Turn 9 Actions (Frodo, Sam, Legolas)

Legolas’ actions:

  • Travel from Dol Guldur to Lórien, bringing 2 elven troops along
  • Travel from Lórien to Fangorn Forest, bringing 1 elven troop along
  • Travel from Fangorn Forest to Isengard, bringing 1 elven troop along
  • Event (doesn’t count as an action): Gifts from the Elves, give a Valor token to Player 1
  • Capture: Isengard, discard two Valor tokens and Mirkwood
  • Sure Shot: spend one stealth token to move one Nazgûl to Mordor

Frodo and Sam’s action:

  • Travel from Carrock to Old Forest Road, bringing Merry and Pippin along

Turn 9 Player Cards

  • Mordor
  • Eagles

Turn 9 Shadow Cards

  • Advance Isengard to Helm's Deep
    • 1 shadow troop already in Helm's Deep
    • Battle: Roll one die, Rout, remove 1 shadow troop from Helm's Deep
    • Move 3 shadow troops from Fords of Isen to Helm's Deep
    • Battle: Roll three dice, Rout, Rout, Exchange, remove 3 shadow troops and 1 Rohirrim troop from Helm's Deep1

Completed the objective: “Saruman, Your Staff is Broken” (Isengard is a haven and Rohan is free of shadow troops). Player 1 gains a resistance token from the supply.

  • Advance Moria to Minas Tirith
    • 3 shadow troops move from Dagorlad to North Ithilien
    • 3 shadow troops move from Gladden Fields to Dol Guldur
      • Battle: Roll 3 dice, Exchange ,Exchange, Overrun, remove 2 shadow troops and 1 dwarven troop
      • Dol Gudur turns back into a Shadow Stronghold, lose 3 hope2
  • Reinforce Rhûn
    • +1 shadow troop in Rhûn
    • Deploy 3 Nazgûl from Mordor to the Eye (Misty Mountains)

Turn 10 Actions (Merry, Pippin Éowyn)

Éowyn’s action:

  • Prepare: Discard Rohan and gain a valor token

Merry and Pippin’s actions:

  • Travel from Old Forest Road to Woodland Realm
  • Muster in Woodland Realm, discard Ithilien, +1 elven troop
  • Muster in Woodland Realm, discard friendship token, +1 elven troop
  • Muster in Woodland Realm, discard friendship token, +1 elven troop

Turn 10 Player Cards

  • Haradwaith
  • Rhudaur

Turn 10 Shadow Cards

  • Advance Dol Guldur to Minas Tirith
    • 3 shadow troops move from North Ithilien to Osgiliath
    • 1 shadow troop moves from Dol Guldur to Southern Mirkwood
  • Reinforce Dunland
    • +1 shadow troop in Dunland
    • Shift the Eye to Frodo’s region (Mirkwood)
  • Advance Moria to Erebor
    • Move 2 shadow troops from Moria to Gladden Fields

Turn 11 Actions (Frodo, Sam, Legolas)

Legolas’ actions:

  • Walk Silently: +1 stealth token
  • Travel from Isengard to Fangorn Forest, spending ` stealth token, bringing 1 elven troop along
  • Travel from Fangorn Forest to Lórien, bringing 1 elven troop along
  • Travel from Lórien to Gladden Fields, bringing 3 elven troops along

It looks risky leaving Lórien undefended, but there haven’t been any advancements from Dol Guldur to Helm’s Deep so far, which is the only battle line to Lórien.

Also I want to stomp over the Moria stronghold as several attacks get launched from there, but no battle lines lead to Moria itself.

This is the way.

Frodo and Sam’s action:

  • Travel from Woodland Realm to Erebor, bringing 2 elven troops along

Turn 11 Player Cards

  • Conflicting Orders
  • Gondor3

Turn 11 Shadow Cards

  • Advance Núrn to Helm's Deep
    • Move 3 shadow troops from Osgiliath to Minas Tirith
      • Battle: Roll 3 dice, Exchange, Overrun, Nazgûl!, remove 1 shadow troop and 1 gondor troop
    • Move 4 shadow troops from Minas Morgul to South Ithilien
    • Move 5 shadow troops from Núrn to Plateau of Gorgoroth
  • Reinforce Moria
    • +1 shadow troop in Moria
    • Move two Nazgûl closer to Frodo (two move from Misty Mountains to Mirkwood)
  • Advance Umbar to Grey Havens
    • No troops on this battle line

Turn 12 Actions (Merry, Pippin, Éowyn)

Merry and Pippin’s action:

  • Give us a song!: Spend 1 friendship token, Rhudaur, and Haradwaith to gain 2 hope
  • Gaze into a Palantir: Shift the Eye to Rohan, move three Nazgûl from Misty Mountains to Rohan

Éowyn’s actions:

  • Travel from Helm's Deep to Edoras
  • Travel from Edoras to Drúadan Forest
  • Travel from Drúadan Forest to Minas Tirith
  • Attack in Minas Tirith
    • Roll one die: Nazgûl! (none present in Gondor)
    • Spend one valor token and Enedwaith to remove 2 shadow troops from Minas Tirith4

Turn 12 Player Cards

  • Misty Mountains
  • Ithilien

Turn 12 Shadow Cards

  • Advance Dol Guldur to Erebor
    • Move 1 shadow troop from Southern Mirkwood to Old Forest Road
  • Reinforce Moria
    • +1 shadow troop in Moria
    • Shift Eye to Frodo’s region (Dale)
  • The Wheels of Saruman
    • Break oath, remove 1 dwarven troop from Iron Hills and 1 from Ered Luin

End of Turn 12

Ok that’s probably enough for today. I have managed to complete my second objective; “Saruman, Your Staff is Broken”, and I am attempting to gather enough strength in Rohan and Gondor to complete the third one; Challenge Sauron.

Player 1 has gained four of the five resistance symbols required to even attempt the final objective, so that is going fine.

On my next turn I am hoping to flip Moria into a haven and max out my hope.

Legolas’ plans:

I am a bit concerned that Rivendell and the Grey Havens might be attacked and turned into strongholds, there is an Advance Dunland to Rivendell card in the deck, as well as a Reinforce Dunland, and a Skies Darken is just waiting to be drawn. I think I need to send Legolas to protect Rivendell ASAP. Maybe he can cut through Moria, flip it to a haven, and pick off the shadow troops marching through Rhudaur and Eriador before they reach Rivendell. Perhaps he can then catch a boat from the Grey Havens to Dol Amroth and join up with the rest of the gang?

Frodo and Sam’s plans:

Avoid searches, so I need to keep battles going. Legolas can help with that. Also I think I will need to get them to muster some elves and dwarves to move on North Ithilien. They already have a small army of elves with them, but more won’t hurt. Perhaps they can flip Dol Guldur back into a haven again as they pass through Mirkwood?

Merry and Pippin’s plans:

Generate a load of friendship to keep hope up and allow troop mustering. Might as well stick with Frodo and Sam for that +2 hope boost.

Éowyn’s plans:

Defend Gondor. She arrived just in time to fend off that attack on Minas Tirith. Shadow troops are a couple of spaces away so that should buy her enough time to muster more Rohirrim in Rohan and then march them back to Gondor. This battle line from Núrn to Minas Tirith will be difficult as there are a lot of troops massed in Mordor that are now creeping out.

It will be tough, especially as I think Skies Darken is about to appear. I need to capture Moria as soon as possible to make life easier.

« Part II | Part III | » Part IV

18th August 2025

  1. Thematic AF ↩︎

  2. Goddamnit, I knew I should have left Dol Guldur as a stronghold ↩︎

  3. Only need one more resistance to be able to destroy the one ring ↩︎

  4. Rohan arriving just in time to defend Gondor, how about that for keeping with the theme ↩︎