I had a go at The Weather Hills today, for the second time. Haven't beaten it yet. A few questions:

1) I should know this by now, but is a location considered "explored" even if it leaves play as non-active? Ancient Causeway raises your threat by 2 when it is "explored" - I put progress on it with Asfaloth and never travelled there, but I raised my threat for it anyway.

2) Are side quest effects constant as long as the cards are in the staging area? Search the Ruins raises your threat by 2 each round, and Orc Ambush boosts orc enemies. Do these effects apply even if I don't select either quest as active? The rules insert isn't very clear on this.

3) And, as it barely deserves its own topic, Pelargir Shipwright - does he gain an additional Willpower when I put e.g. Vilya on Elrond or a Song of Travel on any non-Spirit hero? Or is a "printed resource icon" supposed to be literally printed on the hero card from the beginning? How does this work with heroes like Oin?

I think I'm beginning to understand how this scenario works, and I imagine the orc deck is easier to deal with in multiplayer due to its design. Thanks for reading.

1) Yes, locations are also considered explored if you take them form the staging area with Asfaloth, Northern Tracker, Snowbourn Socut, Ravenhill Scout, Riddermark Finest, ....

2) Yes, they are considered in play.

3) Printed is indeed supposed to be part of the card itself, so you cannot gain a printed resource icon (with the current card set). Oin has a printed spirit icon, but with 5 dwarves on the table he gains a tactics icon. So he can pay for tactics cards, but he doesnt give a reducement for cards like Book of Eldacar.

Hope, this answers all.

1) Yes, locations are explored wherever they're explored, staging or active. If an effect only triggers when the location is active, the card will specify that.

2) Yes, the passive effects on quest cards (side and regular) are always in effect while they're in play (if they weren't, Search the Ruins wouldn't do anything, as side-quests can only be active during the quest phase).

3) Printed icon refers only to the one in the bottom corner of the hero card. Songs, rings, stones, swords, belts and Oin do not count as 'printed'.

Cheers guys!

3) Printed is indeed supposed to be part of the card itself, so you cannot gain a printed resource icon (with the current card set).

The Gandalf hero can gain a printed icon:

http://hallofbeorn.com/Cards/Details/Gandalf-RD