This is excellent news! I can't wait for this set. I love this part of the book, it's so atmospheric and creepy. No mention of Barrow Wights or the Old Forest though?

This may sound crazy but the other Hobbit hero (after Sam, Merry and Fatty) could be Rosie. A lot of people have been clamouring for more female heroes so its possible.

All the heroes are hobbits, but I wonder if Aragorn, Glorfindel or Gildor will get any specific mention? I know some people have complained that some heroes have received too much attention but I think that Aragorn specifically is one of the few characters in the book that fits perfectly into each sphere. It seems from from all the attachments he was given that the intention was to make him a man of all spheres. I think this was a good idea, I know others disagree.

Having said that Lore Aragorn (artwork and ability) will fit perfectly with this set, and it seems clear from the cards that Rangers may be a specific benefit.

I think two boxes per book is likely, but not certain. It could easily be three. One dealing with the journey over the misty mountains, the other with Lothlorien, Anduin etc. The second fellowship book has so many individual adventures.

New Legolas and Gimli next box? Yes! Maybe Anduril too for Aragorn? A new Gandalf ally or even hero? Galadriel for certain. There is a lot to be excited about. It will be so good to play these adventures accurately, with the full fellowship.

Do people think they will do a cycle inbetween saga instalments, like they did with the hobbit? I.e one per year? I think that would be a good idea personally.

Anyway, brainstorm over.

P.s campaign mode sounds amazing. Imagine playing through the entire story, with previous performance or decisions affecting later quests. The Boons and Burdens sound interesting. It's clear the Burdens are for the encounter deck, but imagine at some point if the game forced you to put bad cards in your own deck? That would be an interesting mechanic.

Seems there are some new keywords in this set too - hide and peril. Can't wait to find out more as the release gets closer.

The boons and burdens seem to me to be a much neater, and more nuanced way of doing a campaign mode than the treasures. This looks to be really epic! Can't wait for it! And with the new easy mode, it will be possible to make it through at first with a slightly easier going game, then work up to take on the full power (which I think the Hobbit boxes would really benefit from). All too good!

Compaign mode is amazing. i love idea. and thanks Eru it will no easy. since we have easy mode there……

Grant it, they'll be a long time until all the saga expansions are complete, but it will be an absolute blast to sit down for the day and just play the whole way through

So I just re-read through the announcement. I'm taking it Burdens get shuffled into the player deck as well as Boons? Seems like a very nice idea!

spalanzani said:

Seems they go into the encounter deck.

Words can not express how excited I am.

FOUR Hobbit heroes? Hobbit trait support on nearly every card? In sphere threat reduction and card draw for hobbits?

I think my head is going to explode when I open the box the first time.

hi ! im an italian player, kinda new in this forum….great news today for us…and im just thinking about a Spirit version of Aragorn… it will fit with the character in this first part of the book…..

One thing I thought of today is if we are getting 4 hobbit heroes in black riders, one would think it makes sense to have 1 for each sphere…but what hobbit could possibly be tactics!! Even leadership is a bit of a stretch but I suppose bilbo could fit that mold if they remade him. Still would be odd to see someone like pippin or merry as a tactics character (especially before their Gondor/Rohan affiliations) it would also be a shame tho if they leave out tactics from the box all together (none of the spoiled cards were tactics anyway). Will be interesting to see how they do that

That's true, tactics will be hard to fit in with the hobbits. They might not have any of the hobbit heroes as tactics, but maybe give tactics a few extra player cards? And whoever said that Rosie might be a hero, I agree. It would be a bit hard, but none of the hobbits were real fighters anyway. I can see her being a low stat hero but having a really good ability. (Well, now that I think about it, that's how most of the hobbits are…) How do you think they'll make Sam? Any thoughts on what his stats/ability will be?

legolas18 said:

Completely random guess on Sam:

Sphere: Spirit

3 will power

1 atk/def

2 HP

logic: Sam was nothing if not extremely loyal Frodo and their quest to destroy the ring. Even in the worst of cirucmstances he followed through with what needed done (even if he may have complained a bit a long the way) for this reason i'm giving him 3 will power and garbage for the rest of his stats

Ability: not even worth a specific guess because its not like id be correct, but thematically it would make sense if he did something to boost or even just assist other characters

Pharmboys2013 said:

I don't think there will be four hobbits. Gildor makes sense as the fourth hero, but then he doesn't fit into the tactics sphere either (but better than any hobbit does). Anayway, I love hobbits, but I hope that we get at least one non-hobbit hero in this expansion.

In addition to the new Frodo Baggins, The Black Riders delivers four other Hobbit heroes and thirty-three new player cards.

Pharmboys2013 said:

Great news, I think the thematics are well implemented into the mechanics, love it, well done by the designers.

Which 4 hobbits will there be? Sam, Mery, Pippen and??

My opinion is we'll see Sam, Merry, Pippin and Fatty (or Bilbo)

Pharmboys2013 said:

They could do Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took as a tactics hobbit…

But i see some difficulty on the tactics sphere for hobbits…

My guesses are (as sais earlier)

Merry, Sam, Fatty and Hamfast or Bandobras Took

haven't really seen anyone else asides from myself anticipate that Bilbo would be one of the hobbit heroes…

does no one else really think theres a chance we'll see him?? We havent had a true playable version of the most famous of hobbits since the first AP pack. I know the over hill and under hill as well as on the doorstep were bilbo focused but i dont think that will matter much; besides by the time this comes out it will likely have been over a year since the first hobbit box came out.

Interesting point is that you do not lose the game when Frodo leaves play, but when the One RIng leaves play. Could some of the other hobbit heroes have the ring-bearer keyword?

I also find interesting the fact that The One Ring is an objective card but it does not have any encounter icon. I guess this could mean that the ring carries over to the other scenarios in the other saga packs?

Jeah!

Frodo and 4 hobbit heroes… Hmm… Sam, Pippin and Merry… Maybe Fatty Bolger as an fourth, But I likes the Rosy idea. "What! You think that you can go to see all those fancy town and dress shops out there and leave me to the Shire. Shame you Sam Gamwais! I will come too!" :-) She would have the spirit of adventurer, more than Fatty.

Allso Lobelia would have spirit of adventurer, but I expect to see her as an enemy ;-) so not likely candidate… But she would be a heck of fighter an her own. Smashing all those enemies with her deadle umbrella! She could scare faint hearted enemies with her pure staring!

It is pity if they don't include old forest and Barrow downs, but they are the easiest part to cut of… again… Later it is harder. I think that they will consentrate the journey of the ring, so no Rohan and very little Minas Tirith in this saga. This will be the journey of Frodo.

1. WoTR saga: From Hobitton to the Bree, From Bree to the Weathertop, From Weathertop to the Rivendel

2. WoTR saga: From Rivendel to the Moria and Bridge!, From the outdoors of Moria to Lorien. From Lorien to the Falls of Raurors.

3. WoTR saga: From Rauros to Death marshes and to the Door, Ithilien; Minas Ithill and Ungoliath lair, Mordor; (rescue Frodo?, The way to the Mount Doom, Mount Doom and Gollums last effort?)

It is possible to have more, but these are likely and because the Frodo is the hero, the War in Rohan, Ents, Fangorn And Minash Tirith and Army of the Death are leaved to other expansions… Of couse it would nice to see what would have happened if Fellowship would have followed the hope of Boromir and try to go to Minash Tirith instead of Mordor, but it is very unlikely to happen…

Other speculations:

Tactic hobbit: First candidate: Merry… He killed the Witch King with Eovyn… Second candidate: Lobelia, no need to explain ;-)

Lore hobit: Sam: healing and fierce defending. Fatty Bolger, don't know why…

Spirit hobbit: Pippin: Counter moves…

Leadership Hobbit: Rosa: Natural leader who gets other to do her fight. Lobelia: She has the will and means to make other to do her bidiings. Strong willed women indeed!

Samwise Gamgee said:

I would think this would be a safe assumption. Not right away perhaps, but at some point in the Saga packs of the Ring Cycle, my guess is that we will see at least Sam and Bilbo as characters with a "ring bearer" trait. Shoot, perhaps even a Smeagol/Gollum version?

Hannibal_pjv said:

The article states we'll be seeing the other adventures as well:

The Black Riders recreates a selection of dramatic event as told in the first half of J.R.R Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. It is the first of a series of Saga expansions that eventually will allow players to replay Frodo's epic journey from the Shire to Mount Doom, as well the dramatic events experienced by other members of the Fellowship.

So we may well get some Entish action, Rohan, and Minas Tirith

mmmm….i have to say, now that the initial excitment has lessened a little (but not much) im am incredibly dissapointed that barrow downs and old forest isnt in there. to me those chapters are the first book of the fellowship….ive always maintained the beauty of the lord of the rings isnt in the great battles, but in the little adventures.

oh well

perhaps this is becuase we have an old forest and barrow downs pack coming in future cycles?