The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – The Land of Shadow Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Component Overview
• Expansion Symbol
• Campaign Mode
  • Campaign Cards
  • Boons and Burdens
• Saga Expansion Player Cards
• New Rules
  • Setting Up the Game
  • The Fellowship Sphere
    • Frodo Baggins
  • The One Ring
  • Multiplayer Rules - The One Ring
  • New Staging Rules
  • Campaign Mode Rules - Aragorn
  • Gollum / Sméagol
• Game Terms
  • Indestructible
  • Immune to Player Card Effects
  • Archery X
  • Peril
  • Permanent
  • Setup Instructions
  • Functions Like a Player Card
• Scenarios
  • The Passage of the Marshes
    • Mire X
  • Journey to the Cross-roads
  • Shelob's Lair
• Decklist
• Game Modes
  • Easy Mode
  • Standard Mode
  • Nightmare Mode

Component Overview

The Lord of the Rings: The Land of Shadow includes the following components:

• This rules insert
• 165 cards, consisting of:
  • 3 Hero Cards
  • 34 Player Cards
  • 118 Encounter Cards
  • 7 Quest Cards
  • 3 Campaign Cards

Expansion Symbol

The cards in The Lord of the Rings: The Land of Shadow Saga Expansion can be identified by this symbol before their collector number.

Campaign Mode

Included in The Land of Shadow are new campaign cards, boons and burdens that allow players to play the 3 scenarios included in this box in campaign mode as part of The Lord of the Rings campaign they began in The Black Riders Saga Expansion. The scenarios in The Land of Shadow are played after completing The Treason of Saruman.

The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions are designed to encourage campaign play, but players can still play the scenarios as standalone adventures if they choose. To read the rules for how to play the scenarios in The Land of Shadow outside a campaign, skip to the Scenarios section below. Pages 2-3 of the insert include card diagrams for the campaign cards, boons and burdens.

The complete rules for campaign mode can be found in The Lord of the Rings: The Black Riders, which is required to play campaign mode.

Campaign Cards

The campaign card serves to place a scenario within the larger campaign. When setting up a scenario in campaign mode, the players must place the campaign card for that scenario next to the quest deck and follow any additional setup instructions on the front of the card. After the players defeat that scenario, turn over the campaign card and follow any resolution instructions, updating their Campaign Log accordingly.

The insert's example campaign card is "The Passage of the Marshes" (The Lord of the Rings – Part 10). Its printed text:

• Campaign card, front: "You are playing campaign mode." Setup: 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: (two burden set icons are shown on the card).
• Campaign card, back: 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.

Boons and Burdens

Boons and burdens are two card sub-types for use only when playing campaign mode. These cards are special player cards and encounter cards that represent the consequences of player choices, both good and bad, and they have a unique set of rules.

Boons are neutral player cards that must be earned by playing through a scenario in campaign mode in order to be used. Players are not allowed to include these cards in a game until after they are earned, unless a scenario directs them to do otherwise.

Burdens are encounter cards that can be earned when playing through a scenario in campaign mode and subsequently included in the encounter deck. Instead of an encounter set icon, burdens have a "burden set icon" used to identify which burden set they belong to. Burdens don't belong to an encounter set, and they should not be included in an encounter deck until the players are instructed to include them (even if the burden set icon is the same as an encounter set icon used for the scenario).

Boon card example: Brace of Coneys (Event, Boon, Victory 2)

• Gift. Play only if you control the Ring-bearer.
• Planning Action: Add Brace of Coneys to the victory display to (choose 2): heal up to 2 damage from a hero, add 2 resources to a hero's pool, choose a player to draw 2 cards, or reduce a player's threat by 2.

Burden card example: The Searching Eye (Treachery, Burden)

• The Searching Eye functions like a player card.
• Forced: After you draw this card, either exhaust each hero you control, or reveal the top card of the encounter deck.

Saga Expansion Player Cards

The Lord of the Rings: The Land of Shadow features new cards that players may use to customize their decks when playing the scenarios in The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions. While most of the included player cards are fully compatible with all published The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game scenarios, a select few are only intended for use when playing the scenarios presented in The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions. These are the Fellowship sphere cards: Frodo Baggins and Speak Your Promise!, as well as the boon card: Brace of Coneys.

New Rules

Setting Up the Game

When setting up any scenario in The Land of Shadow expansion, the first player must take control of a hero from the Fellowship sphere with the Ring-bearer trait at the beginning of each game and attach The One Ring to that hero. The rules for the Fellowship sphere and The One Ring can be found below.

The Fellowship Sphere

The Fellowship sphere, denoted by its sphere icon, is a sphere of influence in The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game with its own set of rules. The Fellowship sphere emphasizes the sacrifice and determination of the valiant heroes who took up the burden of carrying The One Ring in the fight against Sauron.

Heroes belonging to the Fellowship sphere can only be used when playing the scenarios in The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions. Also, only one hero from the Fellowship sphere can be played at a time. Therefore, it is not possible for there to be more than one hero belonging to the Fellowship sphere in play at any time.

Frodo Baggins

The Lord of the Rings: The Land of Shadow features Frodo Baggins, a hero who belongs to the Fellowship sphere. This new version of Frodo Baggins is the only hero with the Ring-bearer trait included in this box. Future Saga Expansions may include different heroes with the Ring-bearer trait, but for now the players must use Frodo Baggins when playing the scenarios in The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions. When using this version, players cannot start with any other version(s) of Frodo Baggins as a starting hero or include any other version(s) of Frodo Baggins in their decks.

As a hero, this version of Frodo Baggins collects 1 resource during the resource phase. In addition to paying for cards that match the Fellowship sphere, resources from Frodo Baggins' pool may be spent to pay for neutral cards as well.

Because this version of Frodo Baggins belongs to the Fellowship sphere, he cannot be used as a hero when playing any scenario from a product other than The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions.

The One Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Land of Shadow features The One Ring, a new objective card that the players must use when playing the scenarios in this set. When setting up the scenarios in The Land of Shadow box, the first player must attach The One Ring to a Ring-bearer he controls.

While attached to a hero, The One Ring has the text: "Attached hero does not count against the hero limit." Therefore, it is possible for the first player to begin the game with up to 4 heroes under his control if one of those heroes is a Ring-bearer with The One Ring attached.

The One Ring also has the text: "If The One Ring leaves play, the players lose the game." Just like in the books, the players need to carefully guard the Ring-bearer because if the attached hero leaves play, then The One Ring is also discarded and the players lose the game.

Multiplayer Rules - The One Ring

The One Ring also has the text: "The first player gains control of attached hero." When the first player token passes during the refresh phase, the first player gains control of the attached Ring-bearer, all resources in that hero's resource pool, and all cards attached to that hero.

If the hero with The One Ring attached is the last hero under a player's control, and that hero leaves that player's control, that player is immediately eliminated from the game.

New Staging Rules

When playing the scenarios in The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions, players reveal encounter cards individually in player order during the Staging Step of the Quest Phase. Beginning with the first player, each player reveals 1 encounter card and resolves its staging before the next player reveals a card. If an encounter card has an effect that uses the word "you," then the encounter card is referring to the player who revealed the card. If the revealed encounter has the Surge keyword, the player who revealed that card reveals an additional encounter card before play proceeds to the next player. Encounter cards with the Doomed X keyword still affect each player.

Campaign Mode Rules - Aragorn

When playing the scenarios in The Land of Shadow in campaign mode, players cannot use any card with the title "Aragorn."

Gollum / Sméagol

Included in The Land of Shadow is a unique, double-sided encounter card: Gollum / Sméagol. Each side of this card represents a different aspect of the iconic character: Gollum is an enemy card while Sméagol is an objective-ally. Just as in the books, Gollum will stop at nothing to reclaim his "Precious" while Sméagol wishes to aid his "nice Master."

Because the Gollum / Sméagol card does not have an encounter card back, it can never be shuffled into the encounter deck. Instead, a scenario featuring Gollum / Sméagol will instruct the players to put him into play during setup, and identify which side to put faceup.

While his enemy side is faceup, Gollum looks like this. Card text (enemy side, "Gollum"):

• Gollum. Immune to non-[sphere icon] player card effects. Gollum engages the first player.
• Forced: After Gollum engages the first player during the refresh phase, he makes an immediate attack.
• Forced: When Gollum is defeated, flip him to Sméagol and exhaust Sméagol.

Gollum has a Forced effect that causes him to make an attack against the first player after the first player token has passed in the refresh phase. Since the first player token does not pass in a one player game, this Forced effect will not trigger when playing single player.

When the players defeat Gollum, discard all damage tokens from him and turn him Sméagol side faceup. When that happens, the Gollum enemy leaves play and the Sméagol objective-ally enters play.

While his objective-ally side is faceup, Sméagol looks like this. Card text (objective-ally side, "Sméagol"):

• Gollum. Immune to player card effects. The first player gains control of Sméagol.
• Forced: After the players quest unsuccessfully, flip Sméagol to Gollum.
• If Sméagol is destroyed, the players lose the game.

The last line of Sméagol's text box cannot be affected by card text, including encounter card and quest card effects. If Sméagol takes damage equal to his hit points, the players immediately lose the game.

If an effect causes Sméagol is to be flipped to Gollum, discard all damage tokens from Sméagol. When Sméagol flips to Gollum, the Sméagol objective-ally leaves play, and the Gollum enemy enters play. Gollum always enters play in the "ready" position, regardless of whether Sméagol was ready or exhausted when he was flipped to Gollum.

Printed text reads "causes Sméagol is to be flipped"; the intended wording is evidently "causes Sméagol to be flipped". Transcribed as printed.

Game Terms

Indestructible

An enemy with the indestructible keyword cannot be destroyed by damage, even when it has damage on it equal to its hit points.

Immune to Player Card Effects

Cards with the text "Immune to player card effects" ignore the effects of all player cards. Additionally, cards that are immune to player card effects cannot be chosen as targets of player card effects.

Archery X

While a card with the archery keyword is in play, players must deal damage to character cards in play equal to the specified archery value at the beginning of each combat phase. This damage can be dealt to characters under any player's control, and it can be divided among the players as they see fit. If there is a disagreement as to where to assign archery damage, the first player makes the final decision. If multiple cards with the archery keyword are in play, the effects are cumulative. Remember that defense does not block archery damage.

For example: Sean and David are playing the scenario "Journey to the Cross-roads" and there are two copies of Man of Harad in play. Man of Harad has the keyword archery 1. This gives a cumulative archery total of 2. At the beginning of the combat phase, the players decide to deal 1 of that damage to Sean's ally, Gandalf, and the remaining 1 damage to David's hero, Sam Gamgee.

Peril

When a player reveals an encounter card with the Peril keyword, he must resolve the staging of that card on his own without conferring with the other players. The other players cannot take any actions or trigger any responses during the resolution of that card's staging.

Permanent

Permanent is a keyword found on some boons and burdens. Once a boon or burden with the permanent keyword is earned, it is attached to a hero and that choice is recorded in the Campaign Log. A card with the permanent keyword can only be attached to one hero for the duration of a campaign. Attachments with the permanent keyword cannot be discarded from the attached hero while that hero is in play. If a hero leaves play, attachments with the permanent keyword attached to that hero are removed from the game.

Setup Instructions

If a player card with Setup instructions is in a player's deck at the beginning of a game, that player searches his deck for that card and follows its instructions before drawing his first hand. Similarly, if an encounter card with Setup is in the encounter deck at the beginning of a game, search the encounter deck for that card and follow its instructions before resolving the Setup instructions on the quest.

Functions Like a Player Card

"Functions like a player card" is a term that appears on The Searching Eye, which is a burden treachery card with a player card back. The Searching Eye is an encounter card, but it has a player card back because it is meant to be shuffled into a player's deck. The term "functions like a player card" is on The Searching Eye to clarify that it should not be placed in the encounter discard pile after resolving its effect. Instead, the player who drew The Searching Eye holds that card in his hand like a regular player card. If The Searching Eye is discarded from a player's hand, it is placed in that player's discard pile.

Scenarios

The insert prints each scenario's background and the encounter sets used to build its encounter deck. The insert does not print setup steps or special rules for these scenarios.

The Passage of the Marshes

After Boromir attempted to seize the Ring for himself in the woods of Amon Hen, Frodo resolved to leave the Fellowship and continue the quest to Mount Doom on his own. But his faithful servant, Sam Gamgee, guessed his master's plan and caught up with Frodo just as he was preparing to cross the Anduin in one of the Elven boats. Sam refused to let Frodo leave him behind, so the two Hobbits crossed the river together.

Upon reaching the Eastern shore, they became lost in the Emyn Muil, a maze of rocky hills and steep cliffs. After wandering for days, they were finally able to make their way down near to the edge of the Dead Marshes only to discover that they were being followed: The creature, Gollum, had tracked them across the Anduin and through the Emyn Muil, and was drawing nearer.

The Hobbits knew that they would have to confront Gollum before moving on, or they would risk being strangled in their sleep. So they set a trap for the old villain...

"The Passage of the Marshes" is played with an encounter deck built with all the cards from the following encounter sets: The Passage of the Marshes, Gollum, and Morgul Nazgûl. These sets are indicated by the following icons: (three encounter set icons, shown in the insert).

Mire X

Mire is a new keyword that represents the shifting, sinking nature of the Dead Marshes. At the end of the refresh phase, place 1 resource token on each location in the staging area. Resource tokens placed on locations with the mire keyword are called "mire tokens." When a location with the mire keyword has mire tokens equal to its mire X value, it is immediately discarded.

Each location with the mire keyword also has a Forced effect that triggers when it is discarded from play by the mire keyword. These Forced effects do not trigger when a location is discarded by any other effect, or when a location is placed in the discard pile after being explored.

Strategy Tip: Since mire tokens are only placed on locations in the staging area during the refresh phase, the players should pay close attention to the number of mire tokens on each location, and any Forced effects that may trigger that round, when deciding which location to travel to during the travel phase.

Journey to the Cross-roads

Having made it across the Dead Marshes, the Hobbits, led by Sméagol, finally reached The Black Gate of Mordor. But, there was no hope of entering the land of Sauron that way. Evil things and sleepless eyes guarded the entrance to the Black Land, and the Hobbits would surely have been discovered if they approached the gate. Still, Frodo was determined to finish the task given to him by the Council, and he made ready to set out when Sméagol pleaded with him to go a different way, a secret way known only to him.

While Sam was suspicious of Gollum's true motives, Frodo believed that Sméagol would keep his promise to help them. In either case, there was no chance of entering Mordor through The Black Gate, so the Hobbits consented to follow Sméagol south to the Morgul Vale and the entrance to the secret pass.

Their road led them into the land of Ithilien, a wooded country of tree-covered hills and fast-running streams. The wholesome air of the land about them put the Hobbits at ease, and they were caught off guard when they were suddenly joined by a company of Gondorian Rangers who patrolled those woods. The Rangers were on a mission to ambush the men of Harad who were marching up the road to Mordor to swell the hosts of Sauron. Before they knew it, the Hobbits were caught in the middle of a battle of men, and Gollum was nowhere to be seen...

"Journey to the Cross-roads" is played with an encounter deck built with all the cards from the following encounter sets: Journey to the Cross-roads and Men of Harad. These sets are indicated by the following icons: (two encounter set icons, shown in the insert).

Shelob's Lair

In the aftermath of the battle with the Southrons, the Hobbits were briefly sequestered by the Rangers of Ithilien. The company was led by Faramir, the younger brother of Boromir. Frodo feared what the Captain of Gondor might do when he discovered what it was that the Hobbit bore, yet Faramir proved to be a different sort of man than his brother: instead of attempting to take the Ring, he aided the Hobbits with fresh supplies and good counsel before releasing them to continue their quest.

Faramir warned Frodo that he sensed evil in Gollum, who his men had captured, and he revealed the name of the pass the creature was leading them to: Cirith Ungol, a name of ill omen in Gondor. However, since the young captain could offer no alternate route into Mordor, Frodo saw no choice but to climb the stairs of Cirith Ungol and brave the haunted pass.

So Faramir released Gollum back into Frodo's custody, and the Hobbits continued to follow Sméagol as he led them towards the Morgul Vale...

"Shelob's Lair" is played with an encounter deck built with all the cards from the following encounter sets: Shelob's Lair, The Great Spider, Gollum, and Morgul Nazgûl. These sets are indicated by the following icons: (four encounter set icons, shown in the insert).

Decklist

The scenarios in The Lord of the Rings: The Land of Shadow represent the perilous journey undertaken by Frodo and his companions as they draw nearer to Mordor. These scenarios are meant to capture the theme of desperation and heroism from the novels, so they can at times be challenging. To help you on your adventure, we've provided a list of cards for a deck that can be built using the contents of The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game core set, and the following Saga Expansions: The Black Riders, The Road Darkens, The Treason of Saruman, and The Land of Shadow.

Heroes

• Sam Gamgee
• Faramir
• Damrod

Allies

• Gandalf x3
• Anborn x2
• Gimli x2
• Galadriel x2
• Elrond x2
• Bill the Pony x2
• Mablung x2
• Silverlode Archer x2
• Erebor Hammersmith x2
• Guard of the Citadel x2
• Henamarth Riversong x1
• Snowbourne Scout x3

Events

• Grim Resolve x1
• Take No Notice x1
• Frodo's Intuition x2
• For Gondor! x1
• Sneak Attack x2
• Taste it Again! x2
• Secret Paths x2
• In the Shadows x2
• Speak Your Promise! x2

Attachments

• Steward of Gondor x2
• Protector of Lórien x1
• Forest Snare x1
• Ambush x3
• Hobbit Cloak x2
• Staff of Lebethron x1

Game Modes

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is intended for both casual players and dedicated enthusiasts. To accommodate different play styles, three modes of play are available: Easy, Standard, and Nightmare.

Easy Mode

Easy mode is ideal for new players and for players who prefer the narrative and cooperative aspects of the game with less challenge. To play a scenario in Easy mode, simply take the following steps during setup of any scenario:

1. Add one resource to each hero's resource pool.

2. Remove any card with the "difficulty" indicator around its encounter set icon (a gold border) from the current scenario's encounter deck.

Some older scenarios (including those in early printings of the core game) do not have the "difficulty" indicator icon on relevant cards in their encounter decks. Please visit www.fantasyflightgames.com to see which cards should be removed in those scenarios.

Standard Mode

To play a scenario in Standard mode, simply follow the normal setup instructions for that scenario.

Nightmare Mode

Players who desire a truly difficult challenge, should consider using the supplemental "Nightmare Decks" (sold separately) for each scenario. More information about Nightmare Decks for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game can be found at www.fantasyflightgames.com.