The Road Goes Ever, Ever On....

by Geoff Snider

The Adventure Deck in Lord of the Rings TCG provides a basis for both offensive and defensive interaction. It's made up of nine locations that represent different places the fellowship encounters in its journey. All players must pick nine of these locations (or sites) from a pool of around fifty possible candidates, based on their traits and abilities. Locations have traits and abilities? In LotR TCG they do! For example, one site (Anduin Wilderland) says "River. Forest. While the fellowship is at Anduin Wilderland, skip the archery phase." This site is most often used in a defensive roll. Defensive sites help your Shadow cards to stop your opponent's fellowship, and offensive sites help your fellowship to achieve their goals. Realms of the Elf-lords brings six new sites into the mix, allowing players greater versatility when choosing their offensive strategies. Four of these new sites stand out as major candidates for inclusion in future strategies:

Caras Galadhon, where the fellowship first encounters the lady Galadriel and her husband Celeborn, is a great example of an offensive site. No matter how far and how fast the fellowship moves, the number of minions which can fight at this site can never exceed the number of companions. The chances of the Ring-bearer being overwhelmed bottom out here, making this site 6 one of the most powerful locations yet. The Goblins of Moria completely lose their effectiveness here, for their strategy counts on being able to overwhelm the fellowship with superior numbers. This site dictates that 'swarm' tactics simply cannot function. In fact, the smaller the fellowship is when it reaches Caras Galadhon, the less efficient the swarm can be. This works extremely well in the 'solo Frodo' decktype, where Frodo takes on the entire Adventure Deck by himself; instead of other companions, the Ring-bearer relies solely on allies and events to get to the ninth site.

Another offensive site, The Great River, targets specific types of Shadow cards and limits their efficiency. These cards are referred to as 'hand extenders,' and their purpose is to increase the size of the shadow player's hand (obviously) to better combat the fellowship. Cards like Relics of Moria, Host of Thousands, Foul Things, Uruk Captain, A Fell Voice on the Air, Úlairë Nertëa, or Morgul Blade become almost useless for an entire turn while facing the fellowship at The Great River.

Whole defensive strategies like 'corruption' gain the use of Eregion Hills. Sometimes all it takes to corrupt the Ring-bearer is that one extra burden, and this site can add it. In combination with Gleaming in the Snow, Must Do Without Help, It Wants to be Found, and In the Ringwraith's Wake, Eregion Hills' burden adding can be a terribly unexpected and sudden threat.

Gates of Argonath will have, by far, the most practical applications of these sites. Any player will recognize that offensive events like A Ranger's Versatility, Orc-bane, or Valiant Man of the West can't be played here, and will include this site to assist their strategy. What about using the Gates of Argonath in an offensive roll to assist a fellowship strategy? If your opponent is using events like Hate, They Will Never Stop Hunting You, or One of You Must Do This, then you may want to take advantage of this site's capability. Its last bonus, however small, is its twilight number of eight. No other eighth site will give your minions the protection the Gates of Argonath can provide for the same quantity of twilight pool.

June 6, 2002