The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 2 Game Boards
- 1 Resource Board
- 14 Company Tiles
- 18 Resource Tiles
- 32 Event Cards
- 1 Rulebook
- 16 Quill Tokens
- 2 Treasure Tokens
- 4 White Dice
- 1 Golden Die
- 1 Dice Bag
Objective
In this co-operative board game, players work together in order to succeed. The action takes place across two different adventure boards that describe different parts of The Company's journey.
Each board has multiple Challenges on it. These are broken up into Running, Diplomacy, and Fighting. When you complete a Challenge, you place a Quill token on it, as that Challenge has been completed. Once all the Challenges on a board have been completed, the game advances to the next adventure and to a new board.
But beware! The journey is long and dangerous. If you don't use your Company and Resource tiles wisely, you may not make it to the end. And if The Company completes all of the Challenges on Board 2 before time or your luck runs out, you have completed the journey and won the game. Players win or lose as a group.
Game Set-Up
STEP 1
You have two adventure boards plus a Resource Board for the game:
- Board 1 — The Shire & Lonelands
- Board 2 — Misty Mountains.
Place the Resource Board above the main board.
The game begins with Board 1 in the middle of the play area.
STEP 2
Collect the Resource tiles marked "Starting Resources" on the back.
Place them face up onto the Resource Board, each one into an empty slot.
The Resource tiles marked "Board 1 Resources" are shuffled and placed face down on the bottom of The Shire & Lonelands board, one per slot.
STEP 3
Place the Troll Treasure token into the circular slot on the upper right side of the board.
STEP 4
Place the Quill tokens and dice next to the board.
STEP 5
Shuffle the Blue Board 1 Event cards and place them face down near the main board.
STEP 6
Shuffle the 14 Company tiles.
Place the top two tiles face up next to the main board.
If either of them is Bilbo Baggins, place a 3rd tile next to the board, then shuffle Bilbo Baggins back in with the other 11.
This creates a pool of adventurers next to the board that are not currently available to use.
However, you may be able to retrieve them from the pool later on.
STEP 7
Set all other components aside.
You're just about set now! Deal the 12 Company tiles face down to the players. In a 3 or 4 player game, distribute all of the remaining tiles evenly to the players. In a 2-player game, add two additional Company tiles to the pool next to the board before dealing five Company tiles to each player.
(More on single-player game setup later.)
Players then flip their Company tiles face up to allow for co-operative planning.
The Dice
All four white dice are the same. Players get to roll these dice without needing the aid of any tiles or Resources.
The golden die is powerful and only certain Company tiles will allow you to roll it.
Three different Actions (symbols) are found on the dice: Running, Diplomacy, and Fighting.
The more Actions you roll the better. The key is rolling the Actions you need when you need them. On the boards, you will find many Challenges with one or more Actions on them. In order to complete a Challenge, you must roll the Actions needed for that Challenge.
Challenges
Running Challenges found at the top of each board need the most Running symbols.
Each board's row of Running Challenges must be completed in order from left to right. These Challenges follow the progress of The Company in the story, so you can't just jump ahead.
Example: On Board 1, the first Running Challenge is: "Chase after the Dwarves to join them." Since it is the leftmost Challenge of the Running Challenges, it is the first one you must complete before anyone may move on to the next Running Challenge. In order to complete the Challenge you will need to roll four Running symbols.
Diplomacy Challenges require the most Diplomacy symbols. Diplomacy Challenges may be completed in any order. There is no requirement to complete any Running Challenges before attempting these.
Fighting Challenges require the most Fighting symbols. Fighting Challenges may be completed in any order. There is no requirement to complete any Running Challenges or Diplomacy Challenges before attempting these.
Taking Your Turn
The player who was dealt the Bilbo Baggins tile gets to go first. There is a reminder of this privilege in the upper right corner of his card.
1. Draw an Event card
At the start of each player's turn, he or she draws an Event card. If the card does not have the word INSTANT at the bottom of the card, add it to the current board (next to the pre-printed Challenges). Some Event cards replace Challenges already on the current board. See the Event Cards section below for more.
2. Roll the four white dice
You do not choose a Challenge prior to rolling your dice. Roll the dice first, then see which Challenge(s) you are best suited to complete. There are some Company tiles you might want to use before rolling. (More on those later.)
3. Allocate your dice
This is an optional step, but one that you will likely want to use after rolling your dice. Typically, you will roll most of the Actions needed to complete a Challenge, but not always. You want to save the dice that have the Actions you want. You need not save any of the dice you roll.
To allocate one or more dice to a Challenge, simply place the dice you wish to save onto a Challenge space that you seek to complete. You may allocate dice to any number of Challenge spaces. The Actions on a single die cannot be split between two different Challenges. These dice are frozen for the remainder of your turn on the side that you rolled.
4. Re-roll the dice you didn't allocate
This is another optional step. After your initial roll, you receive one "free" re-roll without need of using a Company tile or Resource. (More on how to use those below.) If you rolled the golden die, you may also re-roll it at this time.
5. Allocate your re-rolled dice
The re-rolled dice may or may not help complete a Challenge you have already allocated dice to. You're not required to complete the Challenge to which you have allocated dice, but any dice on that space are lost for the turn. The dice you allocated prior to the re-roll can't be moved. You may also allocate re-rolled dice to a new Challenge (or the Treasure) if you have no hope of completing one to which you already allocated dice.
Example: if you allocated 3 Running Actions to "Chase after the Dwarves to join them," but then your re-rolled dice ended up with three Diplomacy Actions, you may allocate the re-rolled dice to "Keep the troll Bert talking" and leave the Running Challenge incomplete.
6. Last chance to use Company and Resource tiles
After your re-rolls, if you still need other Actions to complete a Challenge, other ways exist to get the Actions you need. This is your last chance to play Company and/or Resource tiles. Some of your dice may not be needed. Those dice may remain unallocated at the end of your turn.
7. Finish your turn
Place a Quill token on each Challenge you complete. You may complete more than one Challenge each turn. If you fail to add a Quill token to the board during your turn, reveal and discard the leftmost Resource at the bottom of the board. That Resource is now lost for the game.
Losing a Resource this way reduces your total possible score and you forfeit that Resource's ability for the game.
Pass the four white dice to the player on your left when your turn has completed.
Event Cards
When a player begins a turn, he or she draws the top card of the Event deck.
If the word INSTANT is not at the bottom of the card, add it to the current board.
Some Event cards replace Challenges already on the current board.
When the word UPGRADE appears, that Event card is placed on top of the Challenge space of the same name. That Challenge will be harder than before. The requirements to complete it have been "Upgraded." If that Challenge has already been completed and has a Quill token on it, the UPGRADE Event card is ignored and discarded. You don't draw a replacement card.
If the Event card has the word INSTANT at the bottom, it is not added to the board. This is a stumbling block you must deal with during your turn. (See the Icon Cheat Sheets on what INSTANT Events do. Some require Actions; some deprive you of assets.) At the end of your turn, discard the INSTANT Event card you drew.
NOTE: If at the start of your turn no Event cards remain in the Event deck, reveal and discard the leftmost Resource at the bottom of the board. Running out of Event cards means you are out of time and things are going from bad to worse!
If a player fails to place a Quill token during his turn, reveal and discard the leftmost Resource at the bottom of the current board. That Resource is now lost to the players. So not only do you lose the functionality of that Resource, you also lose those potential victory points. The desire to place a Quill token during each turn is one of the main "motivators" of the game.
If all of the Resources at the bottom of the board have been discarded, The Company has failed in its quest and the game is over. No score is tallied, as the players have lost the game. If this last Resource is lost, the game is over!
Company Tiles
The Company tiles you have may be used during your turn, unless an INSTANT Event says otherwise. Other players may also lend a hand during your turn. Any Company tile with a Helping Hand underneath some or all of the icons depicted may also be used during another player's turn.
To use a Company tile, whether it is your turn or not, simply announce to other players that you want to use the tile. When a Company tile is used, it is turned sideways. Any number of Company tiles may be used during a turn. At the end of a player's turn, all sideways Company tiles are placed face up next to the board in the pool of tiles.
Some Challenges might allow you to retrieve a Company tile from the pool next the board. Tiles being used during the current turn may not be retrieved. They are not placed into the pool until the turn is over.
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins has the ability to perform any one of the three Actions when this tile is played during your turn. He can't help other players. When you play Bilbo Baggins, you must choose only one of the three Actions shown.
Thorin Oakenshield, Nori, Dori, Ori, & Óin
These are the only Company tiles that must be used at the start of a player's turn before any dice are rolled. Using one of these Dwarves grants you the powerful golden die. Thorin, since the Helping Hand appears under his golden die, has the added benefit that his tile may be used during another player's turn to grant that player the golden die.
Only one Company tile granting the golden die may be played during each turn. After using one of these tiles, add the golden die to the four white dice and roll them all at once.
Bofur, Bifur, & Bombur
Playing one of these Dwarves allows you to make an additional re-roll of any number of your unallocated dice. It includes the golden die if a Company tile was played that granted you that die. If used during another player's turn, that player may re-roll any two of his unallocated white dice.
Balin, Dwalin, & Glóin
These Dwarves grant extra Actions: Two Actions during your own turn and one Action if you are lending a Helping Hand during another player's turn. These Actions must be allocated just like the dice, so they can't be split up between two different Challenges.
Kíli
Using the Kíli tile allows you to turn any one white die to the side of your choice. You may even choose a die that has already been allocated to a Challenge space, but you can't move it. As there is no hand under the icon, this may only be used during your own turn.
Fíli
Using the Fíli tile allows you to double all of the Actions on any one of your white dice whether allocated or not. As there is no hand under the icon, this may only be used during your own turn.
Resources
At the start of the game, there are six Resources available to the players. The starting six read "Starting Resource" on the back of the tiles. They are immediately usable to help you out during the Board 1 adventures.
Resources have a variety of powerful effects, but each one may be used only once per game. To use a Resource, simply remove it from the Resource Board. Any Resource tiles that grant you Actions must be allocated just like dice. You can't split up the Actions between different Challenge spaces. Any number of Resource tiles may be used during a turn.
Using a Resource reduces your total possible score, but sometimes you will find it necessary to avoid a larger punishment. For example, if you fail to add a Quill token to the board during your turn, you lose a Resource that would have helped out on the next board. You lose a powerful card and the victory points from that card. Better to use a Resource and place a Quill than lose a Resource and fail to advance the progress of The Company.
See the Icon Cheat Sheets for information on what each Resource does.
Next Board Resources
When a board is first set up, additional Resources are added to the bottom of the board. During Board 1 play, the "Board 1 Resource" tiles are shuffled and then placed face down on the bottom of Board 1. These Resources are not able to be used during the current board. When a board is completed, each Resource remaining at the bottom of the board is added to the Resource Board. The leftover Resources may then be used during the next board's adventures.
Finishing a Board
The Company finishes a board when all of the Challenge spaces and Events that were added on the current board are completed and have a Quill token on them. You do not have to earn the board's Treasure token to complete the board.
When a board is finished:
- Take all of the remaining Resource tiles from the bottom of the completed board and add them to the Resource Board (face up).
- Remove all Quill tokens from the board and return them to the pool.
- Remove each of the completed board's Event cards from the game.
- Remove the Treasure token from the game if it wasn't earned.
- Lay out the next board.
- Place the new Treasure token on the board.
- Shuffle the new Event deck and place it face down near the board.
- Shuffle the "Board 2 Resources" and place them face down at the bottom of board 2.
- Collect all 14 Company tiles, shuffle them, and display the appropriate number next to the new board and deal out the rest.
At the start of each board, the player who is dealt the Bilbo Baggins tile goes first.
Treasure
If things are going well, you might have the time and ability to search for Treasure. Treasure tokens are bonus points that The Company can earn.
Finding a Treasure token requires the allocation of dice and possibly Resources or Company tiles. Once completed, a Quill is not added to the token. Instead, the Treasure token is removed from the main board and placed on the Resource Board. Those victory points are then added to The Company's score at the end of the game. You will also gain Company tiles from the pool as soon as you gain a Treasure token. Treasure tokens have no further use during the game.
NOTE: Earning the Treasure does not count as placing a Quill, as no Quill is placed on it.
Ending the Game
On Board 2, the rightmost Running Challenge is called Escape with the Eagles and it has the word LAST printed on it. All other Challenges must be completed before you attempt Escape with the Eagles. A player can't complete another Challenge and the LAST Challenge in the same turn.
When the LAST Challenge of the last board is completed, the game is over and The Company has won the game!
Note when the expansion games are released, you will move on to Board 3.
Place the remaining Resources from the bottom of the current board onto the Resource Board. Add up all of the victory point values on the Treasures earned and unused Resources on the Resource Board. The total value of all of these items is The Company's total score for the game. Record your results on the scorekeeping page.
Co-operating
This is a co-operative game, so you win or lose the game as a group.
During any player's turn, all players are free to discuss strategy. You may ask for advice before using your Company tiles, but they are ultimately your tiles. Use them however and whenever you wish. However, Resource tiles are shared by all players. The group should arrive at a consensus before using one.
For an added level of secrecy and difficulty, players may collectively decide before the game starts to keep the Company tiles face down. Keep the Company tiles in the pool next to the board face down as well. Re-deal all tiles if no one draws Bilbo Baggins to start a round. When a Company tile is regained from the pool (by completing a Challenge or Treasure that grants a tile), shuffle the available tiles in the pool face down. Take one tile at random and without showing it to the other players.
Solo Play
You may also play the game in solitaire mode. Some changes from the multiplayer game:
- Shuffle the 14 Company tiles. Place six of them into a face-up pool next to the board before dealing the remaining eight to yourself. Bilbo Baggins may end up in the pool of six at the start of game during solitaire mode.
- The Resource tile Orcrist now simply allows you to exchange Company tiles in front of you for ones in the pool on a one-for-one basis.
- In a solitaire game, you always gain the full benefit of your Company tiles.
Can You Do Better Next Time?
Whenever you play the game, record the date, the names of the players, the difficulty level of the game, and your score.
There are 5 Levels of play: Levels 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8.
When you have scored 20 points playing the Basic Game (Level 0), you are ready for a Level 2 Game.
When starting a Level 2 Game, shuffle the Event deck and draw until you have placed two Challenges and/or Upgrades on The Shire & Lonelands board. Shuffle the other 14 Event cards. You will repeat this procedure for each subsequent board as well using their respective Event decks.
Not only does this add extra Challenges to the board, but it also decreases the number of cards in the Event deck. That means you have less time to finish each board before its Event deck runs out and you start losing Resources at the bottom of the board.
- To reach Level 2, you must score 20 points in a Level 0 Game. Add 2 non-INSTANT Event cards to each board in a Level 2 game.
- To reach Level 4, you must score 15 points in a Level 2 Game. Add 4 non-INSTANT Event cards to each board in a Level 4 game.
- To reach Level 6, you must score 10 points in a Level 4 Game. Add 6 non-INSTANT Event cards to each board in a Level 6 game.
- To reach Level 8, you must score 5 points in a Level 6 game. Add 8 non-INSTANT Event cards to each board in a Level 8 game.
- If you can win a Level 8 game by scoring even a single point, you clearly have the luck and wits of Bilbo Baggins himself as this is a near-impossible feat!