Allied by a Common Cause

"There came a soft sound: a swish, followed by a plop, as if a fish had disturbed the still surface of the water. Turning quickly they saw ripples, black-edged with shadow in the waning light."
     –J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

The Thing in the Depths, the second Adventure Pack in the Dream-chaser cycle for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, is now available at retailers throughout the United States!

After an exhausting chase, several of Middle-earth's greatest heroes have caught the Stormcaller and her crew. Now, even as they board the Corsair ship, something dreadful stirs in the waters below them. Tentacles burst forward. The ship's rails are wrenched loose. A sea monster of terrifying strength threatens to tear the Stormcaller apart and send her to the bottom of the sea.

In The Thing in the Depths, your heroes and the Corsairs they battle must forge a fast alliance in order to fend off the attacks from a many-tentacled sea Creature. This Adventure Pack's new scenario and its adventure unfold over three quest stages, rewarding you at points with clear and distinctive beats in its narrative. And even as the Corsairs' leaders suddenly become your allies, you'll find a number of other allies nestled among the pack's twenty-four player cards (three copies each of eight different cards). You'll also find a new Spirit hero perfectly suited to the challenges of multiplayer games, as well as to the Dream-chaser cycle's focus on exploration and discovery.

Lead Developer Matthew Newman on Lanwyn

"Getting to design heroes is one of the most interesting and fun parts of developing for Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. Heroes form the pillars of a player’s deck and are often the most exciting cards to find in new expansions, so we generally do our best when designing new heroes to make sure they are fun and engaging in several key elements, including aesthetics, gameplay, deckbuilding, and theme. Whenever we design a new hero who does not appear within the pages of the Lord of the Rings books, these four elements are even more important—without the familiarity of a name like 'Aragorn' or 'Legolas,' the heroes we design from scratch have to stand out from the aggregate, without overshadowing more important characters.

"When I started designing the Dream-chaser cycle, I began with a series of four high-cost unique allies who all utilized the cycle’s theme of spending resources. One of these was Lanwyn (The Thing in the Depths, 30)—a character from Dale for whom I’d created a backstory in my head long ago. I loved the idea of a character in Middle-earth who was a cartographer and a falconer, a real explorer to match the uncharted and often untamed lands of Tolkien’s world.

"Soon after we began playtesting, we decided to really push the Scout trait, and given the lack of Dale heroes in the card pool (combined with the lack of named characters from Dale in the source material), it made perfect sense to promote Lanwyn to hero status. Her ability also happened to fit well with the team’s desire to add a soft counter to Surge within the Spirit sphere, and also worked great with her stats, allowing her to either double-down on questing, or ready and provide a valuable Ranged attack. The fact that the artwork by Aleksander Karcz was extraordinary only cemented the decision.

"The Lanwyn card is really Lanwyn and Gavin—her falcon—working together, and I think this aspect really helps to sell the card. Her Ranged keyword and three Attack Strength is unique in Spirit, but is represented thematically by her falcon, Gavin, rather than by any exceptional combat training. Moreover, despite her high Attack Strength, you’re almost always going to commit her to the quest every round, given her ability to quest and react to surprise situations. It's this that really makes her a Spirit hero (and a Scout hero), as well as a welcome addition to the hero lineup."

Ready Your Fellowship

Whether or not you welcome Lanwyn to your fellowship, along with her ability to react to the surprise situation of a sea monster's attack, The Thing in the Depths provides both a thrilling scenario and a wealth of new deckbuilding options.

This is particularly true if you're looking to enjoy multiplayer games in which the cycle's focus on high-cost allies and paying for secondary effects shines brightest. In such games, you're more likely to encounter Surge effects that trigger Lanwyn's Response, and you're more likely to have Spirit resources available to pay for Sam Gamgee (The Thing in the Depths, 35) or Lore resources to pay for Eldahir (The Thing in the Depths, 31).

Along with the pack's other player cards, these allies permit tactics and strategies that go a long way toward distinguishing the multiplayer experience from the challenges of solo play, and this cooperative multiplayer experience in a customizable card game form presents one of the great joys of The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, much as one of the other great joys is the way the game reinvents itself with every scenario and its new challenges—including battles with Corsairs, the appearances of sea monsters, and the sudden formation of alliances of necessity between former enemies.

Add to your enjoyment of The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game with The Thing in the Depths Adventure Pack, now available at retailers throughout the United States and online via our webstore. Availability in other regions may vary.