Fantasy Flight Games has announced the release of “The Return of the King,” the final repackaged expansion for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. This expansion, set to launch in October, promises to deliver an epic conclusion to the beloved saga.
Recreating the Epic Conclusion
The expansion recreates the adventures from the third part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary trilogy, allowing players to experience the climactic events of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in card game format. It combines the contents of two previously released expansions, “The Flame of the West” & “The Mountain of Fire,” offering both new & longtime fans a comprehensive package to complete their Lord of the Rings card game collection.
Six Scenarios to Challenge Players
“The Return of the King” expansion includes six scenarios that follow the narrative arc of the book, from the Paths of the Dead to the final confrontation at Mount Doom. Players will navigate through key events such as the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the rescue mission at Cirith Ungol, & the ultimate challenge of destroying the One Ring.
Over 60 New Hero & Player Cards
One of the highlights of this expansion is the inclusion of over 60 new hero & player cards. These cards can be used to enhance existing decks or build entirely new ones, adding depth & variety to gameplay. The expansion introduces new Fellowship sphere cards, designed specifically to enrich the Saga Expansion adventures.
New Version of Frodo Baggins
A notable addition is a new version of Frodo Baggins as the Ring-bearer. Nearing the end of his long & arduous journey, Frodo has sacrificed much in his quest to destroy The One Ring. This version of Frodo can exhaust the One Ring to add a resource to any hero’s pool, offering strategic flexibility in resource management. This leaves his resources available for cards like Friend of Friends & Orc Disguise, giving him new options for overcoming the challenges of Mordor.
Two Versions of Aragorn
The expansion also features two versions of Aragorn as Fellowship sphere heroes. These versions do not count towards the player’s hero limit, allowing for greater flexibility in party composition. Both versions can utilize the “Banner of Elendil” card to provide a party-wide buff, emphasizing Aragorn’s role as the heir to the throne of Gondor.
Éomer & Éowyn
Éomer is a master of multitasking, able to quest & attack at the same time. Equip him with Guthwinë, & he can tear enemies to pieces while retrieving Rohan allies like Elfhelm from your discard pile. Meanwhile, Éomer’s sister, Éowyn, boasts high willpower for a Tactics hero & also reduces your starting threat by 3. Her willpower allows her to make great use of the Golden Shield, & she can grant herself a whopping +9 bonus to her attack strength for the phase.
Beregond
The hero Beregond is a stalwart warrior who boasts an impressive, unyielding defense. With his sentinel ability allowing him to leap to the defense of any player, Beregond can keep the party’s hit points & threat at healthy levels thanks to his inherent ability & high defense, especially if he utilizes a Desperate Defense. Combine that with the Livery of the Tower, & Beregond will be able to stand in defense of his allies until the very end.
Challenging Campaign Scenarios
The campaign scenarios in this expansion are designed to challenge players with new mechanics & enemies. For instance, the Paths of the Dead scenario introduces the “phantom” keyword for Undead enemies, converting combat damage into threat & adding a time pressure element to the quest.
Iconic Moments from the Book
As players progress through the scenarios, they’ll encounter iconic moments from the book, such as confronting the Corsair Fleet, defending Minas Tirith, & facing the Mouth of Sauron at the Black Gate. The final scenario takes place in Mordor itself, with Frodo attempting to destroy the One Ring under the watchful gaze of the Lidless Eye.
The Paths of the Dead
The first scenario sees Aragorn & his companions traveling through The Paths of the Dead, searching for an Army of the Dead to gain as a powerful ally. The Undead enemies of this scenario brandish the new “phantom” keyword, which converts all combat damage they would deal into threat, making them truly terrifying foes that put a time limit on your efforts to recruit them.
The Corsair Fleet & Battle of the Pelennor Fields
After gaining control of the Army of the Dead, Aragorn & his companions race to fend off The Corsair Fleet harrying Gondor’s coasts. There, they fend off various Umbar Pirate Crews before traveling to Minas Tirith to aid in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
Cirith Ungol & The Black Gate
Meanwhile, Frodo & Sam continue their quest with the One Ring, which swiftly turns into a rescue mission when Frodo is captured & taken to the tower of Cirith Ungol. Sam, believing himself to be the Last of the Company, must fight his way through the tower to rescue his master. After escaping the tower, the two Hobbits are given brief reprieve from Sauron’s watchful eye as Aragorn draws the Enemy’s attention to The Black Gate, where they confront vile foes such as The Mouth of Sauron & the Nazgûl of Mordor.
The Final Challenge: Mount Doom
Finally, at the end of it all, Frodo must pass through the barren lands of Mordor, under the ever-watchful gaze of The Lidless Eye, & cast the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom, finally destroying it once & for all.
A Complete Experience for All Players
Fantasy Flight Games emphasizes that this expansion offers a complete experience for both new players & those who may have missed the original releases of “The Flame of the West” & “The Mountain of Fire.” However, they also note that players who already own these two expansions will not find new content in this repackaged version.
The announcement of “The Return of the King” expansion marks the culmination of Fantasy Flight Games’ efforts to bring The Lord of the Rings saga to life in card game form. It promises to deliver an immersive & challenging experience that captures the epic scale & emotional depth of Tolkien’s masterpiece.
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