Into the Wild

“It would take more than a few days, or weeks, or years, of wandering in the Wild to make you look like Strider.”
   –Strider, The Fellowship of the Ring

The lands of Rhovanion may seem far from the black wastes of Mordor. Many miles of wild and untamed lands separate the two, and noble Men hold watch from the city of Dale. But you’re still beyond the Edge of the Wild, where Goblins, Wargs, and far more dangerous Creatures make their dwelling places. In these deadly environs, your adventures may be over before they even begin.

The Wilds of Rhovanion, a new deluxe expansion for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, is now available at your local retailer or online through our webstore!

Within The Wilds of Rhovanion, you’ll find two new heroes to take on your adventures and an assortment of new player cards in all four spheres, focusing on the Men of Dale and the power of the attachments that you can bestow on your heroes and allies. What’s more, this expansion offers three new quests, each chronicling a new chapter of your journey north as you attempt to find a safe dwelling place for your Haradrim friends in the aftermath of the Haradrim cycle. Every step of your journey deeper into the wilds is fraught with peril… but it’s also another chance to show your valor, wisdom, and strength of arms.

Men of Dale

Our first preview of The Wilds of Rhovanion invited you to delve into the new player cards and themes introduced in this expansion, highlighting the two new heroes. Brand son of Bain (The Wilds of Rhovanion, 1) and his firstborn son, Bard son of Brand (The Wilds of Rhovanion, 2) are Men of Dale, and they may choose to take up arms alongside you. Though father and son offer different strengths and abilities, they share some similarities—most notably, their focus on playing attachments on your characters.

Brand rewards you for playing attachments by boosting your Dale characters’ willpower and bestowing more cards upon you. Bard, on the other hand, lets you return attachments to your hand when a character leaves play. Both can benefit from the wealth of new attachments introduced in this expansion. Whether you clad yourself with a Hauberk of Mail (The Wilds of Rhovanion, 7), arm your hands with a Bow of Yew (The Wilds of Rhovanion, 9), or grant one of your heroes the Necklace of Girion (The Wilds of Rhovanion, 11), Brand and Bard can help you ensure your heroes and allies are ready for anything.

In our second preview of this deluxe expansion, we interviewed designer Caleb Grace about the scenarios that you’ll encounter within The Wilds of Rhovanion. Though The Wilds of Rhovanion breaks new ground in many ways, it also pays homage to some of the quests in the game’s original Core Set, as you journey back along the Anduin and through the darksome depths of Mirkwood Forest. As much as it is a continuation of your perilous exodus alongside your Haradrim companions, the scenarios of The Wilds of Rhovanion represent a homecoming for any veteran fan of The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game.

Finally, in our third preview, we looked at “The King’s Quest.” This quest is the third that you will encounter—and as King Brand charges you with a terrible task, you may find yourself pitted against forces beyond your imagining. Your quest will take you into the abandoned mines of the Iron Hills and the Dwarven cities that lie there. Should you prove able to explore the deeps, you may yet win the favor of King Brand… but first you must survive the quest that is set before you.

Dungeons Deep, Caverns Old

The wild is no place for a Hobbit, but you’re much more than that. You and your friends are heroes of Middle-earth, and in The Wilds of Rhovanion, you’ll take your first steps on a new journey—to Dale and beyond.

Pick up your own copy of The Wilds of Rhovanion (MEC65) at your local retailer or online through our webstore today!