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The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

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Living card game
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Information
DesignerNate French
PublisherFantasy Flight Games
Release date20 April 2011
Players1 - 4
Ages14+

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a card-based game released by Fantasy Flight Games. The game is set during the seventeen year period between Bilbo's 111th birthday, and Frodo's departure from Bag End. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game was first announced on 3 August 2010,[1] and was released on 20 April 2011.[2]

It is a Living Card Game, which differs from collectible card games in that each expansion is released in fixed packs with no randomness. There are, therefore, no "rare" or "common" cards which creates an even playing pool and a system that is easy to collect and fully playable with only the core set and any number of expansions.

A reimagined digital adaptation was released in 2018 as The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game.

In 2022, a Revised Core Set was released, fully compatible with all previous products. It featured slightly updated rules, new box art and new card types not originally included to be used for Campaign Mode.[3]. In addition, a portion of the out-of-print content from over the previous ten years was repackaged and re-released with the new product branding. Fantasy Flight pledged to keep the new and repackaged products in print for the forseeable future, but ceased any development of new content.

Gameplay

Sample Player Card

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a cooperative Living Card Game. The players (1-4) work together to defeat the scenario and complete each quest. To win the game, the players must complete all of a scenario's quest cards. If all of a player's heroes fall in battle, or if a player's "threat level" reaches 50, the player is eliminated; if all players are eliminated, the scenario is failed and the players lose.

To play the game, each player assembles their own deck consisting of three heroes (which start the game in play) and at minimum fifty other cards (which are shuffled and drawn from each turn). The player cards are represented through four "spheres of influence", which relate to various spheres of influence seen in the source material and each have a different mechanical theme. The four spheres are:

  • Tactics (combat, direct damage)
  • Leadership (resource management, global effects)
  • Spirit (willpower, cancellation effects)
  • Lore (card draw effects, encounter deck manipulation)

Decks can be constructed using any combination of spheres, but in order to play a card, the player must control a hero whose sphere of influence matches the card being played.

Once decks are constructed, the players choose a quest scenario and begin setup according to the quest cards. The players' enemies on this quest are represented by the "encounter deck," which contains enemies for the players to face, locations for them to explore and treacheries that will surprise and challenge them.

The game is then played in rounds consisting of seven phases, some containing different steps.

sample play area from official site
  1. Resource Phase - players draw one card and each hero gains one resource
  2. Planning Phase - starting with the first player, each player may play Events, Attachments, or Allies from his hand
  3. Quest Phase - players commit characters to the quest, reveal encounter cards, and resolve
  4. Travel Phase - if there is no active location, players choose a revealed location and travel there
  5. Encounter Phase - players engage enemies from the staging area for combat
  6. Combat Phase - players defend enemy attacks, then attack enemies engaged with them.
  7. Refresh Phase - players ready all exhausted characters and increase their threat trackers by one

Many cards have different effects that can be triggered throughout a round of play to modify or circumvent these rules. Part of the enjoyment of the game is coming up with new ways of beating the various scenarios by using the different cards in the player's collection.

Expansion Content

In addition to the Core box, multiple different types of expansion content was released. Cycle Expansions slowly added new adventures into regions not fully explored in the books, while the Saga Expansions let players experience the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books through the game's mechanics. The Core product is required to play any of the expansion content.

Saga Expansions

Original

Original Black Riders "Saga Expansion"

The game features "Saga Expansions", which follow the events of the books directly, as opposed to the original, tangential quests set before The Lord of the Rings. Each expansion contains three scenarios following a different segment of Tolkien's works. The gameplay of these expansions differs from the usual cycles in that there is a "campaign mode" of sorts in each. For the Hobbit, this gives access to "treasure" cards if certain objectives are met in particular quests. The campaign mode for the Lord of the Rings saga expansions is more involved, and players earn access to both "boons" and "burdens." Furthermore, if a hero dies during the campaign, the players are not allowed to use that hero in future scenarios.

The first two cover the events of The Hobbit. After that, the Lord of the Rings saga expansions each correspond to one of the six books in The Lord of the Rings.

  • The Hobbit: Over Hill and Under Hill (2012)
  • The Hobbit: On the Doorstep (2013)
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Black Riders (2013)
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Road Darkens (2014)[4]
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Treason of Saruman (23 April 2015)[5]
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Land of Shadow (19 Nov 2015)[6]
  • The Lord of the Rings: Flame of the West (4 Aug 2016)[7]
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Mountain of Fire (5 Oct 2017)[8]

Repackaged

The repackaged Fellowship of the Ring Saga Expansion

As part of the 2022 Revised Core and brand refresh, Fantasy Flight repackaged and reprinted the six Saga Expansions for the Lord of the Rings content into three new Saga Expansions, each consolidated into a new product matching the content for that volume of the novel.

  • Fellowship of the Ring (2022)
  • The Two Towers (2023)
  • Return of the King (2024)

Cycle Expansions

Original

From the game's release in 2011 through 2020, regular "cycles" of expansion product would periodically be released, normally themed around a certain story or region of Middle-earth. It would start with the release of a "Deluxe Expansion" containing the first few adventures of that cycle, and then subsequently eight individual "Adventure Packs" would release afterwards, staggered by a month or two, which would contain the rest of the content. Each product would contain a combination of player cards and campaign cards. The Deluxe Box for each cycle contained components required to play any of the added content in the related Adventure Packs.

Cycle Name First Released Deluxe Box Description
Shadows of Mirkwood Apr - Nov 2011 Core Box This continued the story from the Core Set, taking the players to the Carrock, hunting for Gollum, visiting Rhosgobel, Emyn Muil and The Dead Marshes.
Dwarrowdelf Jan - Aug 2012 Khazad-dum[9] This cycle featured Moria, the Redhorn Gate, The Watcher in the Water and a journey to Rivendell
Against the Shadow Nov 2012 - Nov 2013 Heirs of Numenor[10] Featuring the Drúadan Forest, Amon Dîn, Osgiliath and the Morgul Vale
The Ring-maker Feb - Dec 2014 The Voice of Isengard[11] Featured adventures in and around Saruman's tower of Orthanc.
Angmar Awakened Apr - Dec 2015 The Lost Realm[12] Featured Mount Gram, and the Ettenmoors among others.
Dream-chaser Feb - Oct 2016 The Grey Havens[13] Took adventurers on an oceanic journey aboard the ship Dream-chaser.
Haradrim Nov 2016 - Feb 2018 The Sands of Harad[14] As the name implies it explored the previously mysterious southern lands of Middle-earth.
Ered Mithrin Jul 2018 - Jun 2019 The Wilds of Rhovanion[15] Explored the Ered Mithrin region, including Mount Gundabad.
Vengeance of Mordor Aug 2019 - Oct 2020 A Shadow in the East[16] Finally brought players to adventure in the shadowed lands of Mordor.

Repackaged

The Repackaged Ered Mithrin Cycle, both the "Hero" and "Campaign" Expansion products

As part of the product refresh in 2022, Fantasy Flight announced and subsequently re-released a subset of their Deluxe Expansion cycles, repackaging and reprinting all of the content from the cycle into a separate "Hero" and "Campaign" expansion, consolidating all of the content from the previous Deluxe Expansions and subsequent Adventure Packs. It was stated not all previous content would be repackaged in this way, and that these new products represented the "Greatest Hits" from the game's 10+ year history.

  • Angmar Awakened (2022)
  • Dream-chaser (2023)
  • Ered Mithrin (2024)

Standalone Scenarios

Periodically, as special releases for the annual GenCon event and Fellowship in-store events, the designers would create standalone scenarios of varying difficulties. After their initial release at the events, some were then made available from Fantasy Flight Games via their print-on-demand system, however the publisher no longer offers this service and as such almost all of them are currently unavailable to purchase.

Name Year Description
The Massing at Osgiliath 2011 In this scenario you are defending the city of Osgiliath from a massive horde of orcs an Easterlings attempting to take the city. The quest involves high numbers of enemies and effects that change depending on which side of the river Anduin you are on.
The Battle of Lake-town 2012 Largely considered the most difficult quest currently in the game, this scenario recreates the battle against Smaug at Esgaroth. The players seek to defend the city and keep it from burning.
The Stone of Erech 2013 This scenario sees a young Derufin running off to investigate the Stone of Erech and the heroes must go and save him, encountering the Army of the Dead along the way. The quest features the "spectral" keyword, which changes how the players attack enemies, as well as a time mechanic, through which the night deepens and the wights grow more powerful.
The Old Forest 2014 Released at GenCon 2014, this scenario departs from the usual quests because it is not a (very difficult) standalone quest, but an addition to Campaign Mode. The Black Riders box did not include the Old Forest or the Barrow-downs and this deck, along with a second released as part of the 2014 Fellowship Event, will cover those chapters of the book.
Fog on the Barrow-downs[17] 2014 Originally released as the feature of the Fellowship Event 2014, this quest fills in another gap in the Black Riders expansion. It allows players to reenact the events of the namesake chapter from the book. Players face wights and get trapped in barrow locations.
The Ruins of Belegost[18] 2015 This scenario involves delving to what remains of Belegost in search of lost artifacts. The ruins are filled with many perils, including a fire breathing dragon named Naurlhûg.
Murder at the Prancing Pony[19] 2015

Originally released as the feature of the Fellowship Event 2015, this quest involves solving a murder mystery when Barliman Butterbur finds a dead body at the Prancing Pony.

The Siege of Annúminas[20] 2016 The scenario was the featured event of GenCon 2016 and the Fellowship Event 2016. This scenario has the players attempting to save Annúminas against the assaulting forces of Angmar. This scenario introduced "epic multiplayer mode" in which between three and twelve players play on three concurrent stages of the quest. It was released to retail in 2017.
Assault on Dol Guldur [21] 2017

This scenario was the featured event of GenCon 2017 and the Fellowship Event 2017. Like Siege of Annúminas, it also supports epic multiplayer mode. In this scenario, the players take on the role the elves played in attacking Dol Guldur to defeat the Necromancer. It was not made available to retailers.

The Wizard's Quest[22] 2018 Featured at Gencon 2018.
The Woodland Realm[23] 2018 Featured in the 2018 Fellowship Event.
The Mines of Moria [24] 2019 Featured at Gencon 2019.
The Dark of Mirkwood [25] 2022 Contains two adventures, The Oath and The Caves of Nibin-dûm, both previously only available in the Limited Edition of the Core Box. The only standalone scenario to be made available after the re-packaging and re-branding in 2022.

Fantasy Flight also previously offered Nightmare Decks, print-on-demand content for specific scenarios that would replace or supplement the existing adventure cards with more dangerous ones to give players an extra layer of added challenge if so desired.

Starter Decks

As part of the Revised Core set being released and general product refresh, a set of four Starter Decks were released in 2022[26]. These featured player cards only, and were selected from previously released content as a great way for new players to add to their collection after purchasing the Revised Core.

  • Dwarves of Durin
  • Elves of Lórien
  • Defenders of Gondor
  • Riders of Rohan

From the producers

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a cooperative card game that puts 1-2 players (or up to four with two Core Sets!) in control of the most powerful characters and artifacts of Middle-earth. Players will select heroes, gather allies, acquire artifacts, and coordinate their efforts to face Middle-earth's most dangerous fiends. By cooperating to overcome the obstacles drawn from the encounter deck, you will complete the quest before you and claim victory!

The Core Set includes 216 cards that can be used to assemble a wide variety of decks right out of the box. Included are four perilous scenarios that, along with countless combinations of settings and enemies, offer near-limitless replayability. Additionally, players can build a party from a set of 16 hero cards, and focus their decks on any combination of four distinct spheres of influence: Leadership, Lore, Spirit, and Tactics. Each sphere offer unique benefits to the party, so choose wisely!

Legacy

Original Core Box Art prior to 2022

After Revising the Core Set in 2022 and subsequently releasing the Repackaged products through 2024, Fantasy Flight have indicated that the game is currently "complete". As such, no new content would be created but they intend to keep the Core Box, the Starter Decks and the repackaged products continually in print for the forseeable future.

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ Fantasy Flight Games News at Fantasyflightgames.com(accessed 4 August 2010)
  2. ↑ Fantasy Flight Games releases The Lord of the Rings Card Game at Middle-earth News.net (accessed 15 May 2011)
  3. ↑ "Retelling the Tale", [1], accessed 26 January 2026
  4. ↑ http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4636
  5. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/4/23/doom-hangs-on-a-thread
  6. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/11/19/into-the-spiders-lair
  7. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/4/26/the-flame-of-the-west
  8. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/10/5/hour-of-the-shire-folk/
  9. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/products/khazad-dum-expansion/
  10. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/products/heirs-of-numenor-expansion/
  11. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/products/the-voice-of-isengard-expansion/
  12. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/products/the-lost-realm-expansion/
  13. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/products/grey-havens/
  14. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/products/sands-harad/
  15. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/products/wilds-rhovanion/
  16. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/products/shadow-east/
  17. ↑ http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=5315
  18. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/2/18/new-adventures-in-middle-earth/
  19. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/2/18/new-adventures-in-middle-earth/
  20. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/3/16/the-siege-of-annuminas/
  21. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/9/14/assault-on-dol-guldur/
  22. ↑ http://gencon.highprogrammer.com/gencon-2018.cgi/event/CGM18128974
  23. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/11/13/decide-your-destiny/
  24. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2019/5/16/the-long-dark-1/
  25. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2021/11/4/the-dark-of-mirkwood/
  26. ↑ https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2021/12/9/starting-the-journey/
Licensed Card Games set in Middle-earth
Collectible Card Games
  Middle Earth CCG (1995-1998) • Lord of the Rings TCG (2001-2007)
Magic: The Gathering Expansions
  Tales of Middle Earth (2023) • The Hobbit (2026)
Living Card Games
  The Card Game (2011-2024) • Adventure Card Game (2022 digital)
Trick-Taking Game Series
  Fellowship of the Ring (2024) • Two Towers (2026)
Other Card Games
  Tarot (1997) • The Hobbit (2012) • War of the Ring (2022) • Duel for Middle-earth (2024)
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