NEWS RELEASE
DECIPHER TRADING CARD GAME STUDIO
GET AN ADVANCE LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF
MIDDLE-EARTH ON NOVEMBER 5TH WHEN
THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ TRADING CARD GAME BEGINS
A NEW CHAPTER WITH THE RETURN OF THE KING™
NEWEST BASE SET TO HIT STORES WORLDWIDE WEEKS BEFORE
THE STUNNING FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE EPIC THE LORD OF THE RINGS
FILM TRILOGY UNFOLDS ON DECEMBER 17TH
(Norfolk, VA – September 16, 2003) – It all began with The
Fellowship of the Ring™ as Frodo Baggins and his Hobbit friends
embarked on a journey unlike anything they could have ever imagined. The
journey then continued with The Two Towers™ as the Fellowship
of Nine disbanded in various forms, each encountering adventures that would
bring them closer to the evil lurking within Middle-earth. Now, J.R.R. Tolkien
fans around the world anxiously await New Line Cinema's theatrical release
of The Return of the King™, the final chapter that is sure to
be the most highly anticipated film of Peter Jackson's epic dramatic trilogy.
Decipher is proud to bring this electrifying chapter of the trilogy to
life with the latest base set for The Lord of the Rings™ Trading
Card Game: The Return of the King™. Available worldwide on November
5th, The Return of the King will tell the tale of Aragorn –
revealed as the hidden heir to the Kings of the West – as he joins
with the forces of Gondor to take down the armies of Sauron, while Frodo
races to destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom. With breathtaking new images
from the film featured on 365 new cards for new characters, sites, and themes,
this set is sure to be a must-have for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson's
trilogy, and TCG players alike.
The Return of the King also introduces exciting, new gameplay mechanics
that represent the increasing threat of the shadow of Sauron. "Threats"
are a new mechanic that presents players with an activated effect using
wounds that threaten every Fellowship companion when just one dies. "Initiative"
is an innovative new mechanic that activates powerful cards that key off
of the cards a player has in hand. This will discourage the Fellowship player
from playing every card possible to survive and will also add new discarding
strategies for the Shadow player in order to win initiative.
"The Lord of the Rings trilogy has given us an opportunity to take
an exceptional storyline and bring it to life in a format that can convey
all of the dramatic twists and turns that are inherent to the plot," said
Decipher Senior Game Designer Tom Lischke. "Although The Return of the
King is the final chapter in the film trilogy, this base set is the
beginning of yet another enlivening block for the trading card game —
which introduces even more new characters and mechanics. And, unlike the
film, it won't end here. We have plans for new expansions for The Lord
of the Rings TCG for years to come."
Players will be able to participate in release day events on November
5th. Retail locations worldwide will participate in these tournaments where
prizes will be awarded to the top finishers. In addition, a special Release
Day card will be presented to all competitors.
This 365-card base set contains: 121 rare cards; 121 uncommon cards; 121
common cards; and two starter-only premium cards.
The Return of the King will be available in the following product
configurations:
- 63-card Starter Decks: Starter decks will be available in two versions,
Éomer and Aragorn. Each deck has three random rare cards, 2 premium
cards, and a rulebook. MSRP: US $10.99
- Booster Packs: 11-card packs will include 1 rare plus a mixture of common
and uncommon cards. Foil cards will be found in approximately one out
of six booster packs. MSRP: US $3.29
As with previous The Lord of the Rings TCG cards, all cards in
The Return of the King will receive a foil treatment in a parallel
set.
The Lord of the Rings™ TCG: The Return of the King
set continues the mission introduced with The Fellowship of the Ring,
which introduced the top award-winning trading card game of 2001 and 2002.
Players try to win the game by advancing their Ring-bearer to the end of
the adventure path; killing the opponent's Ring-bearer; or corrupting the
opponent's Ring-bearer.
Just in time for New Line Cinema's December 17, 2003 theatrical release
of the third and final installment, The Lord of the Rings: The Return
of the King, look for the new base set of The Lord of the Rings
TCG in November when The Return of the King releases in stores worldwide!
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