The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth

A dark rumor rises from Mordor. The Eye turns to Middle-earth. The hour has come. The Fellowship is reunited, and the Heroes prepare for battle. Will you play as the Fellowship of the Ring, defending the free races and racing to destroy the One Ring? Or will you take control of Sauron, hunting Frodo and Sam while unleashing your hordes on enemy cities? The destiny of Middle-earth is in your hands.

The game unfolds over three chapters, each played similarly. On your turn, you choose from a display of face-down and face-up cards—but only cards that aren’t partially covered by others. You can play a card by paying its cost and placing it in your play area to gain its benefit, or discard it to take coins equal to the current chapter number. You can also take a Landmark tile from the faceup selection, pay its cost, and place it in your play area—then immediately put a Fortress pawn on the matching region of the central board and enjoy its other effects.

Victory comes fast. Win instantly by fulfilling one of three conditions: For the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam must reach Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. For Sauron, the Nazgûl must catch them and seize it. Alternatively, gather 6 different Race symbols on your Green cards to rally the Races of Middle-earth, or be present in all 7 regions (with a Fortress and/or at least 1 Unit) to conquer Middle-earth. If no one wins by the end of chapter 3, the player present in the most regions wins—ties are shared.