Laying the fourth action marker on the second or third place of one category, will it stay there? This would mean for example for the first category that the fourth marker is placed on number 4. Then it stays there and the next markers can be placed on number 6 and number 5.

An option would be to move the fourth action marker to the first place (number 6 in the example) of the category when removing the other three markers.

It stays where you place it. So if you place it on '4' in the Influence Action part, next one will go to '6'.

Dam is correct, as usual.  In the rules: page 15, column 2, under "The Action Step".

TK

What happens if the last to remain is '5'? Is the next to cover number 6 or 4?

If number 6, as I believe, I can organize my draw in this matter:

4-Players.

First Action Step:

1. Influence (6)
2. Draw cards (2)
3. Command (3)

Subsequents turns:

1. Draw cards (2) <- here I take all tokens away except for this one (it is alway the number 2 to be covered, one turn the token covers the first while the second the next turn)
2. Influence (6)
3. Command (3)

In this way you always take actions at their maximum.

In a 3-player game, it depends on your strategy.

As I prefer to lay the most monsters and hoping to get extra influence and story token moved due to combats:

First Action Step:

1. Influence (6)
2. Command (3)

Next Action Step:

1. Command (2)
2. Draw cards (2) <- now I take all away except for this

Then I start again with the first mentioned.

In this way, I only get 6 influence every other turn, but I put one monster each turn getting advantage for the Black Serpent's ability. My minions are always moving trying to delay heroes' travel.

What do you think?

Saramund said:

Page 16 of the rulebook (Under the Action Tracks sections) states "When Sauron takes an action, he places an action token on the leftmost empty space of its Action Track and resolves the action"

So in this case the next covered number would be 6 since its the leftmost empty space.

At times you find yourself just needing that influence in the Shadow Pool more, so doing 2x Influence action just gets done. Stage II, early on, if you have the Shadow Card (Ithil-Stone?) that requires I think 8 in the Shadow Pool, letting you fish out the Denethor or Saruman Black token Plot and put it into play.