Call of the Wild

"Before you could get round Mirkwood in the North you would be right among the slopes of the Grey Mountains, and they are simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and rest of the worst description."
   –Gandalf, The Hobbit

You may have escaped your battle with the Cold-drake with your lives, but scarcely had the beast been slain than word of an even greater threat reached your ears. A terrible Dragon roosts in the Orcish stronghold of Gundabad and your only way in is a fiendish Goblin you have taken prisoner. Now, you have no choice but to place your trust in him and set off on an uncertain path through Wilderland.

Roam Across Rhovanion, the second Adventure Pack in the Ered Mithrin cycle for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, is now available!

A Winding Road

Your battle with the Cold-drake in The Withered Heath has earned your company of heroes an unexpected reward: the Goblin Urdug is now your prisoner, and he claims to know of a hidden entrance into Gundabad that would make entering the fortress all the easier. Despite being your captive, however, Urdug will not part with this precious information easily. Only after you’ve helped him recover three things he lost in the craggy ravines and grey moorland of Wilderland will he lead you to Gundabad.

To complete these tasks and move on with your quest, then, Roam Across Rhovanion takes you on a far-ranging set of adventures that will test all of your skills. After taking your initial steps into Wilderland, there’s no telling which of Urdug’s tasks you’ll be swept up in. This Adventure Pack contains three Stage 2 quest cards that are encountered in a random order, giving you the chance to experience a new adventure every time you play.

While helping Urdug may seem like a distraction from your main quest, it is also an opportunity to get your hands on some valuable Artifacts. If you help Urdug recover his horn  (Roam Across Rhovanion, 37) from an angry giant, for example, he can use it to rally aid from the encounter deck. When he attacks with this card attached, Urdug discards the top card of the encounter deck and adds its threat strength to his attack strength until the end of the phase, making him invaluable in a fight.   

But more important Items lie hidden in Rhovanion than Urdug’s Horn. With enough persistence, you may also recover Durin's Key  (Roam Across Rhovanion, 36). In addition to opening your path into Gundabad, this precious relic provides other benefits. As an Action, it can be exhausted to weaken the threat strength of each location until the end of the round, helping pave the way forward. Wielding such a powerful tool is not without its drawbacks, however, and using Durin’s Key can draw some unwanted attention. At the beginning of the quest phase, whoever controls Durin’s Key must draw the top three cards of the encounter deck, choosing one to reveal.

Ancient Tools

Recovering such powerful objects will be demanding, and it will require you to use your combat prowess and willpower in equal measure. Luckily, Roam Across Rhovanion provides you with plenty of tools to boost your party to overcome any challenge.

Wilderland is a dangerous place, where the landscape itself can be just as dangerous as the wild creatures you find there. With so many dangers present, then, a Leadership or Noble character will welcome the additional defense strength and hit points they receive from donning a set of Ancestral Armor  (Roam Across Rhovanion, 28).

This extra layer of protection is useful, of course, but some threats must be met with force. Roam Across Rhovanion gives you your first opportunity to wield one of Middle-earth’s most legendary blades outside of the Saga expansions. With Glamdring (Roam Across Rhovanion, 29) in hand, a hero or Gandalf dramatically increases their attack strength. Better yet, the destruction wrought by Glamdring provides more than an offensive boost, letting you draw a card after you destroy an enemy.

Finally, Rhovanion is vast and you’ll have to cover a good amount of ground to complete Urdug’s tasks. This could be much easier if you try to tame a Wild Stallion (Roam Across Rhovanion, 33) that you find roaming around Wilderland. Once one is in play, you can use a Planning Action to attach your Wild Stallion to an ally you control, giving them an additional willpower, attack, defense, and health. 

Into the Wild

With Rhovanion spread out before you, the fate of your quest lies in the hands of a treacherous Goblin. The question might not be if he will betray you, but when. Still, you have no choice but to follow where he leads. Stay on your guard and head off into the wild!

Pick up your copy of Roam Across Rhovanion (MEC67) at your local retailer today or on the Fantasy Flight Games website here!