SECTION TWO: GLOSSARY This section of the "Unofficial" Rulebook provides complete rules to the game, organized alphabetically by topic. All material in Section One is duplicated in this section under its appropriate heading, accompanied by rulings that cover less frequent gameplay situations and by more specific examples. Cross-references from one topic to others that provide additional rules on the same topic are listed in bold type. For entries on individual cards, refer to Section Three.
action Nearly everything that occurs during the game is some kind of action. Players perform actions to play cards, use special abilities, move their fellowships, reconcile, and so on. Every action is either optional or required. An optional action is defined as: an action that uses the word "may," an event, or a special ability. All other actions are required actions. If two or more required actions are occurring at the same time (for example, more than one "start of turn" action), the Free Peoples player decides in which order they occur. All required actions responding to a particular trigger are performed before any optional actions. After all such required actions have resolved, players may perform optional actions responding to that same trigger using the action procedure. (See response.)
See also
cost,
effect,
loops.
action procedure As the Free Peoples player, you get the first opportunity to perform an action, and then the player on your right gets an opportunity, and so on counter-clockwise around the table. If a player does not wish to perform an action, he may simply pass. Passing does not prevent a player from performing an action later in the same phase.
active During your turn, only these cards in play are active:
• sites on the adventure path,
• sites in any player's support area,
• your Free Peoples cards,
• your copy of The One Ring, and
• your opponents' Shadow cards.
All other cards in play are inactive. Inactive cards are not affected by the game and do not affect the game. Any tokens on them are ignored (such as burdens, culture tokens, threats, and wounds). (See also stack.) Your companions and your opponent's minions are active. Your opponents' companions are not. Exception: Any cards that are borne by inactive cards are also inactive. An opponent's Shadow condition on another opponent's companion is not active because that companion is not. Sites are always active. A site's game text cannot be used unless the fellowship is there, although some cards may copy and use that game text. If the game text of a site has a Shadow special ability, you may use that special ability only when the active fellowship is at that site and you are a Shadow player. Exception: Site text is not active when the starting fellowships are played. Occasionally in a multiplayer game, two copies of the same unique Shadow condition may be in play at the same time. Only the first copy of a unique Shadow condition (or the first 4 copies of a non-unique Shadow condition) closest to the right of the Free Peoples player are in effect at any time. All other copies are also active, but their game text is ignored.
adventure deck Your adventure deck is kept separately from your draw deck during the game. No other player may look through your adventure deck during the game. You don't have to keep your adventure deck in any order. Just look through it to get a card when you need to. Sites in your adventure deck do not have a site number until they are played on the adventure path. Exception: See format.
See also
building your deck,
moving your fellowship,
setting up the game,
site.
adventure path All players use the same adventure path for their player markers. The cards that make up that path are taken from the adventure decks of the players.
See also
moving your fellowship,
setting up the game,
site.
ahead A player is ahead on the adventure path when his or her site marker is at a higher site number than all other players' site markers.
? aid This keyword has the form of "aid – X," where "X" is the cost to use the aid keyword. You use the aid keyword as a maneuver action. At the start of the maneuver phase, you may pay the aid cost to transfer that follower from your support area to your companion (or minion for a Shadow follower). Place it beneath the card, just like a possession or condition borne by that companion (or minion). The follower is borne by the companion (or minion) for the rest of the turn, no matter how often your fellowship moves. You don't have to pay the aid cost again for a follower borne by a companion (or minion) in a subsequent maneuver phase.
See also
follower.
ally An ally is a character that helps your companions from afar but does not move with them. Allies do not count as members of your fellowship. Play them to your support area. There is no limit to the number of allies you may have in play. Ally cards have a home site number indicated just after the card's type, on the same line (such as Ally • Home 3 • Elf). These home site numbers all refer to adventure
paths from the!Fellowship block, Tower block, and King block. Allies have no home sites on adventure
paths from the Shadows expansion set onward. (See format.)!
Block symbol is a factor in determining an ally's home site. An ally with a home site of 2 [Towers] has a home site only on the Tower block adventure path. You may play an ally during any of your fellowship phases. You do not have to wait until your fellowship is at the ally's home site. Each ally in your support area is considered to be at his home site. When your fellowship is at your ally's home site, that ally is considered to be at the same site as the fellowship. Allies normally do not participate in archery fire and skirmishes. Special abilities on allies (such as archery actions or skirmish actions) may be used as normal. During the archery phase, if the fellowship is at an ally's home site (or a card has allowed them to participate in archery fire), you may count archer allies for the fellowship archery total, and assign archery wounds to them. During the assignment phase, if the fellowship is at an ally's home site (or if a card effect has allowed an ally to participate in skirmishes), that ally may be assigned to a skirmish in the same way that companions are assigned to skirmishes. This doesn't mean that such an ally must take an archery wound or be assigned by the Free Peoples player to defend a skirmish, but that character is eligible to do so if the Free Peoples player so chooses. The Shadow player may assign an unassigned minion to an ally when the fellowship is at that ally's home site. An ally that was able to be assigned to a normal skirmish is also able to be assigned to a fierce skirmish.
See also
resistance,
Ring-bound,
sanctuary,
unbound.
ambush When the Free Peoples player assigns one of his characters to skirmish a minion with the keyword "ambush ," the Shadow player who owns that minion may add . (See assignment phase.) If your minion with ambush is assigned by the Free Peoples player, you may add two tokens to the twilight pool. The Free Peoples player may decide not to assign any characters to your minion with ambush, allowing you to assign it later in the assignment phase. When a minion with the keyword ambush is given the keyword ambush by another card or special ability, each of those instances of ambush is resolved separately. When that minion is assigned to a skirmish by the Free Peoples player, the Shadow player has the option to add pool for each instance in the minion's text.
Desert Scout ("Ambush .") is equipped with
Raider Bow ("Bearer is ... ambush ."). When it is assigned to a skirmish by the Free Peoples player, the Shadow player may add , , neither, or both (as separate actions).
archery phase During this phase, players may perform archery actions (special abilities on cards in play with "Archery:" and events with that keyword) using the action procedure. When all players consecutively pass, conduct archery fire. All shadow players count the number of all their minions with the keyword archer to determine the "minion archery total." No matter how many Shadow players there are, there is only one minion archery total. As the Free Peoples player, you also count the number of your Free Peoples archer companions to determine the "fellowship archery total." (See ally.) The Free Peoples player then assigns a number of wounds equal to the minion archery total to his companions (and participating allies), in any way he wishes. He then chooses one Shadow player who must assign a number of wounds equal to the fellowship archery total to his minions, in any way he wishes. Since these tokens are assigned as wounds and not from exertion, any player may assign enough wounds to kill his own minion or companion. The wounds are assigned one at a time, so a character cannot have more wounds assigned than its vitality. Ignore any leftover wounds that cannot be assigned. There is always a "default" archery total of zero for each side. A card may add to your archery total even though you have no archers in play at that time. When all archery wounds have been assigned, proceed to the assignment phase. If there are no minions left after the archery phase, then skip directly to the regroup phase.
See also
ally.
artifact An artifact is a unique weapon, suit of armor, or other kind of special object used by a character. Most artifacts tell you who their bearer can be. Other artifacts play to your support area. Though artifacts are played and used much like possessions, they are a different card type. Artifacts are not affected by cards that affect possessions.
See also
transfer.
assignment phase During the assignment phase, players may perform assignment actions (special abilities on cards in play with "Assignment:" and events with that keyword) using the action procedure. Many assignment actions assign a minion to a companion. You cannot do this unless both of them are unassigned. When all players consecutively pass, proceed to assign defenders. During your assignment phase, you may assign companions to defend against attacking minions. A player cannot assign more than one companion to the same minion.
Frodo and Aragorn face a single Uruk-hai. The Free Peoples player assigns Aragorn to the Uruk-hai, protecting Frodo from harm. He cannot assign both companions to the Uruk-hai. Inform the Shadow players when you are done making assignments. All assignments of characters are on a one-to-one basis, with the following two exceptions:
•Companions who have the defender +X keyword.
•When you have informed the Shadow players that you are done making assignments, they may assign any leftover unassigned minions to any companions (even if those companions are already assigned). The first Shadow player on your right may assign any of his unassigned minions, and so on, counter-clockwise around the table.
Frodo and Aragorn face three Uruk-hai. The Free Peoples player assigns Aragorn to defend against one, and Frodo to another. This leaves one unassigned Uruk-hai, so the Shadow player assigns it, choosing to assign it to Frodo. The creation of leftover minions happens only when the Free Peoples player is done making assignments. If an assigned minion subsequently becomes unassigned as a result of a card's game text (e.g. a triggered ability), it is not a leftover minion and is not eligible to be assigned by the Shadow player. A card which cannot participate in skirmishes:
• cannot be assigned to a skirmish,
• cannot be affected by assignment actions (except an assignment action that would allow such a card to skirmish), and
• cannot be assigned leftover minions by a Shadow player.
Once all assignments have been made, they take effect simultaneously. (See action.) When the assignment phase is complete, each companion being attacked will lead to a separate skirmish phase.
See also
ally, ambush, fierce, unhasty.
attribute bonus An attribute bonus is a positive modifier for a character's strength, vitality, and/or resistance, written with a plus sign (like "+2").
bearer Most possessions and artifacts, and some conditions, tell you who or what their bearer can be, which is the sort of card you can play them on. Each character may bear one possession or artifact of each class at one time. (See mounted.) A character may bear only one hand weapon, only one ranged weapon, only one armor, only one cloak, and only one staff. Some possessions and artifacts do not have a class. There is no limit to the number of cards without a class that a character may bear. When you play a card on a bearer, put it beneath the bearer with the left edge of the card visible, for its card title and any attribute bonuses it has. You cannot voluntarily discard a card borne by your character.
See also
killed, leaving play, Man, Shadow cards, transfer.
bid Players place secret bids for the right to determine who goes first in the game. (See setting up the game.) The bidding is done with black tokens, which will become burdens on your Ring-bearer. Each player secretly places a number of burdens in his hand (you may bid zero). When all players are ready, simultaneously reveal the bids. The highest bid wins the right to choose where he goes in the turn order. Any choice is available. Next, the second highest bidder chooses from the remaining positions in the turn order, and so on. Keep track of each player's bid, as these tokens will become burdens on his Ring-bearer. If there are any ties, then the tied players resolve randomly who chooses first among them.
Tom, Chuck, Tim, and Mike are playing, and the initial bids are Tom 3, Chuck 4, Tim 3, and Mike 1. Chuck wins the right to choose, and he chooses to go first (placing 4 burdens on his Ring-bearer). Tom and Tim are tied, so they flip a coin, and Tom wins the tiebreak. He chooses second (placing 3 burdens on his Ring-bearer). Tim chooses to go fourth (3 burdens), leaving third for Mike (1 burden). The first player sits down, and the others then sit in clockwise order around the table according to their choices.
If you bid a number of burdens equal to or higher than your Ring-bearer's resistance, your Ring-bearer becomes corrupted before the game starts and you lose the game.
block symbol The sites provided in sets from the Shadows expansion onward have a dark compass in the upper left corner. They have no site number. The sites provided in Fellowship block sets have no block symbol. The sites provided in Tower block sets have site numbers identified with the Tower symbol. The sites provided in King block sets have site numbers identified with the King symbol. Sites with different block symbols are alternatives to each other, not an extension of one another. When a site's number is specifically mentioned in game text, that number uses a block symbol.
Hobbit Stealth ("Skirmish: At sites 1 to 5, cancel a skirmish involving a Hobbit. At any other site, make a Hobbit strength +2.") can cancel a skirmish only at a Fellowship block site. However, this card adds its strength bonus at any other site. When an effect says "site X or higher," it applies only to sites from the Fellowship block. When game text refers to "any site X," it applies to any adventure path, regardless of block symbol. A card which says "any site 5" works at site 5 and at site 5[Towers] .
See also
ally, format, roaming.
building your deck Each player brings to the game at least 71 cards:
• a Ring-bearer, bearing The One Ring (2 cards),
• a draw deck of at least 60 cards, and
• a 9-card adventure deck.
You and your opponents must each have a deck built for the same format. You may choose any character with the ringed resistance icon, or any version of Frodo, to be your Ring-bearer. You may choose any version of The One Ring. These two cards are not part of your draw deck (they do not count against your total of Free Peoples cards). Your draw deck must have at least 60 cards and must have an equal number of Shadow cards and Free Peoples cards, shuffled together. You cannot have any copies of The One Ring or sites in your draw deck. You may have up to four copies of each card title (ignoring subtitles) in your draw deck. You may have four copies of
Aragorn, King in Exile in your draw deck, or you may have two copies of that card and two copies of
Aragorn, Ranger of the North. You cannot have four copies of each of those cards, since they have the same title (although they have different subtitles). Exception: Since one copy of your Ring-bearer is always part of your starting fellowship, you may have only three copies of that character in your draw deck. Your adventure deck must have exactly nine site cards in it. Each site must be different. The contents of your adventure deck depends on which format you are playing.
burden When your Ring-bearer loses will against the power of The One Ring, you place a burden token on him. Glass beads (preferably black) make good burden tokens, but anything you won't confuse with a wound will do. There are many cards that add or remove burdens. Burdens are only placed on your Ring- bearer.
See also
active, corrupted, resistance.
cancel When an action (such as playing an event or using a special ability) is canceled or prevented, its effects are ignored but its costs and requirements are still paid. If that action is playing an event, that event card is discarded.
See
cost, effect.
card type There are nine different card types in the game: The One Ring, site, companion, ally, minion, possession, artifact, event, and condition.
character Companion, ally, and minion cards are also collectively referred to as character cards.
class See
bearer.
collector's info In the lower right corner of every card, you'll see a code like "4 R 12." The first number is the set number. The letter is the rarity code, with R for rare, U for uncommon, C for common, P for premium, and S for starter. Last is the number for that card in the set. The first time a card is printed, it gets a " 1 " first printing mark at the end of its copyright line. This mark is removed on any subsequent printings. There is no way to tell a second printing from a third, for example. When a reprint card has its wording changed, that card gets an "A" revision mark at the end of its copyright line. When an "A" card is reprinted with a change, that card gets a "B." Cards have their wording changed for errata, clarifications, spelling errors, and game text convention changes.
companion A companion is a Free Peoples character in your fellowship. Play companion cards in a row, near the other members of your fellowship already in play.
See also
resistance, The Rule of 9.
condition A condition is a card representing a significant change in the world, which stays in play until discarded. Most conditions play to your support area. Other conditions tell you who their bearer can be. A condition is always played during the fellowship phase (if it is a Free Peoples card) or the Shadow phase (if it is a Shadow card), even if it provides a special ability that is performed during a different phase.
control Shadow players may use effects to take control of sites on the adventure path. When you take control of a site, place that site in your support area, lengthwise. A Shadow player may only take control of a site on the adventure path if all player markers are on sites with higher site numbers. When all player markers are at site 2 or higher, you may take control of site 1. When a Shadow player takes control of a site, the site on the adventure path with the lowest site number must be selected. An opponent controls site 1 and all player markers are at site 3 or higher, so you must take control of site 2. The game text of a controlled site cannot be used by any player. Exception: The keywords of a controlled site still apply. A player may "control a battleground." When your opponent controls a site from your adventure deck, it's still your site. Some cards can replace a controlled site. Move any cards stacked on the site being replaced to the new site, then return the old site to its owner's adventure deck. A controlled site, once placed in a player's support area, is no longer a site on the adventure path.
See also
active, liberate, losing the game.
corrupted If your Ring-bearer's resistance is reduced to zero, he is corrupted. (See losing the game.) Only your Ring-bearer can be corrupted. There are cards that can corrupt the Ring-bearer, regardless of how many burdens he might have.
See also
bid.
cost A cost of an action could be adding or removing twilight tokens, exerting a character, discarding a card, or any number of other possibilities. The costs for an action are usually listed before the word "to" (so the action takes the form of "pay X to do Y," with X being the cost and Y the effect). If a card or special ability has a cost, you must pay that cost or you cannot use that card or special ability. (See exert, Shadow phase(S).) You must meet any requirements to play a card (or perform an action) before paying its costs. (See spot.) If a Free Peoples event requires you to spot twilight tokens, they must be there before you add tokens to pay for that card's cost.
Madril says, "Skirmish: If you have initiative, discard 2 cards from hand to wound a roaming minion Madril is skirmishing." You check that you have at least four cards in hand before you discard cards to pay for that ability's cost. When you pay the cost for an action, you cannot use that payment for more than one action. If you have two copies of
Weapons of Isengard in play ("Shadow: Play an archer to place an token on this card."), playing a single archer allows you to place a token on only one of those copies. If an action is prevented, its effects are ignored but
its costs and requirements are still paid. If a player is paying costs for a card and a response action occurs which modifies those costs, that player must continue to pay as many costs as he can, even if it is no longer possible to pay them all. If all the costs cannot be paid, that card has no effect. A Shadow player attempts to pay the cost for the special ability on Grishnákh,
Orc Captain (A 3 vitality minion which reads:
"Shadow: Exert Grishnákh twice and spot another Orc to draw 3 cards..."). After exerting Grishnákh once, the Free Peoples player plays
Unheeded to wound Grishnákh ("
If a minion exerts, exert an unbound Hobbit to wound that minion."). In this case, the Shadow player is no longer able to exert Grishnákh the second time. Therefore, the Shadow player is not able to draw 3 cards.
See also
discard pile, draw deck, twilight cost.
culture Most cards are part of a specific culture. A card's color, its background texture, and an icon in its upper right corner indicate its culture. Your deck may contain cards from several different cultures. Site cards and The One Ring are not part of any culture. The culture names and icons are:
Free Peoples cards
![[Dwarven]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/dwarven.png "Dwarven")
Dwarven
![[Elven]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/elven.png "Elven")
Elven
![[Gandalf]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/gandalf.png "Gandalf")
Gandalf
![[Gollum]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/gollum.png "Gollum")
Smeagol
![[Gondor]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/gondor.png "Gondor")
Gondor
![[Rohan]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/rohan.png "Rohan")
Rohan
![[Shire]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/shire.png "Shire")
Shire
Shadow cards
![[Dunland]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/dunland.png "Dunland")
Dunland
Gollum
![[Isengard]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/isengard.png "Isengard")
Isengard
![[Men]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/men.png "Evil Men")
Men
![[Moria]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/moria.png "Moria")
Moria
![[Orc]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/orc.png "Orc")
Orc
![[Raider]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/raider.png "Raider")
Raider
![[Sauron]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/sauron.png "Sauron")
Sauron
![[Uruk]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/uruk.png "Uruk-hai")
Uruk-hai
![[Wraith]](https://lotrtcgdb.com/forums/Smileys/classic/wraith.png "Wraith")
Wraith
You don't have to memorize these names, since cultures are always referred to with icons in game text.
See also
spot.
culture tokens Some conditions tell you to "place an token on this card" (or "a token," and so on). You can use any convenient markers for these tokens. They don't have to be any particular color. You can use the same tokens you're using for
burdens or wounds, since these tokens are not placed on a character card.
See also
active, leaving play.
damage bonus When the winning side in a skirmish phase has one or more characters with the keyword damage +1, then each losing character takes one additional wound for each damage +1. (Damage +2 adds two wounds, and so on.) This is called a damage bonus, which may be added to or removed by various effects.
Aragorn wins a skirmish while facing two Orcs. If Aragorn has damage +1, then each Orc takes two wounds. But if both Orcs have damage +1 and they win the skirmish, then Aragorn takes three wounds instead. When a character with a damage bonus is given an additional damage bonus by a card or special ability, the bonuses are added together. When an effect says that a character "loses all damage bonuses," that character cannot gain a damage bonus due to some other effect.
damage +X See damage bonus.
dead pile Killed Free Peoples characters are placed in your dead pile. The dead pile is separate from and next to your discard pile. When you have a unique companion or ally in your dead pile, you cannot play another copy of that card, or any other card with the same title. You may play another copy of a non-unique card that is in your dead pile. If you have more than one copy of a unique companion in your dead pile, you can't play one of them from your dead pile. When game text instructs you to place a character in the dead pile, that character has been killed.
See also
discard, leaving play, The Rule of 9, threats.
defender +X During the assignment phase, if your assigned companion has the keyword defender +1, you may assign that character to one additional unassigned minion. Defender +2 allows that companion to defend against two additional unassigned minions, and so on. A character with defender +2 (or greater) satisfies any requirement for defender +1.
Frodo and Aragorn face two Uruk-hai. The Free Peoples player could assign Aragorn to one and Frodo to the other. However, this version of Aragorn has defender +1, so he may be assigned to defend against both minions, leaving Frodo
unharmed. When a character with defender +X is given an additional defender +X by a card or special ability, the bonuses are added together.
discard The default meaning of the word "discard" is "discard from play." Discarding from other locations (such as from your hand or from the top of your draw deck) is always specified. Cards are discarded one at a time so all players can see which cards are being discarded. When you discard a companion or ally to use its game text or as a result of some other effect, place that card in your discard pile (not your dead pile). If a card is discarded when it comes into play, ignore any effects triggered when it comes into play. This includes effects from a minion's own game text (such as
"When you play this minion...") and effects from other cards in play (such as "
Each time you play..."). If Watcher in the Water is in play ("
While you can spot Watcher in the Water, discard all other minions...") and you play
Goblin Runner ("
When you play this minion, you may add 2."), 2 is not added. ?To "
discard your hand" means to take all cards in your hand and discard them all at once, allowing other players to see which cards are being discarded. You can "discard your hand" even when no cards are in your hand.
See also
bearer, discard to heal, killed, leaving play.
discard pile Discard piles are always face-up. The order of your discard pile is irrelevant. You may look through your own discard pile at any time, but you cannot look through an opponent's discard pile. Some cards allow you to play a card directly from your discard pile. You must still pay any costs and meet requirements necessary for playing that card.
See also
discard, effect, moving cards.
discard to heal As a fellowship action during your fellowship phase, you may spot a unique companion or unique ally with at least one wound and discard a card from your hand with the same card title (it may have a different subtitle) to heal that character. (See healing.)
draw deck When you draw the last card from your draw deck, you don't lose the game. Continue with the cards you have in hand and in play. Some cards allow you to play a card directly from your draw deck. You must still pay any costs and meet requirements necessary for playing that card. When you finish looking through it, reshuffle it and give the player to your right the opportunity to cut it. There is no penalty if you don't find (or choose not to play) a card you are looking for in your draw deck. In the Starter Rules, if you have no cards in your draw deck, you are allowed to reshuffle your discard pile to make a new one once per game. Normally, however, you are not allowed to do this.
See also
building your deck, moving cards.
each time This phrase you'll see in game text governs the timing of an action, just like the names of phases that are in phase actions. "Each time" is used if an effect can happen more than once. Each such effect has a trigger describing what makes it happen. The trigger is always described first, and followed by a comma. "
Each time you play a possession or artifact on your companion, draw a card." If you play one possession, this game text activates once; if you play a second possession, it activates again, and so on.
effect A effect of an action could be adding or removing twilight tokens, exerting a character, discarding a card, or any number of other possibilities. The effects of an action are usually listed after the word "to" (so the action takes the form of "pay X to do Y," with X being the cost and Y the effect). The source of an effect is the card on which that effect is printed. Even though a card like an event may require a minion to exert to pay its cost, the source of that effect is the event card and not the minion. ? Effects are performed in the order listed in the card's game text.
Some cards have multiple effects that respond to the same kind of trigger. They count something in play, and when there is more of that thing, more effects happen. Uglúk,
Servant of Saruman reads:
While you can spot 2 trackers, Uglúk is strength +3. While you can spot 3 trackers, Uglúk is damage +1. You don't have to spot 5 trackers to get both benefits. Three trackers is enough to satisfy the first requirement (if you have 3, you can spot 2) and the last requirement (spot 3). When an effect says a player should look at a card, that card is shown only to that player. When an effect says to reveal a card, that card is shown to all players. If the effect of a card or special ability requires you to perform an action and you cannot, you must perform as much as you can and ignore the rest. (See limit.) If the effect of an event requires you to discard 2 cards from your hand and you only have 1 card in hand, just discard the 1 card and ignore the rest. If the effect of a card or special ability requires you to choose one of two different actions, you must choose an action that you are fully capable of performing (if possible). If an action plays a card from your hand (or discard pile) as part of its effect, then that card must be in your hand (or discard pile) before you can begin to perform that action. The Orc you play with
They Are Coming ("Shadow: Discard 3 cards from hand to play a [Moria]Orc from your discard pile.") cannot be one of the cards you discarded from your hand to pay the cost of that special ability. If you meet all the requirements and pay all the costs for playing a card, you may play that card even if the card will have no effect. Exception: If you perform an action that has playing a card from hand or discard pile as part of its effect, you must play that card. This exception applies to all kinds of actions and all the different ways you can play a card (except playing a card directly from your draw deck). If something happens to prevent one effect which in turn would have prevented a second effect, the second effect is performed.
Morgul Destroyer is played.("
When you play this minion, you may spot a Nazgûl to add 2 threats. The Free Peoples player may wound the Ring- bearer to prevent this.") The Free Peoples player wounds the Ring-bearer to prevent the threats from being added. The Free Peoples player then discards
Sapling of the White Tree. ("
Response: If a Man is about to take a wound, discard this artifact to prevent that."). Because Sapling has prevented the effect (a wound) that would have prevented
Morgul Destroyer's effect, the threats are now added.
If an effect tells you to reveal or look at one or more cards from somewhere (a draw deck, a hand, etc.) and doesn't specify what to do with them afterward, return them to where they came from, in the same order. When a card has a conditional effect in parentheses, you can't choose which one to use. You have to use the conditional effect if the condition is met.
Sharp Defense adds no strength to a Dwarf who has resistance 4 or more and no possessions. You can't choose to use the +2 instead. When you move a card from one area to another (except when drawing a card from your draw deck), you must reveal that card to all players to verify that it is of the correct type. Exception: If an effect says you are to move "a card" with no other description, you don't have to reveal it.
See also
discard, modifier, twilight cost.
enduring For each wound on a character with the enduring keyword, that character is strength +2.
event An event is a card played from your hand representing an important occurrence, which you discard after you play it.
Most event cards have a phase action that defines when you may play that card from your hand. The game text on that event may be performed only once for each copy of that event played. You cannot play an event during a phase that does not match its phase action, ? unless allowed by the game text of that event. Discard an event after you play it, and before the next action is taken. (See spot.) Even after being discarded, an event often has an ongoing or delayed effect until the end of the phase, or until a specified phase or condition is met. Some event cards affect only cards that are currently in play, even though their effects might seem to apply to cards played later in the same turn. These events take a "snapshot" of the current game state, and only those cards are affected.
Eregion's Trails ("
Maneuver: Exert a ranger to make each roaming minion strength –3 until the regroup phase.") affects only minions that are roaming when that event is played.
Deft in Their Movements (Regroup: "
Spot 2 Hobbits to make each site's Shadow number –2 until the end of the turn.") affects only sites that are in play when it is played. Place an event in your discard pile after you have played it from hand and carried out its effects, but before the next action is taken.
Final Account reads: "
Discard 2 cards from hand to take a Free Peoples card and a Shadow card from your discard pile into hand." At the time you choose which Free Peoples card to take into hand, you are still carrying out the effects of the card. Thus,
Final Account has not yet been discarded, and cannot itself be the card you choose.
See also
action.
exert Sometimes you may exert a character by placing a wound on that card to show that the character takes an action that depletes his vitality. If the cost of an action requires a character to exert X times, then that character must have X+1 or more vitality or that action cannot be performed. Exerting a character is different from wounding a character, even though both require placement of a wound token. Cards that prevent wounds cannot prevent a wound token placed by exerting. Conceptually, wearing armor protects you from a sword strike (taking a wound token), but it won't help you lift a heavy weight (placing an exertion token). A character cannot exert 0 times to pay the cost of a card that requires a character to exert X times. You cannot pay for the cost of They Sang As They
Slew by exerting a character zero times.
See also
exhausted, for each, healing.
exhausted A character who has only 1 vitality remaining is exhausted. A character with a vitality of 2 is exhausted with a single wound. A character with a vitality of 1 is always exhausted. No player may exert a character who is exhausted. If the effect of an action says a character "must exert" and that character is exhausted, then nothing happens. A mount says, "At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, each minion skirmishing bearer must exert." If an exhausted minion is skirmishing a character bearing this mount, this exertion is ignored. To exhaust a character means to exert that character as many times as you can. If a card tells you to exhaust a character with a vitality of 3, then you must exert that character 2 times by placing 2 wound tokens.
fellowship phase During your fellowship phase, you may perform fellowship actions in any order, including playing most Free Peoples cards. Finally, move your fellowship forward along the adventure path. Two fellowship actions are always available:
•Play a Free Peoples companion, ally, possession, artifact, or condition from your hand to the table. (See The Rule of 9, unique.)
•Discard to heal. You may find other fellowship actions on events in your hand, or as special abilities on cards you
already have in play. (See The Rule of 4.). When you have completed all of the fellowship actions you wish to perform, proceed to moving your fellowship.
See also
transfer.
fierce During a turn, after all normal skirmishes are resolved, surviving minions with the keyword fierce must be defended against a second time. Players perform another assignment phase and then complete a separate skirmish phase for each fierce skirmish. Players may again perform assignment actions (special abilities on cards in play with "Assignment:" and events with that keyword) using the action procedure. The Free Peoples player then assigns defenders just as during the regular assignment phase, and then Shadow players assign any fierce minions that
remain unassigned. (See ally.) Then each defending companion fights in a separate skirmish phase, just as during the regular skirmish phases, in an order decided by the Free Peoples player. Aragorn is assigned to defend against a fierce Uruk- hai. In the normal skirmish phase, Aragorn wins and the Uruk-hai takes one wound. During the following fierce skirmish phase, the Free Peoples player may once more assign a companion to defend against the Uruk-hai. This companion may be Aragorn or may be a different companion. A minion must be in play and fierce at the start of the fierce assignment phase to participate in a fierce skirmish. During the fierce assignment phase, ignore any effect that results in assignment with a minion that is not fierce. Once a minion is assigned in the fierce assignment phase, that minion's fierce skirmish must be resolved, even if that minion somehow becomes no longer fierce.
? follower A follower represents help for your fellowship that joins for a short time and then departs. Followers are not members of your fellowship. They are not allies or companions. They are not characters, although they are often named and depicted with images of people from the story. Even though a follower may seem as if it were an Elf or Hobbit or Wizard, it can't be spotted as such because a follower doesn't have a race on its card type line. Followers can't bear other cards, except cards that mention a follower as being the bearer. A follower is played to your support area. While your follower is in your support area, it has no effect on the game. Each follower has the keyword "Aid" (see aid) which you can use to transfer that follower from your support area to one of your companions (or minions for a Shadow follower). When your follower is borne by a companion (or minion), that follower will provide an ongoing effect or a special ability that may then be used. A companion (or minion) may bear more than one follower. If that companion (or minion) is killed, all of its followers are discarded, just like other cards borne by that companion (or minion). During the regroup phase, when the Free Peoples player reconciles and minions are discarded, each follower is transferred back to the support area (at no cost). Follower cards have a gold circle in the upper left to remind you to return them to the support area. In later turns, that follower may again be transferred to a companion (the same one or a different one, your choice) (or minion) using the above procedure.
for each When something affects a character (or characters) using the phrase "for each," you may affect a single character more than once. This includes such things as wounding, exerting, healing, or strength modifiers. (See toil.)
Aragorn, Wingfoot says, "
Each time the fellowship moves, you may wound a minion for each unbound Hobbit you spot." If you spot two unbound Hobbits, you may wound two minions each once or one minion twice. When a card says "for each companion over X," that means the same as "do this Y times, where Y is the number of companions in the fellowship minus X."
Anduin Banks says, "
For each companion in the fellowship over 4, add 2 to the minion archery total." If there are 4 or less companions in the fellowship, nothing is added. For 5 companions, 2 is
added; for 6 companions, 4 is added; and so on.
format Each game has one of the following formats:
•Fellowship block – only cards from sets 1, 2, and 3,
•Tower block – only cards from sets 4, 5, and 6,
•King block – only cards from sets 7, 8, and 10,
•War of the Ring block – only cards from sets 11, 12, and 13,
•Open – all cards allowed, including set 9 (Reflections) using only sites from set 11 onward (Shadows).
•Standard – a tournament format similar to Open, but including the X-List (see the Current Rulings document, available for download). In the Open format and War of the Ring block, your adventure deck may include no more than three sites that have the same given Shadow number. In the Fellowship block, Tower block, or King block, sites are numbered, and you must include one for each of the nine site numbers. (See block symbol.) When you play a game using the Fellowship block, Tower block, or King block format, you cannot choose any site from your adventure deck when it is time to play a new site on the adventure path. Instead, the site which has the next consecutive site number must be played. When the first player moves for the first time, place a site with the site number of 2. If he moves again, place a site with the site number of 3. When you play a game using the Fellowship block, Tower block, or King block format, you do not add pool for the fellowship's region number when you are moving your fellowship. Do not add 3 twilight tokens when the fellowship moves to a site in region 2, nor 6 when the fellowship moves to a site in region 3.
See also
building your deck, losing the game.
Free Peoples cards Free Peoples cards represent the forces of good. Each player has his own fellowship, made up of a Ring-bearer and other companions. When you take your turn, you play and use your Free Peoples cards. Free Peoples cards have a light colored circular field in the upper left corner.
See also
twilight cost.
Frodo See
Ring-bearer, Ring-bound. game text Game text includes all the text in the box below the card type line except for helper text, lore, collector's info, and marketing text (such as "DGMA Premier Series – France"). On a site card, this box is located below the image (there is no card type line on a site). On The One Ring cards, there is no box around the game text, but the concept is the same. Any boldfaced keyword that appears in this box (such as Easterling, Fierce, or Defender +1) is game text. ?The Ring-bearer's Ring-bearer and Ring-bound keywords is game text that cannot be removed or made to not apply. Card titles, subtitles, and items on the card type line (card types, races, and classes) are not game text.
Exception: On an event card, the word to the right of the card type (such as MANEUVER or SKIRMISH) is game text. Sometimes game text is added to a card by an effect, even though that text is not printed on that card.
Gollum/Smeagol Character cards that represent the unique aspects of Gollum or Sméagol have no race. This does not mean that these cards have "a race of no race." When an effect tells you to count (or choose or spot) a race, Gollum/Sméagol can't be counted (or chosen or spotted). A Shadow player must spot a race for
Argument Ready to Hand. Gollum doesn't have a race to be spotted. Sméagol is not a companion whose race you cannot spot. When
The Nine Walkers is in play, Sméagol does not have his cost reduced. When an effect tells you to do something to minions of other races, that does not work on Gollum/Sméagol.
Argument Ready to Hand can't discard Gollum, since he is not "of all other minion races" (he is not of any minion race). When an effect tells you to do something to all minions who do not belong to a particular race, that does work on Gollum/Sméagol. If an effect says, "Discard all minions not of the Orc race," then Gollum is discarded.
healing When a wound is removed from a character, this represents resting or healing. When you "heal a character," you remove one wound. If a card tells you to "heal 2 companions," you must choose two different companions to heal one time each (you cannot heal one companion twice). Once a wound token is placed, whether from exerting or wounding, it can be healed by any effect that heals a wound. Generally, your fellowship only heals at a sanctuary
you reach on the adventure path.
See also
discard to heal, for each. helper text Helper text is found in the box below the card type line in italics and parentheses that provides a summary of a game rule. Helper text is not game text.
See
collector's info, lore.
home site See
ally.
hunter This keyword has the form of "Hunter X" where "X" is the strength bonus the character receives when skirmishing a character that does not have the hunter keyword.
initiative At any time, either one side or the other side has nitiative. The Free Peoples player has initiative while he has four or more cards in hand. Otherwise, the Shadow has initiative. If there is more than one Shadow player, then all of those Shadow players have initiative when the Free Peoples player does not.
Besieging Pike says, "If you have initiative, bearer is strength +3." Since this is a Shadow card, it only gets this bonus when the Free Peoples player has 3 or fewer cards in hand (the cards in the hands of the Shadow players don't matter).
See also
cost.
instead When a card uses the phrase "instead" or "instead of", the stated effect is replaced with a different effect. This does not mean that the original effect is prevented. If the second effect cannot happen for any reason, then the original effect occurs. Sméagol,
Bearer of Great Secrets is the ring-bearer and is bearing
The Dead City (If Sméagol is about to be killed in a skirmish, discard him instead). If Sméagol is about to be killed and the player discards
The Dead City, Sméagol cannot be discarded, he would simply be killed.
See response, effect.
infinite loops with no voluntary actions When an infinite loop occurs that includes no voluntary actions, the loop ends immediately with no effect.
Frodo, Weary from the Journey vs.
Black Land Observer or
Wandering Hillman. Neither the minions nor Frodo would get the strength bonuses.
is about to actions Some actions are preformed when a described situation "is about to" happen. Typically, only one of such action can be performed in a given situation, because its effect will "prevent" that situation or replace it with another effect "instead." Example: Isildur is wearing
the One Ring, Answer to All Riddles. [While wearing the One Ring... each time he is about to take a wound in a skirmish, add a burden instead.] The Free Peoples player has
Sapling of the White Tree [Response: If a Man is about to take a wound, discard this artifact to prevent that.] Isildur loses a skirmish and is about to take a wound. Because the required action of The One Ring causes a burden to be added "instead" of a wound, the optional action of
Sapling of the White Tree cannot be used, as the situation it responds to no longer exists.
keyword Each card has one or more keywords that identify it. Most keywords are unloaded keywords, with no special rules (although they may be referenced by other cards). Keywords with rules are called loaded keywords. Though a word which appears in the title or subtitle of a card may be the same as a keyword that exists in the game, that title or subtitle does not confer the keyword on that card. "Úlairë Attëa,
The Easterling" does not have the keyword "Easterling" in his game text, so he is not an Easterling.
killed This game term is used to describe a character that has had its vitality reduced to zero or that is specifically "killed" by the game text of another card. This is different from when a character is discarded from play. Other cards may force a character in play to be discarded. That character has not been killed, but only discarded. Cards that trigger when a character is killed will not trigger when a character is discarded, and vice-versa. When a character's vitality is reduced to zero, that character is immediately killed. Reducing a character's strength to zero does not kill that character. (See wound, overwhelmed.) Place killed Free Peoples characters in your dead pile. Place killed minions in your discard pile. When a card that provides a vitality bonus for its bearer is discarded, that bearer is immediately killed if his vitality is then reduced to zero.
See also
leaving play, losing the game.
kinds of cards Most cards in
The Lord of the Rings TCG are one of two basic kinds: Free Peoples or Shadow. There are also sites and The One Ring, which are neither Free Peoples cards nor Shadow cards.
leaving play When a card (other than a site) leaves play for any reason, any cards played on that card (or borne by or stacked on that card) are discarded. Any tokens on that card are removed.
liberate A Free Peoples player may have a card effect that allows him to liberate a site. Only a site that another player controls may be liberated. You cannot liberate a site on the adventure path, a site in any adventure deck, or a site you control. When you liberate a site, place it back on the adventure path. Any cards on that site are discarded. You must liberate the site with the highest site number controlled by one of your opponents first, regardless of which opponent controls that site. (If you control the site with the highest site number, you must liberate the next highest site controlled by an opponent.)
liberate a site to Liberating a site can take place during the Free Peoples player's turn as well the Shadow player's turn. A Shadow player that chooses to liberate a site must liberate their own controlled site. When this happens, the Shadow player returns the liberated site to the site path in its original placement.
limit When a card has a limit, such as "(limit +3)," the limit applies to that card for an entire phase.
Trust Me As You Once Did reads: "Skirmish: Exert Gandalf to make a companion strength +1 for each companion with the Gandalf signet you can spot (limit +3)." With one copy in play, assuming you have sufficient signets and exertions, during a single
skirmish phase:
• You may add +3 to one companion in a single action (if you can spot at least 3 signets).
• You may add +1 to three different companions in three different actions (if you can spot only 1 signet).
• You may add +2 to one companion and +1 to another in two different actions (if you can spot only 2 signets). Once the limit is reached, no more may be added, and the last +1 is ignored. A limit does not does not span multiple phases.
Trust Me As You Once Did could be used for +3 in each of two or more separate skirmish phases during the same turn. A limit does not apply to a different copy of the same card. With two copies of
Trust Me As You Once Did in play, you could give up to +6 in strength bonuses during a single skirmish phase (+3 from one copy, and +3 from the other).
See also
effect.
loaded keyword Card type and class (see bearer) are loaded keywords. Other loaded keywords include ambush, archer (see archery phase), damage +X (see damage bonus), defender +X, enduring, fierce, lurker, muster, Ring-bearer, sanctuary, toil, and unhasty.
See also
keyword.
look at See
effect.
loops Occasionally, a game will reach a state in which a set of actions can be repeated forever. If a loop contains one or more optional actions and one player controls them all, that player chooses a number. The loop is treated as repeating that number of times, or until another player intervenes with his own action, whichever comes first. A player wishes to repeatedly use the ability of
Sam, Faithful Companion ("Fellowship: Play
Bill the Pony from your draw deck."). He chooses a number of times this action will take place. The action is treated as repeating that number of times unless another player intervenes with a different action. If a loop contains one or more optional actions each controlled by different players and actions by both are needed to continue the loop, the Free Peoples player chooses a number. The Shadow player then has two choices:
•He or she can choose a lower number, in which case the loop continues that number of times, with a final action in that loop by the Free Peoples player.
•He or she can agree to the number chosen by the active player, in which case the loop continues that number of times, with a final action in that loop by the Shadow player.
The Free Peoples player has Sméagol,
Slinker ("Skirmish: Add a burden to make Sméagol strength +2...") kirmishing a minion at
Anduin Banks ("Skirmish: Spot your minion and remove a burden to make that minion strength +2."). The repeated adding and removing of a burden for strength bonuses creates a loop, so the Free Peoples player names a number of iterations for these actions. The Shadow player then has two choices:
•He may name a lower number of iterations. The loop would continue for that many iterations, with the Free Peoples player taking the final action (adding one final action at the end of the loop, if necessary for the Free Peoples player to have the final action).
•He may agree with the Free Peoples player's choice of iterations. The loop would continue for that number of iterations, with the Shadow player taking the final action (adding one final action at the end of the loop, if necessary for the Shadow player to have the final action).
lore Lore is text found in the box below the card type line in italics (but not parentheses) that provides an interesting quote or fact but has no effect on play. Lore is not game text.
See
collector's info, helper text.
losing the game A player loses the game if his Ring-bearer is killed (see overwhelmed), unless he uses game text allowing another character to carry on as Ring-bearer. Many versions of Sam may become the Ring-bearer if Frodo is killed. When a new character becomes your Ring- bearer, he is not wearing The One Ring, even if the old Ring-bearer was wearing it when he was killed. A player also loses the game if his Ring-bearer becomes corrupted. If a player loses a game and there are at least two other players remaining, remove his player marker and all of his cards from play (and discard any opponent's cards that were on them). Remove his sites both on the adventure path and under another player's control in numerical order, then each opponent, starting to the player's right and proceeding counter-clockwise, chooses a site from his adventure deck to replace each one removed. Exception: In a game using the Fellowship block, Tower block, or King block format, instead replace each site with the corresponding number from the appropriate opponent's deck. If a losing player has sites under his control, replace them first (using the above procedure) and then liberate them. The other players complete the losing player's turn.
See also
winning the game. lurker During the skirmish phase(S), the Free Peoples player must resolve all skirmishes involving minions who do not have the lurker keyword before he may choose to resolve any skirmishes involving one or more minions who do have it.
Man The race of "Man" includes women of the appropriate culture. A possession that requires a Man bearer may be borne by a female character who has the race of "Man."
maneuver phase During this phase, players may perform maneuver actions (special abilities on cards in play with "Maneuver:" and events with that keyword) using the action procedure. When all players consecutively pass, proceed to the archery phase. If there are no minions left after the maneuver phase, then skip directly to the regroup phase.
may not Some older cards use the phrase "may not." In all such cases, this means "cannot."
minion A minion is a Shadow character that attacks other players' fellowships. A minion is played to the center of the table, across from the active fellowship.
See also
roaming. modifier When a card specifically names itself in its game text, that card can be modified by its own game text when played. Otherwise, the modification takes effect only after the card is in play.
Orc Ambusher says, "The roaming penalty for each minion you play is –1." It does not specifically name itself, so this does not apply to
Orc Ambusher when it is played. Éomer,
Third Marshal of Riddermark says, "While you can spot a Man, Éomer's twilight cost is –1." This specifically names Éomer himself, so it does apply to Éomer when he is played. Grishnákh,
Orc Captain says, "The site number of each Orc is –3." This does not apply to Grishnákh when you play him, but he is himself a Orc, so his site number would be reduced after he entered play. Each time a value is used, all applicable modifiers to that value are reapplied. If the result at that point is then less than zero, that result is changed to zero. (Numbers can go below zero until the final check is made.) Frodo (strength 3) bears
The One Ring, The Ruling Ring (strength +1). His strength is 4. During a skirmish,
Enduring Evil is played ("Skirmish: Spot X burdens to make a character skirmishing a Orc strength –X."), spotting 6 burdens on Frodo.!! Frodo's strength is 3 + 1 – 6 = –2. This is reset to zero.
Hobbit Intuition is played ("Skirmish: ...make a Hobbit strength +3.") All applicable modifiers are reapplied to Frodo's strength. He has strength 3 (Frodo) +1 (Ring) – 6 (
Enduring Evil) + 3 (Intuition) = 1. The order of modifiers doesn't matter, since every applicable modifier is reapplied each time a value is used. Modifiers are not recalculated when they are reapplied. The same modifiers are just applied again.
Merry, Friend to Sam reads: "Skirmish: If Merry is not assigned to a skirmish, exert him twice to add his strength to another companion." If Merry's strength is changed later during a skirmish after you have used this ability, the amount already added to the other companion does not change.
See also
twilight cost.
modifiers Each time a card enters play, it is considered a new card for all purposes even if that card was previously in play on the same turn. If you play a second copy of
Radagast in the same turn, the move limit is an additional +1.
Shelob, Her Ladyship is played and prevents Gandalf from being assigned to a skirmish this turn. Shelob kills a companion in a skirmish and Gandalf dies when threat wounds are assigned. The Free Peoples player then plays Gandalf in the regroup phase with
Sent Back and Gandalf is now allowed to be assigned to a skirmish.
mounted A mounted character means one who is "bearing a possession with the class of mount." (See bearer.)
move limit During each of your turns, your fellowship must move once, and may move a number of times up to your move limit.
In a two- or three-player game, your move limit is two. In a game with four or more players, your move limit is equal to the number of your opponents when the game begins. During your regroup phase, you may decide to move your fellowship again, subject to this move limit. If the move limit is modified for a turn, then that modification is in effect for the whole turn, even if the conditions for the modification change.
movement summary In order to make this summary more intuitive and helpful, we have changed the order of actions, which has no effect on gameplay:
• A Shadow player places the next site card, if needed.
• Perform "When you move from..." actions.
• Perform "When the fellowship moves..." actions.
• Move your player marker to the next site.
• Perform "When you move to..." actions.
• Add twilight tokens equal to the new site's Shadow number.
• Add 3 twilight tokens if the new site is in region 2; or 6 if it is in region 3.
• Add 1 twilight token for each companion.
Topic: Unofficial Rulebook (Read 1736 times)
