Against the Shadow
This insert provides expansion rules and clarifications for use with all Middle-earth Collectible Card Game (MECCG) products.
Certain cards and effects require other cards be placed "off to the side" (e.g., Sack Over the Head). Cards placed off to the side are placed on the playing surface off to the side of the normal area of play. Such cards are kept with their host permanent-event that caused this effect. Any card placed off to the side absolutely cannot be targeted or otherwise affected by the game except by cards that specifically affect cards placed "off to the side."
Cards placed off to the side are in play for the purposes of uniqueness. Unless stated otherwise, when a host permanent-event is removed from the playing surface, any cards placed off to the side under it are discarded. Usually the host card will state some mechanic that affects the cards placed off to the side with it. Unless stated otherwise on its host card, a card placed off to the side will give its marshalling points to its owner.
Example: You can play an ally "off to the side" with Come at Need. While that ally is "off to the side" it may not be targeted with, or affected by, Stay Her Appetite. While "off to the side," no manifestations of the ally may be played, and it gives the normal marshaling points. Come at Need may be targeted by Voices of Malice. If Come at Need is discarded by Voices of Malice, so is the ally.
Certain items are hoard items. Such an item may only be played at a site that contains a hoard. Each site with a Dragon automatic-attack (i.e., each Dragon's lair) contains a hoard. A hoard minor item may not be included with a starting company, and may not be played at a site that does not contain a hoard.
Example: You can not play a hoard minor item at Mount Gram after successfully influencing the Orcs of Angmar like you can with a normal minor item. Mount Gram does not contain a hoard.
Normally, a company moving with region movement may lay down a maximum of four region cards. If a company moving with region movement is using effects that allows additional region cards to be laid down, no more than six regions may be used.
Any hazard creature you play as an automatic-attack is discarded if defeatedit is not placed in your opponent's marshalling point pile.
Note: Created by streams of molten rock and expanded by geothermal eruptions of super-hot gas, the Under-deeps are a result of a combination of natural and supernatural forces. The hand of Morgoth joined what was once a collection of sundered cavern complexes. His greater servants used this maze of tunnels and chambers to travel surreptitiously throughout Endor.
Although Endor changed during the Elder Days, the core of the Under-deeps survive. Though travel between the underground sites is now difficult, if not impossible, for all but the greatest (and luckiest) explorers. Blocked or twisting away from their original course, the Under-deeps seem broken. Junctions and strongholds seem lost. Many appear as simple caves or side passages. Others lie hidden behind veils of rock. Nearly all are still there, though, awaiting discoveryas is their creator.
An Under-deeps site card has "Under-deeps" in the section that normally gives site's region, and its name contains "...-deeps" or "Under-..." An Under-deeps site is just like any other site with the following exceptions:
Example: Asternak taps and plays High Helm (a major item) at The Under-grottos and the site taps. At this point, Dorelas could only tap to play a minor item at a non-Under-deeps site. But The Under-grottos is an Under-deeps site, so Dorelas can tap to play anything playable at The Under- grottos: a minor item, a major item, or a gold ring. He taps and plays a Gold-ring that Sauron Fancies.
One of your companies that begins its turn at the surface site of an Under- deeps site can move normally or it can move to its adjacent Under-deeps site (i.e., the company moves to an Under-deeps site from its surface site). One of your companies that begins its turn at an Under-deeps site may only move to one of the adjacent sites listed on the Under-deeps site card.
Each adjacent site is followed by a number in parenthesesthis number indicates how difficult it is to move from the Under-deeps site to the adjacent site. When an adjacent site is revealed by one of your companies whose site of origin is an Under-deeps site, you must make a roll (2D6). If the result is greater than or equal to the number in parentheses following the adjacent site as listed on its site of origin, the movement/hazard phase proceeds normally. Otherwise, the company returns to its site of origin (no cards are drawn) and the movement/hazard phase proceeds as if the company had not moved.
Note: A company moving from a surface site to its Under-deeps site does not need to make a roll.
Example: A minion company that starts at Carn Dm can move normally or it can move to The Iron-deepsThe Iron-deeps lists Carn Dm as an adjacent site. Similarly, a minion company that starts at The Iron-deeps may attempt to move to any adjacent site listed: Carn Džm (0), The Under-leas (5), or The Under-vaults (6). However, after committing to movement, the moving player must roll a 5 or better to successfully move to The Under-leas or a 6 or better to successfully move to The Under-vaults.
Example: A company is moving from The Under-gates to Moria with Long Winter in play. Long Winter's effect of returning a company to the site of origin has no effect, since it depends on the company's site path, and the company has no site path. Long Winter's effect of tapping a site will work, since that effect depends on the site's site path, which still exists. Finally, creatures can only be played keyed to the Shadow-hold of Moria.
Certain effects allow a character to be assigned more than one strike from a given attack. Such a character must face a strike sequence for each strike he is assigned to face. If a character is tapped or wounded following one of these strike sequences, he must then accordingly modify his prowess for any following strike sequences. If a character is eliminated or otherwise removed from play before he has faced all of his assigned strikes, those strikes he has yet to face are then considered to have been successful.