Hello all, this is my first card game. Found this one after spending some time with the X Wing miniatures game.

My first playthrough (solo) was the standard Leadership deck and Passage through Mirkwood. Leadership is tough to quest with. At one point I was about to get 6 progress tokens on the quest but I pulled a treachery card that dealt 1 damage to each hero and ally. This killed 2 heros and an ally so I ended up with 1 progress token. This killed my chances as Aragon by himself wasn't enough to quest. I had several rounds in a row where I drew location cards so the enemy quest value was about 8. So for about 4 rounds in a row I had nobody to fight and didn't have nearly enough quest points to progress, even with getting a few allies on the table. I eventually lost when my dial hit 50. I enjoyed the playthrough though.

A few rules clarifications:

Son of Arnor's ability can't attack an enemy engaged with you already right? That enemy is not attacking someone else and is not in the staging area...

Forest spider only gets the +1 attack during the round he engages right? If he is still alive in the next round he doesn't still get the bonus.

For sneak attack, the ally I deploy attacks but survives the round. So he goes back in my hand. Do I just discard any damage he suffered? If so it sounds like a good card to absorb some hits.

At one point I pulled a treachery card that said I couldn't refresh a hero at the end of the round. Does an exhausted hero still get a resource token during the first phase of the next round? I gave him one.

Thanks for the help!

I don't really understand the son of arnor question. His ability doesn't attack anyone. You can use arnor to attack a currently engaged enemy during combat phase. When Son of arnor enters play you could have an enemy in the staging area immediately engage you maybe to not count its threat for questing or use it to take an enemy off your partners hands. Engage and Attack are 2 different things.

After an enemy engages you then yes it is already engaged for all other rounds unless it went back to staging area somehow and reengaged you. So he does not get bonus next round.

Yes he would go back to your hand a card in your hand has no memory its brand new. Im wondering if he attacked how he got damage though.

Yes exhausted heros still get resources.

I don't really understand the son of arnor question. His ability doesn't attack anyone. You can use arnor to attack a currently engaged enemy during combat phase. When Son of arnor enters play you could have an enemy in the staging area immediately engage you maybe to not count its threat for questing or use it to take an enemy off your partners hands. Engage and Attack are 2 different things.

After an enemy engages you then yes it is already engaged for all other rounds unless it went back to staging area somehow and reengaged you. So he does not get bonus next round.

Yes he would go back to your hand a card in your hand has no memory its brand new. Im wondering if he attacked how he got damage though.

Yes exhausted heros still get resources.

I don't really understand the son of arnor question. His ability doesn't attack anyone. You can use arnor to attack a currently engaged enemy during combat phase. When Son of arnor enters play you could have an enemy in the staging area immediately engage you maybe to not count its threat for questing or use it to take an enemy off your partners hands. Engage and Attack are 2 different things.

After an enemy engages you then yes it is already engaged for all other rounds unless it went back to staging area somehow and reengaged you. So he does not get bonus next round.

Yes he would go back to your hand a card in your hand has no memory its brand new. Im wondering if he attacked how he got damage though.

Yes exhausted heros still get resources.

Thanks for the answers. For Son of Arnor I meant engage...sorry, I played last night and don't remember the exact wording of the card. Thanks for the explanation, I get its intended use now.

Maybe I used the sneak attack ally wrong....I thought I could place him down at the beginning of the combat phase and since the enemy always attacks first, the ally could take the damage. Then I could attack with my heros/allys and then the ally would return to my hand. Does sneak attack only put the ally out after you have defended but before you attack?

Oh, one last question too....i put steward of Gondor on Aragorn. So each round, I can exhaust the card to get two resources. Then at the end of the round the card refreshes and I can use it again right? So essentially each round I can get two additional resources out of that card.

Also, can you place two of the same attachment on one hero? I pulled another steward of gondor when I only had aragorn left so could I have placed the second one on him too and gotten 4 additional resource tokens per round? I think the rules said only two attachments per hero but it didn't say they couldn't be identical?

I also fielded two Faramir's at once...I assume that is okay too since there are multiples in the deck.

no you played it correctly I just thought you used the ally to both defend and attack.

Yes all your cards refresh during refresh phase so yea that hero would generate 3 resources per round.

Steward of Gondor has the unique symbol just like your heros which means there can only ever be one in play at a time. Otherwise a hero can have multiple attachments unless its a restriced item then only 2 of those can be attached on a hero.

i think faramir is also unique but you could have 3 sons of arnor on the field if you wanted

okay, the "unique" symbol makes sense, I will look out for that.

Thanks again for all the help! Fun game but it sure can be confusing at first. I should also note that I didn't do Shadow Cards or I would have been beaten probably in round 2 or so, haha.

Hello all, this is my first card game. Found this one after spending some time with the X Wing miniatures game.

My first playthrough (solo) was the standard Leadership deck and Passage through Mirkwood. Leadership is tough to quest with. At one point I was about to get 6 progress tokens on the quest but I pulled a treachery card that dealt 1 damage to each hero and ally. This killed 2 heros and an ally so I ended up with 1 progress token. This killed my chances as Aragon by himself wasn't enough to quest. I had several rounds in a row where I drew location cards so the enemy quest value was about 8. So for about 4 rounds in a row I had nobody to fight and didn't have nearly enough quest points to progress, even with getting a few allies on the table. I eventually lost when my dial hit 50. I enjoyed the playthrough though.

A few rules clarifications:

Son of Arnor's ability can't attack an enemy engaged with you already right? That enemy is not attacking someone else and is not in the staging area...

Forest spider only gets the +1 attack during the round he engages right? If he is still alive in the next round he doesn't still get the bonus.

For sneak attack, the ally I deploy attacks but survives the round. So he goes back in my hand. Do I just discard any damage he suffered? If so it sounds like a good card to absorb some hits.

At one point I pulled a treachery card that said I couldn't refresh a hero at the end of the round. Does an exhausted hero still get a resource token during the first phase of the next round? I gave him one.

Thanks for the help!

The forest spider only gets his bonus for the first round(the round he engages you), correct.

When an ally is returned to your hand after using the "sneak attack" effect the damage is removed, so it does make for a good defensive option. I like to use it with Gandalf, even though his ability wont work because "sneak attack" does not qualify as a trigger for his effect, his willpower or attack are still useful for that phase. Remember the ally will only stay in play until the END of the PHASE, then returns to your hand. If it is the combat phase then the ally will stay in play until ALL attacks have been resolved.

I use a leadership/lore deck and have had sneak attack in my deck since I created it.

Red=Edits

I like to use it with Gandalf, even though his ability wont work because "sneak attack" does not qualify as a trigger for his effect, his willpower or attack are still useful for that phase.

The "into play" effects on card that are put into play temporarily from sneak attack DO trigger. So if you sneak attack Gandalf you cna drop threat by 5, or draw 3 cards, or wound a single target for 4.

Son of Arnor's ability can't attack an enemy engaged with you already right? That enemy is not attacking someone else and is not in the staging area...

No, it has little use in solo player, though some mobs sit in the staging area and their text says they can not be enganged, so it dose work then. It is mainly for pulling agro away fomr your questing partner in multiplayer.

All it dose is instantly engage a monster that is in the stagin area. It dose NOT start a imediate combat, you still only do the normal combat round as you always do. Also, almost all player effcts are "MAY" effects, so you can choose not to active the ability if you want... and you can cast him even if there is no target for the ability.. the trigger fizzles but the card still comes into play as a norma lally.

It is worth noting that Sneak Attack and other "into play" effects that may allow you to play this card at action speed can pull the mob out of the staging area BEFORE quest progress tokens are placed, as there is a action window after all the staging area cards are revealed.

Forest spider only gets the +1 attack during the round he engages right? If he is still alive in the next round he doesn't still get the bonus.

Any round it enganges. If for any reason it moves to a new player, or bounces to the staging area and enganges again, the trigger will again go off. Still in 99% of the cases you are right.. it only gets the plus on on the same round that it engages a player.

For sneak attack, the ally I deploy attacks but survives the round. So he goes back in my hand. Do I just discard any damage he suffered? If so it sounds like a good card to absorb some hits.

Yes, all tokens and attachments are discarded ifthe card leaves play. This includes the hand.

At one point I pulled a treachery card that said I couldn't refresh a hero at the end of the round. Does an exhausted hero still get a resource token during the first phase of the next round? I gave him one.

If you mean "caught in the web" then yes.. you still get resources. It only stops you readying. There are cards that do this though.. and they SAY it on the card...

Thanks for pointing out that Gandalf's ability still works with sneak attack. I was not interpreting the rule correctly. I thought you could only trigger his effect by playing him from your hand using resources. This will help me out in my search for Gollum!

Thanks for pointing out that Gandalf's ability still works with sneak attack. I was not interpreting the rule correctly. I thought you could only trigger his effect by playing him from your hand using resources. This will help me out in my search for Gollum!

(1.16) The phrase “put into play” If a card effect uses the phrase “put into play,” it means that the card enters play through a card effect instead of through the normal process of paying resources and playing the card from hand. “Put into play” effects are not considered to be playing the card, and will not trigger any effects that refer to a card being played. “Put into play” will, however, trigger any effects that occur when a card “enters play”.

Example: The quest Through the Caverns (CORE 124) has the text, “The players, as a group, cannot play more than one ally card each round.” While this quest is active, a player can put an ally into play with Stand and Fight (CORE 51), even if an ally has already been played this round.

Don't worry, the "Sneak Gandalf" combo sounded too good to be true so that many players thought that his effects would not trigger.

Welcome to the game, mewmartigan! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to come here to the forums. The game will get easier as you learn how to build multi-sphere decks and if you buy adventure packs and expansions to increase your card pool.

Thanks Olorin93. I've gotten a few more games under my belt.

Found out I was playing "threat" levels wrong...I was counting cards in the threat level that were engaged in addition to the staging area. This made it very hard to quest!

I was able to beat the scenario with the pre-built tactics deck and not using shadow cards. Then I got destroyed in 3 rounds with the Sprirt deck, using shadow cards.

Last night I took on the same scenario with the Leadership/Lore deck from the Hall of Beorn/ Beorn's Path guide. I was able to beat it will all proper rules and such applied.

I didn't realize until last night that "event" cards don't need to be played during the planning phase...they can come out as actions and apparently never sit on the table. I thought the planning phase was the only time to get them down and pay resources for them, but then you could activate them at any time. I think the example in Beorn's Path was using Radagast's Cunning right before resolving the Quest/Threat points in order to come out on top instead of down by 1.

On last thing....in the "chosen path" of Mirkwood I pulled the path where you must defeat Ungoliath's Spawn. I had already defeated him earlier in the game when he came out. Does the game end there? I pulled him out as my spider draw according to the quest and was able to beat him again for practice but I don't know if that was necessary....

Great game, love it!

At one point I pulled a treachery card that said I couldn't refresh a hero at the end of the round. Does an exhausted hero still get a resource token during the first phase of the next round? I gave him one.

If you mean "caught in the web" then yes.. you still get resources. It only stops you readying. There are cards that do this though.. and they SAY it on the card...

Thanks for the info on the attachment cards. THere are soooo many cards I haven't seen yet since I have only been playing the first Mirkwood scenario.

I didn't realize until last night that "event" cards don't need to be played during the planning phase...they can come out as actions and apparently never sit on the table. I thought the planning phase was the only time to get them down and pay resources for them, but then you could activate them at any time. I think the example in Beorn's Path was using Radagast's Cunning right before resolving the Quest/Threat points in order to come out on top instead of down by 1.

Yeah, think of events as spells. Something you cast and then it is gone. There are cards that act like you describe, but they need to be on the table.. like a attachment or a action ability on a ally. To put it simply a event is just card that allows you to play effects with out a permanent in play.

Events are NOT effects. If you look at any card, including a event, you can see that there is a timing window keyword.. like Action, Response, etc etc. This NOT the fact it is an event card determines when you can cast it. At the back of the manual there is a chart of green and red bars that decide up the turn phases. The green bars are ACTION WINDOWS and you can only play action IN that window. Meanwhile there is also some events with "response" these do not need a action window and can be played at any time the trigger occurs. Also recently they have added things like "Travel Action" that restricts witch action window the event can be cast (opposed to all actions windows)

A good example is ....

Both these are events, but one is a response and one is a action. Test of Will allows you to cancel a when revealed effect on a card. Note that this is a response... as in the instant the trigger when it occurs (a when reveled card is drawn) the card can be cast.. OUTSIDE the action window. Tomb is a action, and allows you to put a spirit card from the graveyard to your hand...

Why is this a good example? Well.. if you look at the chart you can see the action window only opens at the END of the staging step, after all the cards are revealed. So if you had a tomb in hand and not a test of will, as tomb is a action, you can not cast it, retrieve a test of will and then cast that to stop a when reveled effect, as there is no action window to cast tomb before the effect resolves.

This is why Elenor's ability is a response.

This other attachment is a action.. another common mistake is using UC to untap Elenor, and then tapping her to cancel a when revealed.. this again doesn't work as UC used the action window.

On last thing....in the "chosen path" of Mirkwood I pulled the path where you must defeat Ungoliath's Spawn. I had already defeated him earlier in the game when he came out. Does the game end there? I pulled him out as my spider draw according to the quest and was able to beat him again for practice but I don't know if that was necessary....

The path "Don't Leave the Path" says you may search wither the deck or discard for a spider. BUT it also says you HAVE to "find and defeat" Ungoliant Spawn to pass this card.. so yes.. you HAVE to have one player choose Ungoliant if it is in the discard, or you will need to cycle the entire deck. If he is in the deck still, you can not get him and just dig him out if you wish.. but in most cases one player should pick him,

The other path says you can not defeat the stage while it is in play... this means that you do no need to find him and fight him again. BUT if he dose turn up you must kill him before you move on.

This other attachment is a action.. another common mistake is using UC to untap Elenor, and then tapping her to cancel a when revealed.. this again doesn't work as UC used the action window.

Thanks for the detailed response. In your example above with UC and Eleanor....does that mean that each player can only take one action per action window? Or are you just saying that Eleanor can't be exhausted again because she can only exhaust "when revealed" and the treachery card had already "been revealed" before the action window you used UC?

Son of Arnor's ability can't attack an enemy engaged with you already right? That enemy is not attacking someone else and is not in the staging area...

No, it has little use in solo player, though some mobs sit in the staging area and their text says they can not be enganged, so it dose work then.

It doesn't work, because "cannot" beats everything. Or was there any official ruling changing it?

I have just gotten the game myself and have been through a few games and find it helpful for the first few to open the rule book up to the back. There is a phase by phase color coded walk down and shows you exactly in each phase where the action window opens. It really is a great thing to have and has saved me from doing something wrong several times. I just stole my wifes cook book holder and stand it up on that. Works like a charm..lol.

Son of Arnor's ability can't attack an enemy engaged with you already right? That enemy is not attacking someone else and is not in the staging area...

No, it has little use in solo player, though some mobs sit in the staging area and their text says they can not be enganged, so it dose work then.

It doesn't work, because "cannot" beats everything. Or was there any official ruling changing it?

No you are correct, Cannot is a absolute term, mainly used for things like "cannot play events" on travelled locations or "cannot have attachments" and stuff....

But there is also a "cannot" about optionally engaging... many cannot's uses very specific rule text.. like Goblin Sniper, Goblin Archer, Goblin Scout and Daughter Of Beruthiel for example. These have "cannot optionally engage".. but you can use Son of Anor to draw it form the staging area. While other Cards like Blog or Smaug the Golden also have text that makes engangment compleatly impossible

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In your example above with UC and Eleanor....does that mean that each player can only take one action per action window? Or are you just saying that Eleanor can't be exhausted again because she can only exhaust "when revealed" and the treachery card had already "been revealed" before the action window you used UC?

You can take as many action between as many players as you like as long as it is in a action window.

I am saying that "When Revealed" effects occur instantly "when they are revealed"... in the case of the staging step, the action window is right at the end after ALL the cards are revealed. There is no action step between each card, only at the end after all of them are revealed.

Say you are playing a 1 player game and you have a UC on Elenore. You quest, you draw 1 encounter card and it is a treachery, you tap elenore to cancel it and now replace it with the next card that is also a treachery. You can not tap UC and then tap Elenore again to cancel that second treachery, as US is at action speed.

Here is an example of a response card to things going into the staging area