Contents

For our complete run-through, see:

1. The Hobbit Saga
2. Core Set & Shadow of Mirkwood Cycle
3. Khazad-Dûm & Dwarrowdelf Cycle
4. Heirs of Númenor & Against the Shadow Cycle
5. The Voice of Isengard & Ring-Maker Cycle
6. The Lost Realm & Angmar Awakened Cycle
7. The Grey Havens & Dream-chaser Cycle
8. The Sands of Harad & Haradrim Cycle
9. The Wilds of Rhovanion & Ered Mithrin Cycle
10. A Shadow in the East & Vengeance of Mordor Cycle
11. Thematic Campaign ~ From Bag-End to Rivendell
12. Thematic Campaign ~ Fly you Fools!
13. Thematic Campaign ~ A Red Sun Rises
14. Thematic Campaign ~ To Mordor
15. Thematic Campaign ~ The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
16. Thematic Campaign ~ The Hour of Doom Hangs Still
17. Thematic Campaign ~ We Wants It, We Needs It

Note on the campaign rules and theme

This is a weird moment in the campaign, as the storyline of Frodo Baggins and Aragorn separate. It's difficult to stay exactly thematic here, as you choose your captives in The Breaking of the Fellowship and are supposed to keep the same heroes for The Uruk-hai. You only get to "freely" change your heroes at the beginning of Helm's Deep. I always found that a bit weird, I would have allowed the free change at the beginning of the Uruk-hai, least Sam Gamgee could not ever be chosen as a hero in The Road Darkens story arc.

So I would be taking a bit of liberty here and allow ourselves to change freely heroes at the beginning of The Uruk-hai, but not at the beginning of Helm's Deep... however, since I like even more "playing by the rules". We are going to take the threat increase! Bim.

Behold the White Rider!

A lot of changes were made from the previous iteration of the deck Servant of the Secret Fire. But it honestly plays the same, so you should refer to the description in the aforemetioned link. Between the two decks, it's a shameless Unexpected Courage x6 and A Test of Will x6, we need all that we could to cast the Ring into the crack of dooms as those two decks are the ones that are gonna stay with Aragorn until the end now (with minor changes probably that will detail and adress later).

This deck also plays the Glamdring Boon.

Specifically for The Uruk-hai, since Pippin is a captive:

• Remove Hidden Cache and all cards except for Daeron's Runes (that is 13 cards)
• +3x Ancient Mathom
• +3x A Good Harvest
• +2x Shadow of the Past
• +2x The White Council
• +1x Flame of Anor
• +2x Hobbit Pony (to throw on Merry)

And Woe to Them if we Prove the Swifter

Plays as your usual Forth, The Three Hunters! deck. That one can be a bit slower to get going, but nothing too scandalous.

The line-up changes depending on the quest:

• The Uruk-hai: Gimli, Merry (captive: Legolas)
• Helm's Deep/The Road to Isengard: Gimli, Legolas and Merry

Changes are made from the previous deck, that it took its inspiration from If by my Life or Death I can Protect you, I Will but it still kinda pilots the same.

Specifically for The Uruk-hai quest, since Legolas is a captive so we swap Merry for Merry :

• Remove all of the cards (12 of them) and 2x Bow of the Galadhrim
• +3x Cram
• +3x We Are Not Idle
• +3x Hauberk of Mail
• +3x Halfling Determination
• +2x Good Meal

Runthrough

The Uruk-hai: 1/3 ~ It had to happen. Our first defeats! And what sad defeats, each time beauce Eowyn died to a Treachery direct damage, which should never had happened if I had played properly. I blame myself for those defeats. The third time without actually being dumb came out quite alright, easy enough with a Thorongil Éowyn one-shooting Ugluk. => we chose Leader of Men for Éowyn and Forewarned for Aragorn.

Helm's Deep: 1/1 ~ I thought we would die on numerous occasions as I wanted to bypass the first quest card avoid taking Poisoned Councils, but we did not die. In fact, the encounter deck did not get past the quest card 2B, and we had a Deeping Wall as an active location the whole game. A clean victory. => No change in the campaign pool / campaign log.

The Road to Isengard: 1/1 ~ No issue whatsoever here. The beginning can be a bit tough, and we spent 2 turns to get 2 Ents. => No new burden, but we earned the Palantir of Orthanc.

Since we did not change our hero line-up at the beginning of The Flame of the West story-arc, I am going to put that here. Of course, we took the +2 additional starting threat penalty due to the choice made at the end of Passage of the Marshes, and we switched to Aragorn (the best one IMO).

The Passing of the Grey Company: 1/1 ~ No real difficulty, but we had no threat reduction whatsoever, except for Merry, so we had to be quick. Fortunately, a well-timed (means: early) Steward of Gondor on Aragorn helped us getting rid quite easily (and also be able to take them back to avoid otherwise nasty effects) of Overcome by Fear. We earned the Army of the Dead boon.

The Siege of Gondor: 1/1 ~ Then again the idea was to be quick, and man we were! Only 5 resources on the Corsair Fleet, which should help quite a lot for The Battle of the Pelennor Field. We removed the Army of the Dead boon from the campaign pool.

Campaign Pool

(reflects the fact that we also played the Land of Shadow quests)

+1 starting threat for each player (change of heroes at the beginning of The Uruk-hai).

From The Passing of the Grey Company onwards: +2 starting threat for each player (choice at the end of The Passage of the Marshes).

Number of resources on The Corsair Fleet: 5.

• Frodo Baggins has Noble Hero and A Heavy Burden
• Aragorn has Skilled Healer and Forewarned
• Éowyn has Leader of Men

Other Boons:

• Old Bogey Stories
• Ho! Tom Bombadil!
• Sting
• Mithril Shirt
• Glamdring
• Anduril
• Phial of Galadriel
• Leaf-wrapped Lembas
• Mr. Underhill
• Palantir of Orthanc
• Brace of Coneys x2 (each player)
• Army of the Dead

Burdens:

• The Ring Draws Them
• Overcome by Terror
• Overcome by Grief
• Ill Fate
• Pursued by the Enemy

Captives: Pippin and Legolas

Enemies under the Black Gate:

• 1x Oliphaunt
• 1x Captain of Harad
• 1x Haradrim Soldier