The Lord of the Rings

THE TWO TOWERS

The second film of The Lord of the Rings trilogy doesn't debut in theaters until December 18th, but The Lord of the Rings TCG players and collectors can get a sneak peek in the latest expansion of the popular trading card game, The Two Towers. The new set will pre-release at DecipherCon 2002 October 31st-November 3rd, a few days in advance of its November 6th worldwide release.

The first of three expansions constituting the "Tower block," The Two Towers will introduce new game mechanics, a new site path, new versions of the Fellowship members, new characters such as Faramir and Éowyn, and three new cultures: Rohan, Dunland, and Raider. Cards will support both the existing open tournament format (including both Fellowship and Tower blocks) and a new "Tower block" format.

As the "base set" of the Tower block, The Two Towers will have a configuration similar to that of The Fellowship of the Ring. It will include two different playable 63-card starter decks, featuring Aragorn and Théoden; 11-card booster packs with 1 rare, 3, uncommon, and 7 common cards; and deluxe starter sets in three different collector boxes (Isengard, Rohan, and Elven). A foil from the complete parallel diffraction foil set will replace a common card in approximately one in six booster packs. All starters and boosters contain only cards from The Two Towers expansion.

The Cards

With the release of the film, we can now show you all 365 card images in all five languages! Get the full HTML card title list in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. PDF collector's card lists in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish are also available. Many cards include "A Second Look" by Brian Kallenbach. You can find the full card texts of all cards in the spoiler list ( 27 pages, PDF format).

The cards included in the starter decks and deluxe starter set are listed here. You can even download free PDF versions of the Aragorn and Théoden starter decks to try out the game for free!

Éowyn and Faramir Herald The Two Towers (preview cards)
Get a Free Éowyn Card!
Faramir Arrives on the Scene

The Articles

Over the next few weeks we'll bring you informative articles from the designers and playtesters, deck designs, and strategy articles, both here and on DGMA.com.

Getting Started With The Two Towers Starter Decks and Sets by Chuck Kallenbach
On to Isengard, and Mordor Beyond by Geoff Snider
From the South Came Haradrim, Cruel and Tall by Geoff Snider
A New Fellowship by Tom Lischke
Sons of Gondor, Heirs of Ecthelion by Geoff Snider
"'Gandalf the White... returned from death" by Geoff Snider
Alread's Notes by Joe Alread
No Defense, No Refuge, No Retreat From the Wild Men of Dunland by Geoff Snider
Proud and Willful, True-hearted and Generous... Rohan by Geoff Snider
Secrets of the Naith – Two Towers Designer's Notes by Chuck Kallenbach II
"'Never Have I Seen an Axe So Wielded'" by Geoff Snider
An Army Worthy of Mordor by Geoff Snider
Lorien Musters for Battle by Geoff Snider
Genesis of Site Control: New Game Play for The Two Towers by Michael Reynolds
"We do not speak of dwarves or children. Our friends were hobbits.'" by Geoff Snider
Day One – The Two Towers by Joe Alread

Deck Design 5: Rohirrim by Matthew Clemans
Deck Design 4: Trust In Trackers by Matthew Clemans
Deck Design 3: No Dawn for Men by Joe Lewis
Deck Design 2: Lords of Gondor by Joe Lewis
Deck Design 1: Nobles and Vagabonds by Matthew Clemans
Rider's Spear – Spoiled and Reviewed
Golden Hall – Spoiled and Reviewed
The Riders of Rohan Culture Explored – Pt. I
Théoden Son of Thengel – Spoiled and Reviewed
Grima Wormtongue – Spoiled and Reviewed

The Contests

#1: Name the Real Card – Results
#2:Auguring Aragorn – Results

The Facts

German, Italian, Spanish, and French editions of The Two Towers will release in early November!
The Two Towers to Add New Keywords, Gameplay Formats, and More! by Tom Lischke and Dan Bojanowski
Decipher to Launch Latest Addition to The Lord of the Rings TCG to Coincide With Upcoming Theatrical Release of New Line Cinema's The Two Towers (press release, includes details of product configurations)
The Two Towers: How It Will Change The Lord of the Rings TCG – Interview With Tim Ellington (Courtesy of Game Players Network)
Become an Insider for The Two Towers Expansion

The Rules

Get a jump on the new rules with both starter and deluxe rulebooks in DOC (Microsoft Word) and TXT formats. PDF versions will be available later. Why two rulebooks? Find out from designer Chuck Kallenbach in The Two Rulebooks of The Two Towers .

Starter rulebooks in PDF, DOC and TXT formats now also available in French, German, Spanish, and Italian! Also Deluxe Rulebook PDF in German. (PDF)

The Message Boards

Discuss the new cards and gameplay 24/7 on the Gameplay Message Board, and join the designers on the Everything Else Message Board every Tuesday from 4-6 pm EST for a special Two Towers chat session!

October 1: Joe Alread
October 8: Tom Lischke
October 15: Chuck Kallenbach
October 22: Mike Reynolds
October 29: Joe Alread & Chuck Kallenbach
November 5: Mike Reynolds
November 12: Tom Lischke
November 19: Joe Alread
November 26: Chuck Kallenbach
December 3: Mike Reynolds
December 10: Tom Lischke