Turn 13 Actions (Frodo, Sam, Legolas)

Legolas’ actions:

  • Walk Silently: +1 stealth token
  • Sure Shot on Moria: Removes 1 shadow troop
  • Travel from Gladden Fields to Moria, bringing 3 elven troops along
  • Attack Moria
    • Shift Eye to Misty Mountains
    • Roll one die: Exchange, remove 1 elven troop and 1 shadow troop

Frodo and Sam’s action:

  • Prepare: discard Mordor, +1 valor token

Turn 13 Player Cards

  • Rohan
  • Gondor

Turn 13 Shadow Cards

  • Reinforce Umbar
    • +1 shadow troop in Umbar
    • Move two Nazgûl closer to Frodo (two move from Mirkwood to Dale)
  • Reinforce Núrn
    • +1 shadow troop in Núrn
    • Shift Eye to Frodo’s region (Dale)
  • Reinforce Dunland
    • +1 shadow troop in Dunland
    • Deploy 3 Nazgûl from Mordor to the Eye
      • Move one from Mordor to Dale
      • Move two from Rohan to Dale

Dale is a tiny region that now has five Nazgûl flying over the hobbits’ heads.

Turn 14 Actions (Merry, Pippin, Éowyn)

Merry and Pippin’s action:

  • Loyal Friend: +1 friendship token

Éowyn’s actions:

  • Muster in Minas Tirith, spend friendship token, +1 Gondor troop
  • Travel from Minas Tirith to Osgiliath
  • Travel from Osgiliath to South Ithilien, bringing 1 Gondor troop
  • Attack in South Ithilien
    • Move Eye to Ithilien
    • Roll 1 die: Exchange, remove 1 Gondor troop and 1 shadow troop
    • Spend Ithilien to remove 1 more shadow troops

The idea is that Éowyn will muster a bunch of Rohirrim and then move down through Gondor again, assuming we survive that long.

Turn 14 Player Cards

  • Misty Mountains
  • Misty Mountains

Turn 14 Shadow Cards

  • Reinforce Isengard
    • Isengard is a haven so nothing happens there
    • Move 2 Nazgûl closer to Frodo (Rohan to Mirkwood, Rhudaur to Misty Mountains)
  • Reinforce Moria
    • +1 shadow troop in Moria
    • Deploy 3 Nazgûl from Mordor to the Eye
      • Move Misty Mountains to Dale
      • Move Mirkwood to Dale1
  • Advance: Near Harad to Helm's Deep
    • 2 shadow troops in South Ithilien move to Osgiliath
    • 2 shadow troops in Near Harad move to Harondor

Turn 15 Actions (Frodo, Sam, Legolas)

Frodo and Sam’s action:

  • Travel from Erebor to Woodland Realm, take Merry and Pippin, and 2 elven troops along

Legolas’ actions:

  • Walk Silently +1 stealth token
  • Sure Shot -1 shadow troop from Hollin, discard 1 Gondor
  • Sure Shot -1 shadow troop from Hollin, discard 1 Rohan
  • Attack in Moria
    • Shift Eye to Misty Mountains
    • Roll one die: Rout, remove 1 shadow troop

Turn 15 Player Cards

  • Ithilien
  • Eriador2

Turn 15 Shadow Cards

  • Reinforce Isengard
    • Isengard is a haven so nothing happens there
    • Shift the Eye to Mirkwood
  • Reinforce Near Harad
    • +1 shadow troop in Near Harad
    • Move 2 Nazgûl closer to Frodo (Two move from Dale to Mirkwood)
  • Advance: Núrn to Erebor
    • 1 shadow troop moves from Old Forest Road to Woodland Realm
      • Roll one die: Nazgûl!, remove two elven troops3
      • Spend 1 valor token to remove 1 shadow troop from Woodland Realm
    • 2 shadow troops move from Osgiliath to North Ithilien
    • 2 shadow troops move from Harondor to South Ithilien

Well, that last turn was a massive let-down.

Legolas was was unable to capture Moria due to a lack of valor, and it’s probably not worth waiting and hoping some arrive. Also, due to a Nazgûl eating most of my elven troops in the Woodland Realm, Legolas will need to take his remaining elves south to challenge Sauron. The original plan was to have Frodo and Sam do it.

Hopefully turn 16 will make things a bit easier?

I will now play Eagles and transport Éowyn from South Ithilien to Edoras so she can start mustering the remaining troops required for Challenge Sauron.

Turn 16 Actions (Merry, Pippin, Éowyn)

Éowyn’s action:

  • Muster in Edoras, +1 Rohirrim troop

Merry and Pippin’s actions:

  • Travel from Woodland Realm to Old Forest Road, discarding Misty Mountains, and taking Frodo and Sam along
  • Travel from Old Forest Road to Southern Mirkwood, discarding Dale, and taking Frodo and Sam along
  • Travel from Southern Mirkwood to Dagorlad and taking Frodo and Sam along
  • Travel from Dagorlad to Emyn Muil and taking Frodo and Sam along

Turn 16 Player Cards

  • Eriador
  • Eriador

Turn 16 Shadow Cards

  • Advance: Núrn to Minas Tirith
    • 2 shadow troop moves from North Ithilien to Osgiliath
    • 2 shadow troops move from Udûn to North Ithilien
    • 5 shadow troops move from Plateau of Gorgoroth to Mount Doom
    • 1 shadow troop moves from Núrn to Plateau of Gorgoroth
  • Advance: Near Harad to Helm's Deep
    • 2 shadow troop moves from South Ithilien to Osgiliath
  • Advance: Dunland to Helm's Deep
    • 2 shadow troop moves from Dunland to Drúwaith Iaur

I am feeling the tide turn against me now. I think I have faffed around for too long and now the armies of Mordor are about to rush into Gondor and ruin everything.

Turn 17 Actions (Frodo, Sam, Legolas)

Frodo and Sam’s action:

  • Travel from Emyn Muil to Eastemnet with Merry and Pippin

Legolas’ actions:

  • Travel from Moria to Gladden Fields
  • Travel from Gladden Fields to Lórien
  • Travel from Lórien to Fangorn Forest
  • Travel from Fangorn Forest to Helm's Deep

This is the turn where I realise I now need to leg it to Mordor before I run out of time

Turn 17 Player Cards

  • Mirkwood
  • Rhovanion (discarded - hand-limit)

Turn 17 Shadow Cards

  • Advance Near Harad to Erebor
    • 2 shadow troops move from North Ithilien to Dagorlad
    • 4 shadow troops move from Osgiliath to North Ithilien4
  • Reinforce Umbar
    • +1 shadow troop in Umbar
    • Deploy three Nazgûl from Mordor to the Eye
      • Two Nazgûl move from Dale to Mirkwood
  • Reinforce Rhûn
    • +1 shadow troop in Rhûn
    • Deploy three Nazgûl from Mordor to the Eye
      • Two Nazgûl move from Dale to Mirkwood

Turn 18 Actions (Merry, Pippin, Éowyn)

Éowyn’s actions:

  • Muster in Edoras, +1 Rohirrim troop
  • Muster in Edoras, +1 Rohirrim troop
  • Muster in Edoras, +1 Rohirrim troop
  • Muster in Edoras, +1 Rohirrim troop

Merry and Pippin’s action:

  • Loyal Friend: +1 friendship token

Turn 18 Player Cards

  • Haradwaith
  • Mordor

Turn 18 Shadow Cards

  • Reinforce Dol Guldur
    • +1 shadow troop in Dol Guldur
    • Shift the Eye to Frodo (Rohan)
  • Reinforce Umbar
    • +1 shadow troop in Umbar
    • Roll a search (no Nazgûl in Rohan)
  • Advance Moria to Minas Tirith
    • 4 shadow troops move from North Ithilien to Osgiliath5
    • 2 shadow troops move from Dagolad to North Ithilien
    • 1 shadow troop moves from Dol Guldur to Southern Mirkwood
    • 2 shadow troops move from Gladden Fields to Dol Guldur

Turn 19 Actions (Frodo, Sam, Legolas)

Frodo and Sam’s action:

  • Travel from Eastemnet to Helm's Deep, bringing Merry and Pippin

Legolas’ actions:

  • Travel from Helm's Deep to Edoras, bringing 2 elven troops
  • Travel from Edoras to Drúadan Forest, bringing 2 elven troops and 5 Rohirrim troops
  • Travel from Drúadan Forest to Minas Tirith, bringing 2 elven troops and 5 Rohirrim troops
  • Muster in Minas Tirith, discard Eriador, +1 Gondor troop

Turn 19 Player Cards

  • Skies Darken
    • Increase threat by one
    • Lose 2 hope
    • Add 3 shadow troops to Mount Doom
    • Shuffle discarded Shadow Cards and replace on draw deck
  • Rhudaur

Turn 19 Shadow Cards

  • Advance: Isengard to Helm's Deep
    • Nothing happens as Isengard is a haven
  • Advance: Moria to Rivendell
    • 1 shadow troop moves from Hollin to Tharbad
  • Reinforce Núrn
    • +1 shadow troop in Núrn
    • Move 2 Nazgûl to Frodo (Two move from Mirkwood to Rohan)

Turn 20 Actions (Merry, Pippin, Éowyn)

Éowyn’s actions:

  • Travel from Edoras to Drúadan Forest
  • Travel from Drúadan Forest to Minas Tirith
  • Travel from Minas Tirith to Osgiliath, bringing 2 Rohirrim troops
  • Attack in Osgiliath
    • Shift the Eye to Ithilien
    • Roll 2 dice: Rout and Overrun, remove 1 shadow troop
    • Spend Eriador to re-roll Overrun, result is Exchange, remove 1 shadow troop and 1 Rohirrim troop
    • Spend Misty Mountains to remove 1 shadow troop

Merry and Pippin’s action:

  • Loyal Friend, gain 1 friendship token

Turn 20 Player Cards

  • Ithilien
  • Rhudaur

I wonder if drawing these resistance cards for Player 2 have just lost me the game?

I can’t gain any of Player 2’s resistance because there are no havens in those regions. I have to rely on there being at least one more left in the deck for Player 1 to draw.

Turn 20 Shadow Cards

  • Reinforce Dunland
    • +1 shadow troop in Dunland
    • Move 2 Nazgûl to Rohan
  • Reinforce Near Harad
    • +1 shadow troop in Near Harad
    • Move all Nazgûl to Rohan
  • Reinforce Dol Guldur
    • +1 shadow troop in Dol Guldur
    • Shift the Eye to Frodo (Rohan)

Well, that is the end of 20 turns.

Victory is close, I will definitely be completing the third objective next turn Challenge Sauron, but my major issue is that Player 1 has not drawn enough resistance cards to be able to complete the final objective. I need one more. I have 8 resistance cards in the two player hands, and one in the discard pile. I think there are 12 resistance cards in total, so that leaves three more in the draw deck, and there are 10 cards left in that draw deck.

I need to get to Mount Doom ASAP before this deck runs out.

« Part III | Part IV | » Part V

18th August 2025

  1. That’s all the remaining Nazgûl hanging out in Dale now ↩︎

  2. Going to have to give up on this capturing of Moria, no valor cards are coming out ↩︎

  3. FFS! ↩︎

  4. Huh, and just like that the Fall of Minas Tirith is postponed ↩︎

  5. Oh dear ↩︎