious Omens side quest to the Campaign Log and shuffle it into the encounter deck. Add the Protect the Innocent side quest to the staging area and place damage on it equal to the amount of damage noted for it in the Campaign Log.
There was some murmur of agreement among the company. "It matters not whence the rain comes or if the trail ends; our quarry hides somewhere in these hills, and we must find them or forsake their captives and our oath."
Resolution: Note the amount of damage on Protect the Innocent in the Campaign Log (replacing the previous number).
The heroes forced the door open and thrust a torch inside. The flickering orange light revealed a small group of survivors huddled together in a corner. They appeared half–starved, and they shivered in the cold dungeon. The heroes removed their cloaks and placed them around the unfortunate prisoners to help warm them.
"Who has done this?" asked one of the heroes, but they were too distraught to answer.
At length, an older man named Thaurdir spoke, "We could hear the harsh voices of Orcs, but there was another voice that commanded them. I don't know what kind of creature it was, but it was terrifying to hear."
"We found none but Orcs when we arrived here," spoke one of the heroes.
"Then it must have escaped," answered the old man.
The hero turned to their companions and said, "We should take these people to Fornost where the Rangers are gathered. Iârion will want to hear what they can tell him of their capture."
Attach to a Gondor hero. Restricted.
Response: Spend X resources from attached hero's pool to cancel X damage just de
This was the livery of the heirs of Elendil, and none wore it now in all Gondor, save the Guards of the Citadel...
-The Return of the King
Players do not raise their threat at the end of the refresh phase.
Forced: At the end of the round, each player raises his threat by 1 for each non-Fellowship character he controls.
...blacker and darker than the vast shades amid which it stood, the cruel pinnacles and iron crown of the topmost tower of Barad-dûr.
-Return of the King
Setup: Each player may change heroes he controls without incurring the +1 threat penalty. Attach A Heavy Burden to the hero with Last of the Company attached. Each player chooses an Item boon (excluding Andúril) from the campaign pool and sets it aside, out of play. Remove each burden with the following burden set icons from the encounter deck, then flip this card over: Helm's Deep, The Road to Isengard, and The Passin
Forced: When the players advance to stage 3A, attach A Heavy Burden to the Ring-bearer. Attach each set aside Item boon to Shagrat as a guarded objective. When Shagrat is defeated, return each guarded boon to its owner's hand.
Resolution: If Shagrat is in play, remove each Item boon attached to it from the campaign pool. (The players ha
Attach to a location.
Attached location gets -1 .
"Power to defy our Enemy is not in him, unless shuch power is in the earth itself."
–Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Action: Choose a player. That player draws 3 cards.
"That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the tress of that land."
–Legolas, The Fellowship of the Ring
Travel: Each player must exhaust 1 hero he controls to travel here.
As he drew nearer, he saw that it was made with spider–webs one behind and over and tangled with another.
–The Hobbit
When Revealed: The player with the highest threat level attaches this card to one of his heroes. (Counts as a Condition attachment with the text: 'Attached hero does not ready during the refresh phase unless you pay 2 resources from that hero's pool.')
The Lady Galadriel of Lórien has asked you to investigate the area in the vicinity of Dol Guldar. While doing so, one of your allies was ambushed by Orcs, captured, and is now held in a dungeon cell...
Setup: Search the encounter deck for the 3 objective cards, reveal and place them in the staging area. Also, place the Nazgûl of Dol Guldur face up but out of play, alongside the quest deck. Then, shuffle the encounter deck, and attach 1 encounter to each objective card.
When Revealed: Randomly select 1 hero card (among all the heroes controlled by the players) and turn it facedown. The hero is now considered a "prisoner", cannot be used, cannot be damaged, and does not collect resources, until it is "rescued" (as instructed by card effects) later in this quest.
The players, as a group, cannot play more than 1 ally card each round.
Players cannot advance to the next stage of this quest unless they have at least 1 objective card.
When Revealed: The player with the highest threat level attached this card to one of his heroes. (Counts as a Condition attachment with the text: "Attached hero does not ready during the refresh phase unless you pay 2 resources from that hero's pool.")
1
1
3
When Revealed: Reveal 1 card from the encounter deck and add it to the staging area.
Elrond has asked you to scout the Mines of Moria on your return to Lorien, hoping to discover if it is the source of increased Orc activity along the Misty Mountains.
Setup: Remove The Watcher and Doors of Durin from the encounter deck and set them aside, out of play.
Your approach is blocked by a dark lake that slumbers beneath the face of the cliff. You must search for a way around the water.
When Revealed: Reveal cards from the encounter deck and add them to the staging area until there is at least X in the staging area. X is twice the number of players in the game.
When Revealed: Count the number of encounter cards in the staging area and shuffle them into the encounter deck. Reveal an equal number of cards from the encounter deck and add them to the staging area. This effect cannot be canceled.
When Revealed: Place the top card of the underworld deck facedown underneath the active location, if able.
Attach to a 
hero hero. Limit 1 per hero.
Response: After attached hero attacks and destroys an enemy, deal 1 damage to another enemy that shares a Trait with the enemy just destroyed.
He slew many of them and the rest fled. –The Two Towers
Action: Return X Outlands allies from your discard pile to your hand.
Death in the morning and at day's ending
lords took and lowly. Long now they sleep
under grass in Gondor by the Great River.
–The Return of the King
You've driven back the attackers, but some of them seized your bags during the fight and took them as they fled. Inside one of those bags is the gold that Saruman gave you for your quest, so you pursue the thieves deeper into Dunland.
When Revealed: Make Munuv Dûv Ravine the active location (returning any previous active location to the staging area). Each player discards each Item and each Mount attachment he controls. Each player chooses 1 ally he controls and discards each other ally he controls.
In your zeal to recover the gold, you have been led into an ambush.
When Revealed: Each player searches the encounter deck and discard pile for a Boar Clan enemy and puts it into play engaged with him. Shuffle the encounter deck. Each player shuffles his discard pile into his draw deck and draws 1 card.
Forced: At the end of the combat phase, advance to stage 3A.
Attach to a non-objective unique ally in play.
The first player gains control of attached ally.
Damage from undefended attacks against you may be assigned to attached ally.
"...if by life or death I can save you, I will."
–Aragorn, The Fellowship of the Ring
Scour: Return this location to the staging area and place 2 damage here.
Shadow: Excess damage from this attack must be placed on the active location, if able.
Cards in each player's discard pile cannot leave that player's discard pile by player card effect.
Forced: After this stage is defeated, each player shuffles the top 5 cards of his discard pile back into his deck.
You must uncover the source of this evil that sets its will against yours.
When Revealed: Each player must either deal 1 damage to each exhausted character he controls, or remove each exhausted character he controls from the quest.
Shadow: Exhaust a character you control.
1
2
3
6 ★
10
Action: Discard a card from your hand to add 1 resource to a Noldor's resource pool, or to Aragorn's resource pool. (Limit once per round.)
...the light of stars was in her bright eyes, grey as a cloudless night; yet queenly she looked, and thought and knowledge were in her glance, as of one who has known many things that the years bring.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
As your voyage continues, the skies darken and the rain becomes relentless. Storm clouds on the horizon flash with lightning, and unpredictable wind makes setting a course difficult.
Forced: At the end of the staging step, if you are off-course (
, 
, or 
), reveal an additional encounter card from the top of the encounter deck.
When you defeat this stage, if the Stormcaller is still at stage 3, you have caught up to the Stormcaller and win the game. Otherwise, advance to the next stage.
Aided by other Corsair ships, the Stormcaller slips out of sight, heading into the dark clouds on the southern horizon.
When Revealed: Search the encounter deck and discard pile for 1 copy of Sahír’s Escort and add it to the Stormcaller's area. Shuffle the encounter deck.
If the players are off-course (, , or ), the Stormcaller gets +2 .
No more than 4 damage may be placed on the Stormcaller each round.
Forced: At the end of the round, discard the top card of the encounter deck. The Stormcaller places progress on this stage equal to its plus the of the discarded card.
Action: Discard an ally you control to choose and discard a Condition attachment.
"By our valour the wildfolk of the East are still restrained, and the terror of Morgul kept at bay; and thus alone are peace and freedom maintained in the lads behind us...
–Boromir, The Fellowship of the Ring
Play into your play area unattached.
While unattached, attach to the next eligible enemy that engages you.
While attached enemy is engaged with you, reduce the total in the staging area by X, where X is attached enemy's printed
A bright flame splits the darkness, and your fears are confirmed: it was a dragon you tracked from the village. The fire–drake chased the Dwarves from their mines, and you must search out its lair somewhere in the lower depths.
When Revealed: Place Dragon Hoard on the bottom of the Caves deck. Add Fire-drake to the staging area and shuffle the Dragon Might encounter set into the encounter deck.
Fire-drake cannot leave the staging area or take damage.
Response: After placing progress here from questing successfully, remove 5 progress from this stage to look at the top 2 cards of the Caves deck. Put one on top of the Caves deck and put the other on the bottom.
After The Dragon Hoard becomes the active location, advance to stage 3A.
X is 1 more than the number of side quests in the victory display.
Travel: Each player assigns X damage among characters he controls.
Immune to player card effects.
The player cannot travel here.
Each player's threat elimination level is reduced by 5.
...wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant, he saw it: Barad–d–r, Fortress of Sauron. All hope left him.
–The Fellowship of the Ring
When Revealed: Choose a hero to be removed from the quest and make that hero unconscious. If no hero was removed from the quest by this effect, this card gains surge.
"What nasty thick skins they have to be sure, but I'll wager there is good juice inside." –Spider, The Hobbit
Setup: Search the encounter deck for Smaug the Golden, Smaug the Magnificent, The Lonely Mountain and A Bare Patch. Set Smaug the Magnificent and A Bare Patch aside, out of play. Add Smaug the Golden and The Lonely Mountain to the staging area. Shuffle the five Erebor treasure cards and stack them facedown under The Lonely Mountain.
Skip the Quest phase.
Forced: At the end of the round, advance to stage 2.
So one day, although autumn was now getting far on, and winds were cold, and leaves were falling fast, three large boats left Lake–town, laden with rowers, dwarves, Mr. Baggins, and many provisions. –The Hobbit
Attach to Gondor hero. Restricted.
Response: Spend X resources from attached hero's pool to cancel X damage just dealt to attached hero.
This was the livery of the heirs of Elendil, and none wore it now in all Gondor, save the Guards of the Citadel...
–The Return of the King