Tokens

Whenever you add or remove corruption, place or remove corruption tokens from the Shadow scoring area.

Tokens

The Shadow team earns victory points for paths based on how many corruption tokens result from the outcome of the path combat; the path itself is not worth any victory points for the Shadow.

See Card

For the Free Peoples, each path card is worth the amount of victory points shown on the upper left corner.

See Card

Each battleground card is worth the amount of victory points shown on the upper left corner.

Scoring Area

Your score is the sum of victory points from the location cards and tokens in your scoring area.

Leadership Icons

Leadership icons are represented as a smaller icon within a circle. For a leadership icon to be counted in combat, the character must have an army of the same faction on the same battleground. The army is said to support the character. An army can only support one character.

No

Attackers and defenders do not change, even if the reactivated card is taken from the opposing side's scoring area.

Icons on Top

Faction icons on the top part of the card are the defending factions on the battleground. If the card is from the Free Peoples battleground deck, the Free Peoples team is always the defender. If the card is from the Shadow battleground deck, the Shadow is always the defender.

Icons on Bottom

Faction icons on the bottom of the card are the attacking factions on the battleground. If the card is from the Shadow battleground deck, the Free Peoples team is always the attacker. If the card is from the Free Peoples battleground deck, the Shadow is always the attacker.

Defender Wins

If there are no attack icons to cancel on a battleground or path during combat, the defending side wins.

No

An icon added to a character or army is considered to be part of that character or army, and cannot be used to cancel out attack icons separately.

Free Peoples

Free Peoples cards are always the defenders on paths.

The Shadow

The Shadow cards are always the attackers on paths.

Combat

Combat is resolved on each active path and battleground, even if cards were not played on them.

Take & Shuffle

If you're instructed to take a specific card from your draw deck, find and take the card. Shuffle the deck afterwards.

No penalty

If you run out of cards, there is no penalty if you cannot eliminate when required.

Eliminate & shuffle

If a game effect instructs you to remove a card, the card is eliminated, no matter where it is. If a card is removed from the draw deck, find and eliminate the card, and shuffle the deck after.

Yes

Unless stated otherwise, use the same rules and restrictions as the move action.

No

You must still examine it after choosing to forsake it, since it may have text effects that allow it to avoid being placed in the eliminated pile; if so, do as the card's text directs.

No

Once a card is eliminated, it will not re-enter play. Note that some cards have abilities that prevent them from being eliminated.

No

You can have any number of cards in your hand.

Yes

If there's no card to cycle, you must forsake a card instead.

No

To take the winnow action, two cards need to be eliminated from hand. If a player does not have two cards in hand to eliminate, they cannot winnow.

Draw Cards

In the Trilogy Scenario, as an action, once per game a Ring token may be discarded to draw two cards. However, each unused Ring token is worth one victory point during final scoring. The use of Ring tokens may differ depending on the scenario you play.

No

Playing the card takes one action. As players may take only one action per turn, they have to wait for their next turn to use their action for the card's text. The text may be used during the same round, but not on the same turn.

Yes

No restrictions apply to using the "use your action" texts on cards played during the same round. Note that they still need the player to take one action, which means they cannot be used during the same turn the card is played, as players may only take one action each turn.

No

"When played" text is resolved only when the card is played from its player's hand. "When moved" text is resolved if the card is moved.

Yes

As usual, you need to cycle a card when playing a card. If the card played directs you to cycle a card, you must cycle another card in addition to the card cycled to play it.

Recycle

When a player's draw deck is depleted, their cycle pile is shuffled and placed face down on the table as their new draw deck. This is called recycling the cycle pile. When your draw deck and cycle pile both run out of cards because you draw all of these into your hand, continue playing with the few cards you have remaining.

Yes

Only moving the card during the same round is restricted. "If in reserve" texts apply immediately.

No

Event cards are eliminated after their text is resolved.

On Characters

Items may be played on characters that are already in play. A character is in play when it's in reserve or on a location. Items cannot be played on their own, without a wielder.

Remove From Game

Find the card, wherever it is, and remove it from the game. If it's removed from the draw deck, the deck is shuffled after.

See Long Answer

A faction card is in play when it is either in reserve, on a battleground, or on a path. Cards in your draw deck, cycle pile, or eliminated pile are not in play.

No

A path's number must be listed on the character's card. If the card doesn't have any numbers listed on it, it cannot enter any paths.

No

Army cards may be played on battlegrounds or in reserve. Armies cannot be played or moved to paths.

Yes, Forsake Instead

When playing a card, you must forsake a card if you have none in hand to cycle.

All Pass

The Action step ends when all players have passed consecutively.

Pass Limit

You can pass when the number of cards in your hand is less than or equal to your carryover limit, which is 2 by default. You may also pass if you have fewer cards than each enemy player.

6 Different

There are 6 different actions to choose from.

No

Actions may be taken on following turns, if the action step does not end before.

Combat Step

Combat is usually resolved during the Combat step. However, combat on a path is resolved whenever it is replaced by another path, before the new path is activated.

No

Activating a new path during the Action step replaces the previous path. Combat on the replaced path is resolved immediately, before the new path is activated.

No

Defenders and attackers stay the same.

Yes

There is no limit to the number of battlegrounds that can be simultaneously active.

Place & Resolve

Whenever you activate (or reactivate) a battleground or path, place it face up in the middle of the table and then resolve its activation text.

See Glossary

Glossary is available here in Dized Rules, or on the last page of the rulebook.

No

You may not show any other players your hand. Conversations between teammates must take place at the table, in public. You may talk to your teammate about what cards you have, but that means the other team will also know.

See Long Answer

The first player resolves the Location step, gets the first turn of the round, and chooses the order in which combat is resolved.

Yes

Sometimes the names are shortened but they refer to the card which shows their full name.

Multiple

"Any Dúnedain battleground" refers to any battleground that lists "Dúnedain" as an attacker or defender. It can be from either battleground deck.

See Diagram

The diagram below shows the table setup for a 4-player Trilogy scenario game, with the players arranged around the table so the order of play proceeds clockwise. Of course, you may prefer having the two teams facing each other, or some other arrangement.

Turn Order Tracker

Use the turn order tracker. Move the marker on the tracker after each turn.

Icon, text, color

Each faction has a unique color scheme, as well as its symbol in the upper left corner. The faction name is also printed as above the name of the card.

No problem

The text is identifying the player that draws — not the card drawn.

Yes

The Trilogy scenario can be played with 2, 3, or 4 players.