Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – Under The Ash Mountains

“…its floor and the walls on either side were cloven by a great fissure, out of which the red glare came, now leaping up, now dying down into darkness…”
–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

You have journeyed far across the lands of Rhûn in pursuit of Thane Ulchor, from the city of Ulfast all the way up to the very borders of Mordor itself. Now, the tunnels of Torech Gorgor are all that separate you from your quarry.

Fantasy Flight Games is happy to announce Under the Ash Mountains, the fourth Adventure Pack in the Vengeance of Mordor cycle for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game! As your journey reaches its final stages, this 60-card pack takes you deep into a labyrinthine cave system where you’ll face dwindling supplies as well as the nameless terrors that dwell there. Do you have the will to find your way through before all hope is lost?

Lost in the Dark

There is no easy way to enter Mordor. Its borders are guarded by ruthless Orcs and following Ulchor’s path is sure to lead to your capture. Fortunately, after accepting their challenge, the Wainriders have led you to the entrance of a tunnel in the black wall of the Ash Mountains. The dark cave before you may offer a Passage into Mordor (Under the Ash Mountains, 106), but you must navigate the intersecting maze of tunnels on your own.

To make matters worse, finding your way through these twisting tunnels isn’t the only challenge you’ll face. There is little chance of finding food or water during the passage and you must move quickly to reach the other side before your supplies—and the cards in your deck—run out. To avoid starvation and elimination from the game, then, you must be more judicious than normal when triggering card-drawing abilities, instead relying on the limited resources available to you.

This task is made all the more difficult by the oppressiveness of the passages around you. Simply navigating the Tunnels of Torech Gorgor (Under the Ash Mountains, 92) is a challenge that slows your progress and drains your supplies considerably. But you’ll find more in this maze of tunnels and passages that takes a toll on your party both physically and mentally. Foul things dwell in the deep places of the world, and these Nameless Beasts (Under the Ash Mountains, 95) are sure to devour some of your supplies, making themselves stronger in the process.

What’s more, the longer you spend in the tunnels, the more suffocating they can seem. As you draw closer to Mordor, the darkness around you seeps into your very thoughts, and despair begins to take hold. A Burning Reek (Under the Ash Mountains, 104) permeates the caverns, calling your attention to your dwindling supplies. You must make haste if you are to survive this foul place.

Hope Endures

It is easy to lose hope in the dark depths of Torech Gorgor, but with a little fortitude—and some preparation—you can escape the horrors that await you. You would do well to push ahead to find your way through the tunnels as quickly as possible, and an ally like a Wandering Exile (Under the Ash Mountains, 82) can help ensure that your path is true. Similarly, nameless creatures and despair aren’t all you’ll find in the tunnels. You could also find the  Stone of Elostirion (Under the Ash Mountains, 84) to guide your way.

While these tools are certainly useful, they come at the cost of removing precious cards from your deck. An ally like Odo Proudfoot (Under the Ash Mountains, 88), on the other hand, can help you locate other useful Hobbit allies such as Merry (A Shadow in the East, 3) in your deck while also shuffling the other cards from the search back into your deck.

No matter how quickly you make your way through the tunnels, you’re sure to encounter some of the fell creatures that reside there. During these times, it’s especially important to protect the hero who carries The One Ring  (A Shadow in the East, 1). Bringing the supplies to keep them Well Preserved (Under the Ash Mountains, 85) can keep them going long enough to finish the quest.

The allies and equipment that you bring into Torech Gorgor can certainly help you overcome individual challenges, but your own resolve and wisdom will see you through to the end. With that in mind, you can always bring together a Council of the Wise (Under the Ash Mountains, 91) and gain additional rewards when you play an event from your hand.

With this contract in play, the high cost of additional threat to issue a Defiant Challenge (Under the Ash Mountains, 89) or make a Reckless Attack (Under the Ash Mountains, 87) can be immediately reduced, helping you plow forward. At the same time, a Leadership hero like Gildor Inglorion (Under the Ash Mountains, 81) can use the resource generated by this contract to fuel his ability, helping the entire party draw the cards they need.

To Mordor

The treacherous Thane Ulchor in nearly in your grasp, but unknown terrors wait in the dark beneath the Ash Mountains. There is no going back now. On to Mordor!

UPC 841333109769