LOCATING THE FELLOWSHIP

The numbered steps on the Fellowship Track represent the distance (measured in regions) traveled by the Fellowship from its last known position (the region where the Ringbearers figure is located).

The actual position of the Fellowship is determined only if one of two things happen:

1) The Free Peoples player decides to declare the position of the Fellowship, or

2) A Hunt for the Ring is successful and reveals the Fellowship.

Both circumstances cause the Ring-bearers figure to move to a new position on the game board and the Fellowship Progress counter to be reset to ‘0.’

When the Ring-bearers figure is moved on the game board, it cannot cross a black border (which denotes impassable terrain).

Note that if the Fellowship Progress counter is on step ‘0’ of the Fellowship Track when declared or revealed, the Fellowship must remain in the same region as before (as, in fact, it has not moved).

There are important differences between “declaring” and “revealing” the Fellowship that need further explaining (see below).

Fellowship Declares Its Own Position

If the Fellowship is Hidden (the Progress counter shows the Hidden side up), its position can be declared by the Free Peoples player during the Fellowship phase.

This declaration usually happens because the Free Peoples player wants to have the Ring-bearers heal from Corruption in a City or Stronghold, wants to activate a Nation, or wants to use an Event card that requires the Ring-bearers to be in a specific place.

When the Fellowship is declared, the Free Peoples player may immediately move the Ring-bearers figure a number of regions (from its last known position), equal to or less than the number on the Fellowship Track indicated by the position of the Fellowship Progress counter. (The Free Peoples player may choose to leave the Ring-bearers figure in its current position, if he wants.)

Then, the Free Peoples player resets the Fellowship Progress counter, moving it back to the ‘0’ step of the Fellowship Track. The Fellowship Progress counter remains Hidden side up.

Example: The Free Peoples player, during the Fellowship phase of the fourth game turn, decides to declare the position of the Fellowship. The last known position of the Fellowship, and thus the location of the Ring-bearers figure, is in Rivendell and the Fellowship Progress counter is at ‘5.’

The player moves the Ring-bearers through Fords of Bruinen, Hollin, Moria, and Dimrill Dale and into Lórien. The Fellowship Progress counter is returned to the ‘0’ step of the Fellowship Track. The Fellowship is still Hidden, in the safety of the golden wood of Lórien. If the Ring-bearers suffered Corruption, one Corruption point could now be healed as the Fellowship is in a Free Peoples Stronghold.

Note: The Fellowship may enter or leave a besieged Stronghold freely.

Fellowship is Revealed by a Hunt for the Ring

If the Fellowship is Hidden, its position can be revealed by the Shadow player as a result of a successful Hunt, or if the Shadow Player plays certain Event cards.

When the Fellowship is revealed, turn the Fellowship Progress counter to its Revealed side, after which the Free Peoples player must move the Ring-bearers figure (as described in the previous section), except that this movement can never end in a region containing a Free Peoples Stronghold or City controlled by the Free Peoples.

IMPORTANT: Once the Fellowship has been revealed, it cannot be moved by the Free Peoples player using a Character Action die until it is Hidden again.

Moreover, a Revealed Fellowship is more vulnerable to certain Shadow Event cards aimed at hurting the Ringbearers or hindering the Fellowship’s progress.

Example: During the second game turn, a successful Hunt reveals the position of the Fellowship. The last known position of the Fellowship was in Rivendell and the Fellowship Progress counter is at ‘3’ on the Fellowship Track.

The Free Peoples player could move the Ring-bearers through Fords of Bruinen and Hollin and into Moria, but moving into the Moria region (with its Shadow Stronghold) would mean drawing an additional Hunt tile (see below). So, the Free Peoples player decides instead to move the Ringbearers through Fords of Bruinen and High Pass and into Goblin’s Gate. The Fellowship Progress counter is put on the ‘0’ step of the Fellowship Track, and flipped to the Revealed side. The Fellowship must be Hidden before it may move again.

The Fellowship in Shadow Strongholds

When the Fellowship is revealed, and its path traced from its last known position, if the Fellowship moves through, moves from, moves into, or remains stationary in a Shadow Stronghold still controlled by the Shadow player, then a Hunt tile is immediately drawn as if a Hunt has been successful.

If the path is traced through more than one Shadow Stronghold, one Hunt tile is drawn for each Stronghold involved.

This drawing of a Hunt tile is done only if the Fellowship is revealed by the Shadow player. Moreover, it is in addition to any other effects of a successful Hunt.