# The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – The Fellowship of the Ring: Saga Expansion ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2022 - **BGG Rating**: 8.9 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 1) - **Duration**: 30-90 min - **Weight**: 4.00 / 5 - **Designers**: Caleb Grace, Jeremy Zwirn, MJ Newman, Nate French - **Publishers**: Fantasy Flight Games, ADC Blackfire Entertainment - **Categories**: Adventure, Card Game, Collectible Components, Expansion for Base-game, Fantasy, Novel-based - **Mechanics**: Automatic Resource Growth, Cooperative Game, Deck Construction, Events, Hand Management, Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game, Solo / Solitaire Game, Variable Player Powers, Variable Set-up ## Verdict Perfect for Tolkien fans seeking a dense, narrative-driven cooperative experience. Its strongest point is the fidelity to the original work.Exceptional narrative immersionRobust scenario contentDeep strategic deck buildingExcellent for solo playVery steep learning curveDuplicate content for veteransHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Prepare your spirit and organize your deck, because the journey to destroy the One Ring just got a massive boost! 'The Fellowship of the Ring: Saga Expansion' transports players to the beginning of Frodo and his companions' epic quest. Here, you aren't just playing cards; you are fighting for the survival of Middle-earth against brutal threats like the Uruk-hai, the terrifying Balrog, and the relentless pursuit of the Nazgûl. If you love that 'us against the world' feeling, this is exactly where you need to be. What's inside the box? The expansion delivers six complete scenarios that recreate the most iconic adventures from the first part of the trilogy. Beyond the missions, you'll find over 50 hero and player cards, perfect for upgrading your current decks or crafting new strategic combinations for any scenario or campaign in the LCG. It's the ideal chance to feel the tension of every step taken toward Mount Doom. A crucial point for veterans: this Saga Expansion is essentially a compilation. It gathers all the content from 'The Black Riders' and 'The Road Darkens' expansions. In other words, if you already own those two boxes, you won't find any new content here. However, for those just starting out or wanting everything organized in one place, it's the perfect entry point into the adventure. The complexity is high (weight 4/5), requiring tight coordination between players and careful hand management, but the reward of overcoming a difficult scenario is unbeatable. Gather your friends, assemble your Fellowship, and try not to succumb to the Ring's temptation! ## How to Play Game Objective Welcome to the saga expansion The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring! This expansion allows you and your friends to directly participate in the narrative events of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novels, recreating Frodo Baggins and his companions' epic journey to destroy the One Ring and defeat Sauron. Over six exciting scenarios, you will experience the first third of the story of The Lord of the Rings. Preparation (Setup) The preparation for each scenario varies, but generally involves building the Encounter Deck with cards from specific sets, as indicated for each scenario. For example, for Scenario 1, "The Shadow of the Past", the Encounter Deck consists of cards from the Encounter Sets: The Shadow of the Past, The Hunt, The Ring, and The Black Knights. In some scenarios, such as "Escape to the Vale", it is necessary to create a Disadvantage Deck with specific cards and also set the Ring Bearer's Life using a Threat Log adjusted to an initial value (in this case, 15). Refer to the rulebook for details on the specific preparation for each of the six scenarios included in this expansion. Game Flow The game flow is structured in turns and phases, where players work together to overcome the challenges presented in each scenario. Actions and events unfold in a sequence that may include: Maintenance Phase: Refer to the rulebook for details on this section. Encounter Phase: Refer to the rulebook for details on this section. Travel Phase: Refer to the rulebook for details on this section. Player Phase: Refer to the rulebook for details on this section. Enemy Phase: Refer to the rulebook for details on this section. In scenarios such as "The Breaking of the Fellowship", there may be more than one Organization Area, where each player manages their own stage of the mission. Actions and combat checks occur within each Organization Area separately, although players can still interact with each other. Actions and How to Play The actions available to players and the game mechanics are detailed in the rulebook. A notable mechanic introduced in some scenarios is the Hide Test. Hide Test: When an Encounter Card with the keyword "Hide X" is revealed, the player who revealed it must perform a test. If the card also has an "On Reveal" or "Forced" effect, the Hide Test must be resolved before the rest of the card. To perform the test, a player may exhaust any number of characters they control to assign them to the test. Then, the player discards the X cards from the top of the Encounter Deck, where X is the value of "Hide X". The test is successful if the total of Ò (willpower) of the assigned characters is greater than or equal to the total of $ (threat value) of the discarded cards. If the total of Ò is less than the total of $, the player fails the test. After the test is resolved, the characters are no longer assigned to it. The Hide Tests ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game to play? Yes! This is an expansion and requires The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game base game to function. ### I already own 'The Black Riders' and 'The Road Darkens'. Is it worth buying? No. This expansion is a compilation of those two boxes; you won't find any new cards if you already own them. ### Can I play it solo? Absolutely! The game is excellent in solo mode, allowing you to manage multiple heroes. ### Is the game very difficult? Yes, it has a 4/5 weight. It requires significant planning and coordination, especially in advanced scenarios. ### How long does a game take? It depends on the scenario, but it usually ranges from 30 to 90 minutes per mission. ### How many people can play? From 1 to 4 players, all working together against the game.