Learn To Play - Cryptozoic Entertainment

Turn Sequence
•Play cards from your hand.
•Total up your Power and purchase cards with combined cost less than or equal
to that total.
•As soon as you buy or gain a card, place it into your discard pile,
unless instructed otherwise.
End of Turn
•Place all the cards you played and any remaining cards from your hand into your discard pile, and draw a new hand of five cards.
•Fill each empty slot in the Path with a card from the top of the main deck.
•If the top card of the Archenemy stack is face down, flip it face up and read aloud
the next Archenemy’s Group Ambush.
Do not reshuffle your discard pile just because you have no cards in your deck.
Wait until you must draw, discard, or reveal a card from your deck. Then shuffle your discard pile, and it becomes your new deck.
The game ends immediately when any one of the following three conditions is met:
•The final Archenemy, Saruman, is defeated.
•You are unable to refill all five slots of the Path.
•The Wall deck is depleted.
Impossible Mode
•Place destroyed Corruptions back onto the Corruption stack instead of removing
them from the game.
•When the player to your right is Ambushed by a card in the Path, you may play a
Defense card to protect them.
•If The Wall deck is depleted, the game ends immediately and all players lose the game!
© 2013 New Line Productions, Inc. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks
of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.
©2013 Cryptozoic Entertainment. 16279 Laguna Canyon Road, Irvine, CA 92618.
www.cryptozoic.com
Made in China.
“LEARN TO PLAY” VIDEO ONLINE AT
WWW.CRYPTOZOIC.COM/DEMO/LOTR
Overview
T Y P ES OF C ARD S
In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers™ Deck-building Game, you take on the role of
Frodo Baggins™, Aragorn™, or one of the other brave and heroic members of the fellowship
of the ring and their ally King Théoden. While you begin armed with only the Courage of
the free peoples of Middle-earth™, as the game progresses, you will add new, more powerful
cards to your deck, with the goal of defeating as many Archenemies as you can. In the end,
the player who has accumulated the most Victory Points (VPs) from the cards in his or her
deck wins the game. But be sure to protect The Wall at Helm’s Deep...or all could be lost!
FRODO BAGGINS™
DESPAIR
COURAGE
HOBBIT ™ HERO
EXPLOSION
STARTER
243 Game Cards
You start the game with It's Getting Heavier
in your deck.
•31 Courage Starting Cards
•16 Despair Starting Cards
•106 Main Deck Cards
•The One Ring™
•16 Valor Cards
•12 Archenemy Cards
•20 Corruption Cards
•26 Wall Deck Cards
•7 Unique Hero Starting Deck Cards
•8 “Impossible Mode” Archenemy Cards (For advanced players only!)
7 Oversized Hero Cards
Card Type
Cont e n t s
STARTER
WALL CARD
+1 Power
Discard a random card from your hand.
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HERO
STARTING CARDS
WALL CARD
URUK-HAI GENERAL
GRÍMA WORMTONGUE
THE TOWER OF ORTHANC
ENEMY
ENEMY
LOCATION
If a Level 1 Archenemy is on top of the stack or in a
player’s discard pile, draw two cards.
When you play this card, leave it in front of you for
the rest of the game.
Otherwise, Attack: Each other player gains a Corruption.
Ongoing: +1 Power for each Tower you control.
™
CORRUPTION
1 Rulebook
LEVEL 3 ARCHENEMY
IT’S GETTING HEAVIER
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Each player is dealt a random Hero. (Or, as an option,
players choose their favorite character.) Every Hero
has a starting card unique to that Hero. You begin the
game with your Hero’s starting card, 6 Courage cards
and 3 Despair cards. Shuffle your 10-card deck.
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Cost
1
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Corruption cards reduce your score at the end of
the game.
5
-1
Victory Points
ARCHENEMY
MANEUVER
4
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Abilities
1. Heroes and Starting Decks
Group Ambush: Each player draws two Wall Cards.
Card Type
You may return any number of different Enemy
cards with cost 7 or less from your discard pile to
your hand. If you choose not to, +3 Power.
Archenemy Level
Set up f o r Y o ur First Game
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Victory Points
ENEMY
LOCATION
CORRUPTION
Frodo Starting Card
If The One Ring™ is not in play, put it in front of you.
You will use your Courage cards to buy more powerful
cards to add to your deck. As the game moves along,
players improve their decks.
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WHAT DO YOU SMELL?
ALLY
MANEUVER
ARTIFACT
FORTUNE
If this is the first card you play this turn, discard
your hand and draw five cards.
Otherwise, +2 Power.
Reveal the top card of your deck. If it's an Enemy,
draw it. If not, you may destroy it.
+1 Power for each Longbottom Leaf you play or
have played this turn.
When you buy or gain this card, play it,
then destroy it.
Gain an Enemy from the Path and put two random
Wall Cards on the bottom of the Wall deck.
LONGBOTTOM LEAF
Card Name
Despair cards cause Fellowship members to weaken
and falter. It’s best to get rid of them as soon as possible
(more on how to do that later).
DESPAIR
DESPAIR
DESPAIR
1
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Victory Points
STARTER
STARTER
+1 Power
STARTER
+1 Power
STARTER
+1 Power
STARTER
+1 Power
STARTER
+1 Power
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+1 Power
0
0
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STARTER
STARTER
STARTER
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Quest: At the end of game, this card is worth 1 VP
for each Longbottom Leaf in your deck.
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Abilities
COURAGE
COURAGE
COURAGE
COURAGE
COURAGE
COURAGE
FIRST LIGHT ON THE
FIFTH DAY
SAMWISE THE BRAVE
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Cost
MANEUVER
ARTIFACT
FORTUNE
The different card types that you can play are: Starter, Enemy, Location, Ally, Maneuver,
Artifact, and Fortune. Corruption cards have no card type.
2
There are twelve different Archenemy cards
available to use each game. Typically, eight
Archenemy cards are used for a standard
game. For a longer game, use more than eight.
No matter how many you use, you will always
use Corrupted King Théoden. On that card is
text that reads, “This card starts the game on
top of the Archenemy stack.”
The Archenemies are broken up into four Levels:
•There is a single Level 1 Archenemy (Corrupted King Théoden)
•There are five Level 2 and five Level 3 Archenemy cards
•There is a single Level 4 Archenemy (Saruman, Lord of Isengard)
Saruman, Lord of Isengard is the lone
Level 4 Archenemy, and he will be the last
Archenemy you face each game. Place his
card face down.
Then, shuffle the five Level 2 Archenemy
cards. Randomly select 3 cards and place
them face down on top of the Archenemy
stack. Gather the unused Level 2 and Level
3 cards and set them aside face down (in the
game box is recommended).
Finally, place Corrupted King Théoden face
up on top of the Archenemy stack. In a typical
eight-Archenemy game, the stack will now
appear as: Level 1, followed by three Level
2 cards and three Level 3 cards, and ending
with the Level 4 Saruman.
3. The Archenemy Stack
CORRUPTED
KING THÉODEN
+1 Power and draw two cards.
4
10
LEVEL 1 ARCHENEMY
(This card starts the game on top of the Archenemy stack.)
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ENEMY
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SARUMAN,
LORD OF ISENGARD
Next, shuffle the five Level 3 Archenemies.
Randomly select three cards. Place them face
down on top of the Saruman card. Set the
rest of the Level 3 Archenemies aside, still
face down.
Group Ambush: Each player puts the top X cards of his
deck into his discard pile (or until empty), where X is the
number of cards remaining in The Wall deck. For each
Archenemy in a player's discard pile, he destroys a card with
cost 1 or greater in his discard pile.
(This card starts the game on the bottom of the Archenemy stack.)
LEVEL 4 ARCHENEMY
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ENEMY
+2 Power
Quest: At end of game, this card is worth 5 VPs if you
have five or more different Maneuvers in your deck.
+1 Power
Reveal the top card of your deck. If it’s an Artifact,
draw it.
WARG RIDERS
ALLY
MERIADOC BRANDYBUCK
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MANEUVER
Attack: Each other player reveals his hand
and
discards an Ally. +1 Power for each Ally discarded
this way.
Defense: You may discard this card to avoid
an
Attack or Ambush. If you do, draw two cards.
+2 Power
Defense: You may discard this card to avoid an
Attack or Ambush. If you do, draw a card.
Draw an additional card for each Ally you reveal
from your hand.
GO ON . . . CALL FOR HELP
ARTIFACT
ELVISH CLOAK
Once you have arranged the main deck, the Path, and the other stacks, it will look something like the above. Your
opening five cards in the Path will vary. At the start of the game, there should be 16 Valors, 8 Archenemies, and 20
Corruptions in their respective stacks.
2
When you play this card, leave it in front of you for
the rest of the game.
Ongoing: Corruption and Despair cards you
play have +1 Power.
LOCATION
EDORAS
T HE P AT H
Next, place the Valor, Archenemy, and Corruption stacks at the end of the Path. You may want to turn these stacks
perpendicular to the board so that everyone can reach them. The Valor stack always starts with 16 cards and the
Corruption stack starts with 20, no matter how many players are in the game. The number of Archenemy cards you use
will vary based on your desired game length. Valor and Archenemy cards are always available to be bought or defeated
during your turn (while cards remain in their stacks). Corruptions are never bought; they are gained only through
unfriendly card effects. The main deck and the three stacks of cards on the end are not part of the Path.
NOTE: The player taking the first turn is unaffected by Ambush cards that entered the Path during Setup. Also, if there
are any Fortune cards in the Path at the start of the game, put them on the bottom of the main deck and replace them.
After shuffling the main deck, place the top five cards from the main deck into the Path face up. The Path is where the
members of the Fellowship will have dangerous and fantastical encounters. There is no board necessary to play this
game; just reserve space for each card.
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of
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atthe
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Corruption
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CORRUPTION
ION
CORRUPT
CORRUPTION
CORRUPTION
4
(This card starts the game on top of the Archenemy stack.)
+1 Power and draw two cards.
LEVEL 1 ARCHENEMY
CORRUPTED
KING THÉODEN
ENEMY
11
1
+2 Power
+2 Power
Power
+2
MANEUVER
MANEUVER
MANEUVER
VALOR
VALOR
VALOR
THE STACKS
Most of the cards that you will add to your deck as the game progresses come from
the main deck. Shuffle the main deck and place it in the middle of the table. None of
the following cards should ever be placed into the main deck: Archenemy, Courage,
Despair, Valor, Corruption, The One Ring, the unique Hero Starting Cards, Wall Cards,
or the oversized Hero cards. The main deck is made up of every other card in the game
(106 cards total).
MAIN DECK
3
ENEMY
4. The Path
2. The Main Deck
4
5. The Wall Deck
The Wall at Helm’s Deep is a separate deck that is placed
face down behind the stacks. The Wall Deck should
contain five Wall Cards per player, plus one special Wall
Card. In a 5-player game, you will use all 26 cards. Just
shuffle them and go.
If you are playing with 4 or fewer players, remove the
lone card named Breached from the rest of the Wall
Cards. Shuffle the remaining 25 cards. Count out cards
until you have 5 per player. Place the excess Wall Cards
back in the box. Place the Breached card into your
counted out pile of cards, then shuffle the resulting deck
thoroughly and place it behind the stacks.
(More on how The Wall will be used later.)
that time, total up the Power you have accumulated and buy what you wish to buy from the Path
or the face-up stacks. You do not have to play all of the cards in your hand before you start making
purchases if you don’t wish to. You may play additional cards even after making purchases.
BREACHED
Most cards you play have simple effects, like +Power, card drawing, or an Attack. The order in
which you play these cards typically does not matter.
Ending Your Turn
WALL CARD
The Wall is now permanently Breached. Leave this card in front of you.
Ongoing: –1 Power
IMPOSSIBLE MODE Ongoing: Each player has –1 Power
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1.Once you have finished your turn, place all the cards you played and any cards remaining in your hand into your discard pile. Any unspent Power from cards
played during the turn is lost. Draw a new hand of five cards and pass the turn
to the player on your left.
2.If any of the slots in the Path are empty, draw cards off the main deck and add them
to the Path. Do not replace empty slots as soon as you buy or gain a card from the Path.
Example: In a 3-player game, shuffle the 25 Wall Cards, and count out 15. Then shuffle the Breached
card in with the 15 to create a Wall Deck of 16 cards.
3.If the top card of the Archenemy stack is face down, flip it face up. This will reveal
the next Archenemy out to terrorize the Heroes.
6. The One Ring
Sample Turn Sequence
Finally, place The One Ring behind the stacks. More on how to use it later.
After shuffling up your starting cards, you draw a hand of four Courages and one Despair for your
first turn. You may play the four Courages for a total of 4 Power, which is enough to buy Edoras
from the Path. After buying it, you put it into your discard pile. The Despair provides you with no
additional Power. Once you have played and bought all the cards you want, discard the cards you
have played and any remaining in your hand and then draw a new hand of five cards. Play then
proceeds to the player on your left.
GAMEPLAY
Randomly determine a player to go first. Each player begins by shuffling his or her deck and
drawing five cards. Players take turns in clockwise order.
Each turn, you may buy cards from the Path, Valor cards, and/or the top card of the Archenemy
stack to improve your deck. Cards you buy or gain are always immediately placed into your discard
pile unless you are instructed otherwise. Discard piles are always face up. Soon they’ll be shuffled
into your deck, and then you’ll be drawing these newer, more powerful cards into your hand so
you can play them. Buying powerful cards builds up the effectiveness of your deck. That’s why it’s
called a “deck-building game.”
You can buy any number of available cards with combined cost less than or equal to the amount
of Power you have for the turn. For example, your Courage cards each give you +1 Power. If you
draw four of them and no other cards with any Power bonuses, your total Power for the turn is 4.
You can buy a single card with cost 2, 3, or 4, or even two cards each with cost 2, assuming these
options are available. Valor cards are (usually) available if the cards in the Path are too expensive,
and you may buy more than one during your turn if you wish. You may pass if you can’t buy or do
not wish to buy any cards.
Despair and Corruption cards provide no Power. Since they weaken your draws and deck, you
should try to destroy them as soon as possible (more on how to do that later). You may play them
if you wish, but they have no effect when played. They are not discarded until the end of your turn
when you discard all cards you have played and any cards that you have kept in your hand.
Order of Playing Your Cards
On your turn, you get to play the cards in your hand in the order of your choice. When you play a
card, its game text resolves immediately. When you have played all the cards you wish to play at
5
DESPAIR
+
STARTER
COURAGE
COURAGE
COURAGE
COURAGE
=
STARTER
STARTER
+1 Power
STARTER
+1 Power
STARTER
+1 Power
+1 Power
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LOCATION
When you play this card, leave it in front of you for
the rest of the game.
Ongoing: Corruption and Despair cards you
play have +1 Power.
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EDORAS
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End of Game
The game ends immediately when any one of the following three conditions is met:
• The final Archenemy, Saruman, is defeated.
• You are unable to refill all five slots of the Path.
• The Wall deck is depleted.
Once the game has ended, players total up the Victory Points on cards in their deck.
Corruption cards in your deck at the end of the game will subtract Victory Points (VP) from your
total. The player with the highest VP total is crowned the winner! In case of a tie, the player with
more Archenemy cards wins.
After a winner has been determined, all players will need to take apart their decks, placing all of
the cards back into their proper stacks. Be sure to return any cards that were placed into the box
back in their stacks. These will be used in the next game.
6
Additional Rules
Corruption
ILL NEWS IS AN ILL GUEST
Attacks and Defenses
Some cards allow you to make an Attack against the other
players in the game. When you play a card with an Attack
ability, each other player has an opportunity to avoid the Attack
with a card that has a Defense ability. A player using a Defense
card’s ability negates the Attack only for that defending player.
A player may only play one Defense card per Attack. Any players
who don’t avoid the Attack are then affected by the Attack card’s
ability. Avoiding an Attack does not negate any other abilities
(like +2 Power) of a card, unless an ability specifically counts
the players successfully hit by the Attack.
MANEUVER
+2 Power
Attack: Each other player discards a card.
CHAINMAIL
1
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ARTIFACT
Draw a card.
Defense: You may discard this card to avoid an
Attack or Ambush. If you do, draw two cards,
then put a card from your hand on top of your deck.
Ambush
An Ambush is a type of Attack found on some cards in the
main deck. When a card with the word “Ambush” in its text
box enters the Path between turns and you are the next player
to take a turn, you are Ambushed at the start of your turn. If
a card played during a turn adds new cards to the Path, any
Ambushes do not happen.
Example: The person playing Gimli to your right buys two
cards from the Path. He ends his turn, and you flip the top
two cards of the main deck into the Path. One of them has an
Ambush. You resolve the Ambush, then continue your turn.
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You don’t reshuffle your discard pile into your deck as soon as you run out of cards. However, if at
any point during the game if there are no cards in your deck and you need to draw, discard, or reveal
a card from your deck, immediately reshuffle your discard pile, and it becomes your new deck.
Locations
ENEMY
+2 Power
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Location cards go straight to your discard pile when bought or
gained, just like any other card. However, when you later draw and
play a Location, that card will remain face up and in play in front
of you for the rest of the game. Each Location has an effect that
will happen based on the game text of the card. The word Ongoing
is a reminder that this card keeps working for you turn after turn.
You can have any number of Locations in play at once. Once a
Location is in play, it no longer counts as a card in your hand.
THE TOWER
OF BARAD-DÛR
LOCATION
Fortunes
7
Corruption cards reduce your score at the end of
the game.
Shuffling Your Deck
URUK-HAI™
CHEST-THUMPERS
The One Ring
Fortune cards represent the moments of good luck the
Fellowship encounters. Fortunes have a cost of 0, so even a
player with no cards in hand can buy a Fortune during his
turn. When a Fortune is bought or gained (by any means), it
is always immediately played, resolved, and then destroyed. If
you gain a Fortune during another player’s turn, it will resolve
as usual. After resolving a Fortune, the current player’s turn
continues as normal. A player may choose to buy a Fortune at
any time during his turn or may decline to buy it, just as with
any other card in the Path. Even if you cannot benefit from a
Fortune, you may still choose to buy it to ensure another player
doesn’t benefit from it. Note that if there are any Fortune cards
in the Path during the Setup of a game, you must put them on
the bottom of the main deck and replace them.
CORRUPTION
In Impossible Mode, place destroyed Corruptions back onto the
Corruption stack instead of removing them from the game.
3
Ambush: Draw a Wall Card.
If you are Ambushed by multiple cards, you may choose the
order in which they resolve. After resolving each Ambush
card, your turn continues as normal. Defense cards may be
used to avoid Ambushes, but it takes a separate Defense card
to avoid each Ambush. A player may only play one Defense
card per Ambush.
Some Attack and Ambush cards force the affected players to gain
a Corruption. When this happens, the affected players usually
place the Corruption cards into their discard piles (unless a card
tells them otherwise), effectively adding them to their decks.
Corruption cards have no ability and can be played or kept in
your hand and discarded at the end of your turn. At the end
of the game, each Corruption in your deck subtracts 1 Victory
Point from your VP total, so you’ll need a plan for destroying
them at some point! If the Corruption deck runs out, effects
that would cause a player to gain a Corruption do not do so, but
any other effects those cards have still resolve as usual. A player
may still play a Defense to avoid an Attack or Ambush, even
when there are no Corruptions available to be gained.
The One Ring does not start in any player’s deck or in the main
deck. Instead, it begins the game behind the stacks. This card
cannot be bought or gained, but certain cards will allow you to
put it in front of you. While it is in front of you, you’ll have an
Ongoing ability of +1 Power and The One Ring is also “in play.”
Some cards look to see if The One Ring is in play or not. You will
never place this card into your hand, deck, or discard pile. It also
can’t be destroyed… not yet, at least.
WHITE WIZARD
APPROACHES!
THE
FORTUNE
When you buy or gain this card, play it,
then destroy it.
Gain an Ally from the Path.
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If The One Ring is in front of you, you may use it as a Defense to
avoid an Attack or Ambush by placing it behind the stacks. While
it is behind the stacks, it is not “in play.” While it is in front of
you, cards the other players play may steal it away from you by
playing certain cards, just as if it were behind the stacks. Stealing
The One Ring is not an Attack, so you can’t defend against it.
When you play this card, leave it in front of you for
the rest of the game.
Ongoing: Once during each of your turns,
draw a card for each Tower you control.er you
control.
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THE
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ONE RING™
ARTIFACT
Starter Card
(The One Ring starts the game next to the Path.)
Ongoing: +1 Power. Do not discard this card at
the end of your turn.
Defense: Place this card next to the Path to avoid
an Attack or Ambush.
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Destroying Cards
Some cards have an ability that allows you to destroy a card from
your hand, your deck, your discard pile, or even the Path. When
you destroy a card, place it into a face-up pile of destroyed cards
anywhere away from the play area, removing it from your deck
and the game. You will often get to choose which of your cards to
destroy. Destroying Despair and Corruption cards will improve
your deck greatly! If Valors and Corruptions are destroyed, they
do not go back to their respective stacks.
ALLY
+2 Power
If The One Ring™ is in play, you may destroy
a card in your hand or discard pile.
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Gaining Cards
When a card tells a player to gain a particular card or a card
of your choice, that card is taken and immediately placed in
that player’s discard pile, at no additional cost, unless otherwise
directed by the card. If a card tells to you gain a card with a
specific name, card type, or cost and there are none available,
you simply don’t gain the card.
Archenemy Cards in Your Deck
FARAMIR
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The Wall
ENEMY
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example, an Attack that has each of three opponents gain a Corruption, with only two Corruptions
remaining in the stack), resolve that ability for each affected player in clockwise order, starting from
the player who played the ability. When you play a card that triggers another effect, such as on a
Location you control, fully resolve the card you are playing before resolving any secondary effects
triggered by your card play.
The Archenemies
URUK-HAI ARMY
™
The Wall at Helm’s Deep is besieged by the forces of Saruman! You must protect The
Wall or suffer the consequences. The Wall contains cards that are harmful to players;
you should avoid drawing Wall Cards if at all possible. In order to avoid drawing Wall
Cards, you must avoid various Ambush and Group Ambush effects. You cannot wait to
see what Wall Card(s) you would draw before deciding whether or not to play a Defense
card. When you would draw multiple Wall Cards at once, draw and resolve them one at
a time. When The Wall deck is depleted and the last card drawn from it has resolved, the
game ends immediately. Count VPs and determine a winner.
There is one card in The Wall deck that all players will
be sorry to see. The Breached card is a special Wall Card
that sticks to the player who is unlucky enough to draw it
from The Wall deck and it remains in play for the rest of
the game. Some cards refer to whether or not The Wall has
been “breached.” If the Breached card has been drawn,
The Wall has been breached. Some cards allow players to
add random Wall Cards to the bottom of The Wall deck.
These only come from The Wall discard pile, which should
be kept near The Wall deck. Do not mix these cards with
destroyed cards or other cards that are not being used
during the game.
RAW RECRUITS OF
ROHAN
ALLY
+2 Power
If The Wall has been breached, destroy this card
at end of turn.
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Impossible Mode
ENEMY
LEVEL 3 ARCHENEMY
+2 Power and an additional +2 Power for each
Maneuver you play or have played this turn.
Group Ambush: Each player draws two Wall Cards.
While the Corrupted King Théoden is content to gaze menacingly
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at the players from his lofty perch atop the Archenemy stack, the
rest of the Archenemies take a more hands-on approach. When
a new Archenemy card is revealed, it makes a Group Ambush. On each Archenemy (other than
Corrupted King Théoden), you will find that Archenemy card’s Group Ambush. When revealed
on the Archenemy stack, this Ambush resolves immediately against each player in the game. Any
player with a Defense card may defend against the Group Ambush, unless the card says otherwise.
The Ambush will resolve against any players who do not defend themselves. Group Ambushes do
not happen during any player’s turn and therefore take place before any regular Ambushes occur.
Keep track of the regular Ambushes that will occur after the Archenemy’s Group Ambush by
moving the Ambushing cards slightly out of the Path. After the Ambushes, line them back up with
the rest of the cards.
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LEVEL 3 ARCHENEMY
Draw three cards.
If The One Ring™ is not in play, put it in front of you.
Group Ambush: Each player may gain two Corruptions.
Each player who does not discards two cards instead.
URUK-HAI ABDUCTORS
If a card’s ability affects multiple players, and the order matters (for
When you have accumulated enough Power in a turn, you can
choose to defeat an Archenemy. If you do, take the topmost faceup card from the stack and place it into your discard pile, unless
instructed otherwise. The next card in the Archenemy stack
remains face down until your turn is over, so a player may only
defeat one Archenemy per turn. Archenemy cards range in cost
from 8 to 14, and their stack is randomized at the start of each
game. Check the stack for the current Archenemy’s cost.
ENEMY
™
You may gain an Ally with cost 4 or less from the
Path and put it into your hand.
If you choose not to, +2 Power.
Resolving Card Abilities
Like any other card you acquire, the experience gained
defeating an Archenemy will aid you in your future turns.
When you play an Archenemy card from your hand, the
text at the top of the text box is the relevant text. The
Group Ambush is no longer applicable, as the Archenemy
already performed that when he was first revealed from
the Archenemy stack. Archenemies are Enemy cards.
Archenemy is a title, not a card type, so playing an
Archenemy does not count as playing two different card
types.
FLYING NAZGÛL
When you have mastered the game and want to take on
a true challenge, a test of your mettle not unlike Frodo’s
grueling march to Mount Doom, then break out the eight
Impossible Mode Archenemies.
When you open the pack, don’t peek at any of the cards!
Remove the warning card, and then leave the Impossible
Corrupted King Théoden face up. The rest of the
Archenemies are in order and ready to go, but looking
at them ahead of time is frowned upon. You wanted
a challenge, so no preparing for the onslaught. When
using the Impossible Mode Archenemies, the regular 12
Archenemies will not be used.
DO NOT OPEN UNTIL ALL PLAYERS ARE VERY FAMILIAR
WITH THE MAIN GAME.
WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR THE MOST TORTUROUS,
DIFFICULT, SOUL-CRUSHING EXPERIENCE ON
™
MIDDLE-EARTH , LEAVE THESE ARCHENEMIES SECRET,
WITH ONLY CORRUPTED KING THÉODEN FACE UP ON
TOP OF THE STACK, AND FIGHT THEM IN ORDER.
ADDITIONAL RULES APPLY TO IMPOSSIBLE MODE.
SEE PAGE 10 OF THE RULEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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Impossible Mode Changes:
• When a Corruption is destroyed, return it to its stack instead of removing it from the game.
•
When the player to your right is Ambushed by a card in the Path, you may play a Defense card to protect them (and The Wall). However, you still gain any reward
listed on your Defense card. They can’t refuse the aid, but if they play a Defense
card of their own, you cannot also play one. You cannot protect them from an
Archenemy’s Group Ambush, as those aren’t in the Path.
• If The Wall deck is depleted, the game ends immediately and all players lose the game!
Don’t bother counting VPs, as the forces of Saruman have triumphed over the forces
of good.
In order to protect The Wall, you will need to work together. Good luck...you’ll need it!
Combining the fellowship of the ring with the two towers
When combining your sets, you could just shuffle both main decks together, but that
will dilute some of the card combos and shuffling that many cards together will be quite
a feat! Once your two sets are mixed together, separating them again will be a daunting
task. Here are other ways to create a main deck out of your mix of the two sets.
Plan #1: The next time you set up to play, just create piles of the different card types
until you hit the following counts:
a. Allies: 30
b. Enemies: 30
c. Artifacts: 30
d. Maneuvers: 15
e. Locations: 5
f. Fortunes: 5
Once you hit a listed count, discard additional cards of that type until you have hit
each different card count. That creates a random 115 card main deck in the standard
proportions. There may be more cards from one set or the other, but that’s OK.
Plan #2: Shuffle the 220+ deck, then split it in half. Play one game using one half of the
deck and a second game using the other half of the deck. Choose starting Heroes for
the second game based on points scored in game #1, with the lowest scorer choosing
first. You will have some idea of what kind of cards you might see in game #2 based
on what you saw in game #1, as none of them will be used in game #2. Combine your
scores between the two games to determine the match winner. Use a different set of
Archenemies and Starting Heroes for each game.
A Less Random Plan
The preferred method of combining sets involves choosing card types by set. Combining
these sets of card types then creates a standard sized main deck and keeps the card
synergies intact, while also creating new and exciting ones! This method does require a
bit of sorting before and after each game, however.
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For your first combined set game experience, we recommend:
Fellowship
Artifacts
Maneuvers Fortunes
Archenemies
Two Towers
Allies
Enemies
Locations Heroes
Whenever you use the The Two Towers’ Enemies, Archenemies, and/or Artifacts, keep
The Wall deck handy, as it allows you to resolve their Ambushes. If you aren’t playing
with any of those card types, you need not play with The Wall deck. Just ignore any text
that references The Wall if you aren’t using it.
Three The Two Towers cards change slightly in some configurations:
Raw Recruits of Rohan: If The Wall deck is not being
used, it will never be breached, so you don’t have to worry
about losing this card.
BATTLEMENTS ON THE WALL
Battlements on The Wall: If The Wall deck is not being
used, this card’s VP value should be considered 3 instead
of
(and ignore the Quest).
*
The One Ring: This can exist alongside Frodo’s Starting
Card from The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo’s Starting
The One Ring Card is never considered “in play.” If you
are instructed to put The One Ring in front of you, it refers
only to The Two Tower’s version.
ARTIFACT
+3 Power and put up to two random Wall Cards
on the bottom of The Wall deck.
Quest: At the end of game, this card is worth 5 VPs
if the number of cards remaining in The Wall deck is
equal to or greater than the number of players.
*
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Feel free to follow our advice or come up with your own crazy ideas on how to mix and
match the two sets. Or custom build your very own main deck!
Sp e ci f i c C a r d C l a r i f i ca t i ons
Breaching Bomb: Find the level of the current Archenemy by looking at the middle bar
of the face-up Archenemy currently on the stack.
Dead Marshes: You control cards in your hand, deck, discard
pile, in front of you on an ongoing basis, or one that you are
currently playing. This Location’s effect can even happen
when it is not your turn. Continue to place destroyed cards
under this Location and draw cards even after you have
completed the Quest. If a card such as Haldir and the Elven
Archers or Raw Recruits of Rohan is destroyed at the end of
your turn, you will draw the card into your next hand. With
a card like Leave Now and Never Come Back, you will draw
from the destroy effect immediately.
DEAD MARSHES
LOCATION
When you play this card, leave it in front of you for
the rest of the game.
Ongoing: When a card you control is destroyed,
put it under this, then draw a card.
Quest: At the end of the game, this card is worth 5 VPs
if there are five or more cards under this card.
*
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Elvish Rope: This card only works to its full effect if you hold it in your hand until after you
have bought or gained an Ally.
Entdraught: This card counts itself.
Gollum™/Sméagol: The parenthetical text at the bottom of this card is “always on,”
so Gollum/Sméagol can be both an Enemy and Ally simultaneously even while in the Path
or on top of the main deck.
Gríma Wormtongue: The Level 1 Archenemy is this set is Corrupted King Théoden.
This card works equally well with Level 1 Archenemies from other sets. The “stack” referred
to is the Archenemy stack.
Haldir and the Elven Archers: Remember that Archenemies are also Enemy cards. Note
that you don’t have to play the Haldir card just because he’s in your hand. You may simply
discard him at the end of your turn.
Saruman, Lord of Isengard: While revealing cards from your deck for his Group Ambush,
if you empty your deck, you do not reshuffle it to continue revealing cards. Simply stop
revealing cards from your deck and then resolve the second half of the Ambush.
The Ring is Treacherous: Only the chosen player is affected by the Attack, and only
that player may play a Defense card to avoid it.
The Tower of Barad-dûr, The Tower of Orthanc: You control a Tower if you have an
Ongoing Location in front of you with the word “Tower” in its name. If you control two
Tower cards, you will have +2 Power and draw two cards during each of your turns.
Uruk-hai™ Battering Ram: If the highest cost card in the Path has a cost of 6, then this
card grants +6 Power.
C r ED I T S
Game Design
Game Engine Design
Matt Hyra
Matt Hyra & Ben Stoll
C r yp t ozoi c Ent e r t a i nm e nt
President & CCO
CEO
Chief Operating Officer
SVP Sales & Business Development
Game Design and Development
Graphic Design
Editing
VP Controller
Director of Operations
Brand Management
Associate Production Manager
Business Coordinator
Sales
Global Sales
Office Manager
Public Relations
Cory Jones
John Nee
Scott Gaeta
John Sepenuk
Phil Cape, Dan Clark, Matt Dunn,
Kevin Jordan, Erik Larsen, Matt Hyra,
Ben Stoll, Drew Walker, Chris Woods
Larry Renac (Lead), Marco Sipriaso,
Nancy Valdez, John Vineyard
Scott Thomas
Joanne Barron
Leisha Cummins
Laura Waniuk
Rachel Valverde
Rumi Asai
Kurt Nelson
Ming Wan
April Jones
AnnaMaria White
M a r ke t i ng a nd C om m uni t y
FAQ
Q: What does the term “defeat” or “defeated” mean?
A: You “defeat” an Archenemy when you buy it from the top of the Archenemy stack.
That Archenemy has then been “defeated.” You “defeat” an Enemy when you buy or
gain it from the Path.
Q: I have to reveal five cards from the top of my deck, but after revealing three cards, my
deck is empty. When I reshuffle my discard pile to continue revealing, should I shuffle
in those three cards?
A: No
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Javier Casillas, Alex Charsky, Sara Erickson, Mike Rosenberg, Christina Sims, Laura Waniuk
P l a yt e s t e r s
Patrick Dillon, Tom Driver, Scott Gaeta, Russ Greenwald, Adam Hensch, Cory Jones,
Marcos Payan, Nathaniel Yamaguchi and many, many others.
C r yp t ozoi c Sp e ci a l T h a nks
Miranda Anderson, Kyle Heuer, Matt Hoffman, Vanessa Jimenez, Michael Kirchhoff,
Lacy Lodes, George Nadeau, Matthias Nagy, Jon Nee, Lisa Villaire,
Galen Welch, and MaryCarmen Wilbur
Special thanks to Chaz Fitzhugh, Julian Montoya, and Vienna Downes.