Lord of the Rings: The Duel Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Components
Setup
Course of the Game
The Duel
The End of a Duel
The Consequences of a Duel
Duels 2 and 3
The Final
The End of the Game
Variant: Longer Game
Meaning of the Special Cards
Credits

Game Components

1 game board, 1 bridge to assemble, 1 grey Gandalf figure, 1 red Balrog figure, 2 energy stones, 54 playing cards

Setup

Before the first game, carefully release the individual pieces of the bridge from their frame and assemble the bridge as shown in the sketch.
Place the game board between the two players so that they sit at the narrow ends.
Set the bridge up over the abyss.
One player takes on the role of Gandalf, the other the role of the Balrog.
Each player takes their playing figure and places it in front of the lowest step of the bridge.
Each player takes their energy stone and places it on the starting space marked with a white D on the energy track.
Gandalf receives his 27 Gandalf cards, the Balrog his 27 Balrog cards.
Each player shuffles their cards and places them as a face-down deck in front of themselves.

Course of the Game

The game consists of three consecutive duels and a final. For the first duel, each player takes the top nine cards of their face-down deck into their hand. Of these nine cards, six are played during the duel; three are kept aside for the final.

Gandalf opens the first duel.

The Duel

First Exchange: Playing Cards

Gandalf chooses one of his 9 hand cards and lays it face up next to the game board as the first card (see figure, page 1).
Then the Balrog also chooses a card as a reply and lays it to the right of Gandalf's card.

Note: Because the Balrog is a creature of flame and smoke, some Balrog cards seem to have no clear orientation. This is not actually the case. It is best if the players take a brief look at the cards before the game begins. In case of doubt, a glance at the picture on the back helps.

Example: In this exchange, Gandalf scores 2 hits (one in the first and one in the fourth row). The Balrog scores 1 hit in the second row. Gandalf's attack strength point in the third row is blocked by the Balrog's defense strength point. As a result, Gandalf's energy stone is moved 1 space down, and the Balrog's 2 spaces down.

Next Exchange

The card with which the Balrog just defended against Gandalf's attack is now, at the same time, his attack card. Now it is Gandalf's turn to defend. He lays one of his remaining hand cards next to the card the Balrog laid last. Immediately the second exchange takes place. Again the two cards are compared and evaluated.

Example continued: The Balrog scores 2 hits (one in the third and one in the fourth row), but must accept 1 hit from Gandalf (in the second row). This time Gandalf's energy stone is moved 2 spaces down and the Balrog's 1 space down.

So exchange follows exchange, until the first duel ends.

Note: After 6 cards have been laid, it is best to begin a new row of cards below the first (see figure, page 1).

First Exchange: Evaluation

The players compare the strength points of the two cards lying next to each other. The attack strength is always found on the right edge of the card, the defense strength on the left edge. Row by row, it is checked whether strength points face each other on the attacker's card and on the defender's card.

If a strength point is present in a row on both cards, the two points neutralize each other. They cause no damage.
If a strength point is present in a row on only one card, the owner of the other card (without the strength point) suffers damage. They must move their energy stone one space down the track, toward the negative area.

Difference of 3 or More

If, after an exchange, there is a gap of at least 3 free spaces between the energy stones on the energy track, the player whose energy stone stands further up may immediately look at their opponent's hand cards.

Special Cards

Some cards carry text. When such a special card is played, first the comparison of strength points is evaluated, and then its text is evaluated; see the corresponding text instructions on the cards and the detailed explanations at the end of the rules.

Gandalf's and the Balrog's Trance

Two cards without text have no strength points at all. On these cards, the opponents are too weak to show any strength. Tip: players should avoid playing these cards if possible, since they represent, so to speak, the low point of a duel.

The End of a Duel

A duel ends

when each player has played six of their cards, or
when the energy stone of one or both players has landed in the negative area.

Exceptional case: If both players' energy stones are in the negative area on the same space, and one or both players still hold more than 3 hand cards, play must continue. The duel then ends only once one player's energy stone is clearly further down in the negative area, or once both players have only 3 hand cards left.

If a duel (or, later, the final) ends because of the comparison of strength points and the last card played was a special card, its text function is no longer evaluated.

After the end of a duel, the consequences are determined:

The Consequences of a Duel

Each player sets their three remaining hand cards face down to the side. These cards (nine in total after the three duels) are used at the end, in the final.

If a player still has more than three hand cards left (this happens when an energy stone reaches the negative area early), they choose three cards for the final. Surplus hand cards are placed face down in the box.

The winner of a duel is the player whose energy stone stands further up on the energy track. The duel's winner now moves their playing figure upward on the bridge, according to the gap between the two energy stones:

a gap of zero, one, or two free spaces: move 1 step,
a gap of three or four free spaces: move 2 steps,
a gap of five or more free spaces: move 3 steps.

If both energy stones are on the same space, it is a tie. In this case, the player who started the duel always loses (in the first duel, that is Gandalf). The winner moves their figure up 1 step.

After the duel, the played cards are collected and placed face down in the box. These cards are out of the game.

Duels 2 and 3

Before a new duel begins, the energy stones are placed back on the starting space. The playing figures on the bridge naturally remain in their places.

Each player takes the next nine cards from their face-down deck into their hand.

The loser of the previous duel decides, after looking over their cards, who begins the next duel. Play proceeds as described above.

After the third duel ends (all cards are then used up), the final follows.

The Final

Apart from small changes, the final proceeds like the preceding duels.

Each player picks up the nine cards they set aside during the previous three duels. The final is fought with these cards.
More energy is available to the players for the final. Therefore, both energy stones are now placed on the orange starting space at the top end of the energy track.
The player whose playing figure stands further down on the bridge decides who begins the final. If both playing figures stand at the same height, the player who lost the last duel decides who begins.
The final ends when a playing figure lands in the negative area, or when both players have used up all their hand cards. In the final, there are no leftover cards.
The winner of the final moves their playing figure on the bridge upward by one, two, or three steps, according to the result achieved.

The End of the Game

After the end of the final, the player whose playing figure now stands further up on the bridge wins. If both playing figures stand at the same height, the player who won the final wins.

A game can sometimes also end before the final. This happens when a playing figure has already reached the topmost step of the bridge after the second or third duel. The owner of that playing figure has won immediately.

Variant: Longer Game

Two complete games are played back to back. After the first game, the roles are swapped.

Points are awarded after each game: if a playing figure stands on step 1, the player receives 1 point; if the figure stands on step 2, that is 2 points, and so on.

After two games, the points are added together. Whoever reaches the higher total score wins the match. In case of a tie, whoever played Gandalf in the second game wins.

Meaning of the Special Cards

The texts of the special cards do not need to be read before the first game. In case of doubt, simply look them up here under the corresponding special card. If two special cards are involved, it is best to look up both explanations.

Balrog's Feint

The Balrog player lays the Feint on the table. He then chooses one of his own, already-played cards (not a special card) from the row and moves it to the end of the row of cards. The Feint takes its place in the gap. Finally, the card that was played is evaluated again.
If the Balrog had previously played only special cards, the Feint is placed at the end of the row and evaluated. The Feint has no attack or defense values.
If the Feint answers Gandalf's Mirror, it does not lose its special function, since it is not placed directly next to the Mirror.
If the Feint answers Gandalf's Wrath, which is still in effect, the Feint's special function may still be used. The Feint is not, after all, initially placed into the row of cards. Gandalf's Wrath remains in effect.

Balrog's Force

If the duel is ended by this card's defense values (left card edge), Balrog's Force's special function lapses.

Balrog's Power

The playing figures on the bridge determine how far the energy stones on the track are moved down toward the negative area, or back up again (but never further back than the starting space of the duel/final).

If the Balrog's figure stands on a higher step than Gandalf's figure, the Balrog gains energy. He moves his energy stone back 1 space. Gandalf's energy stone stays put.
If both figures stand at the same step height, the Balrog moves his energy stone back 1 space and Gandalf moves his forward 1 space. Gandalf therefore loses energy.
If the Balrog's figure stands on a lower step than Gandalf's figure, the Balrog moves his energy stone back 2 spaces and Gandalf moves his forward 1 space.
The starting spaces of the figures in front of the bridge also count as a step.
If a duel/the final ends because of the comparison of strength points, the special function no longer applies, even if it would have brought an energy stone back out of the negative area.

Balrog's Trick

The Balrog may look at the card after it has been drawn from Gandalf's hand.
If Balrog's Trick is played only in the final, it loses its special function, but not its strength points.

Balrog's Defense

The card that is placed into the gap is, of course, not evaluated.
If a special card is played again in reply, only the strength points, not the special function, are evaluated. Only Gandalf's Mirror keeps its special function.

Gandalf's Balance

The positions of the energy stones on the track determine how far the energy stones are moved down toward the negative area, or back up again (but never further back than the starting space of the duel/final).

"Ahead" means: Gandalf has more energy than the Balrog, i.e. his energy stone stands farther from the negative area than the Balrog's. Then Gandalf moves his energy stone back 1 space. The Balrog's energy stone stays put.
"Level" means: both energy stones stand on the same space of the track. Then Gandalf moves his stone back 1 space and the Balrog moves his forward 1 space.
"Behind" means: Gandalf's stone stands closer to the negative area than the Balrog's. Then Gandalf moves his energy stone back 2 spaces and the Balrog moves his forward 1 space.
If a duel/the final ends because of the comparison of strength points, the special function no longer applies, even if it would have brought an energy stone back out of the negative area.

Gandalf's Mirror

The strength points of the last Balrog card played (right card edge) are reflected back. They pass, so to speak, through Gandalf's mirror card, so that the Balrog must answer his own attack himself.
Cards with a special function that serve as the reply here lose their special function, but not their strength points. Balrog's Feint, however, keeps its special function, because that card is not placed directly next to Gandalf's Mirror.
If the Mirror is placed again as a result of Balrog's Defense, it keeps its full validity.
If the Mirror is played as the last card of a duel (each player still has three hand cards left), the energy stones are no longer moved.

Gandalf's Wrath

Balrog's Feint does not lose its special function. The Feint may be exchanged for another, already-played card. Gandalf's Wrath remains in effect.
If, by the end of the duel, no Balrog card with a special function has been played, Gandalf's Wrath's special ability lapses.
If Balrog's Trick is played in the final as the next special card in reply to Gandalf's Wrath, Gandalf's Wrath's special function is retained.

Gandalf's Spell

After Gandalf has drawn the card, he lays it face up on the game board, clearly visible to both players.
From now on (including for the Balrog's very next card play), Gandalf may decide whether the Balrog must play this card.
If Gandalf determines that this card is not to be played in the duel, the Balrog may include it among his three cards for the final. This applies even if the Balrog has kept more than three cards. The Balrog decides whether this card is set aside or used for the final.
If Gandalf's Spell appears in the final and Gandalf determines that this card is not to be played, then this card must be played as the Balrog's last card, unless the final has already ended beforehand.

Gandalf's Magic

Any Balrog card played after Gandalf's Magic in this duel may be selected by Gandalf.
Gandalf must always decide immediately after the card is played whether he selects it.
If Gandalf selects a Balrog card, the Balrog plays a new card from his hand.
If the Balrog has no more cards left to play in this duel, the special function lapses.
If Gandalf's Magic is played only in the final, it loses its special function, but not its strength points.

Gandalf's Cunning

If Gandalf's Spell is played after the cards have been revealed, the Balrog takes his cards back into his hand, shuffles them, and lets Gandalf draw one. Afterward, the Balrog must lay his cards face up again.
If Gandalf manages to achieve a gap of 3 free spaces with his energy stone, he naturally loses the ability to look at his opponent's hand of cards.
The Balrog must choose his three cards for the final from his face-up cards, so that Gandalf gains knowledge of them.

Credits

The designer: Peter Neugebauer, born 1956, lives with his wife Gaby in the Ruhr region and teaches there at a secondary school (Gymnasium). Even his first game for KOSMOS, "Die Suche," was set against the backdrop of Middle-earth. Tolkien's fascinating world of adventure also inspired him to create this dramatic duel on the bridge of Moria.

The illustrator: The Canadian John Howe lives with his family in Switzerland. He is considered one of the most brilliant illustrators of Tolkien's works and played a major role in the set design of the great "Lord of the Rings" film production.

Editorial work: TM-Spiele Design: Pohl & Rick Grafikdesign Photo: Dirk Hoffmann

The author and publisher thank all playtesters and rule-readers.

Art. no. 689315

The Lord of the Rings and the characters and places therein are trademarks of Tolkien Enterprises, Berkeley CA, and are used, under license, by Sophisticated Games Ltd.