The Hunt for The Ring

So, you’ve found yourself on a thrilling quest! The goal? The almighty Ring. A tiny circle with the power to change the fate of the world. This treasured artifact, known as the One Ring, has the ability to corrupt and control whoever possesses it. The consequences of its ultimate power are both captivating and terrifying. But what exactly makes this ring so special? Why is everyone so desperate to have it, and are there any drawbacks to obtaining such an extraordinary item?

Let me break it down for you. The One Ring has an inexplicable allure that draws people in. It captivates the heart and mind, arousing a thirst for power and control that is difficult to resist. Imagine the ability to command armies, bend the will of others, and become unstoppable. It’s an enticing thought, isn’t it? The longing for dominion can become all-consuming, driving individuals to unimaginable lengths in their quest for the ring.

But here’s the catch: this coveted treasure has a dark side. It feeds on the deepest desires and weaknesses of its bearer. The ring itself is a master manipulator, whispering sinister thoughts into the mind of the unsuspecting holder. It slowly corrupts, eroding the very essence of one’s being until they are completely consumed by its power. The transformation from noble to malevolent becomes inevitable. The allure of control turns into an inescapable prison.

Imagine the responsibility that comes with wielding the ring. The immense power it bestows also brings a heavy burden. To possess such authority is to invite constant watchfulness from those who would seek to exploit or destroy it. Betrayal lurks around every corner, as friends turn into foes simply for a chance to seize the ring’s potency. The world becomes a dangerous place, and trust becomes a rare and precious commodity.

So here we are, in the heart of the Great Quest. The stakes are high, and the journey is perilous. Will you choose to embark on this daring adventure, knowing the risks and rewards that lie ahead? Remember, every step has consequences, and every decision shapes the fate of the ring, and indeed, the world itself.

As the Fellowship continues its secret journey towards Mount Doom, Sauron is relentlessly searching for the Ring-bearers and their Companions. The Dark Lord is gathering information and sending out spies in the hope of reclaiming his long-lost treasure. In War of the Ring, this search is represented by the Hunt for the Ring.

The Hunt Pool

The Hunt Pool is a collection of cardboard tiles that represent the consequences of a successful Hunt. These tiles should be placed in a container that you cannot see through at the beginning of the game, like a cup or similar container. Each time the Hunt is successful, you must randomly draw one tile from this container.

If, at any point, all the tiles in the Hunt Pool have been used, return all the regular tiles (beige) to the pool. However, do not return any special tiles (blue/red) or any tiles that have been permanently removed from the game due to an Event card effect.

Standard Hunt Tiles

When you come across the standard Hunt tiles (with a beige background), you’ll notice that they display a numerical value between 0 and 3. This number represents how successful the Hunt was and is called Hunt damage.

Hunt Tiles

Hey there! Let’s talk about the different types of tiles in the game. The background color will tell you what kind of tile it is: beige means it’s a standard tile, blue means it’s a Fellowship tile, and red means it’s a Shadow tile.

1. If there’s an Icon, it’ll be revealed.
2. Then, we’ll check the Hunt Damage.
3. If there’s a Stop Icon, it’ll be shown.

Some Hunt tiles have special icons that we need to know about:

• The Eye icon #image.jpg, which stands for a number that can change.
• The Reveal icon #image.jpg, which means the Fellowship is revealed to Sauron.

Special Hunt Tiles

At the start of the game, we put aside the special Hunt tiles with either a blue background for the Fellowship or a red background for the Shadow. We only bring them into play when we use Event cards.

When I play these Event cards, I have to set aside the special Hunt tile until we enter Mordor. Once we enter Mordor, we add any special Hunt tiles to the Hunt Pool.

If we’re already on the Mordor Track when a special tile comes into play, we simply add it to the Hunt Pool right away.

Some of the special Hunt tiles have a negative or random value, which means the following:

• A negative value (-2 or -1) means that there won’t be any Hunt damage. Instead, we subtract the indicated number from the current Corruption of the Ring-bearers on the Fellowship Track (but never less than zero).

While playing the game, you’ll come across a few symbols and icons that are important to understand. Let me break them down for you in simpler terms:

– The first one is a Die icon. It looks like this: #image.jpg. When you see this icon on a Hunt tile, it means that the amount of damage you take during the Hunt is determined by rolling a die. After the tile is revealed, you roll the die, and that number is the damage you take. This type of Hunt tile is treated as a numbered tile for all Event card effects.

– The second icon is the Stop icon, which looks like this: #image.jpg. This icon appears on all Shadow special tiles. Keep an eye out for this icon in the lower right corner.

I hope this clarifies things for you. Now you can continue your journey through the game with a better understanding of these symbols. Happy hunting!

The Hunt Roll

Whenever I move the Fellowship, you roll dice to see what happens during the Hunt. Let’s find out how it works.

First, I need to figure out the Hunt Level. To do that, I count up all the Shadow Action dice that are in the Hunt Box.

Remember: I placed those dice in the Hunt Box when I allocated them during my turn, along with any Eye dice I rolled during the Action roll phase.

Next, it’s time for the Hunt roll. I roll a number of Combat dice equal to the Hunt Level. Each time I roll a ‘6,’ I get a success.

I can roll up to five dice for the Hunt roll. But if the Hunt Level is higher than five, I don’t get any more dice to roll.

Changes to the Hunt Roll

If the Fellowship moves more than once per turn, the Hunt becomes easier for the Shadow player.

For every Action die that I place in the Hunt Box after each movement of the Fellowship, the Shadow player adds +1 to each Hunt roll die result.

If the result after adding the modifier is ‘6’ or higher, the Hunt is successful.

For example: When I move the Fellowship for the first time during a turn, the Shadow player needs to roll ‘6’ or higher to achieve a successful Hunt.

However, if the Fellowship is moving for the second time (after I used an Action die for the first movement and placed it in the Hunt Box), the Shadow player only needs to roll a ‘5’ or ‘6’ for a successful Hunt.

Note: A roll of ‘1’ always results in failure, regardless of any modifier.

Hunt Re-rolls

The Fellowship’s journey becomes more perilous when Sauron’s servants or Strongholds are nearby.

If, while we’re being hunted, we find ourselves in a region where any of the following are present:

• A Stronghold controlled by the Shadow player
• One or more Shadow Army units
• One or more Nazgul

then the Shadow player has the power to re-roll one failed Hunt roll die for each of these conditions that apply, once the Hunt roll is done.

Example 1: In the region where the Fellowship figure is, there are three Army units and two Nazgul. Because of this, the Shadow player has the option to re-roll two dice – one for the presence of the Army units and one for the presence of the Nazgul.

Example 2: If the region containing the Fellowship figure has one Nazgul, four Army units, and a Shadow Stronghold, the Shadow player can re-roll three dice. This is because all the listed conditions apply.

Re-rolls also get a +1 bonus for each Free Peoples die in the Hunt Box.

Hunt effects when the Fellowship is declared or revealed

When the Free Peoples player declares the Fellowship, there are certain abilities and events that may require drawing a Hunt tile. If this happens, the Reveal icon on the drawn tile is ignored if the Fellowship has been declared in a Free Peoples Stronghold or City controlled by the Free Peoples.

When the Fellowship is discovered, and the Shadow Stronghold has a significant presence, it can be quite a challenge for the Free Peoples player. They may be required to draw multiple Hunt tiles, each with their own unique effects. It’s important to remember that each tile effect is resolved fully before moving on to the next.

First, the player resolves the effect of the tile that initially revealed the Fellowship. This is a critical moment, as it can have a major impact on the game. Once this is resolved, the player then addresses any tiles related to events and abilities. These can add an extra layer of complexity and strategy to the game, so it’s important to carefully consider their effects. Finally, the player deals with the tile drawn due to the Shadow Stronghold. This can be the last piece of the puzzle, potentially tipping the scales in favor of the Shadow player.

These sequential steps ensure that each tile effect is given the necessary attention and consideration. By following this process, the players can navigate the challenges and uncertainties that arise from drawing multiple Hunt tiles. It’s a delicate balance, but with strategy, cunning, and a bit of luck, victory can still be within reach.

For example: When the Fellowship is in Moria and the “Balrog of Moria” card is in play, a Hunt tile is revealed. In this case, three Hunt tiles are drawn: one for the Hunt, one for the Balrog, and one for the Shadow Stronghold.

First, I take into account the effects caused by the first Hunt tile, which revealed the Fellowship. Then, I resolve the effect of the tile drawn for the Balrog card, and finally, I resolve the effect of the tile drawn for the Stronghold.

Understanding the Hunt Damage

If the Shadow player rolls at least one success on their Hunt roll, they are successful in their Hunt and draw one tile from the Hunt Pool.

• If the tile has a number on it, that number represents the amount of damage inflicted to the Fellowship during the Hunt.

If the tile has an Eye symbol, the damage inflicted by the Hunt equals the number of successful rolls made during the Hunt (including instances when the tile is drawn because the Fellowship is entering or leaving a Shadow Stronghold, or due to an Event card; in these cases, the Eye is considered to have a value of 0).

If the tile displays the Reveal icon, the Fellowship is revealed only after resolving any other effects.

Now, let’s talk about the consequences of a successful Hunt and how to handle them:

First, the Free Peoples player has the option to use one relevant “Play on the Table” Event card to either cancel or lessen the damage caused by the Hunt.

When you play the game of The Lord of the Rings: The Board Game, there are important factors to consider. First, there’s the Guide, a character that has a special ability. As the Free Peoples player, you have the option to use the Guide’s ability. If the Hunt damage is one or more, you can choose to reduce it by sacrificing a Companion. This means losing one of your Fellowship members due to the dangers they’ve encountered or a fight with the servants of the Shadow.

Next, you have to deal with any remaining Hunt damage. This can be done by using the Ring, which is carried by the Ring-bearers. However, using the Ring will increase their Corruption. So, you need to think carefully about when and how to use it.

Finally, if the Hunt reveals the Fellowship, it means that your Fellowship is now discovered. This can have various effects on the game. Sometimes, it may even cause the draw of a new tile, which can be both good and bad.

It’s crucial to keep all these factors in mind while playing the game. The decisions you make can have a significant impact on the outcome. By understanding and navigating these mechanics, you’ll be better equipped to succeed in The Lord of the Rings: The Board Game.

Note: If, during the Hunt resolution, a new Guide is chosen (this occurs when you activate Meriadoc’s and Peregrin’s Guide ability, or if the current Guide is eliminated), the new Guide’s ability can be used immediately, if applicable.

When Losing a Member

If you, as the Free Peoples player, lose a member, you must remove one Companion from play.

You, as the Free Peoples player, have the choice to either lose the Guide or randomly remove one Companion (excluding the Ring-bearers, but including the Guide) from the Fellowship.

If you choose to randomly lose a member, the Shadow player selects a face-down Companion counter from the Fellowship Box. The selected Companion is eliminated from the game.

If the Hunt damage is higher than the Level of the eliminated Companion (including an eliminated Guide), any excess damage must still be taken as Corruption by the Ring-bearers.

If the Hunt damage is lower than the Level of the Companion, they are still eliminated, and cannot be “wounded”.

Using the Ring

When you use the Ring, you move the Corruption counter on the Fellowship Track forward by the same number of steps as the Hunt damage.

Example: I’m on the fourth turn of the game, and my Ring-bearers are in the Goblin’s Gate region. I’m moving the Fellowship Progress counter from step ‘1’ to step ‘2’ on the Fellowship Track.

There are three Shadow dice and one Free Peoples die in the Hunt Box, since this is the second time the Fellowship has moved this turn.

The Shadow player rolls three Combat dice, needing to roll at least one ‘5’ or ‘6’ for the Hunt to succeed. The results are ‘2,’ ‘5,’ and ‘6’, which means two successes (they only needed one). The Shadow player draws a random tile from the Hunt Pool, revealing a tile with a ‘3’ and no Reveal icon. Now, we need to resolve the Hunt damage.

Since there are no cards or Character abilities to use, I decide to take a casualty. I don’t want Strider to die because he is guiding the Fellowship, so I choose to draw a random Character instead.

I shuffle all the Companion counters and randomly choose one: Gimli is drawn. The brave dwarf loses his life fighting the servants of the Shadow. Gimli has a Level of 2, and the Hunt damage is 3, which means 1 point of Hunt damage remains as Corruption, and the Corruption of the Ring-bearers increases.

Since the tile does not have a Reveal icon, the Hidden side of the Fellowship Progress counter remains face up.

The Journey to Mount Doom and the Power of the One Ring

Wow! I’ve got a story to share with you, my friend. It’s about a powerful ring, known as the One Ring, and the quest to destroy it. This is an amazing tale that highlights the importance of making difficult choices and the consequences of wielding great power.

So here’s how it all starts: I, an ordinary hobbit named Frodo, find myself entrusted with a dangerous task. I must take the One Ring to Mount Doom, the only place it can be destroyed. This ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron, holds incredible power, but it also corrupts anyone who possesses it.

Now, let me tell you, this journey is no walk in the park. I encounter all sorts of challenges along the way. There are treacherous mountains, deep dark forests, and dangerous creatures that try to stop me. The weight of the ring itself is a burden, constantly tempting me to use its power for my own gain.

But here’s the thing: I have a group of loyal friends by my side. Sam, Merry, Pippin, and others who stick with me through thick and thin. Their unwavering support and loyalty give me strength when I need it the most.

As we make our way towards Mount Doom, there’s this constant dilemma in my mind – to use the power of the ring or to resist its allure. It’s a very tempting offer, you see. The ring promises to elevate me to great heights, to give me unimaginable power. But I know, deep down, that yielding to this power would only lead to destruction and chaos.

So, I continue on my quest, battling my own desires and the forces of evil. It’s not an easy path, but it’s a path that I must follow for the greater good. I know that if I fail, the consequences will be catastrophic. The ring must be destroyed, or our world will be consumed by darkness.

Throughout this incredible journey, I learn the importance of sacrifice, friendship, and staying true to oneself. I discover that true power lies not in the possession of a physical object, but in the strength of one’s character and the choices they make.

In the end, I reach Mount Doom, the fiery volcano where the ring was created. It’s here that I have to make the ultimate decision – to let go of the ring, to destroy it once and for all. It’s a tremendous battle, both physically and mentally, but with the support of my friends and the belief in the greater good, I succeed.

And that, my friend, is the story of the One Ring and the quest to Mount Doom. It’s a tale that teaches us the power of choice, the strength of friendship, and the importance of staying true to oneself. Remember, we all face our own “rings” in life – temptations that can lead us down a dark path. But if we stay true to who we are and make the right choices, we can overcome any obstacle and find our way to the light.

Can you believe it? The Dark Lord is desperately searching for the One Ring, but he has no clue that someone would actually bring it to Mordor. Can you imagine that?

As a result, he’s not even bothering to look for the Ring within the borders of his own land. Talk about a huge oversight!

In the War of the Ring game, the moment the One Ring reaches Mordor, things start happening that are mostly out of the players’ control. It’s like fate has taken over.

Now, the real fight is between the Ring’s desire to return to its Master and the determination of the Ring-bearers to complete their mission, no matter what.

The Corruption counter on the Fellowship Track serves as a record of the Ring-bearers’ Corruption.

The Heavy Burden of the Ring

The struggle faced by the Ring-bearers takes a toll on their bodies, minds, and morals, which is expressed through Corruption. Every time the Ring is used to counter the impact of a successful Hunt or due to certain Event cards, Corruption is added to the Ring-bearers.

To alleviate Corruption, the Ring-bearers can rest in a friendly City or Stronghold, or make use of special abilities and Event cards.

Whenever Corruption is added or removed, the Free Peoples player adjusts the Corruption counter accordingly on the Fellowship Track.

If the Corruption counter reaches 12 Corruption points on the Fellowship Track, the Free Peoples player loses the game instantly.

The Fellowship’s Journey in Mordor

As I enter Mordor, I feel the weight of the Dark Lord’s power all around me. Every step I take, the burden of the Ring grows heavier. This is the final part of my quest to destroy the One Ring – the Mordor Track is where it all ends.

On the map, you can see the Mordor Track represented by circles overlaid on the Gorgoroth region. It’s important to note that these circles are not actually part of the region. When I’m on the Mordor Track, I’m not considered to be in Gorgoroth or any other region.

If I find myself in Minas Morgul or Morannon during a Fellowship phase, I have a choice to make. I can decide to enter Mordor. If I do, I need to follow these steps:

I step onto the Mordor Track, placing my Ring-bearer on the first step, labeled with the Elven numeral ‘0’. From this point forward, I am officially “On the Mordor Track”. My Fellowship Progress counter no longer advances on the Fellowship Track, but it still serves to indicate whether my Fellowship is Hidden or Revealed.

Next, I create a new Hunt Pool by gathering all the Eye tiles that were previously drawn, and combining them with the remaining tiles of the Hunt Pool. I also add any special tiles that were put into play by Event cards. However, I do not include any Eye tile that has been permanently removed from the game.

Now, let me explain the special rules that apply when the Fellowship is on the Mordor Track:

First, the Eye tiles in the Hunt Pool can no longer be discarded. Instead, I resolve any Eye tile from the Hunt Pool by rolling the Eye die and following the corresponding instructions.

Additionally, the Shadow player has the opportunity to use an “Eye – Hunt” Action die result not only to advance the Hunt tile on the Hunt Box, but also to resolve an Eye tile from the Hunt Pool.

Lastly, when I choose to move my Fellowship from the Mordor Track back to the Fellowship Track, I place the Ring-bearer figure on the last step of the Fellowship Track that I reached. This allows me to resume advancing my Fellowship Progress counter on the Fellowship Track once again.

In the Fellowship, Companions are inseparable. They stay together no matter what, even if it means using Action dice or encountering special abilities or Event cards. If anything would normally separate a Companion, they are taken out of the game instead.

When the Free Peoples player wants to move the Fellowship during the Action Resolution phase, there’s no need to roll the Hunt dice. Instead, simply draw one tile from the Hunt Pool. The tile will have the usual effects of a successful Hunt, with one exception:

• If the drawn tile shows an Eye, the Hunt damage will be equal to the number of dice in the Hunt Box (this includes any Free Peoples dice that were used to move the Fellowship during the same turn).

When I’m playing the game, I usually move the Fellowship one step forward on the Mordor Track. It’s a pretty straightforward rule, except when the tile shows a Stop icon. In that case, the Fellowship stays on the same step and doesn’t move ahead.

But here’s the catch – to be able to advance on the Mordor Track, the Fellowship has to remain Hidden. If it gets Revealed, we have to use a Character Action die result to hide it again.

Now, if I forget to move or hide the Fellowship on the Mordor Track during the turn, there’s a consequence. At the end of the Action Resolution phase, one Corruption is automatically added to the Ring-bearers.

The goal is to reach the Crack of Doom by completing all five steps on the Mordor Track. If we manage to do that, the Free Peoples player wins the game, unless the Ring-bearers have accumulated 12 Corruption points.

When you enter the Gorgoroth region in the game, it’s important to remember that the Mordor Track is separate from this area. Once the Fellowship enters Mordor, the Ring-bearer’s figure is placed on the first circle of the track. Now, here’s an interesting twist: if the Fellowship manages to reach the Crack of Doom and the Ring-bearers have less than 12 Corruption points, then the Free Peoples player wins the game. So, you see, there’s a lot at stake when it comes to navigating through Mordor and making sure the Ring-bearer stays as pure as possible. Keep these rules in mind as you venture into this treacherous realm.