“That, of course, is the dangerous part about caves: you don’t know how far they go back, sometimes, or where a passage behind may lead to, or what is waiting for you inside.”

–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

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After days of traveling across the barren lands between the Iron Hills and the Ered Mithrin, your destination is finally within reach. You seek a giant Dragon that could threaten the whole of Wilderland, and you have just discovered tracks leading to the cold heights of the Grey Mountains. There is no turning back now. The Withered Heath, the first Adventure Pack in the Ered Mithrin Cycle for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, is now available!

In The Withered Heath, you’ll find a new Tactics hero along with other men of Dale and Beornings ready to accompany you beyond the Edge of the Wild. You’ll need all the assistance they can offer if you’re to complete your mission and secure the safety of all Rhovanion. The Cold-drake you seek will not forfeit its life easily and you must locate it before you can destroy it. But the frosty heights of the Grey Mountains may prove to be an even more formidable opponent. You must steel yourself for the road ahead and see your mission through to the end.

On the Hunt

The Dragon you seek may be a large beast, but the Grey Mountains are also vast, providing it with plenty of icy caves and dens to hide away in. Therefore, your first task upon arriving in the Withered Heath is to search for any sign that could lead you to the Cold-drake’s lair. Continuing the theme of exploration begun in The Wilds of Rhovanion, this adventure sees you once again plumbing the depths of locations with the Deep keyword as you search for your quarry.

Seeing what lies beyond a Cave Entrance (The Withered Heath, 17) could lead to an empty cave, but it could also lead you to the tell-tale bones and eggs of a Dragon Sign (The Withered Heath, 12), bringing you one step closer to the beast that you seek. The other creatures who live in the mountains do not take kindly to you invading their homes, however, and traveling into the caves is sure to raise your threat, drawing the attention of even more enemies.

Once you’ve picked up the trail, the Cold-drake (The Withered Heath, 11) itself can’t be far behind, and your confrontation is certain to be a difficult one. Not only does the beast have eighteen hit points, it can sometimes keep a defending character from readying until the end of the round. It will take all of your strength and clever tactics to bring it down for good. Will you overcome both the giant Dragon and the bitter cold of the mountain peaks?

A Light in the Darkness

In our announcement, we saw how the unpredictable weather of the Grey Mountains could be even more detrimental than the creatures you encounter there. You’ll need plenty of tools if you’re going to survive these dangers and, fortunately, the allies from Dale that have accompanied you on this journey can ensure the cards you need are ready at hand. A Long Lake Fisherman (The Withered Heath, 8), for example, casts his nets into your deck in search of useful cards. When one enters play, you name a number and, if you find a card with printed cost equal to that number, you can add that card to your hand.

Your Long Lake Fisherman can find any number of things in your deck, even a precious artifact such as The Arkenstone (The Withered Heath, 10). The inner light from this beautiful gem inspires the characters in your company to continue with their quest: while the Arkenstone is attached to one of your heroes, each unique character you control gains increased willpower, helping you to advance the quest and see it through to completion.

Such a valuable artifact won’t be had easily, however. You must first wrest control of it from whatever enemy or location is guarding it before you can claim its power. Once you do, the stone's mere presence will surely draw the attention of any nearby enemies. To avoid their ire, you can transfer the Arkenstone to another hero to reduce your threat by two. Of course, this means the other player will take on the threat you just lost, drawing any powerful enemies their way.

Push to the Top

The wind whips in your face and the snow falls all around you, but the end of your journey lies within reach. Rally your heroes and reach the heights of the Grey Mountains!