War of the Ring: Kings of Middle-earth Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setting Up the Game
• Chapter II: New Rules
  • The Ruler Dice
  • Kings Hunt Tiles
  • Rulers' Combat Special Abilities
• Chapter III: Sovereigns of the Free Peoples
  • Sovereigns in Play
  • Free Peoples Ruler Die
  • Ruler Tokens
  • Awakening a Sovereign
  • Attempting to Corrupt a Sovereign
    • Special Case: Eye and Special Hunt Tiles
    • Special Case: Kings Hunt Tiles
    • Card Effects Manipulating Hunt Tiles
  • Corruption Level and Corruption of a Sovereign
  • Removing Corruption from a Sovereign
  • Removing a Corrupted Sovereign from Play
• Chapter IV: Dark Chieftains
  • Dark Chieftains in Play
  • Non-Flying Minions
  • Shadow Ruler Die
• Chapter V: Variants
  • Playing with 3 or 4 Players
  • Playing with Other Expansions
    • Dismay Tokens
    • Lords of Middle-earth
    • Warriors of Middle-earth
    • Fate of Erebor
  • Competitive/Tournament Rules
• Chapter VI: Card Replacement Reference
  • Lords of Middle-earth
  • Warriors of Middle-earth
  • Kings of Middle-earth

Components

The Kings of Middle-earth expansion includes the following components:

• This rulebook
• 1 Free Peoples Ruler Special Action die (Light Blue)
• 1 Shadow Ruler Special Action die (Brown)
• 13 new plastic figures
  • 5 grey Sovereign figures (Brand, Dáin, Denethor, Théoden, Thranduil)
  • 5 silver Sovereign figures (Brand, Dáin, Denethor, Théoden, Thranduil)
  • 3 Dark Chieftain figures (The Black Serpent, The Shadow of Mirkwood, Uglúk)
• 5 Corrupted Sovereign plastic rings (Black)
• 13 new Character cards
  • 5 Awakened Sovereign cards
  • 5 Corrupted Sovereign cards
  • 3 Dark Chieftain cards
• 2 Reference sheets
• 1 Sovereign Corruption board
• 19 new Event cards (10 for the Free Peoples, 9 for the Shadow)
  • 11 replacement Event cards
  • 8 new Event cards
• 14 cardboard counters, including:
  • 2 Helm's Deep Shadow Stronghold tiles (to be used when Théoden is Corrupted), in normal size and 2 in larger size (to be used with the Collector's Edition, Anniversary Release, or Deluxe Game Mat)
  • 2 Kings Hunt tiles (value of 1/Crown and 2/Crown), in normal size and 2 in larger size (to be used with the Collector's Edition)
  • 5 Ruler tokens (one for each Sovereign, two sided)
  • 1 "Corruptor" token (to use in 3-4 player games)

Setting Up the Game

To start the game, use the normal War of the Ring setup, with the following additions:

• Give one Reference sheet to the Free Peoples player and one to the Shadow player.
• Place the Sovereign Corruption board between the players.
• Set aside the Dark Chieftain Character cards and figures, the Sovereign Character cards, the silver Sovereign figures, and the Corrupted Sovereign plastic rings for later use.
• Place the five grey Sovereign figures on the game board (Brand in Dale, Dáin in Erebor, Denethor in Minas Tirith, Théoden in Edoras, and Thranduil in Woodland Realm).
• Remove the Event cards from each deck that are replaced by expansion cards with the same name and card number (see Card Replacement Reference).
• Add the expansion Event cards to the appropriate decks.
• Add the two Kings Hunt tiles to the Hunt Pool.
• Set aside the Ruler Special Action dice. They will be added to the Action Pool as explained in The Ruler Dice.
• Set aside the other tokens and tiles; they will be added to the game when necessary.

Chapter II: New Rules

The Ruler Dice

When playing Kings of Middle-earth, each player receives a Ruler Special Action die. There is one Free Peoples Ruler die (light blue color) and one Shadow Ruler die (brown color).

Ruler dice have the same symbols as normal Action dice but, when using them, you must use the following rules:

1. The Free Peoples player adds the Free Peoples Ruler die to their dice pool in the turn after the first Sovereign is awakened (see Awakening a Sovereign); the Shadow player adds the Shadow Ruler die to their dice pool in the turn after the first Dark Chieftain enters play (see Dark Chieftains in Play).
2. The Shadow Ruler die cannot be allocated directly to the Hunt and must always be rolled.
3. If a player's dice pool includes the Ruler die, that player must choose and discard one Action die at the end of the Action Roll phase — either one Standard Action die, or the Ruler die. a. First, the Shadow player must choose to either discard the Ruler die (even if it shows an Eye), or a Standard Action die that does not show an Eye. Then, they add the remaining rolled Eye results to the Hunt box. b. Then, the Free Peoples player chooses which one of their Action dice to discard.
4. If a player's Ruler die is not discarded after the Action Roll, that player can use its result as a normal Action die, or as indicated in the sections Free Peoples Ruler Die and Shadow Ruler Die.
5. It is possible to change the result of a Ruler die using an Elven Ring.

Note: If, during the Recover Action Dice and Draw Event Cards phase, the Free Peoples player has no Awakened Sovereigns in play, they must remove the Free Peoples Ruler die from their Action Dice Pool. Similarly, if the Shadow player has no Dark Chieftains in play at that point, they must remove the Shadow Ruler die from their Action Dice Pool. The die may be recovered if a new Sovereign is awakened, or a new Dark Chieftain enters play.

Kings Hunt Tiles

Two new Hunt tiles are included in Kings of Middle-earth. These tiles are added to the Hunt Pool at the beginning of the game. If these tiles are drawn during the Hunt, their numerical value is applied normally. Their numerical value is also used when determining the effect of Event cards which use the value of the tile for some specific purpose (for example, "The Breaking of the Fellowship", using the value to determine the number of Companions to separate).

These tiles, however, have a specific effect when attempting to corrupt a Sovereign (see Attempting to Corrupt a Sovereign).

Rulers' Combat Special Abilities

Brand, Théoden, and each of the Dark Chieftains have one Special Ability that can be used in battle. Most of these abilities require the player to forfeit the effects of a Combat card to be activated (the Combat card must still be eligible to be played). Pay close attention to the timing of the activation, as it is different for different Characters.

A Combat card whose effects have been so forfeited is still considered to be "played" for the purpose of other effects (for example, the Witch-king's "Sorcerer" ability), but its effects are replaced by the effects indicated. Likewise, the replacement effects of Combat Special Abilities are still considered to be Combat card effects for the purpose of other effects (for example, a Dark Chieftain's ability can be cancelled by the Free Peoples player using the Combat card "Daring Defiance"). The initiative number of the effects is indicated as a number in square brackets (for example, "[4]") in the text.

Chapter III: Sovereigns of the Free Peoples

"From the king's hand the black staff fell clattering on the stones. He drew himself up, slowly, as a man that is stiff from long bending over some dull toil. Now tall and straight he stood, and his eyes were blue as he looked into the opening sky. 'Dark have been my dreams of late,' he said, 'but I feel as one new-awakened.'" The Two Towers, Book III, Chapter 6: The King of the Golden Hall

The Sovereigns of the Free Peoples (not all of whom were literally "kings") were targeted by Sauron's attempts to bend the will of the Free Peoples — using the palantíri (the seeing stones), through emissaries, like Gríma, and possibly with other subtle and deceitful means. At the same time, it was crucial for the morale of the Free Peoples to rally around these charismatic figures to fight against the Shadow. This is represented in the game by the following rules.

Sovereigns in Play

During the game, the Shadow player will try to corrupt the Sovereigns, while the Free Peoples player will try to awaken them before they are corrupted.

• At the start of the game, all Sovereigns are considered Free Peoples Leaders. They are considered neither "Awakened" nor "Corrupted". If a non-Awakened, non-Corrupted Sovereign is eliminated, any Corruption tiles on him are returned to the Hunt Pool.
• Corrupted Sovereigns are considered to have Level 0 and no Leadership. They cannot move and have unique Weaknesses affecting the Free Peoples player, as indicated by their cards.
• Awakened Sovereigns are considered Companions (with the Level and Leadership indicated by their cards) and have unique Special Abilities, including Combat Special Abilities (see Rulers' Combat Special Abilities) for Brand and Théoden.

Free Peoples Ruler Die

The Free Peoples Ruler die enters play after the first Sovereign is Awakened by the Free Peoples player, and will be added to the Action Dice Pool in the following turn. It remains in (or returns to) play as long as at least one Awakened Sovereign is in play.

When the Ruler die is in play, one Action die (either the Ruler die or another Action die) must be discarded after the Action Roll.

The Ruler die can be used:

• as a normal Action die;
• to awaken a Sovereign, as indicated on his Awakened card;
• to activate an Awakened Sovereign's Special Ability.

Each Awakened Sovereign has two Special Abilities. The first can be activated with any Action die showing the appropriate result (unless it is a Combat Special Ability, see Rulers' Combat Special Abilities). The second requires a specific result on the Ruler die; a Will of the West result on the Ruler die can be used to activate any such ability.

Note: The Character cards of the Sovereigns, including their Special Abilities, are printed on the cards themselves and are not transcribed in this file.

Ruler Tokens

There are 5 Ruler tokens, one for each Sovereign.

• When the Free Peoples player awakens a Sovereign, they get his unique Ruler token.
• Each Ruler token can be used once per game, immediately before the Free Peoples player takes an action with the Ruler die. The Free Peoples player can use the token to change the Ruler die to the result which activates the Sovereign's second Special Ability and use it immediately to activate that ability.
• The Free Peoples player cannot use both a Ruler token and an Elven Ring in the same turn.

Awakening a Sovereign

The Free Peoples player can take the action indicated on the Awakened version of the card of a non-Awakened, non-Corrupted Sovereign (normally the use of a Muster die result, or any result on the Ruler die) to awaken the Sovereign, replacing the non-Awakened, non-Corrupted version with the Awakened one.

If movement of the Sovereign is required prior to his awakening, this movement follows the same rules as the movement of Companions outside the Fellowship, using the Sovereign's Level when Awakened. If this movement cannot legally end in the indicated region, the Free Peoples player cannot awaken that Sovereign.

When a Sovereign becomes Awakened, immediately return to the Hunt Pool any Corruption tiles placed on his space on the Sovereign Corruption board, replace the grey figure of the Sovereign with the corresponding silver one, and add the Free Peoples Ruler die to the Free Peoples dice pool (if it was not already in the pool) during the Recover Action Dice and Draw Event Cards phase of the following turn.

Note: If a Sovereign is awakened by an Event or Combat card effect (for example, the Combat card effect "There Is Hope for Victory"), just follow the normal rules for awakening indicated above.

The Free Peoples player takes the Awakened Sovereign card. From this moment on, the Awakened abilities of the Sovereign are in effect.

• An Awakened Sovereign cannot be corrupted.
• An Awakened Sovereign is considered to be a Companion.

Note: Some of the Special Abilities of Awakened Sovereigns allow a Regular unit to be replaced with an Elite unit of the same Nation. If such an ability is used, the Regular unit is returned to the reinforcements pool. The ability cannot be used if there is no Elite unit in the reinforcements pool.

Attempting to Corrupt a Sovereign

If the Free Peoples player has at least one unused Action die, and there is more than one Eye die in the Hunt Box, instead of using an Action die to take an action, the Shadow player can remove one Eye die from the Hunt Box to attempt to corrupt a Sovereign.

When this happens, follow these steps:

1. The Shadow player chooses a Sovereign not yet Awakened or Corrupted, and removes an Eye from the Hunt Box to initiate the corruption attempt.
2. The Shadow player draws a number of Hunt tiles equal to the number of Eye dice remaining in the Hunt Box, one at a time, up to a maximum of 3.
3. The Shadow player places one of the drawn Hunt tiles of his choice, face down, on the appropriate space of the Sovereign Corruption board. Then, the Shadow player returns any remaining tiles to the Hunt Pool, after showing them to the Free Peoples player. Hunt tiles placed on a Sovereign are called Corruption tiles.
4. The Shadow player places the Eye die with their used Action dice.

As the value of Corruption tiles must remain hidden, the Free Peoples player is never allowed to inspect the content of the Hunt Pool during the game.

Note: Dice not showing an Eye added to the Hunt Box, such as Character dice due to moving the Fellowship, are not counted as Eyes for the purpose of Sovereign corruption.

Special Case: Eye and Special Hunt Tiles

If a Standard Eye tile or a Special tile is drawn during a corruption attempt, the Shadow player must reveal it, and draw a new tile in its place. All such unused tiles are returned to the Hunt Pool, without effect.

Special Case: Kings Hunt Tiles

If a Kings Hunt tile is drawn during a corruption attempt, it is immediately revealed and added to the Sovereign; no further tiles are drawn by the Shadow player, and any other tile drawn in this corruption attempt is returned to the Hunt Pool. A Kings Hunt tile counts as "0" Corruption when added to a Sovereign. If the Sovereign becomes Awakened or Corrupted, any Kings Hunt tiles on him are returned to the Hunt Pool.

Card Effects Manipulating Hunt Tiles

Corruption attempts cannot be influenced by the effect of a card or ability that allows a player to influence or prevent the drawing or redrawing of Hunt tiles (for example, "Mithril Coat and Sting" does not allow redrawing a tile during a corruption attempt).

Corruption Level and Corruption of a Sovereign

The Corruption Level of a Sovereign is equal to the total numerical value of all tiles placed on his space on the Sovereign Corruption board (with Kings Hunt tiles counting as 0). Since the tiles are placed face down, the Corruption Level of a Sovereign is hidden from the Free Peoples player (they only know the number of tiles) but can be checked by the Shadow player at any time.

The same Sovereign may not be targeted by a corruption attempt twice in the same turn except when using an Event card.

A Sovereign becomes Corrupted when his Corruption Level equals or exceeds his Shadow Resistance. When this happens, the Shadow player must reveal all tiles on the Sovereign's space on the Sovereign Corruption board, discard the highest numbered Standard tile, and return the other tiles (including any Kings tiles) to the Hunt Pool.

Note: In case of a tie, a tile with a Reveal icon is considered to be higher numbered than a tile without one.

Remove the grey figure of the Sovereign from the game board, then take the corresponding silver one, add a Corrupted Sovereign ring around its base to mark his status, and place it in the region indicated on the Corrupted version of his card. The Shadow player takes the Corrupted Sovereign's card. From this moment on, the Weaknesses of the Corrupted Sovereign are in effect.

• A Corrupted Sovereign cannot be awakened.
• A Corrupted Sovereign is no longer considered to be a Free Peoples Leader. His effect in the game is limited to the Weaknesses indicated on his card, and to his influence on cards referring to "Sovereigns" and "Corrupted Sovereigns". He cannot be used to activate any effect or satisfy any requirement referring to "Companions", "Characters", or "Minions".
• A Corrupted Sovereign is eliminated only according to the rules in Removing a Corrupted Sovereign from Play (see below). The Weaknesses of a Corrupted Sovereign cease to have effect if he is eliminated.

Removing Corruption from a Sovereign

If a Nation is activated or its Political Track advances, and an appropriate Companion (that is, a Companion with the icon of that Nation, or the Free Peoples icon) is in the same region as the non-Awakened, non-Corrupted Sovereign of that Nation, the Free Peoples player can discard one hidden Corruption tile, randomly chosen, from that Sovereign's space on the Sovereign Corruption board, returning the tile to the Hunt Pool. Certain Event cards also allow the removal of Corruption tiles.

Removing a Corrupted Sovereign from Play

When an appropriate Companion (that is, a Companion with the icon of the same Nation, or the Free Peoples icon) is in the same region as a Corrupted Sovereign, the Free Peoples player can use a Character Action die to remove that Sovereign from play.

When this happens, the Sovereign's figure is removed, his card is discarded, and his Weaknesses immediately cease their effects.

This is the only way to remove a Corrupted Sovereign from play, except through the use of Event cards. A Corrupted Sovereign is not affected by the outcome of a battle in his region — so, for example, he remains in play even if a Free Peoples Army in the same region is completely eliminated in battle.

Chapter IV: Dark Chieftains

"Not all his servants and chattels are wraiths! There are orcs and trolls, there are wargs and werewolves; and there have been and still are many Men, warriors and kings, that walk alive under the Sun, and yet are under his sway. And their number is growing daily." The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, Chapter 1: Many Meetings

This expansion adds new characters, the Dark Chieftains, to the Shadow hosts. Unlike the Ringwraiths, who were fully controlled by the One Ring, these powerful leaders of the Shadow Armies had distinct personalities, but ultimately all were subject to the commands of Sauron or Saruman.

Dark Chieftains in Play

• Each Dark Chieftain belongs to a different Shadow Nation: The Shadow of Mirkwood to Sauron, Uglúk to Isengard, and The Black Serpent to the Southrons & Easterlings. They are considered Non-Flying Minions (see Non-Flying Minions below).
• The Shadow player can take the action indicated on the card of a Dark Chieftain (normally, the use of a Muster die result, or of any result on Ruler die, except an Eye result) to bring him into play.
• Follow the instructions on the Dark Chieftain's card to place him on the board. The Shadow player can now start to use the Character's abilities.
• Dark Chieftains add to the Leadership of Shadow Armies they are in, and they each also have one unique Combat Special Ability (see Rulers' Combat Special Abilities), applied only to the Army they are in. Uglúk has an additional Special Ability that applies to the Hunt.
• Free Peoples and Shadow cards referring to "Minions" affect and are affected by Dark Chieftains; however, these characters are not considered Minions for the purpose of playing Gandalf the White.

Non-Flying Minions

The Dark Chieftains are not able to fly like the Nazgûl (and the Witch-king), and for this reason they are considered as Non-flying Minions. They are of a different, and lower, status in comparison to normal Minions (included in War of the Ring) and lesser Minions (included in Lords of Middle-earth) because they do not add an Action die (however, the Shadow Ruler die is used when they are in play). These characters move with the same limitations as the Mouth of Sauron, the only Minion of this type in War of the Ring, which are repeated here.

A Non-flying Minion:

• If moving without an Army, can move a number of regions up to his Level, and ignores any enemy Army;
• Cannot cross impassable terrain;
• Cannot leave or enter a region that contains a friendly Stronghold besieged by an enemy Army;
• If moving without an Army, cannot be moved into a Stronghold controlled by the Free Peoples, unless it is besieged by a Shadow Army.

Shadow Ruler Die

The Shadow Ruler die enters play after the first Dark Chieftain enters play, and will be added to the Action Dice Pool in the following turn. It remains in (or returns to) play as long as at least one Dark Chieftain is in play.

The Shadow Ruler die cannot be allocated directly to the Hunt Box and must always be rolled during the Action Roll phase.

When the Ruler die is in play, one Action die (either the Ruler die or another Action die) must be discarded after the Action Roll. The Shadow player may always choose their Ruler die as the die to be discarded, even if it shows an Eye result.

The Shadow Ruler die can be used:

• as a normal Action die;
• to play a Dark Chieftain, as indicated on his card.

Note: The Character cards of the Dark Chieftains, including their Special Abilities, are printed on the cards themselves and are not transcribed in this file.

Chapter V: Variants

Playing with 3 or 4 Players

When playing Kings of Middle-earth with 3 or 4 players, use the following rules.

Free Peoples

• A Sovereign can only be awakened by the player controlling the corresponding Nation.
• The abilities of an Awakened Sovereign can only be used by the player controlling the corresponding Nation.
• Corruption can be removed by either Free Peoples player.
• A Corrupted Sovereign can be removed by either Free Peoples player.

Shadow

• Both Shadow players can attempt to corrupt any Sovereign.
• If multiple attempts to corrupt Sovereigns are made in a turn, the Shadow players must alternate between performing the attempts. Use the Corruptor token as a reminder of the last player who performed a corruption attempt. Either player may be the first to initiate a corruption attempt in each turn, regardless of the last player to do so (if any) in the previous turn.
• Only one corruption attempt per Sovereign (except when using Event cards) may be done between the Shadow players each turn.
• A Dark Chieftain can only be played by the player controlling the corresponding Nation.

Playing with Other Expansions

You can play Kings of Middle-earth together with the base War of the Ring game using the rules explained in the previous pages. Expert players who want to combine it with other expansions can use the following rules.

Dismay Tokens

This rule is optional, but recommended, for use when playing Kings of Middle-earth together with Lords of Middle-earth and/or Warriors of Middle-earth.

When a Ruler token is used, or when an Awakened Sovereign who did not use his token is eliminated from play, the Shadow Player receives that Sovereign's Ruler token, flipping it to its "Dismay" side. After the Action Roll phase, the Shadow player can use a Dismay token to either re-roll their own Ruler die or force the Free Peoples player to re-roll their Ruler die. The token is then removed from the game.

Lords of Middle-earth

• When selecting the die to discard during the Action Roll phase, a player can only discard a normal Action die, or the Ruler die. A player cannot discard a Keeper or Lesser Minion die in this way.
• Sméagol tiles are ignored and redrawn during a corruption attempt, similarly to Special tiles.
• Dice added to the Hunt Box due to the effect of the "Captain of Despair" Event card are not counted for the purpose of Sovereign corruption — they cannot be discarded to attempt the corruption of a Sovereign, and do not add to the number of tiles drawn in the attempt. To keep track of these dice, place the ones added by the "Captain of Despair" effect in the right half of the Hunt Box and the "normal" Hunt dice in the left half.
• Eye results rolled on Keeper and/or Lesser Minion dice are counted normally when making a corruption attempt. If removed from the Hunt Box to initiate an attempt, they are placed with the Free Peoples player's used Action dice afterwards.
• If you use the Council of Rivendell rules:
  • the Shadow player may spend an Action token together with any eligible Action die result to play one Dark Chieftain, even if his normal prerequisite has not been met;
  • characters without a Nation icon cannot remove Corruption from a Sovereign, or remove a Corrupted Sovereign from play. For example, Boromir, Captain General of Gondor cannot remove Corruption from Denethor or remove Denethor, Corrupted Ruler from play.

Warriors of Middle-earth

• When selecting which die to discard during the Action Roll phase, a player can only discard a normal Action die or the Ruler die. A player cannot discard a Faction die in this way.
• You cannot forfeit a the effect of a Call to Battle card to activate the Combat Special Ability of Brand or a Dark Chieftain (see Rulers' Combat Special Abilities).

Fate of Erebor

Dáin and Brand are not used. There is no King under the Mountain, and Dale is in ruins. Do not replace "Dain Ironfoot's Guard" and "King Brand's Men" with the new Event cards included in this set.

Competitive/Tournament Rules

The following rules have been proposed as variants by experienced tournament players, and you may consider adding them to your games:

• Visible Corruption tiles. Do not place Corruption tiles on a Sovereign face down: they remain visible to all players. When using this rule, if a card effect refers to "hidden Corruption tiles", read this as meaning "any Corruption tiles other than Kings tiles".
• Sequential Corruption tile draw. The Shadow player can decide to stop drawing tiles in a corruption attempt when they want (up to the maximum allowed). The last tile to be drawn must be used.
• Removing Ruler tokens. When playing Kings of Middle-earth together with Lords of Middle-earth and/or Warriors of Middle-earth, do not use Ruler tokens. Dismay tokens will only be granted to the Shadow player when an Awakened Sovereign is eliminated.

Chapter VI: Card Replacement Reference

Lords of Middle-earth

Title	Type	Number
A Balrog is Come	Character	17

Warriors of Middle-earth

Title	Type	Number
The Western Way	Character	15
Premonition of Danger	Character	18
Swift Boats	Character	19
Majesty and Glory	Character	20
Take Someone You Can Trust	Character	21
Long Battle	Character	22
Not on Anybody's Side	Character	1
Strongly Guarded	Strategy	10
Great Winged Creatures

Kings of Middle-earth

Title	Type	Number
House of the Stewards	Character	23
Wisdom of Elrond	Strategy	8
Riders of Théoden	Strategy	16
King Brand's Men	Strategy	19
Dáin Ironfoot's Guard	Strategy	22
Thranduil's Archers	Strategy	24
Return to Valinor	Strategy	1
Denethor's Folly	Strategy	3
Threats and Promises