The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth

Description

--- "The Lord of the Rings game pits Fellowship against Sauron in a 3-chapter strategic contest for Middle-earth's fate via quest, races, or domination." (24 words) Key mechanics include: - *Card selection and resolution* Players take available cards from a face-up/down display, play them by paying costs for benefits (skills, treasure, presence, races, quest) or discard for chapter-based coins. - *Landmark tiles* Acquire face-up tiles by paying costs to place Fortress pawns on central board regions and gain immediate effects. - *Quest of the Ring* Fellowship advances Frodo/Sam to Mount Doom for win; Sauron deploys Nazgûl to capture them. - *Race support* Collect 6 different Race symbols on Green cards from any player for immediate victory. - *Regional presence* Establish Fortresses and/or Units across 7 Middle-earth regions; control all 7 wins instantly. - *Chapter structure* Game unfolds identically over 3 chapters; endgame awards most regions if no instant win. The Lord of the Rings game reunites the Fellowship or empowers Sauron amid rising Mordor threats, with players choosing sides to shape Middle-earth's destiny. Structured across three successive chapters, turns center on drafting available (uncovered) cards from a display to play—paying costs to bolster Skills, hoard treasure (coins), extend presence via Units/Fortresses, rally Races through Green card symbols, or advance the shared Quest of the Ring—or discard for coins scaling with the chapter (1, 2, or 3). Players may also claim face-up Landmark tiles, paying to deploy Fortress pawns on the central board's corresponding regions for control and bonus effects. Immediate victory triggers via three paths: Fellowship wins by guiding Frodo and Sam to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring; Sauron triumphs by Nazgûl intercepting them; any player claims dominance with 6 unique Race symbols or presence (Fortress/Unit) in all 7 regions. Absent these by chapter 3's close, the player controlling most regions prevails, sharing victory on ties. ---