LOTR LCG - Race Across Harad

Lord of the Rings LCG - Race Across Harad

"Where the warg howls, there also the orc prowls."
     –Aragorn, The Fellowship of the Ring

Race Across Harad is the second Adventure Pack in the Haradrim cycle for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game.

After a small band of Middle-earth’s greatest heroes capture and tame some oliphaunts to help carry them out of Harad, the new scenario in Race Across Harad pits them against the pack of wargs and their riders who arrive hard upon their heels. Even while their towering oliphaunts may give the heroes an early advantage, the heroes know they cannot ignore the warg-riders and their barbed arrows. Instead, their only hope is to quicken their pace and ride for the Ford of Harnen where their massive oliphaunts might be able to crash through waters too deep for the wargs to cross…

Meanwhile, even as the scenario from Race Across Harad brings this frantic chase to life, it enhances your deck-building options with a new Dúnedain hero, plus three copies each of nine different player cards. These enhance a wide range of the game's existing keywords, Traits, and mechanics. You'll find support for everything from Mounts to side quests and from the Doomed keyword to the cycle's new focus on events that offer powerful rewards when you can target specific pairs of Traits.

Freshly seated atop the oliphaunts they captured and tamed, a small band of Middle-earth's greatest heroes begin their journey through the deserts and dangers of Harad. However, they don't get far before they hear the distant howling of wargs. And where the warg howls, there also the orc prowls.

The new scenario in Race Across Harad pits the heroes against these wargs and their riders, all within the treacherous wilds of Harad. Their towering oliphaunts may give the heroes an advantage, however, even their oliphaunts cannot keep the heroes safe for long from the warg-riders and their barbed arrows. Instead, their only choice is to quicken their pace and race toward the Ford of Harnen. There, the heroes' massive oliphaunts might be able to crash through waters too deep for the wargs to cross…

Featuring scenario-specific rules that allow the Orcs and wargs to pursue the heroes from their own staging area, Race Across Harad brings this frantic chase to life in dramatic fashion, as you and your friends need to progress through your quest stages more quickly than the Orcs progress through their own.

Simultaneously, the Adventure Pack introduces a new Dúnedain hero in the Lore sphere, as well as three copies each of nine different player cards that enhance a wide range of the game's existing keywords, Traits, and mechanics. You'll find support for everything from Mounts to side quests and from the Doomed keyword to the cycle's new focus on events that offer powerful rewards when you can target specific pairs of Traits.

The Wandering Folk

Since the Angmar Awakened cycle of Adventure Packs more or less took place in their backyard, it offered a great deal of support to the Dúnedain of The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, many of whom secretly lived as Rangers, tirelessly hunting the Enemy's minions across the North in order to safeguard the realms of Men.

While the Haradrim cycle doesn't focus on the Dúnedain, it does, nonetheless, deal extensively with your heroes' travels through the wilderness. No doubt, the sands of Harad offer a very different wilderness than they might find in the chilly North, but wherever you may need a guide or a scout, the Dúnedain remain among the game's most talented trackers. And as you look to find your way through the early stages of your journey, Race Across Haradoffers some promising new support for these Scouts and Rangers.

For starters, it introduces the new Ranger hero, Thurindir (Race Across Harad, 28) who comes with two Willpower but gains an additional point for each side quest you complete. More than that, he has a unique Setup ability that allows him to fetch a side quest out of your deck after you draw your opening hand. That means that Thurindir doesn't just introduce new options to your Dúnedain Rangers, but he also increases the utility of victory display manipulation decks using Rossiel (Escape from Mount Gram, 28) and Scout Ahead (The Wastes of Eriador, 9).

Of course, Race Across Harad also introduces the new side quest, Explore Secret Ways (Race Across Harad, 36), and Thurindil guarantees you the chance to get it into play as early as possible, meaning you'll derive more benefit from its lasting effect. Especially in the course of a four-player game, this can make a tremendous difference as you look to cross Harad and its arid expanses.

But even if you're not using side quests, Thurindir's two Willpower and two Attack Strength are solid additions to your fellowship, and if you give him a Steed of the North (Race Across Harad, 30), you can make use of both every time you quest and then engage an enemy. The result is that Thurindir and his ability to guide your company along alternate paths may help you more swiftly travel through Harad and defeat all the enemies you face along your way.

Ride an Oliphaunt

Whether you play with Thurindir or attempt to make your way through Harad with another band of heroes, Race Across Harad is your chance to ride a Tamed Mûmak (Race Across Harad, 38) and test its might against the packs of wargs and warg-riders that will be hard upon your heels.