Here is where the adventure kicks in for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. The choices are yours to make in where you are headed in the wide world of Middle-earth.

The Hunt For Gollum // Lord of the Rings: The Living Card Game

Lots of players head to the Khazad-dum Expansion right after the core set for many reasons. Three story-driven quests, access to a themed deck if you like your playstyle aggressive with the mix of the dwarves utilising the Tactics sphere and a chunky bit of content to go back to. If you do not want to carry on within the grim and dark areas surrounding Mirkwood and rather head into the familiar Mines of Moria in a combat-heavy bloodfest - away to the Khazad-dum Expansion to you.

Myself, I am a story-fiend. Although I might be equipped to head to Mordor, it is quite the walk…

The Hunt For Gollum Expansion // The Lord Of The Rings: The Card Game

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I have chosen to continue on with the Shadows of Mirkwood Cycle, which was second to the initial release of The Lord of the Rings: The Living Game Core Box. Continuing on through the storyline, in the next adventure on our list. I start The Hunt for Gollum, with this expansion pack giving the unique mechanic of clues and songs. Clues add another objective to the questline, whilst songs provide access to other spheres of influence on your heroes.

Card List...

Heroes -

• Éowyn
• Elrond
• Arwen Undomiel

Allies -

• 3x Warden of Healing
• 3x Jubyar
• 3x Master of the Forge
• 3x Gandalf
• 3x Firyal
• 2x Northern Tracker
• 2x Winged Guardians
• 2x Gléowine
• 2x Eagles Of The Misty Mountains
• 1x Elfheim
• 1x Glorfindel
• 1x Beorn
• 1x Hazan

Attachments -

• x3 Vilya
• x1 Steward Of Gondor
• x1 Unexpected Courage
• x1 Golden Shield

Events -

• 3x Elven-Light
• 2x Hasty Stroke
• 2x A Test of Will
• 2x Galdrian's Greeting
• 2x Heed the Dream
• 1x Stand and Fight
• 1x Fortune Or Fate
• 1x Dwarven Tomb
• 1x Will of the West

Coming up against locations with and without shadow effects, savage orcs, many ‘when revealed’ cards which provide unforgiving additional effects to play. It is safe to say that this deck is quest-heavy. Do remember just because it is less combat-heavy it doesn't make it any easier! this is Lord of the Rings: The Living Card Game, it is still savage.

Quest Card 1: The Hunt Begins – 8 Quest Points

The Hunt Begins // The Hunt For Gollum

The setup requires us to draw one card into the staging area in which we drew A sign of Gollum - clue card. And as it is guarded by the location River Ninglore - for us to get the clue we have to solve the location. Because our ventures down Rivers have been so eventful before!

After clearing the first location and giving the first of our clues to Eowyn, we found ourselves revealing location after location from the Encounter Deck. Questing our way through this is going to be interesting! But at this point, I was not against soaking an undefended attack just to remove them from play!

We quested through what was there. Going over the Eves of Mirkwood, across the Banks of the Anduin. Dealt with flooding and even had to endure some Old Wives Tales.

Each one of our heroes found a sign of Gollum along the way. Now we need to hold on to these clues as the track ahead is looking quite nasty

Quest card 2: A New Terror Abroad – 10 quest points

A New Terror Abroad // The Hunt for Gollum

Upon moving into the second part of the quest, it forces you to constantly draw encounter cards. So you end up with all of the locations, very few enemies and questing every turn. The good thing is, it also allows us to bulk up on a good few amount of resources which I have an inkling we might need at the final phase of the quest. Due to a particularly dodgy draw from the Encounter Deck, Elrond lost his clue on Gollum. But we are lucky to have a spare in the Staging Area. We do also have to keep an eye on our threat, as turns roll by rapidly. Lots of plates spinning!

The threat was getting a bit on top of us, so we Heed The Dream to see if there was anything in the top five cards from the Draw Pile to help. Fortunately for us, Mandalf was waiting in the wings to come and tell the atmosphere of Mirkwood to chill the hell out. Taking our threat down by five with a little bit more breathing space. And on the neck turn thanks to shuffling our Deck, we drew the Galahadrin's Greeting, and we had more than enough resource to bring it into play.

In the next quest phase, we traipse along the Banks of the Anduin once more for clues, once through there it is a clear shot at the Quest to take us into the final stage.

We enter the final stage after questing with the majority of our Fellowship, we currently hold three clues. If our heroes take damage, resulting us losing all of them. We would be forced to go back to Phase 2B of the Quest and expected to run wild to find more clues for Gollum across every corner of Mirkwood.

Quest card 3: On The Trail – 8 Quest Points

 On The Trail // The Hunt For Gollum

It truly seemed as if we had been on the Banks of The Anduin forever, due to the forced effect: we may as well have been! As this card when this leaves the deck always goes on to the top of the Encounter Deck, it created a very interesting loop. I always knew what was coming. Allowing us to quest with relative safety.

The next round I felt it was time to give the eagle a friend. And bought out The Winged Guardian, just in case we needed some more defence. We defended against the Misty Mountain Goblins with Jubayr, causing zero damage and was swiftly despatched by Elrond and The Eagles of the Misty Mountains. Poetic.

In the following quest phase as we know, there is nothing with enough threat to stop the onslaught. We could commit enough of our heroes' willpower to the quest and we finally found a true sign of Gollum's passing. Win!

Final Thoughts

You can get Bilbo as a hero in this expansion. Although he isn't particularly useful in conjunction with our current deck of cards. In my personal opinion - he’s a bad Beravor. Half as good but you do not have to pay the price - quite fitting for a Hobbit really! But what we lose in Hobbit size, we make up in feathered tankboys as allies, the Eagles now have a chance to swoop into play.

Winged Guardian // The Hunt For Gollum Adventure Pack

For me, the reason why we did not have Bilbo out in this play was that the focus on this adventure particularly would be to generate resources - rather than more cards. If you are looking to hold the line, and you are ever struggling, the eagles are fantastic to maintain with a high defence if you need a bit of time to recuperate your heroes. They are very much a cost/reward defence line - if you can pay to bribe the eagles, they will come and hold the fort.

There are a lot of interesting concepts I would like to explore with a different deck. Playing around with songs potentially turning our heroes into cloned Elronds!

Conflict At The Carrock Adventure Pack // The Lord Of The Rings: The Living Card Game

Continuing on with The Shadows of Mirkwood Cycle. We journey towards the Conflict At The Carrock, as we are hoping to stop the threat looming that has arisen on the Anduin: a bunch of pesky trolls abusing the Beornings!

What treats would you provide to lure and bribe a giant eagle to help you out of danger?