Yes, it is episode one of me attempting to play The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship.

I have read the rules a couple of times, watched a couple of play-throughs, read through the forums on Board Game Geek1, and have set up the board.

As mentioned in the home screen for this game on this site, I will be attempting the starter objectives:

  • Attain the Blessing of the Elves
  • Saruman, Your Staff Is Broken
  • Challenge Sauron
  • Destroy the One Ring

And I’m playing two-handed with these characters:

  • Frodo and Sam
  • Legolas
  • Merry and Pippin
  • Éowyn

I then drew the following nine shadow cards2 and put one shadow troop in each location:

  1. Isengard -> Helm’s Deep (Orange Battle Line) (Shift Eye) (+1 Isengard)
  2. Núrn -> Helm’s Deep (Purple Battle Line) (Shift Eye) (+1 Núrn)
  3. Núrn -> Minas Tirith (Yellow Battle Line) (Shift Eye) (+1 Núrn)
  4. Dol Guldur -> Erebor (Blue Battle Line) (2 Nazgûl -> Frodo) (+1 Dol Guldur)
  5. Isengard -> Helm’s Deep (Orange Battle Line) (2 Nazgûl -> Frodo) (+1 Isengard)
  6. Moria -> Erebor (Blue Battle Line) (Shift Eye) (+1 Moria)
  7. Dunland -> Helm’s Deep (Orange Battle Line) (2 Nazgûl -> Frodo) (+1 Dunland)
  8. Moria -> Minas Tirith (Yellow Battle Line) (Deploy 3 Nazgûl -> Eye) (+1 Moria)
  9. Rhûn -> Woodland Realm (Orange Battle Line) (Shift Eye) (+1 Rhûn)

So, looking at that initial draw, it appears as though the enemy will be advancing along the battlelines towards Helm’s Deep, Minas Tirith, and Erebor frequently.

In fact, two of the cards are marching troops from Isengard to Helm’s Deep3, and I have the objective to capture Isengard, so things should get interesting around there.

Isengard to Helm’s Deep is also a really short journey, only two spaces. I reckon I’ll need to get Éowyn to reinforce Rohan early on, or try to capture Isengard quickly.

Núrn to Helm’s Deep is a bit of a slog, taking eight spaces. The purple battle line also goes through Minas Tirith which should slow the shadow troops down. Especially as the other card Núrn target is Minas Tirith too. So maybe both Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith should be locations I need to be concerned about. Losing either of these havens will cost me three hope, which is devastating and would almost certainly lose me the game4.

Finally, I suppose I should not overlook the threat to the Woodland Realm and Erebor from Dol Guldur and Rhûn. Both havens, again, so I wouldn’t want to be overly focused on one area of Middle-earth while my demise is actioned in another. I mean, can you imagine what that would be like?

Of course, these are only the outcome of the shadow cards for the red flag. There are also the black banners to consider, with lots of moving of the Eye to Frodo’s location, and Nazgûl moving closer towards him. Looks like Frodo will need to keep moving, much like the books.

Setting up the objectives

For “Saruman, your staff is broken” I need to add two extra shadow troops to Isengard. In order to complete it I need to capture Isengard and turn it into a haven, and also ensure that there are no shadow troops in the Rohan region. Pretty difficult I reckon, considering Isengard is already rammo with shadow troops.

For Attain the Blessing of the Elves I need to place three elven troops onto the objective card. To complete it I have to get to Rivendell with two characters and then spend 3 Friendship.

For Challenge Sauron I need to get to North Ithilien and bring two Rohirrim, three Gondor, and two Elven troops with me.

For Destroy the One Ring I have to complete the other three objectives, get Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom, and spend five Resistance cards, and survive a final search roll, adding an extra die for each missing hope.

Initial card draw

Player 1 (Frodo & Sam, and Legolas) starts with the following cards:

  • Mordor (Friendship)
  • Gondor (Valor)
  • Rhovanion (Friendship)
  • Mirkwood (Valor)

Player 2 (Merry & Pippin, and Éowyn)

  • Dale (Stealth)
  • Enedwaith (Stealth)
  • Rhudaur (Valor)
  • Gondor (Friendship)

I guess it’s good that P1 has some Friendship cards as they can be used to re-roll some weary dice if needed. Could have done with some Stealth though. I suppose Legolas can generate that if necessary. Resistance would have been good too.

P2 has two Stealth cards, a Valor, and a Friendship card. They would be good to gain Friendship with, as if they follow Frodo and Sam around the map they can play Give Us A Song!5 to gain two hope, which is a big deal.

Turn 1 Actions (Frodo, Sam, Legolas)

Ok, so, I know that Erebor and the Woodland Realm will be attacked at some point, and I don’t want to leave them underpowered, so I think for my first turn I will use Legolas to take four actions. To reinforce both of these havens.

  • Legolas: Muster in Woodland Realm (+1 Elven troop, discard Mordor (Friendship))
  • Legolas: Travel to Erebor
  • Legolas: Muster in Erebor (+1 Dwarven troop, discard Rhovanoin (Friendship))
  • Legolas: Walk Silently (+1 Stealth token from the supply)

Right, that is Legolas’ turn. Woodland Realm and Erebor should be slightly safer now. Also I have a stealth token that I can use to remove a shadow troop from adjacent or current locations, or send a Nazgúl back to Mordor.

For Frodo and Sam, I guess I’ll just Travel to Bree and spend that Stealth token I just earned as Legolas. I will also take Merry and Pippin along. Now I can move through Eriador without needing to roll a search.

Turn 1 Player Cards

I then draw two player cards:

  • Haradwaith (Stealth)
  • Rohan (Resistance)

Not bad, I need stealth and resistance for this player.

Turn 1 Shadow Cards

Advance: Umbar -> Helm's Deep (Purple Battle Line)

One shadow troop moves Umbar -> Pelargir

There is one Gondor troop in Pelargir, so a battle is rolled

Die result = Overrun (lose one friendly troop)

Advance: Moria -> Erebor (Blue Battle Line)

Four shadow troops move to Gladden Fields

Turn 2 Actions (Merry, Pippin, Éowyn)

Well, the forces of shadow are marching on Erebor. There are a fair amount of shadow troops on their way now. Maybe I made a good decision about strengthening these areas, but I wasn’t expecting them to advance so quickly.

I think it makes sense for me to try and gain some more Friendship with Merry and Pippin as they make their way to Rivendell, so I will use them for their one action and make it “Loyal Friend” (+1 Friendship token). Now I am only one Friendship away from completing Gain the Blessing of the Elves.

For Éowyn I am going to do some mustering again, but thanks to her own ability Shieldmaiden of Rohan I do not need to spend Friendship to gain troops.

  • Éowyn: Muster in Edoras (+1 Rohirrim troop)
  • Éowyn: Travel to Eastemnet, taking two Rohirrim troops along
  • Éowyn: Muster in Eastemnet (+1 Rohirrim troop)
  • Éowyn: Travel to Helm's Deep, taking four Rohirrim troops along

That means Éowyn is now in Helm’s Deep with five Rohirrim troops. The idea is that I can start my assault against Isengard, draw the Eye away from Eriador, and make some progress towards my objective Saruman, your staff is broken.

Turn 2 Player Cards

Drawing:

  • Enedwaith (Friendship)
  • Dale (Friendship)6

Turn 2 Shadow Cards

Reinforce: Dunland

Shift Eye to Frodo’s region

Already there so roll a search

Two Nazgûl in Eriador so roll two dice

Slip By and Recall7

Reinforce: Dol Guldur

Move two Nazgûl closer to Frodo

Nazgûl moves from Rhudaur to Eriador and from Misty Mountains to Enedwaith

End of turn two

That’s the first two turns of the game done. A lot has happened already and I think I have been very lucky with some of these dice rolls. I managed to escape unscathed from the initial search in Eriador, and even managed to get a Nazgûl to return to Mordor. Also, the moving closer of the other two Nazgûl means that it should be easier for the hobbits to make it to Rivendell to complete the objective Gain the Blessing of the Elves.

However I am a bit concerned at the amount of shadow troop build-up in Mirkwood. That’s not cool. Legolas may have to start some battles to thin those numbers a bit. He can do with some more stealth cards to start Sure Shotting his way through the lines.

Other than the loss of Pelargir I don’t think there were too many things that went against us these turns.

Let’s see how turns three and four go.

« Back to Fate of the Fellowship Home

14th August 2025

  1. Always a bad idea ↩︎

  2. I might try and scan some copies of these cards in if I can’t find them online ↩︎

  3. How very thematic ↩︎

  4. Makes sense, these cities were essential to the defeat of Sauron and Saruman after all ↩︎

  5. Presumably then drawing all the forces of the enemy straight to their location ↩︎

  6. I am now awash with Friendship. Time to get that blessing ↩︎

  7. What a roll ↩︎