MECCG Rules Summary

 

This is a general MECCG rules summary, so remember that rules applying to Ringwraiths also apply to The Balrog unless specifically excepted to in the Specific Rules for MEBA (see p. 2-5).

PART I · BEFORE YOU PLAY

This rules summary assumes you are playing the 2-deck game with the standard rules. When this summary, or a hazard card, refers to a Haven/Darkhaven, read it as Haven if you are playing a Wizard and Darkhaven if you are playing a Ringwraith.

1 · OVERVIEW

In MECCG you play one of the Wizards or Ringwraiths, trying to influence The Free Peoples or Sauron into letting you lead their armies.

You control one or more companies, which are groups of characters. These companies move around Middle-earth from site to site. At the sites they can gain resources, which provide you with marshalling points (MPs). The MPs for a card are in the upper left-hand comer of the card. The accumulation of marshalling points is the primary way of winning the game.

During the game you may “reveal” yourself. To do this you play a Ringwraith or Wizard card. That card represents you in the game. If that card is eliminated, through combat or corruption, then you lose the game.

While your opponent is moving, you get to play hazards on his companies. These hazards represent the creatures and events your opponent must deal with while traveling in Middle-earth.

2 · VICTORY CONDITIONS

The game ends when one of the following occurs during play:

1. If your Wizard or Ringwraith is “eliminated.” In this case your opponent automatically wins. As an exception in tournament play, the game continues. However, the player whose Wizard or Ringwraith is eliminated loses five MPs off his final total, and cannot reveal a new Wizard or Ringwraith.
2. A Wizard player calls the Free Council. The Free Council may be called either:
   • After you have exhausted your play deck for the second time, you may choose to call the council.
     The council starts at the end of your opponent’s next turn. This gives your opponent one last turn to catch up to you.
   • After you have exhausted your play deck for the first time, you may choose to call the council if you have accumulated at least 25 marshalling points. The council starts at the end of your opponent’s next turn.
   • When each play deck has been exhausted twice, the council starts at the end of the current turn.
3. A Ringwraith player calls the Audience with Sauron. The audience may be called either:
   • When each play deck has been exhausted twice, the audience starts at the end of the current turn.
   • After you have exhausted your play deck twice you may choose to play Sudden Call as a resource. If you do so, the audience starts at the end of your opponent’s next turn.
   • After you have exhausted your play deck for the first time, you may choose to play Sudden Call as a resource, if you have at least 25 marshalling points. If you do so, the audience starts at the end of your opponent’s next turn.
   • After your opponent has exhausted his deck twice you may play Sudden Call as a hazard. If you do so, the audience is called after your next turn.
   • After your opponent has exhausted his play deck once, if he has at least 25 marshalling points, you may play Sudden Call as a hazard. If you do so, the audience is called after your next turn.

If your opponent has no marshalling points in a category (besides kill and miscellaneous), you may double your points in that category. No more than half of your positive MPs may come from one category.

This is called the two-deck form of play. Other games are possible (METW Rules, p.49; MELE Rules, p.51).

3 · THE DIFFERENT CARDS

There are four different types of cards in MECCG: sites, characters, hazards and resources. Images of the various card types are shown on the color inserts in the center of the book.

Site cards have a map image on the card back, and a white or gray parchment background. The site type is indicated by a symbol in the upper left-hand corner of the card. A key to these symbols is on the back of this booklet. Havens for Wizard players, and Darkhavens for Ringwraith players, are special sites with a star icon in the upper left corner.

Character cards have a blue background for Wizard decks, and a rusted purplish iron background for Ringwraith decks. Characters in Wizard decks are called heroes, and characters in Ringwraith decks are called minions.

Hazards have a dark gray metal background. These cards represent obstacles that your companies will face.

Resources have a copper background in Wizard decks, and a grey-blue steel background in Ringwraith decks. These cards are your main source of MPs, and they help you overcome hazards.

4 · GETTING READY TO PLAY

Before you play the game, you must separate your cards into the appropriate decks. You also need a pair of six-sided dice.

Look in the Play Tips (p. 6). There will be a list of what cards go in your play deck, site deck, starting company, and sideboard. Separate all of these cards out. Put your starting company in front of you, along with your starting site. For a Wizard the starting site is Rivendell, for a Ringwraith it is Minas Morgul or Dol Guldur, and for the Balrog it is Moria or The Under-gates. Shuffle the cards that go into your play deck. Let your opponent cut your play deck, and draw eight cards for your starting hand.

Once both players have separated their decks, shuffled their play decks, and drawn their opening hand, each player should roll two dice. The player with the higher roll must go first.

During the course of play, certain cards will be eliminated, particularly characters. These cards are removed from active play and placed in an out-of-play pile. Certain cards you play for MPs will be placed in a marshalling point pile.

PART II · TURN SEQUENCE

Player’s alternate taking turns, following the sequence outlined below. You may play resources any time during your turn, unless card text states otherwise. You may play hazards only during your opponent’s movement/hazard phase. If both players wish to play cards at the same time, see Timing section.

1 · UNTAP PHASE

During play, you will have to tap cards, usually to indicate that they have been used this turn. To tap a card, rotate it 90º, so that it is sideways on the table.

During combat (Combat section) character may become wounded. To wound a character, rotate his card 180º, so that it is upside down on the table.

Perform the following steps, in this order:

1. Untap your tapped character cards.
2. Heal any wounded characters you have at a Haven/Darkhaven. These characters move from wounded to tapped.
3. Untap your non-character, non-site cards. Sites, including Havens/Darkhavens, do not untap.

2 · ORGANIZATION PHASE

Your organization phase is when you assign your characters into companies, and plan your movement for the next turn. During your organization phase, you may perform the following steps in any order:

• Bring a new character into play at a Haven/Darkhaven or their home site, or reveal your Wizard or Ringwraith. A Wizard may be revealed at Rivendell or his home site. A Ringwraith may be revealed at Minas Morgul, Dol Guldur, or his home site.
• Reorganize your characters and companies, including changing followers and company composition.
• Transfer and store items.
• Play a new site card for each company that you want to move.

Note: All company composition changes, including reorganizing companies and bringing characters into play, must all be done at the same time during the organization phase. No other actions may be taken while you are making company composition changes.

BRINGING A CHARACTER INTO PLAY

To bring a character into play you must have enough influence to control him. Each player has a pool of 20 general influence with which to control characters. Each point of general influence can be used to control one point of mind. A character’s mind is shown in the white head symbol on the left side of the character card. A character with eight mind would use eight points of general influence. If a character is brought in under general influence, and there is not enough influence to control him at the end of the organization phase, that character is returned to your hand.

Some characters also have direct influence, shown in the black hand under their mind. Characters may use direct influence to control other characters. Characters must be fully controlled by either general influence or one character’s direct influence. A character controlled by direct influence is called a follower. Followers may not control other characters.

Each deck has a Wizard or Ringwraith in it. You may play this character without using influence to control him, as the card represents you in the game. Once your Wizard or Ringwraith is in play, you may not play other characters unless either your Wizard/Ringwraith is at the site where you play the character, or you bring the character into play with direct influence. If playing a Ringwraith, see p. 19.

REORGANIZING COMPANIES

Characters are organized into companies, and each company moves together as a unit. A company’s size is equal to the number of characters in it. When calculating company size, Hobbits and Orc scouts count as half a character (round up). A company’s hazard limit is equal to two or the company’s size, whichever is greater. The hazard limit is the number of hazards that may be played on a company each turn, and is set at the end of the organization phase.

Any time two of your companies move to the same non-Haven/non-Darkhaven site, they will combine. Any company may split into multiple companies during the organization phase. However, if they are not at a Haven/Darkhaven, then only one company may stay at the site, and all other companies must try to move to different sites that turn.

TRANSFERRING/STORING ITEMS

During the organization phase, you may transfer items from one character to another character. Both characters must be in the same company, and the character with the item must make a corruption check (see Corruption Checks section). If the character does not fail the corruption check, the item may be moved to another character.

An item may also be stored at a Haven/Darkhaven. The character must still make a corruption check, and if he does not fail, then the item is placed in your marshalling point pile. Stored items may not be retrieved.

Some resource events may also be stored, as indicated in their card text. No corruption check is required, unless otherwise specified on the card.

PLAYING A NEW SITE CARD

You must choose where each company is moving during the organization phase, by placing a new site card with each company. A company does not have to move. If you want to move a company, place the new site card representing their destination face down next to the site card representing their current site. You may look through your location deck and pick this card, you do not have to draw it randomly.

If you wish to move a company to a site that is face down on the table (for another company), tell your opponent which site the company is moving to. If you wish to move a company to a site that is face up on the table (because another company is also moving there), tell your opponent the company is moving to a face up site.

The new site you choose must meet certain criteria. You may reach a site by either starter movement, or by region movement. Ringwraiths may not use region movement.

Starter Movement

If you are at a Haven/Darkhaven, the new site may be a site that lists your current site as its nearest Haven/Darkhaven. The new site may also be another Haven/Darkhaven that lists a site path to your current Haven/Darkhaven.

If you are not at a Haven/Darkhaven, the new site must be the nearest Haven/Darkhaven as listed on the site card.

Region Movement

If you are using region movement, the new site must be within four regions of the current site. This includes the regions containing the new site and the current site, as listed on the site cards. In the middle of these rules is a color map showing the regions of Middle-earth, showing which regions are adjacent to each other. A series of regions connects two sites if:

• The first region contains the current site, and
• The second region is adjacent to the first region on the map (two regions are adjacent if they are separated by one red line edge), and
• The third region is adjacent to the second region, and
• The fourth region is adjacent to the third region, and contains the new site.
• If the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd region contains the new site, do not worry about the other regions. Only consider regions containing the sites, and any intervening regions.

Site Paths

A site path is the sequence of regions between a site and its nearest Haven/Darkhaven. Each region in the sequence is indicated by its type, not by its name. For starter movement a company’s site path is listed on the left side of the non-Haven/non-Darkhaven card they are moving to or from, or in the text box of the Haven/Darkhaven if moving between Havens/Darkhavens. For region movement, a company’s site path is determined by the regions moved through.

Site paths are mostly used to determine if an opponent can play a particular creature on a company. Some hazards refer to the site’s site path, which is always the one listed on the site card. Havens/Darkhavens have no site path.

3 · LONG-EVENT PHASE

During this phase do the following in this order:

1. Discard all of your resource long-events.
2. Discard all of your opponent’s hazard long-events.
3. If you have any resource long-events in your hand, you may play them at this time.

Resource long-events may only be played during this phase. You play hazard long-events during your opponent’s movement/hazard phase.

4 · MOVEMENT/HAZARD PHASE

The movement/hazard phase is when your companies move from site to site, and is also when your opponent has a chance to play hazards on your companies. Each of you companies has a movement/hazard phase, even if it does not move. You choose the order to resolve your companies’ movement/hazard phases. For each company, follow these steps in order:

1. If the company has a face down site card, turn it over. This is your company’s new site, and their current site becomes their site of origin. If there is no new Site, no cards are drawn. If the new site is a Haven/Darkhaven, each player may draw the number of cards indicated on the site of origin. Otherwise, each player may draw the number of cards indicated on the new site. Each player must draw at least one card.
2. Your opponent plays hazards on the company (see below). A number of hazards equal to the company’s hazard limit (see Reorganizing Companies section) may be played. Hazards may not be played that target another company, or an entity associated with another company. If a hazard requires the company to return to its site of origin, return the new site card to the location deck (discard it if tapped) and proceed to step 4 (the site of origin becomes its current site). No additional hazards may be played on a company
   once it returns to its site of origin.
3. Remove the company’s site of origin. Discard the site card if it is tapped and not a Haven/Darkhaven. Otherwise, return it to the location deck.
4. You must discard any cards in excess of eight in your hand; your opponent does the same for his hand. If you have fewer than eight cards, you must draw cards until your hand has eight cards; your opponent does the same for his hand.

Once all of your companies have resolved their movement/hazard phases, any two of your companies at the same non-Haven/non-Darkhaven site combine (companies at Havens/Darkhavens may combine if they wish). Your companies are now considered to be at their new site (that is, the new site becomes its current site).

PLAYING HAZARDS

When your opponent moves his companies, you may play hazards on them. Hazard events may be played on any company, unless otherwise specified on the card. The creature hazards you can play depend on how the company is moving.

Creature hazards must be keyed to a company’s site path or site. This means you must match one of the symbols along the left side of the creature to one of the symbols in the company’s site path, or the symbol representing their site type. You only have to match two of the symbols if a symbol is repeated on the creature card. In this case there must be two of that particular symbol in the company’s site path in order to key that creature to that symbol. Matching symbols like this is called keying a creature by type. Some creatures may be “played in” certain regions by name, or sites in those regions. Matching names like this is called keying a creature by name.

If the company is not moving, you may only key creatures to their current site, by name or type.

If the company is moving, you may key creatures to their new site, by name or type. You may key creatures by type to the regions of their site path. If the company is using starter movement, you may key creatures by name to the regions containing the site of origin and the new site. If the company is using region movement, you may key creatures by name to any regions the company passes through.

Placing Cards On-Guard

During your opponent’s movement/hazard phase, you may place one card on-guard for each of your opponent’s companies. This card is placed face down next to the company’s new site (current site if they did not move). Any card can be placed on-guard, even a resource, but placing a card on-guard counts against the hazard limit.

The card will remain on the site until either:

• The company decides to face the site’s automatic-attack. If the on-guard card is a hazard creature keyed to the site or a hazard that can modify the automatic-attack, then it may be revealed before the automatic-attack is resolved. Revealed hazard creatures attack after the automatic-attack.
• The company plays a card that potentially would tap an untapped site. If the on-guard card is a non-creature hazard, it may be revealed if it is a hazard that affects the company or a character in the company that site phase.
• The site phase ends. Return the card to your hand.

If an on-guard card is revealed, treat it as if it had been played during the movement/hazard phase. This means whatever it is played on must have existed during the movement/hazard phase.

An on-guard card cannot be revealed that:

• returns a company to its site of origin;
• taps a company’s site;
• potentially removes a character from a company, other than through combat or corruption;
• Forces a company to do nothing during the site phase;
  or
• directly taps a character.

COMBAT

Combat consists of one or more attacks that must be resolved one at a time. An attack consists of one or more strikes. Characters and attacks have prowess (the number before the slash in the lower left of the card), which is used to determine the outcome of strikes.

Strikes are assigned in the following manner:

1. The defending player may assign one strike each to any untapped characters he wants.
2. The attacking player may assign strikes to any characters that are not already assigned strikes.
3. If the attack has more strikes than there are characters in the company, each character is assigned one strike, and the excess strikes are assigned as -1 modifications to the prowesses of whichever characters the attacker chooses.

Once the strikes are assigned, the defending player resolves the strikes in any order he chooses.

Resolving Strikes

For each strike, follow the sequence below:

1. The attacker may play hazard cards that affect the strike. These count toward the hazard limit.
2. The attacker may decide to use any or all of his remaining -1 modifications from extra strikes.
3. If an untapped character is facing the strike, he must tap or take a -3 modification to prowess. An already tapped character gets -1 to prowess, and a wounded character gets -2 to prowess.
4. An untapped defending character that is not himself the target of a strike may tap to give +1 to the prowess of a defending character.
5. The defending player may play resource cards that affect the strike, but only one that requires skill.

Next, the defender makes a roll, and adds his modified prowess (apply weapon modifiers before all other modifiers):

• If the result is greater than the strike’s prowess, the strike fails. Such a strike is defeated if it fails a body check (see below).
• If the result is equal to the strike’s prowess, the strike was ineffectual. Nothing happens.
• Otherwise, the strike was successful. The target character is wounded and must make a body check. If the attack was detainment (see below), the character is tapped, not wounded, and makes no body check.

Body Checks

If a non-detainment strike against a character is successful, the character must make a body check. To make a body check, the attacker makes a roll; if this value is greater than the character’s body, he is eliminated.

If a non-detainment strike fails against a character, it is automatically defeated if its body is “-” or if the defender makes a roll and the result is higher than the attack’s body.

Detainment Attacks

Detainment attacks tap rather than wound characters. Attacks are only detainment against hero companies if it says so on the card. An attack against a minion company is considered detainment in the following situations:

• If it states the attack is detainment on the card.
• All Nazgûl attacks.
• Any attack keyed to a Dark-domain, Shadow-hold, or Dark-hold.
• Any Orc, Troll, Undead, or Man attack keyed to Shadow-land.

The above parameters apply even if the attack is keyed to a region or site by name which has the appropriate type.

Defeating an Attack

An attack by a hazard creature is defeated if it is not detainment, and all of its strikes are defeated (strikes assigned as -1 modifiers need not be defeated). When a hazard creature is defeated, the card is placed in the defender’s MP pile.

If a hazard creature has multiple attacks, each must be defeated in order for the defender to receive MPs.

If one of the strikes was canceled or ineffectual, the attack is not defeated. If the attack was canceled, it is not defeated.

A Ringwraith player may only receive MPs from creatures with a * next to the MPs. A Wizard player may only receive MPs from creatures without a * next to the MPs.

If an Orc or Troll character faces a strike from an attack from an opponent’s card that was defeated, you may place the creature’s card under his control as a trophy. Trophies are considered minor items with zero corruption points. Trophies may not be transferred or stored. Discarded trophies that are worth marshalling points to you are placed in your marshalling point pile, otherwise, they are placed in your opponent’s out-of-play pile.

Trophies give the following bonuses based on the MP value printed on the card, with or without a *:

• 1 MP worth of trophies gives +1 direct influence.
• 2 MPs worth of trophies gives +1 direct influence and +1 prowess (to a maximum of 9)
• 3 MPs worth of trophies gives +2 direct influence and +1 prowess (to a maximum of 9)
• 4+ MPs worth of trophies gives +2 direct influence and +2 prowess (to a maximum of 9)

5 · SITE PHASE

Each of your companies has a site phase, and you may resolve them in any order you wish. In order to do anything during the site phase, you must first enter the site and then face any and all automatic-attacks listed on the site card (a character at his home site may tap to cancel one automatic-attack at his home site). See Combat section.

Once you have entered the site, you may:

• Play an item, faction, ally, or any resource playable at the site. Items, factions, and allies can only be played at an untapped site unless specifically allowed at a tapped sites on their card.
• Influence your opponent’s resources at the site.
• Attack your opponent’s company at the site.

PLAYING AN ITEM

To play an item, the item must either state it is playable at the site, or the site must state that items of that type are playable at the site. You may tap an untapped character in a company at an untapped site and place the item with that character. This taps the site.

PLAYING AN ALLY

Playing an ally is similar to an item. Tap an untapped character at an untapped site and place the ally with the character. This taps the site. Allies do not count as characters, except for combat and playing skill cards. They do not count for company size.

PLAYING A FACTION

To play a faction, tap one character in the company to make an influence attempt. Roll the dice, add the character’s unused direct influence, any standard modifications for the character’s race (heroes) or other factions in play (minions), and any other modifications from other cards. If the result is higher than the number listed on the faction, put the faction in your MP pile, and tap the site. The site does not tap otherwise.

PLAYING MINOR ITEMS

After playing a resource that taps the site, you may tap another character in the company to play a minor item. This may be done even if minor items are not normally playable at the site.

INFLUENCING AN OPPONENT’S RESOURCES

If you are at the same site as an opponent’s resource or character, you may tap a character and attempt to influence his card. If successful, the resource or character is discarded. You may reveal an identical card and play it.

You may make one influence attempt against your opponent per turn, you may not make one on the first turn, and your Wizard or Ringwraith may not make one on the turn he is revealed. You may not make an influence attempt against your opponent:

• if you have declared company vs. company combat this turn;
• against his Ringwraith or Wizard;
• against an item, ally, or follower controlled by his Ringwraith or Wizard.

Influencing Characters

To attempt to influence a character, make a roll and:

• Add the influencing character’s unused direct influence.
• Subtract your opponent’s unused general influence.
• If the target character is a follower, subtract his controlling character’s unused direct influence.
• Subtract the result of a roll by your opponent.
• Add any other modifications from special abilities and cards played before the roll.
• If you are a Ringwraith and your opponent is a Wizard, or vice versa, subtract five.

If the modified result is greater than the target’s mind, the target character and all of his non-follower cards are discarded.

If you reveal an identical character card from your hand before making the roll, the targets mind is treated as if it were zero. If the attempt is unsuccessful. you must discard the character card you revealed. If the attempt is successful, in addition to discarding the target, you may immediately play your card at that site, regardless of his home site. You must have enough influence to control the character in order to play him.

Influencing a Faction

To influence a faction, you must be at the site where the faction is playable. Make an influence check as for a character, except:

• Instead of mind, the result must be greater than the number normally required to play the faction.
• Apply any relevant standard modifications.
• Revealing an identical faction reduces the number to bring the faction into play to zero, and allows you to play that faction if the attempt is successful.

Influencing an Ally

To influence an ally, make an influence attempt as for a character, except:

• Use the ally’s mind instead of the character’s.
• Subtract the unused direct influence of the character controlling the ally.
• Revealing an identical ally card reduces the ally’s mind to zero and allows you to immediately play the ally with the influencing character if the influence check is successful.

Influencing an Item

To influence an opponent’s item, make an influence attempt as for a character, except:

• The mind of the controlling character is used.
• Subtract the unused direct influence of the item’s controlling character.
• You must reveal an identical item card in order to make an influence attempt. If the influence attempt is successful, you may play your card with the influencing character.

COMPANY VS. COMPANY COMBAT

If you are at the same site as an opponent’s company, and have not made an influence attempt against him this turn, you may engage that company in company vs. company combat. This attack is declared and enacted following all other actions your company takes during the site phase. Company vs. company combat must be Ringwraith vs. Wizard or vice versa.

Company vs. company combat is treated like an attack with a number of strikes equal to the number of characters in the attacking company. Each strike has a prowess equal to the attacking character corresponding to the strike.

Cards that Affect Company vs. Company Combat

Either player may play resources that affect the combat. However, only the defender may play cards that affect the attack as a whole. Hazards may not be played, and have no effect during company vs. company combat.

The attack may be canceled like an ordinary attack. However, cards that cancel attacks from specific race types only work if each character in the attacking company has one of the races listed on the card.

Assigning Strikes

For company vs. company combat, assign strikes as follows:

1. The defender chooses which of his untapped characters will be the targets of given strikes.
2. The attacker choose which other defending characters not yet assigned a strike will be the target of any remaining unassigned strikes corresponding to his untapped characters.
3. The defender assigns any remaining strikes to his characters that have not been assigned strikes.

If there are more strikes than defending characters, the attacker may assign excess strikes as -1 modifiers to prowess, during the strike sequence outlined below.

The Strike Sequence

Strikes are resolved one at a time in the order chosen by the defending player. For each strike, follow the sequence below:

1. The attacking player may play resource cards that affect the strike (up to one card that requires skill).
2. The attacker may decide to use any or all of his remaining -1 modifications from extra strikes.
3. An attacking untapped character may take a -3 modification to prowess so that he will not automatically tap. An already tapped character gets -1 to prowess, and a wounded character gets -2 to prowess.
4. A defending untapped character may take a -3 modification so that he will not automatically tap. An already tapped character gets -1 to prowess, and a wounded character gets -2 to prowess.
5. An untapped defending character that is not himself the target of a strike may tap to give +1 to the prowess of a defending character.
6. The defending player may play resource cards that affect the strike (up to one card that requires skill).

Next, the attacker makes a roll and adds his modified prowess to get the strike’s final prowess.

Then, the defender makes a roll and adds his modified prowess:

• If this result is greater than the strike’s final prowess, the strike fails. The character corresponding to the strike is wounded and must make a body check (see Body Checks section).
• If this result is equal to the strike’s final prowess, the strike was ineffectual. Nothing happens.
• Otherwise, the strike was successful. The target character is wounded and must make a body check.

If a character is defeated in company vs. company combat, the opposing player receives kill marshalling points as indicated on the character’s card.

PART III · SPECIAL SITUATIONS

Certain situations occur at multiple points in the turn sequence, and are covered here.

1 · CORRUPTION CHECKS

Each character has a corruption point total. This starts at zero, but certain cards will change this total during play. Only one corruption hazard may be played on a given character each turn. Normally, a character must tap to remove a corruption card. A character may attempt to remove a corruption card without tapping, at -3 to the roll. If this option is used, only one attempt to remove that corruption card may be made that turn.

CORRUPTION CHECKS

When a card or other effect indicates that one of your characters must make a corruption check, you must make a roll and add any appropriate modifications:

Nothing Happens — If the modified result is greater than the character’s corruption point total, nothing happens.

The Character is Discarded or Tapped — If the modified result is equal to the character’s corruption point total or one less than the total, a hero character fails the corruption check and you must discard him along with any non-follower cards he controls. A Wizard failing in this manner is eliminated. If the character is a minion, he is not considered to have failed the check, and is tapped if not already tapped.

The Character is Eliminated — If the modified result is less than the character’s corruption point total by two or more, the character fails the corruption check and is eliminated. Discard any non-follower cards he controls.

If a Wizard fails a corruption check, he is immediately eliminated. Ringwraiths never make corruption checks.

2 · RINGWRAITHS

Ringwraiths have many special effects, which are summarized below:

• A Ringwraith may only be in a company with non-Ringwraith characters if he is at a Darkhaven.
• Any ring in the Ringwraith’s company at the beginning of the end-of-turn phase is automatically tested. Any test in a Ringwraith’s company has a modification of -2
• A Ringwraith may carry items, but such items have no effect.
• Ringwraiths never make corruption checks, and corruption hazards may not be played on Ringwraiths.
• A Ringwraith may not use a site path that contains Coastal Sea regions.
• A Ringwraith’s company may not use region movement.
• If a body check against a Ringwraith is exactly equal to 7 or 8, then Ringwraith is returned to your hand. You do not lose the game if your Ringwraith is removed in this fashion-you may bring such a Ringwraith back into play the same way you revealed him.
• The full Middle-earth: Lidless Eye rules include provisions for Ringwraith followers (p.58)

3 · RING ITEMS

Ring special items are more complicated to play than normal items. First, you must play a gold ring item at an appropriate site. Then you must have a card or effect that tests the gold ring. When you test a gold ring, make a roll. On the gold ring item will be a list of results, and what ring special items you can play. If you have one of the indicated special ring items in your hand, you may replace the gold ring item with the special ring item. In any case, discard the gold ring item when it is tested.

4 · SIDEBOARDS

Your sideboard allows you to make minor modifications to your deck during play.

Using Your Sideboard When You Exhaust Your Deck

Whenever you exhaust your play deck, you may exchange (before reshuffling) up to 5 cards between your sideboard and discard pile. Each card taken from your sideboard must be replaced by a card from your discard pile.

Using Your Sideboard When You Tap Your Ringwraith or Wizard

During you organization phase, you may tap your Ringwraith or Wizard to bring up to 5 resource and/or character cards from your sideboard into your discard pile.

Alternatively, if your play deck has at least 5 cards, you may tap your Ringwraith or Wizard to bring one resource or character card from your sideboard into your play deck (reshuffle).

Using Your Sideboard When Your Opponent’s Wizard or Ringwraith is in Play

At the end of your opponent’s untap phase, if your opponent’s Ringwraith or Wizard is in play, you may at this point bring up to five hazard cards from your sideboard to your discard pile; or, if your play deck has at least 5 cards, you may bring one hazard card from your sideboard into your play deck (reshuffle).

If you move cards from your sideboard in this fashion, the hazard limit for each of your opponent’s companies is reduced to half of normal for the rest of the turn (round up).

5 · TIMING

You and your opponent may both want to perform actions at the same time or actions that are sequenced with respect to other actions. Such actions often include playing a card, tapping a character already in play, and revealing an on-guard card.

Your opponent may always declare an action in response before your action is resolved. You may respond to each other’s actions until neither player can, or wants to, perform an action.

You must give your opponent a chance to respond to every action, and vice versa. If you perform an action and move on to another action without giving your opponent a chance to respond, you must “back-up” if he wants to respond.

A series of declared actions is called a chain of effects. You always have the option of declaring the first action in a chain of effects during your turn. The actions in a chain of effects are resolved one at a time from last declared to first declared. That is, the last declared action is resolved first, and the first declared action is resolved last. This is called last in first out, or LIFO, order of resolution.

An action in a chain of effects is negated if the conditions required to perform it are negated by another action that is resolved before it in the chain of effects.

Creature hazards may not be played in response to other actions. They must always start a chain of effects.

6 · UNIQUE, CANNOT BE DUPLICATED, & MANIFESTATIONS

If a card states that it is “unique” or that it “cannot be duplicated”, only one such card (or its effects) may be in play at a time. Cards in the marshalling point and out-of-play piles are in play for this purpose. The first card played takes precedence (influence checks may change this). This restriction applies to all cards in play (both yours and your opponent’s).

Some cards may not be duplicated on a specific target. Multiple copies of such a card can be in play, so long as each applies to a different target. A card that cannot be duplicated may be played when a copy is already in play only if the copy in play is currently being targeted by an effect that will discard it.

Certain entities have several different manifestations, each represented by a different card. If one manifestation of such an entity is in play, you may not play another manifestation of the same entity. If one manifestation of such an entity is in the out-of-play or marshalling point piles, you may not play any further manifestations of that entity.

Certain hero resources and minion resources have the same name. These resources are considered manifestations of each other.

7· EXHAUSTING YOUR PLAY DECK

You exhaust your deck when you draw the final card from it. Discard any cards that are discarded when a deck is exhausted, and make any exchanges with the sideboard (see above). Then shuffle your discard pile. This becomes your new play deck. Place all of your discarded sites back into your location deck.