The Fate of the North

"Yet who knows? As the Shadow grows once more, they too may walk again."
     –Gandalf

The Dread Realm is now available for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, and the fate of the North hangs in the balance!

The sixth and final Adventure Pack in the Angmar Awakened cycle, The Dread Realm carries several of Middle-earth's greatest heroes to the end of their epic quest. What began as an attempt to rescue the captive Ranger Iârion now concludes as a desperate battle to save the Dúnedain's soul from a fate worse than death…

With its sixty cards (including a new hero and three copies each of nine different player cards), The Dread Realm introduces a terrifying new scenario that takes place within the cold and dark Underground catacombs of Carn Dûm. There, in order to disrupt the foul midwinter ritual intended to raise one of the Dark Lord's vilest servants from the dead, your heroes must quickly overcome the evil Undead and the lingering Sorcery that haunt that accursed realm.

If your heroes cannot stop the ritual, and if the dark Sorcerer known as Daechanar should return from the grave, the long, uneasy peace that the Rangers of the North have secured for the North may be undone in one bitter turn!

Aided by the Elves

As the final Adventure Pack in the Angmar Awakened cycle, The Dread Realm does more than build its epic narrative to its climactic conclusion; it also rounds out the cycle's new player themes and mechanics. Accordingly, you'll find a new ally and Weapon for the Dúnedain, a new Tactics event with the Valour keyword, and several cards that empower the cycle's new depiction of the Noldor. Among these is the pack's new Spirit hero, Arwen Undómiel (The Dread Realm, 140).

Weighing in at a starting threat of just nine, Arwen boasts three Willpower, making her one of the game's strongest questing heroes, straight out of the gates. However, her greatest strengths come not from her stats, but from her Noldor trait and her unique ability. As a Noldor Elf in the Spirit sphere, Arwen can make use of Elrond's Counsel (The Watcher in the Water, 59), Steed of Imladris (Across the Ettenmoors, 59), and Lords of the Eldar (The Battle of Carn Dûm, 121), as well as a number of other useful events and attachments. Moreover, just as Lords of the Eldar encourages you to play with multiple Noldor heroes, so does Arwen, as her unique ability allows you to convert cards in your hand to resources, once per round.

Lead developer Matthew Newman explores some of these synergies in a deck that partners Arwen with her brothers and features many of the new cards from the Angmar Awakened cycle.

Elven Siblings

Deck Created with CardGameDB.com The Lord of the Rings Deckbuilder

Total Cards: (49)

Hero: (3)

1x Arwen Undómiel (The Dread Realm)
1x Elladan (Road to Rivendell)
1x Elrohir (The Redhorn Gate)

Ally: (18)

3x Elven Jeweler (Escape from Mount Gram)
1x Erestor (The Long Dark)
2x Galadriel (The Road Darkens)
3x Galadriel’s Handmaiden (Celebrimbor's Secret)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
1x Legolas (The Treason of Saruman)
1x Lindir (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
2x Trollshaw Scout (Foundations of Stone)
2x Watcher of the Bruinen (The Watcher in the Water)

Attachment: (18)

2x Dunedain Warning (Conflict at the Carrock)
2x Elven Mail (The Three Trials)
2x Elven Spear (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
1x Heir of Mardil (Celebrimbor's Secret)
2x Light of Valinor (Foundations of Stone)
2x Rivendell Blade (Road to Rivendell)
2x Rivendell Bow (The Watcher in the Water)
2x Silver Harp (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
2x Steed of Imladris (Across the Ettenmoors)
1x The Day’s Rising (The Antlered Crown)

Event: (13)

2x A Test of Will (Core Set)
2x Elrond's Counsel (The Watcher in the Water)
3x Elven-light (The Dread Realm)
3x Foe-hammer (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
1x Lords of the Eldar (The Battle of Carn Dûm)

This is a very attachment-heavy deck, but it can come together quickly and transforms Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen into complete powerhouses. Interestingly enough, one of the deck's most important cards isn't an attachment at all; it's the new event Elven-light (The Dread Realm, 145) that helps power all the deck's discard tactics. If you don't have a copy of Elven-light in your hand, be sure to mulligan for a copy.

By the time you get set up, you'll have Elladan with Rivendell Bow to gain the Ranged keyword, along with Rivendell Blade and Elven Spear to let him slay nearly any enemy in just one hit. He gets Light of Valinor so that he can quest and then attack. Elrohir gets Heir of Mardil, so he can quest and then ready with Arwen's ability if you need. He should also get Elven Mail for Sentinel and the extra hit points, along with Dúnedain Warnings for extra defense. The Day's Rising also goes on Elrohir and will allow him to gain additional resources from defending.

Once you really get going, you can quest with all three siblings and still block and kill every enemy you face.

Your allies are mostly Noldor, too, which makes Lords of the Eldar an ace in the hole for the late-game. Moreover, your Trollshaw Scouts and Legolas can make use of your extra Rivendell Blades and Bows.

Because it relies upon a few combinations, the deck may struggle early, but Foe-hammer, Gandalf, Legolas, and Elven-light can really speed it up. In the end, it should be easy enough to maintain a minimum hand size of four at nearly all times. Also, Galadriel is a great play early on, allowing you to quest for three Willpower, and you will nearly always find an attachment to play!

Finally, the deck can shine either in solo or multi-player games, although if you're playing in a multi-player game, you really want to aim to get Sentinel on Elrohir and Ranged on Elladan as fast as you can. Once you do, they can make a tremendous impact all across the table.

Midnight Approaches

Midnight approaches, and with it, the completion of Daechanar's midwinter ritual. You must not allow it to be completed! You must help save the North from the evils it would unleash!

The task will be difficult. You will face the Wraiths of Carn Dûm (The Dread Realm, 157), the Witches of Angmar (The Dread Realm, 156), the lingering Sorcery that pervades Carn Dûm's darkened, underground corridors, and if your progress is slowed even a heartbeat, you may be forced to confront Daechanar himself, returned from the dead!

Start your race through the tunnels beneath Carn Dûm. The Dread Realm is now available at retailers throughout the United States and online via our webstore. Pick up your copy today!