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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Deck-Building Game Expansion Pack
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game
2014
Rules assistance for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 45 min
- 15+
- Complexity 2.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game is a board game released in 2014 for 2–5 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 15 and up. It was designed by Erik V Larsen and its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
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About the game
Game description from the publisher: In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game, each player takes on the role of a member of The Company as they set out on the long and treacherous path to Lonely Mountain. Play as Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, Thorin Oakenshield, or others. Your Hero card will guide your strategy throughout the game, or you can break away with a plan of your own. Each player starts with his own basic ten-card deck and draws a hand of five cards each turn. Power is the currency you will use to buy new, stronger cards to add to your deck. The goal of a deck-building game is to craft your personal deck into a well-oiled machine, and five types of cards can be acquired: Enemies, Allies, Artifacts, Maneuvers, and Locations. A large, central stack of cards supplies a five-card "Path" from which players make their purchases. Each player always has five face-up cards from which to choose each turn, so new options and surprises await each turn. When you have amassed enough Power, you can take on an Archenemy! Each Archenemy has Loot cards you can acquire. Defeat a Troll and you might find Sting, Orcrist, or Glamdring! Take on The Goblin King and you might find the maneuvers you need to escape from the Misty Mountains. Azog is the final Archenemy, and he has unfinished business... In the end, the player who has accumulated the most Victory Points from the cards in his deck wins. Cryptozoic's The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit deck-builder series: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Deck-Building Game The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Deck-Building Game The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Deck-Building Game Expansion Pack
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Cryptozoic Entertainment
Questions and answers
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game for ages 15 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Movies / TV / Radio theme, and Novel-based. Its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game are: Erik V Larsen. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-Building Game as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.