Twilight of the Third Age FAQ

The Twilight of the Third Age Expansion FAQ was updated on September 13th 2008.


Errata

Q Can the Corsair ships transport Shadow Army units into a Region containing a Free Peoples Settlement but no enemy Army units? The rules don't seem to allow this at it says:

"The Shadow player can move an Army from a Region containing a Ship to any other Free Region containing a Ship using one of the two movements of an Army die (or using a Character die, if the Army has a Leader)."

A Free Region is defined by the FAQ as "a Region free of enemy armies and/or enemy controlled Settlements."

A The Corsair ships can transport Shadow Army units into a Region containing a Free Peoples Settlement but no enemy Army units.

The rule should read as follows:

As long as a Region is free of enemy Army units and contains a Ship the Shadow player can move an Army from a Region containing a Ship to that Region using one of the two movements of an Army die (or using a Character die, if the Army has a Leader).



Q The German Shadow event card number 25 ('Tiefe Gräben und Große Maschinen') has a Character icon on its front, shouldn't it be a Muster icon?

A Yes, it should be a Muster icon signifying that the card can be played with a Muster Action die result.



The Map

Q Which are the coastal Regions on the map?

A They are, from the south to the north: Umbar, West Harondor, Pelargir, Lamedon, Dol Amroth, Anfalas, Andrast, Drúwaith Iaur, Enedwaith, Minhiriath, South Ered Luin, Harlindon, Grey Havens and Fornlindon.



The Factions

Q When the Shadow Factions are eliminated, are they eliminated once and for all or is it only the Ent Faction, which is eliminated for the rest of the game?

A There is no way to eliminate the Dunlendings or Corsair Factions, even if all Hillmen/Ships are removed, you can still recruit more as long as you have places where to do so.



Q What happens to the Shadow Minions and Nazgûl if the army they are in is destroyed by an Ent attack?

A They are destroyed along with the army.



Q Can the Corsair ships ship Shadow Army units into a Region containing a Free Peoples Settlement but no enemy Army units?

A Yes they can, the rules do not allow this as it says "Free Region" when it should say "Region free of enemy Army units". See the Errata at the top of the page.



Event Cards

Q 'A Balrog is Come' - Can the Free Peoples player use a Character die result to eliminate the Balrog if the Balrog is in the same Region as the Fellowship and Gandalf is still in the Fellowship.

A No. Gandalf in the Fellowship does not count as being in a Region.



Q 'Rangers of the North' - Can this card be used simply to recruit the North units if no Shadow army can be attacked?

A Yes.



Q 'Wind From the West' - Can it be used to discard the 'We Shall Get It' Sméagol card if it is in play?

A Yes.



Combat Effects

Q How is the pre-combat attacks resolved if the Shadow plays the Combat Card 'Durin's Bane' and the Free Peoples player plays the Combat Card 'Charge' or 'Sudden Strike'?

A As with any other simultaneous effect of Combat Cards: "If the cards played happen to influence one another, the effects of the card played by the defender are always applied first."



Q How is the pre-combat attacks resolved if the Shadow plays the Combat Card 'Old Hatred' and the Free Peoples player plays the Combat Card 'Charge' or 'Sudden Strike'?

A As with any other simultaneous effect of Combat Cards: "If the cards played happen to influence one another, the effects of the card played by the defender are always applied first."



Q Would the pre-combat attacks coming from 'Charge' gain the +1 from Siege Engine Superiority?

A No, the Siege Engines modify the Combat Roll and these rolls are not the Combat Roll! These extra rolls would be made with the normal to hit number.



Q Would the pre-combat attacks coming from 'Sudden Strike' gain the +1 from Siege Engine Superiority?

A No, the Siege Engines modify the Combat Roll and these rolls are not the Combat Roll! These extra rolls would be made with the normal to hit number.



Q If the Free Peoples play the Combat Effect 'Valor' when they have Siege Superiority would they hit on 3,4,5, and 6?

A Yes, the modifiers are cumulative.



The Siege Engines

Q How does the Siege Engines interact with the Shadow combat effects 'Grond, Hammer of the Underworld' and 'The Fighting Uruk-Hai'?

A Essentially, the rounds (1-3) with 'Grond, Hammer of the Underworld' or 'The Fighting Uruk-Hai' are similar to a single 'normal' round, but the +1/-1 to the Combat Roll still only applies to the first round of Combat.

Shadow Superiority
The attack can be extended by one round after the third round, without sacrificing Elites, if the Shadow has superiority.

Free People Superiority
At the end of the third round of 'Grond'/'Uruk-hai', if the FP has superiority, he may prevent the Shadow to extend the battle by sacrificing Elites.

Siege Engines Tie
If at any moment during round 1-3 one player claims superiority, he keeps it until the end of the battle, so he will still have superiority at the end of round 3, falling in one of the above cases.



Q The rulebook states that the removal of a catapult in a siege battle is decided before cards are played. Does this mean before cards are played or before players announce if they are going to play cards?

A The catapult is to be removed before announcing the intention to play a card.



Q Can you continue to Muster Siege Engines once all six units are on the board by removing the ones already in play?

A No, you cannot voluntarily destroy a Siege Engine in play.



Q Can the Free Peoples build defensive Siege Engines in a captured Shadow stronghold?

A No.



Q Can the Shadow build offensive Siege Engines when trying to retake a captured Shadow stronghold?

A Yes.



The New Characters

Q What happens if you draw a Smeagol Hunt Tile for the effect of a Card like 'Orc Patrol', 'Isildur's Bane', 'The Breaking of the Fellowship', etc. etc?

A If it is the first Smeagol tile simply put him in play. If it is the second Smeagol tile it is treated as a normal zero tile and no corruption is suffered, the Smeagol tile is then returned to the Hunt Pool.



Q If the Fellowship is Declared in a Free Peoples City or Stronghold, causing Sméagol to be discarded and a Hunt tile must be drawn because the Fellowship passed through a Shadow Stronghold, is the Hunt damage applied before Sméagol is discarded or after?

A Sméagol isn't discarded until the Fellowship figure has reached the Declared destination so he is still in the Fellowship when it passes through the Shadow Stronghold so he can be sacrificed or randomly drawn.



Q Can Galadriel be mustered in Lorien if the Stronghold is controlled by the Shadow?

A No, Galadriel can only be mustered if the Free Peoples control Lorien. If the Shadow has taken control of it the Free Peoples need to retake it before mustering Galadriel.



Q Can the Balrog move with armies even if his Level is zero?

A The Balrog can only move (on his own or with an army) if the 'A Balrog is Come' Event card is in play.



Q Can the Balrog use his Leadership for an attack *from* the Region he is in (against an adjacent Region) even if he is unable to move with the Army he is leading?

A Yes.



Q Can Lady Galadriel use her Leadership for an attack *from* Lorien (against an adjacent Region) even though she is unable to move with the Army she is leading?

A Yes.









Please note that some of the images on this website are a preview of Art by John Howe from "War of the Ring"
a game published by Ares Games under license from Sophisticated Games and Middle-earth Enterprises.