The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth – Spreading War Expansion Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Using this Expansion
  • A New Front
• Expansion Icon
• Component List
• Roles
• Expansion Rules
  • Bane Cards
    • Captured
  • Barricade (Terrain)
  • Changing Form (Beorn)
  • Chest (Terrain)
  • Component Action
  • Difficult Ground
  • Fence (Terrain)
  • Fountain (Terrain)
  • Fortified
  • Mounts
  • Pond (Terrain)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Quick Reference
  • Round Structure
  • Actions
  • Resetting Skill Decks
  • Frequently Overlooked Rules
  • Attack Modifiers
  • Keywords
  • Icons

Overview

Spreading War is an expansion for The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth in which the heroes are challenged to balance the needs of the mighty kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor as both lands become targets for a growing mercenary threat. This expansion unlocks a variable digital campaign of 15 new adventures to test each hero's courage. This expansion also introduces a new challenge, banes, and includes new tiles, terrain, enemies, heroes, items, and roles to further expand your adventures.

Using this Expansion

Before playing a game of Spreading War, update the Journeys in Middle-earth app and add this expansion to the collection in the app's collection manager.

Then, before starting a new adventure, combine this expansion's components with those found in the base game by adding the mounts, banes, and fortified tokens to the supply and adding all other cards to their respective decks of The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth components. The terrain tokens can be set aside with the base game's terrain tokens until a scenario requires them.

A New Front

The Journeys in Middle-earth app fills each adventure with content from all of its enabled expansions. To experience the content included in this expansion, be sure to enable it in the Collection Manager before embarking on any new campaign. The enemies, tiles, heroes, roles, and items in this expansion will add variability to every Journeys in Middle-earth campaign, challenging even veteran players in ways they have never known before!

Expansion Icon

Each card and tile in this expansion is marked with the Spreading War expansion icon to distinguish these components from the other cards and tiles in The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth.

Component List

• 28 Plastic Figures (7 Heroes, 21 Enemies)
• 18 Journey Map Tiles
• 7 Hero Cards
• 65 Item Cards
• 10 Mount Cards
• 3 Title Skill Cards
• 15 Bane Cards
• 30 Hero Skill Cards
• 72 Role Skill Cards
• 6 Terrain Cards
• 4 Chest/Barricade Terrain Tokens
• 9 Trench/Fence Terrain Tokens
• 1 Pond/Fountain Terrain Token
• 5 Fortified Tokens
• 5 Difficult Ground Tokens

Roles

This expansion includes six new roles. Heroes may choose these roles when starting or continuing a campaign.

A hero's role during an adventure determines some of that hero's capabilities. Each role has a general purpose:

• Lorekeeper: Accelerates lore within a campaign.
• Guide: Aids the group with advanced wilderness skill.
• Shieldmaiden: Uses teamwork to defeat foes.
• Provisioner: Supports the fellowship with food and good cheer.
• Soldier: Triumphs through discipline.
• Trickster: Stays one step ahead of the enemy through clever maneuvers.

Role selection is not permanent—heroes can change roles between adventures.

Expansion Rules

Bane Cards

Bane cards inflict negative effects that hinder the heroes.

• If a game effect instructs a hero to become captured, despondent, or terrified, that hero gains a captured, despondent, or terrified bane card, as appropriate.
• When a hero gains a bane card, they take the appropriate bane card from the supply and place it faceup in their play area.
• When a hero would gain a bane card that matches a bane card that they already have in their play area, they do not gain another copy of that bane card.
• The ability on each bane card describes how its effect is resolved.

Captured

• When a hero gains a captured bane card, they gain a random captured bane card from the supply.
• A hero cannot look at the back of a captured bane card until instructed.
• When a hero would discard a faceup captured bane card, they flip it instead and resolve the effect on the back of that card.
• A hero that is captured is not considered to be in any space on the map.
• A hero that is captured cannot be targeted by any game effect, including enemy activations and threat events. Resolve as much of the game effect as possible ignoring the captured hero.
• A hero that is captured can still perform the component action on the captured bane card, and still performs the steps of each game phase, including the Rally Phase.

Calaminth Took is captured and her hero figure is removed from the map. Each hero must suffer 2 facedown damage, but because Calaminth Took is captured, she ignores that game effect. During her turn, she may try and escape as an action.

Barricade (Terrain)

A barricade is a type of terrain that can be placed on the battle map.

• Figures cannot move into a space with a barricade unless they are instructed to ignore terrain.
• A hero or enemy can attack a target that is in a space with a barricade.
• If performing an attack from multiple spaces away, a hero or enemy can attack through spaces with a barricade.

Changing Form (Beorn)

The hero Beorn can shapeshift between two different forms that have unique abilities and stat values.

Beorn begins each adventure in his Beorn form, using the "Beorn" hero card and figure. During the game, Beorn uses skill cards to change to his alternate form: The Great Bear. When placing Beorn during setup, set aside "The Great Bear" hero card and figure and the "Rending Claws" and "Hoary Coat" items.

When a skill card instructs a hero to "change," they replace their hero card, figure, and all of their equipped items with the hero card, figure, and items of their alternate form.

• When an app effect or enemy targets Beorn, it targets the form that is currently in play—either Beorn or The Great Bear.
• When a hero changes form, the following elements of their play area remain unchanged: all damage, fear, tokens, prepared cards, banes, boons, their skill deck, and discard pile.
• When changing to Beorn, equip all of the items Beorn had equipped when he changed to The Great Bear, including any depletion tokens that were on trinkets at the time.
• If a game effect instructs The Great Bear to equip an item other than the "Rending Claws" and "Hoary Coat" items, ignore that game effect.

When The Great Bear is in play and The First Beorning skill is discarded, The Great Bear changes into Beorn by replacing their hero figure, hero card, and equipment with Beorn's hero figure, hero card, and equipment.

Chest (Terrain)

A chest is a type of terrain that can be placed on the battle map.

• During the action phase, if a hero is in a space with a chest token, that hero can perform an interact action to interact with that chest token.
• When a hero interacts with a chest token, they perform a wisdom test.
  • If the test produces at least two success icons, the hero passes the test and lore increases by four. Then, the chest token is discarded.
  • If the test produces fewer than two success icons, the hero fails the test and nothing happens.

Component Action

A component action is an ability that is prefaced by the action icon. A hero can perform a component action during the action phase as an action.

• To perform a component action, a hero chooses a component action on one of the cards in their play area and resolves that ability.
• If a hero wishes to perform a component action while in a space that contains one or more readied enemy groups, before that hero performs that action, they must provoke each readied enemy group in that space in the order of their choice.

Rénëríen wishes to use the component action on her hero card, but must first provoke an attack from the enemy in her space.

Difficult Ground

Difficult ground is a property of some spaces on the map that makes those spaces more difficult to move through.

• Some spaces on the map have a difficult ground icon printed on them. These spaces have difficult ground.
• Game effects can add difficult ground to specific spaces on the map. When this happens, a difficult ground token is placed on that space to represent that the space is more difficult to move through.
• When a hero moves into a space with difficult ground, that hero can discard one prepared card. If they do not discard a card, they cannot move out of that space this turn.
  • If a hero does not discard a card, any unspent movement from a travel action or Sprint X ability is lost. That hero cannot gain any additional movement this turn through travel actions or other abilities.
• If a game effect "places" a hero in a space with difficult ground, that hero ignores the effects of that difficult ground.

Fence (Terrain)

A fence is a type of terrain that can be placed over a border on a battle map.

• Two spaces on opposite sides of a fence token are adjacent.
• If a hero wishes to move across a border that contains a fence token, before that hero moves, they must perform an agility test.
  • If the test produces at least one success icon, the hero passes the test and can move to an adjacent space.
  • If the test produces no success icons, the hero fails the test and forfeits that move. When a move is forfeit, the hero does not move out of that space and the movement is lost.
• When a hero forfeits a move due to failing a fence token test, the hero may still attempt to move out of the space with another move.
• During the shadow phase, if an enemy moves across a border that contains a fence token, that enemy's movement ends immediately.
• If an enemy can end its movement in range of its target but must move across a border that contains a fence token to do so, that enemy still moves; however, if the enemy must end its movement before reaching its target, the "End Movement" button is selected instead of the "Attack" button. If any hero is in range after the enemy's movement ends, the enemy attacks that hero.
• A hero or enemy that is performing a ranged attack can be in range of a target that is on the other side of a fence.

Fountain (Terrain)

A fountain is a type of terrain that can be placed on the battle map.

• If a hero would suffer fear while in a space that has a fountain token, any fear that the hero suffers is suffered facedown.
• If a hero is in a space with a fountain token while performing a test to negate damage and fear, that hero may reveal one additional card for that test.
• Each fountain token can be used one time during each negate test that is performed by a hero that shares a space with that fountain token.

Fortified

Fortified is a property of some spaces on the map and it makes those spaces more difficult to move through during combat.

• Some spaces on the map have a fortified icon printed on them. These spaces are fortified.
• Game effects can add fortified to specific spaces on the map. When this happens, a fortified token is placed on that space to represent that the space is more difficult to move through during combat.
• A hero cannot move out of a fortified space if there are more enemy figures than hero figures in that space, including the hero who is moving.
• An enemy group cannot move out of a fortified space if there are more hero figures than enemy figures in that space, including the enemy group that is moving.
• If a game effect "places" a figure that is in a fortified space into a different space, that figure ignores the effects of fortified.

Fréahild cannot move out of the fortified space until at least one of the Soldiers is defeated.

One Soldier has been defeated. Now that Fréahild is not outnumbered, she can move out of the fortified space.

Mounts

Mounts are a new type of equipment. Mounts do not have a lore value and cannot be upgraded during the campaign. Heroes can gain mounts through app effects or abilities.

• Mounts are treated as equipped items for all game effects.
• The app tracks the party's collection of mounts in the inventory. During setup, after equipping trinkets, each hero may equip one mount from the inventory, which includes all mounts that the party has gained during the campaign.
  • The "Snowbright" mount does not appear in the inventory and cannot be equipped by any hero other than Fréahild.
• A hero is allowed to equip multiple mounts if they gain one or more mounts during an adventure.
• Mounts may be chosen as an equipped item to use for an attack. All rules for attacking with equipped items apply if a mount is chosen for an attack.
• After each adventure, equipped mounts are returned to the inventory.

Pond (Terrain)

A pond is a type of terrain that can be placed on the battle map.

• During the action phase, if a hero starts their turn in a space with a pond token, that hero gains one inspiration.
• When a hero moves into a space with a pond token, that hero must perform a spirit test.
  • If the test produces at least two success icons, the hero passes the test and nothing happens.
  • If the test produces fewer than two success icons, the hero fails the test and they cannot move out of that space this turn.
• If a game effect "places" a hero in a space with a pond token, that hero does not need to perform a spirit test and their movement is not affected.

Tier-IV Equipment

Tier-IV items are powerful item upgrades that become available to the heroes as lore increases during a campaign. They function similarly to tier-II and tier-III items.

• Each hero is limited to only one tier-IV item during a campaign, no matter how much lore increases.
• After a hero upgrades one of their items to tier IV, no other tier-IV items will be available to that hero for the duration of the campaign.

Trench (Terrain)

A trench is a type of terrain that can be placed over a border on the battle map.

• Two spaces on opposite sides of a trench token are adjacent.
• After a hero moves across a border that contains a trench token, that hero suffers two facedown damage.
• After an enemy moves across a border that contains a trench token, apply two hits to that enemy.
  • If this occurs during the shadow phase, remember to do so before selecting any other buttons in the app. This could change that enemy's attack.
• A hero or enemy that is performing a ranged attack can be in range of a target that is on the other side of a trench.

Wild Icon

The wild icon represents any of a hero's five stats and appears on components and in the app.

• When instructed to perform a wild test, a hero chooses any one of their five stats to test.
  • That test is then considered to be a test of the chosen stat for all purposes.
• A card showing the wild icon instead of one of the five stat icons is treated as having all five stat icons. When a hero chooses to attack with an item that has the wild icon, that hero chooses any one of their five stats for that attack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: "What new enemies are treated as Orcs or Goblins?"

A: Both Uruk Warriors and Warg Riders are treated as Orcs for the purpose of game effects.

Q: "What is a captured hero allowed to do?"

A: A hero that is captured still performs the steps of each game phase, including scouting during the Rally Phase. On their turn, a hero that is captured can still perform the component action on the captured bane card.

Q: "Can a hero use 'Fighting Advance' to cross a fence without testing?"

A: No. Whenever a hero wishes to cross a fence, that hero must pass an agility test. If they do not pass the test, both the movement and attack action are forfeit.

Q: "If a card that increases a hero's inspiration limit or number of prepared cards is discarded or flipped, should that hero immediately discard down to their new lower limit?"

A: Yes. If a hero's inspiration limit or number of cards they can have prepared at the same time ever decreases during an adventure, that hero must immediately discard down to the new lower limit.

Quick Reference

Round Structure

Each game round consists of the following three phases:

1. Action Phase: Each hero takes a turn by performing two actions.
2. Shadow Phase: Enemies activate, darkness is resolved (if necessary), and threat increases—threat events are activated if threat reaches a threshold.
3. Rally Phase: Each hero resets their skill deck and then scouts two cards.

Actions

During a hero's turn, they can perform two actions. A hero can perform the same action twice or two different actions.

• Travel: Move up to two times. A hero can perform their second action between their first and second movement.
• Attack: Attack an enemy in your space. If you have a ranged weapon, you can attack a nearby enemy.
• Interact: Interact with a token in your space.

Resetting Skill Decks

A hero must reset their deck at the following times:

• during the rally phase
• when there are no cards remaining in their deck
• when an effect instructs them to do so

A hero resets their deck by shuffling their discard pile with any remaining cards from their deck and placing the newly shuffled deck facedown. Prepared cards are not shuffled into the deck.

Frequently Overlooked Rules

• When instructed to move and attack, if an enemy cannot get in range of any target, it ignores that entire instruction (including movement). The "No Target" button is selected and the enemy receives a new instruction.
• A readied enemy is provoked when a hero moves out of its space or when a hero interacts with a token in its space.
• A component is nearby another component if they are in the same space or adjacent spaces.
• A hero can have a maximum of four prepared cards at a time.

Attack Modifiers

There are six modifiers that can benefit heroes during an attack:

• Pierce: This attack ignores the enemy's armor.
• Smite: This attack ignores the enemy's sorcery.
• Sunder: This attack permanently reduces the enemy's armor by one (before hits are applied).
• Cleave: Each enemy in the group suffers the full number of hits.
• Lethal: If this attack reduces the enemy's current health by at least half, the enemy is defeated.
• Stun: This attack exhausts the enemy group. If the group is elite, it also cannot counterattack this attack.

Keywords

• Scout X: When an effect instructs you to "Scout X," reveal X cards from the top of your skill deck. You may prepare one of those cards (place it faceup under your hero card). Then, place each of the remaining revealed cards on the top or bottom of your skill deck in any order.
• Strike X: During your attack test, you may discard a card that has the "Strike X" keyword to add X hits to the attack.
• Guard X: When you or a hero in your space would suffer damage or fear, you may discard a card that has the "Guard X" keyword to prevent any combination of X damage and fear.
• Sprint X: During your turn, you can discard a card that has the "Sprint X" keyword to move X additional spaces. You can perform actions between each movement.
• Rest X: At the end of your turn, you can discard a card that has the "Rest X" keyword to discard any combination of X of your facedown damage or fear cards.
• Hide: After performing a test, you can discard a card that has the "Hide" keyword to gain a "Hidden" boon card.

Icons

• Success
• Fate (Each inspiration spent during a test converts 1 fate to 1 success)
• Damage
• Fear
• Ranged (Can attack a target in an adjacent space)
• Lore
• Component/Interact Action

Hero Stats: Agility, Might, Spirit, Wisdom, Wit, Wild

Items: Trinket, Armor, Mount, One-Handed Item, Two-Handed Item