The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth Game Rules

Greetings, fellow adventurers! Today, I want to talk to you about the incredible game called “The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth.” Now, this game is an absolute gem that will transport you to the enchanting world of Middle-earth. The goal of this game is to embark on epic quests, uncover hidden treasures, and save the land from the forces of evil. Sounds amazing, right? Well, hold on tight, because I’m about to take you on a journey through the game’s rules and mechanics.

First things first, let’s talk about the game setup. When you start a game of Journeys in Middle-earth, you’ll need to gather your party of heroes. These heroes come from various races and classes, each with their own unique abilities and skills. Choose wisely, for the fate of Middle-earth rests upon your shoulders!

Once you’ve assembled your heroic party, it’s time to venture into the land of Middle-earth. The game board is divided into different regions, each filled with dangers and secrets waiting to be discovered. As you explore these regions, you’ll encounter challenges and enemies that stand in your way. But fear not, for your heroes are not alone in this quest. Together, you’ll face these obstacles head-on and emerge victorious!

Now, let’s talk about combat. Battles in Journeys in Middle-earth are fought using a clever dice system. Each hero has their own set of dice, representing their unique abilities. When you engage in combat, you’ll roll these dice to determine the outcome of your attacks and defenses. It’s a thrilling and strategic experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

As you progress through the game, you’ll also have the opportunity to upgrade your heroes with new skills and equipment. This allows you to tailor your heroes to your preferred playstyle and enhances their abilities in battle. It’s important to carefully choose your upgrades, as they can make all the difference in your journey.

But Journeys in Middle-earth is not just about combat. It is a game that weaves an intricate narrative, filled with choices and consequences. Throughout your journey, you’ll encounter branching storylines and make decisions that shape the course of the game. This adds a layer of depth and immersion that truly makes the game come alive.

So, my fellow adventurers, if you’re looking for a game that combines thrilling combat, immersive storytelling, and the rich world of Middle-earth, then “The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth” is the perfect game for you. Gather your allies, embark on epic quests, and become the heroes that Middle-earth needs. Are you ready? Let the journey begin!

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth is not just any ordinary game. It’s a game where you and your friends can team up to take on bold and daring quests in a fantastical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien.

As you embark on these incredible journeys, you’ll face all sorts of challenges. Powerful enemies will try to stand in your way, but you won’t let that stop you. You’ll uncover hidden treasures and learn forgotten knowledge that will aid you on your adventure. And as you progress, you’ll get to personalize your skills to fit your role in the group.

But it’s not all fun and games. Darkness is spreading throughout Middle-earth, and evil forces are uniting to bring chaos and corruption. It’s up to you and your fellow heroes to stand against this darkness and start your own quest to restore peace.

Each game of The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth is part of a grander campaign. In each adventure, you and your friends must work together to complete a series of tasks before the darkness overwhelms you. It’s a thrilling and epic journey that will test your courage and teamwork.

When I go on an adventure, whether I succeed or fail, I always end up growing as a hero. Each adventure is like a chapter in a bigger story, and as I complete more and more of them, the story of our campaign unfolds. Eventually, after going through a series of thrilling quests, we reach a moment of great tension and excitement. This is the climactic conclusion of our campaign, where everything comes together and the party of heroes either triumphs or fails.

The key elements

• You’ll get 22 Journey Map Tiles
• I’ll include 2 Battle Map Tiles
• Your set will come with 31 Plastic Figures
• There are 83 Item Cards in total
• I’ve included 15 Boon Cards for you
• Get ready for the 28 Fear Cards
• You’ll also get 28 Damage Cards
• Don’t forget the 10 Terrain Cards
• There are 30 Basic Skill Cards included
• You can count on getting 30 Hero Skill Cards
• Don’t worry, I’ve got 72 Role Skill Cards for you
• Protect yourself with 20 Weakness Skill Cards
• And give yourself a boost with 21 Title Skill Cards
• Get to know the 6 Hero Cards in your set
• Keep track of terrain with 3 Pit/Mist Terrain Tokens
• Use 4 Barrels/Table Terrain Tokens for added fun
• Enjoy the 4 Fire Pit/Statue Terrain Tokens
• You’ll also receive 10 Stream/Wall Terrain Tokens
• Don’t miss the 9 Bush/Boulder Terrain Tokens
• Dress up your enemies with 12 Enemy Banners and Plastic Stands
• Keep track of progress with 20 Search/Threat Tokens
• Stay inspired with 30 Inspiration/Exploration Tokens
• Let your characters shine with 8 Person Tokens
• Embrace the darkness with 5 Darkness Tokens
• And don’t worry – the rules are included in the 1 Rules Reference

The App

When you play The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth, one of the players needs to get the free Journeys in Middle-earth app on a device that works with it.

The app is what decides what challenges the heroes face in the game, like where to place the tiles and tokens, and how the enemy acts. It lets the heroes save their campaign, so they can finish it over a few different gaming sessions. To get the app, just search for Journeys in Middle-earth on the Amazon Appstore, Apple iOS App Store, Google Play, or Steam.

The First Campaign Setup

To start their first campaign in Journeys in Middle-earth, players need to follow the steps we show in this section.

Selecting Campaign and Difficulty: To start playing, simply tap on the “New Game” button located on the app’s title screen. The app will then guide you through a series of screens where you can choose a campaign, a difficulty level, and a save slot. I recommend going for the “Bones of Arnor” campaign and selecting the “Normal” difficulty.

Creating a Party and Choosing Heroes: Each player gets to choose a hero in the app. Once you’ve made your selection, you’ll receive the corresponding hero figure and hero card. Place them in your play area. These heroes will be your companions throughout the entire campaign, which consists of multiple adventures. If you’re playing alone, you can control two heroes.

Beravor’s Startinn Items, Figure, and Hero Card

Damage, Fear, and Weakness Decks

Tokens in Supply

Did you know that in this game, you can choose from different characters, each with their own unique abilities and roles? Let me introduce them to you:

– Aragorn: The Captain

– Beravor: The Pathfinder

– Bilbo: The Burglar

– Elena: The Musician

– Gimli: The Guardian

– Legolas: The Hunter

These characters have specific roles that they play in the game. It’s important to understand what each role entails, so you can make the best choice for your gameplay style. Let me break it down for you:

– The Burglar: This character is adept at evading enemies and can take care of themselves.

– The Captain: As the name suggests, this character helps the party prepare for any situation.

– The Guardian: This character excels at protecting others and has strong defensive abilities.

– The Hunter: This character is all about dealing heavy damage to enemies.

– The Musician: If you like inspiration, this character is for you. They can inspire others to succeed in their tasks.

– The Pathfinder: This character helps the party move quickly, making it easier to navigate the game world.

With these character options and their unique roles, you’ll have plenty of choices to suit your playstyle. So, who will you choose?

When it comes to playing the game, it’s important to understand the different skill cards you’ll need. In this game, there are several types of skill cards that you can use to enhance your abilities. Let me break them down for you:

First, you’ll need one copy of each skill card numbered 1-6 that has the word “Basic” on the bottom. These cards provide a solid foundation for your gameplay.

Next, you’ll want to gather the skill cards numbered 1-5 that have the name of your chosen hero on the bottom. These cards are specific to your hero and will help you showcase their unique strengths and abilities.

Additionally, you’ll need the skill cards numbered 1-3 that have your hero’s role on the bottom. You can easily identify these cards by their green text boxes. These cards will further enhance your hero’s role-specific skills.

To add a bit of challenge to the game, include one weakness card from the top of the weakness deck. This card will test your strategic thinking and add an element of unpredictability to the game.

Now, let’s talk about a specific example. If you choose the Pathfinder role for Beravor, her skill deck will consist of Basic 1-6, Beravor 1-5, Pathfinder 1-3, and one random weakness card. This combination of cards will allow Beravor to excel in her role as a Pathfinder, exploring uncharted territories and blazing new trails.

To visually represent Beravor’s role as a Pathfinder, you can place the card named “Trailblazer” below her hero card. This will serve as a reminder of her unique abilities and help you stay focused on her role in the game.

Remember, the right combination of skill cards is crucial for your success in the game. By understanding and utilizing the different types of skill cards available to you, you’ll be able to strategize effectively and overcome any challenges that come your way. So gather your cards, choose your hero, and embark on an epic adventure in The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth!

Code on Map Tile

Game Play

When I play Journeys in Middle-earth, I go through a series of rounds. Each round has three steps that I need to follow. Here’s how it goes:

1. Action Phase: In this step, I get to move my heroes around the map, interact with the world, and attack enemies.
2. Shadow Phase: In this step, the enemies make their move and attack my heroes. It’s also when other dark threats become stronger.
3. Rally Phase: In this step, my heroes get ready for the next round.

After I finish each step, a new round starts with the action phase again. I keep going through the rounds like this until the adventure comes to an end.

I. Action Phase

When I’m in the heat of the action, it’s my turn to shine. I get to search, fight, and explore the magical lands of Middle-earth. I have the freedom to decide the order in which I take my turns, and it can even change from round to round!

When it’s my turn, I can choose two actions to take. I can do the same action twice if I want. Here are the actions I can choose from:

• Travel
• Attack
• Interact

After all heroes have had their turn, you can tap the hourglass button in the bottom-right corner of the app screen to move on to the shadow phase.

Travel Action

The travel action lets a hero move around the game map. The map is made up of tiles, each with one or more spaces. A space is a section of gray borders on the board. Spaces that share a gray border are next to each other.

When I’m playing a hero in this game, I have a special move called a travel action. It allows me to move twice. Each time I move, I can go to a space that’s right next to me.

I can use this move to make Legolas go two spaces to the left.

If I want to, I can pause in the middle of my two moves and do another action. For example, I can move one space, do my second action, and then move one more space.

Going on an Adventure

When I’m on a journey map, I notice that each tile has a special spot where I can put an exploration token. The app shows me where to put it. If I see a tile with an exploration token on it, I know it hasn’t been explored yet. So, when I move onto an unexplored tile, I have to explore it right away.

To explore a tile, I just need to choose the right exploration token in the app and then press “Confirm.” The app tells me to get rid of the exploration token and gives me one inspiration as a reward. I can easily flip the token and place it on my hero card. I’ll learn more about inspiration later.

Exploring a tile doesn’t require any extra effort from me. It’s simply what happens when I step onto a tile with an exploration token.

So, I’m Legolas, and I just stepped into a new area. Now it’s time to explore!

First, I have to discard the exploration token. Then, as a reward, I gain one inspiration point. I’ll keep that on my hero card.

Time for an Attack

The attack action is pretty important. It lets us heroes fight against enemy groups and try to remove them from the map. An enemy group is a bunch of plastic figures that move and attack together. Each group has its own portrait in the app, so we know who we’re up against.

When you’re about to engage in battle, you need to choose the right item to attack with. Make sure the item you select has a stat icon in the upper-left corner of the card:

When I’m playing as the hero, I have to make a decision about which enemy group to focus on. I have to take into account the distance between the enemy group and myself. If an enemy group is in the same space as me, then they are definitely in range. But even if they are in an adjacent space, they can still be in range if I’m using an item card with the ranged icon in the upper-right corner. It’s important to choose the right enemy group to attack and understand the consequences of my decision. If I don’t choose carefully, it could be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it could elevate my chances of success if I defeat the enemy group. On the other hand, it could regenerate a response from the enemy group that I didn’t anticipate. So, before making my move, I have to consider all these factors and choose wisely!

When I’m playing the game, the first thing I do is choose an item and an enemy group. Then, I have to test my attack skills against that group to see if I can defeat them.

Let’s Interact!

During the game, there are different points of interest on the map. You can easily spot them because they have search, person, or threat tokens. Interacting with these tokens is really important because it helps you move forward in the adventure. By interacting, you can find items, gain experience, and deal with any threats that might come your way.

If I find myself next to one of these little pictures, I can do something cool. I just have to tap on the picture and then tap the button with the picture of the hand. This is called an interact action. When I do an interact action, the app will tell me what to do next. And then I can keep playing my turn.

A hero can use an interact action to search for something in the game. That’s what these little pictures are called, search tokens. They’re like little surprises waiting for me to find them.

Here’s a picture of a hero finding something. See how they’re using their interact action to search the search token? It’s like they’re saying, “Hey, what’s in here? Let me check it out!” And then they get to see what’s inside.

When I look at the tokens in the app, I can inspect them. That means I can take a closer look and see what they’re all about. It’s like zooming in on a picture to see all the small details.

I can’t wait to find these tokens and see what’s inside. It’s like a treasure hunt in the game!

Hey there! Did you know that you can check out the tokens in the app whenever you want? Just select them and read their text, which will tell you what the tokens represent. It’s pretty cool!

And don’t worry, checking out the tokens is not an action. If you want to close the token’s description, simply select the “Cancel” button.

However, things get a little different if you select the button with the icon in front of it. That means you’re actually performing an interact action and you need to meet certain requirements to do so. Oh, and one more thing, when you’re inspecting an exploration token, make sure not to select the “Confirm” button unless your hero is actually exploring that token.

Adding Map Tiles

The app tells me where to put new map tiles once certain things happen, like when I explore or fight enemies. They give me a code to follow, so I know where to place the tile on the map.

During the shadow phase, the bad guys get a chance to strike back and make it harder for the heroes to win. The app guides us through a few steps to deal with this:

– First, the enemies get to make a move.

– Then, the darkness spreads, making it harder for us to see.

– Finally, the bad guys try to cause trouble.

Once we’re done with the shadow phase, we move on to the rally phase.

Now let’s talk about what happens in the enemy activation step.

When it’s time for the enemy to take their turn, they try to move closer to their target and attack. In the app, the target is chosen for each enemy group:

So here’s how it goes: the bad guys, who we call the enemy group, make their move toward the hero they want to attack. They try to take the shortest path possible, moving up to the number of spaces indicated. And guess what? They stop when they get close enough to their target. Now, what’s close enough? Well, if the enemy is in the same space as the hero, or in a nearby space with a special ranged icon, then they’re in range.

But here’s the thing: if the enemy group can’t get to their main target, they’ll settle for the next best thing – another hero who’s within range. And if there’s more than one hero who fits the bill, the heroes themselves get to decide which one becomes the new target. They have the power!

Now, when the enemy group does manage to get in range of a target – whether it’s the main one or a substitute – you know what happens? The attack button lights up and something important pops up on the screen. It shows you how much damage the hero might take () and how scared they might get (). That’s pretty intense, right?

So, here’s the deal. If the bad guys can’t reach any of us heroes, they basically say “screw it” and press the “No Target” button. This means they get a new order telling them to move closer to one of us.

The Orc group has been given a command: “Move 1: Attack Legolas (or the closest hero).” But here’s the thing – it can’t actually reach Legolas to attack him. So what does it do? It moves towards Gimli instead and attacks him.

The Dark Hour

When darkness falls, a wave of fear washes over the heroes. This happens during certain parts of the adventure, not all the time. Only when the app tells them to, the heroes face this challenge.

A hero finds themselves in darkness if any of the following three conditions are met:

When you find yourself in a room with a symbol of darkness, it might make you feel a little uneasy.

To deal with this unsettling situation, each hero who is present in the dark room will experience a certain amount of fear, as indicated by the app. The unpleasant sensation of fear is explained on page 12.

Gimli and Legolas both feel a lot of fear when the darkness arrives. This happens because they are in places that have a symbol of darkness.

Threat Step

As time goes on, Middle-earth becomes more dangerous for the heroes. During the threat step, the level of danger increases and events related to the danger may occur.

The level of danger is shown by a bar at the top of the app screen. The bar fills up as the danger increases. When the danger reaches a certain point, an event related to the danger happens in the app. The heroes have to follow the instructions given to them in order to resolve the event.

Each point on the bar has a number that shows how much danger is needed for that point to activate. If the bar fills up completely, the game ends and the heroes lose the adventure.

When the threat bar reaches its limit, things start to get really dangerous for us heroes. We have to be prepared for what’s coming.

Let me explain how the threat bar works. As we play, the threat increases in different steps:

• For each hero playing, the threat goes up by two.
• If there are any threat tokens on the map, the threat goes up by one for each of them.
• Each unexplored tile also adds one to the threat.

But that’s not all. During certain phases of the game, there are special effects that can make the threat go up even more. It’s important to remember that the app takes care of all the calculations for us. Whenever we want, we can check the app to see what event is connected to a specific threshold.

When the threat reaches 15 or higher, this special condition called the “threshold” kicks in during the threat step of the game.

III. Rally Phase

After the shadow phase, the game app tells us heroes to start planning for the next round.

Firstly, we heroes have to reset our skill deck by shuffling the cards we’ve already used back into our deck. Then, the app tells us to “Scout 2”. To do this, we have to reveal the top two cards from our skill deck. After that, we can choose to prepare one of those cards by placing it under our hero card. If a card is prepared, it means we can use the abilities on that card during the game.

When I’m getting ready to use Elven Light, I always make sure to put it under my hero card.

See, each hero can only have four skill cards ready to go at a time. So it’s really important to keep those prepared cards separate from any other cards I have in my play area.

If I ever end up with more than four prepared cards, I have to get rid of some until I have only four left. It’s a bit of a balancing act, but that’s part of the challenge!

Once I’ve decided whether or not to prepare a card, I take any cards that I didn’t prepare and put them back in my deck. I can arrange them in any order I want – either on top or on the bottom. It’s all about planning for future moves!

When I want to make sure my actions have positive outcomes, I can use a simple strategy. I just need to place useless cards, like weaknesses, on the bottom of my deck. And I’ll put useful cards, the ones with the success icon in the upper-left corner, on the top of my deck. This way, I’ll have a better chance of success.

Once I’m done scouting, I can continue by selecting the “Continue” button. This takes me to the next round, which starts with the action phase. It’s all about moving forward and taking the next steps.

Completing an Adventure

When my team of heroes goes on an adventure, we all win or lose together. Winning means we get better rewards, but even if we lose, we still move on to the next adventure in the campaign. It’s all part of the journey.

After we finish our first adventure, we can read the “Campaign Rules” section in the Rules Reference. These rules explain how we can upgrade our items and buy new skills before our next adventure starts. It’s a chance for us to grow and prepare for what’s to come.

Hey there, let’s talk about objectives!

When you embark on an adventure, you’re given a set of objectives to accomplish. These objectives are like missions or tasks that you need to complete. As you progress through the adventure, the app will show you your current objective right below the threat bar. Once you finish one objective, the app will give you a new one to tackle.

When we heroes embark on an adventure, our goal is to complete the final objective before the threat bar reaches its maximum capacity. If we succeed, victory is ours. But even if one of us is defeated along the way, the rest of us will carry on. The adventure is not lost as long as we can complete the final objective before the start of the next shadow phase.

Interacting with the World

Tests are our way of interacting with the world and battling enemies. Throughout our journey, we will constantly face tests. Whether we are exploring new territories, encountering threats, fighting enemies, or engaging with the people of Middle-earth, tests are an integral part of our heroic experience.

When you’re playing the game, each test requires you to use one of your hero’s stats. These stats are listed on their hero card: agility, might, spirit, wisdom, or wit. You can think of them as special abilities that help you in different situations. To perform a test, you’ll reveal cards from the top of your skill deck. The number of cards you reveal depends on the value of the stat you’re testing.

I have this remarkable ability called Beravor’s might. It’s so cool, let me tell you! When I’m in a game, I can use this power to reveal not just one, but three cards from my deck. Awesome, right?

When I reveal my cards, I count the number of successes that I have. Every success icon I see on the upper-left corner of my revealed cards gives me one success. The text on these cards doesn’t matter for the test.

Now, the way I use these successes depends on the test:

Some tests require me to enter the number of successes into the app by clicking the “+” button. Then, the app shows me the result of the test. For certain tests, the successes add up; I can do the test multiple times, and the app keeps track of the total number of successes. If I have two successes, I click the “+” button twice.

There are some tests that have a specific number that you need to meet in order to pass (like “Test 1”). If you get that number of successes or more, you pass the test. If not, you fail. But don’t worry, either way, the app will give you more instructions.

Successes are really important in two different situations: when you’re attacking enemies and when you’re trying to avoid damage and fear.

Once you finish the test, you take all the cards you showed during the test and put them back in your skill deck discard pile.

Destiny and Inspiration

When I’m taking a test, I get to see my hero’s cards. These cards sometimes have these cool fate symbols () on them. Fate symbols don’t do anything by themselves, but I can use my inspiration tokens to turn them into success symbols ()!

To turn a fate symbol into a success symbol, I have to spend one of my inspiration tokens. I just take one of my inspiration tokens from my hero card and give it back to the supply. It’s like trading in my inspiration for a little bit of extra success! It’s really helpful when I need that extra boost.

When I gain inspiration, I take an inspiration token from the supply and place it on my hero card.

I can’t have more inspiration tokens than the inspiration limit on my hero card.

A Test Example

1. 

Bilbo performs an interact action on a search token in his space. I will need to test my agility () and try to get two successes.

Hey there! I’m Bilbo, and I want to tell you all about my agility in the game.” It’s pretty awesome if I do say so myself. When it comes to agility, I’m rated at a “3”. So what does that mean? Well, let me break it down for you.

First, I need to reveal three cards from my skill deck. These cards will show me what I’ve got to work with. And guess what? I got lucky! The cards I revealed have a total of one success icon and two fate icons. That’s a good sign!

Now, I really want to pass this test. So, I decide to spend one of my precious inspiration tokens. I use it to transform one of those fate icons into a success icon. Pretty clever, right? Now, I’ve got two success icons, which means I’ve got enough to pass the test! Woohoo!

And that’s just one part of the game! Let me tell you about attack tests. These can be super exciting and intense.

When I’m in the midst of a battle, I get to perform attack tests. These tests happen right after I pick an enemy group to attack and choose the weapon I want to attack with. During an attack test, I select one of the stats listed in the upper-left corner of my chosen weapon card and put it to the test.

So, here’s the deal. When I’m playing the hero, I’ve got this cool thing called successes. They’re pretty important because I get to use them to take care of the abilities of whatever item I’m facing. Each ability has a certain number of successes that I need to spend in order to resolve it. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, here’s the catch – I can only resolve each ability once per attack.

Let’s talk about heroes and swords. A hero using a “Sword” can do some cool stuff. Picture this: you’re in a battle, and you have a special power. You can spend one “Sword” to give two hits. But wait, there’s more! If you spend two “Swords,” you can apply five hits. Pretty awesome, right? So, having a “Sword” is a big advantage in the game. It gives you more power and helps you defeat your enemies. Just imagine how amazing it would be to have that kind of strength.

When you’re playing the game, most of the abilities you have will allow you to hit the enemies. To actually do it, all you need to do is select the portrait of the enemy you want to attack. This will show you the enemy menu. From there, you need to open the attack tab in the menu to see the attack options. Now, all you have to do is press the “+” button to add each hit you want to make. It’s as simple as that!

When I’m facing enemies in combat, I can do more than just basic attacks. My abilities can give me special advantages, like the ability to bypass an enemy’s armor with a “pierce” attack. To use these abilities, I simply select the matching modifier in the app.

The app is really handy because it automatically calculates the effect of each modifier for me. If I want more information about a modifier, I can just check the Quick Reference on the back page of this book.

When it comes to fighting enemies, I can see their health and armor or sorcery values on the enemy menu. If an enemy has armor or sorcery, I need to chip away at those values first before I can damage their health. But if an enemy doesn’t have any armor or sorcery, I can go straight for their health with my hits.

After we enter all the hits and modifiers, I press the “Apply” button to make the hits affect the enemies, even if I didn’t hit any enemies. If an enemy’s health becomes zero, that means I defeated them, and the app tells me to take the enemy’s figure off the board.

If I don’t defeat an enemy, it will regain all of its armor and sorcery. And what’s worse, it might even launch a counterattack against me. Sometimes, the enemy group can attack me if they are in my space or in a neighboring space, and if they have the ranged icon on their portrait ($r.jpg). If they can attack, I have to make a choice: do I want to be attacked? If I select the “Yes” button, I have to face their attack head-on.

Let’s Take an Attack Test Example

1. 

Okay, let’s say Aragorn, the hero, wants to attack a group of Wights in his space. He’s got his Fate-Bender in hand. Now, the Fate-Bender can test either might () or wisdom (@w.jpg) to determine the strength of the attack. Aragorn’s wisdom is higher, so he chooses wisdom as his test. Take a look at this image:

Aragorn’s got some serious wisdom. He reveals four cards from his deck, and guess what? Two of them are successes and the other two are fate. Pretty neat, huh? Oh, and check out this cool image of the cards he reveals: . Now, Aragorn spends two success cards to activate Fate-Bender’s third effect. He puts five hits into the app. Can you believe it? Take a look at this image to see what I’m talking about: . I don’t know about you, but I think Aragorn is on a roll!

I’m going to show you a cool trick in the game called “The Lord of the Rings Journeys in Middle-earth.” It’s about this character named Aragorn who has this ability called Fate-Bender. With Fate-Bender, Aragorn can spend an inspiration point to change one card into another card. So, what he does is he spends that inspiration point on Fate-Bender’s first effect, which makes his attack even stronger. He adds two extra hits to his attack and chooses the “Smite” option. Then, he selects “Apply” and uses this ability to defeat his enemies. Pretty cool, right?

So here’s the deal: I have this awesome app that can really mess up those Wights. It hits them hard, directly impacting their health. Pretty cool, right? But here’s the thing – the app doesn’t care about their sorcery. It’s like, “Sorcery? Nah, not interested.”

Anyway, back to the action. Imagine there’s this group of Wights, and guess what? One of them is about to bite the dust. So, I swoop in, take out that defeated Wight from my space, and score an inspiration token. BOOM! I love it when that happens.

Now, onto the cards. I had to reveal a couple of them, but they served their purpose. So, it’s time to say goodbye and send them off to my discard pile. They’ve done their job, and now it’s time for them to take a break.

But wait, things are about to get even more interesting. The Wight group isn’t too happy about their fallen comrade. No, sir. They’re out for revenge. They want to attack me, and guess what? I’m in range! So, they ask me if I want to fight back, and I’m like, “You bet I do!”

I resolve that enemy attack like a boss. Bring it on, Wights! I’m ready for you.

Damage and Fear

Middle-earth is a dangerous place, filled with enemies and other threats that can harm brave heroes like me. These dangers can cause damage and fear, making it harder to continue my adventure. If I take too much damage or fear, I might be defeated. So, I have to pass a last-stand test to see if I can keep going.

When I suffer damage or fear, I reveal a card from the damage or fear deck and put it faceup in front of me. Then, I do what the card says. Some cards tell me to flip them facedown or get rid of them.

When you’re told to keep a card faceup, it means the effect on that card keeps affecting you. But when you get hit with multiple damages or fear at once, you have to reveal each card one by one, finishing its effects before moving on to the next card.

Now, sometimes you may be told to suffer facedown damage or fear. In that case, you just put that damage or fear facedown next to your hero card without reading what’s on the card.

Blocking Damage and Fear

Imagine this: you’re a hero, facing danger and uncertainty at every turn. But here’s the catch – you have the power to cheat fate, to shield yourself from harm before it even happens. How? Well, it’s simple. You just need to pass a test.

Let me explain. In the game, there are situations where you have the opportunity to avoid damage or fear. Before you experience any pain or terror, a stat will be presented to you. It could be something like “Each hero in darkness suffers 2 fear; negate.” This means that you have a chance to test your abilities before the fear takes hold, and if you succeed, you can prevent the damage or fear from affecting you.

Here’s how it works: during the test, you’ll roll dice and look for a special icon called the success icon. Each success icon you roll will protect you from one instance of damage or fear. It’s like a shield that keeps you safe.

But Wait, There’s More!

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s another concept called “Last Stands.” In your journey as a hero, you’ll face many challenges that push you to your limits – physically and mentally. To represent this, each hero has limits for how much damage and fear they can endure. These limits are shown on their hero card.

Everybody gets scared sometimes. But did you know that our brains have a natural defense mechanism that can help protect us from harm? It’s called the “fight or flight” response, and it can be both helpful and harmful.

When your brain senses danger, it goes into overdrive. It releases hormones that increase your heart rate, send more blood to your muscles, and sharpen your senses. This response is designed to help you escape from dangerous situations, but it can also cause damage if it’s triggered too often.

So how do you know when your fight or flight response is being overused? Well, there are certain limits that you should be aware of. Too much fear and stress can lead to physical ailments like headaches, stomachaches, and fatigue. It can even weaken your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight off illnesses.

But there’s good news! You can learn to manage your fight or flight response and keep it in check. One way to do this is by being mindful of your emotions and identifying what triggers your fear response. By recognizing these triggers, you can take steps to face your fears head-on and conquer them.

Another tip is to practice relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, meditation, and gentle exercise are all great ways to calm your mind and body during stressful situations. These activities can help to lower your heart rate and reduce the release of stress hormones, giving you a sense of calm and control.

Remember, it’s important to take care of yourself and listen to your body. If you notice that you’re feeling overwhelmed or constantly on edge, it might be time to seek support from a trusted adult, friend, or healthcare professional. They can help you develop healthy coping mechanisms and provide guidance on managing your fight or flight response.

So the next time you feel scared or stressed, take a moment to check in with yourself and see how your fight or flight response is being triggered. With a little practice and self-care, you can learn to keep your fear in check and live a more balanced and peaceful life.

When a hero feels hurt or scared and their damage (either faceup or facedown) reaches or surpasses their damage limit, or when their fear (either faceup or facedown) reaches or surpasses their fear limit, it’s time for them to make a last stand.

During a last stand, the hero will need to select the party button found in the lower-left corner of the app.

After that, they should pick the hero’s portrait and select the limit (either damage or fear) that has been reached. From there, just follow the instructions given by the app.

If a hero manages to reach both their damage and fear limits, they will have to face two last stands, but the order of these last stands is up to them to decide.

When it comes to a last stand, it’s a crucial moment that tests the hero’s abilities. If the hero fails the test, they suffer defeat. They are taken off the board, and the party loses the adventure during the next shadow phase, unless they complete the final objective. However, if the hero passes the test, they are given instructions by the app to continue.

An Example of Suffering Damage

1. 

Imagine Elena being attacked by a group of Goblins. They inflict three damage () and one fear () upon her. However, there’s a way to negate this attack with a might test. Using their might (), Elena can prevent the damage and fear from affecting her.

My power is immense – a mighty “2”. I peer into the depths of my deck, revealing two secrets. Ah, fortune smiles upon me! I count not one, but two triumphs! With this gift, I am blessed to protect myself from harm, to shield against the onslaught. From the tumultuous storm, I choose to deflect one damage, and with great resolve, I turn away one fearful tremor. Alas, only two scraps of devastation linger in the wake of this encounter, a mere fraction of what was intended. My strength prevails, and the path forward remains clear. I have triumphed, even in the face of adversity.

As I reveal the first damage card, it’s called “Feeble”. It tells me to experience a fearful card facing downward, and then turn “Feeble” face down.