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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Deck-Building Game
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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game
2014
Rules assistance for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 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 2.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 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 Matt Hyra and its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
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About the game
Game description from the publisher: In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game, you take on the role of Frodo, Legolas, Aragorn, or one of their brave and heroic allies in the struggle against the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron! While you begin armed only with the courage of the free peoples of Middle-earth, you will add new, more powerful cards to your deck as you go. Your goal is to defeat the deadly forces that serve Sauron as you make way towards Mount Doom to destroy The One Ring. Each player takes on the role an iconic hero from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King including Aragorn, Éowyn, King Théoden, Legolas & Gimli, Frodo & Samwise, Merry, or Pippin. Each hero comes with a special card unique to that character and usable only by that player. 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 with the six types of cards that can be acquired: Enemies, Allies, Artifacts, Maneuvers, Fortunes, and Locations. When a player has amassed enough Power, he may defeat more powerful enemies from the "Archenemy" deck, including Shelob, The Witch-King, and the Eye of Sauron! Each card acquired during the game has a Victory Point (VP) value with the Archenemy cards providing the most VPs. In the end, whoever has the most VPs wins. Whether played on its own or combined with the other LotR deck-building games from Cryptozoic, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game introduces a new feature to the game: a map of "The Journey of the Ring". Can you deliver The One Ring to Mount Doom, then destroy it? Some of the cards you play will move the Ring of Power towards Mount Doom on the map, while the minions of Sauron will delay the Ring on its journey. If you fail to destroy The One Ring, Sauron may be too powerful to overcome... 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 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 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 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 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 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 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 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game has a complexity rating of 2.1 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 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Movies / TV / Radio theme. 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 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game are: Matt Hyra. 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 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 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.