From the award-winning designer, Matt Leacock, comes a thematically rich cooperative adventure through Middle-earth. This next chapter in the Pandemic System collection takes players through the challenges The Fellowship faces throughout Tolkien’s iconic tale but allows players to take their fate into their own hands, allowing them to decide to take Frodo’s canonical path or forge a way of their own. You ever wonder what would have happened if Frodo took the front door into Mordor? Now you can find out for yourself!
What if…?
Speaking of “the what if’s,” we are excited to announce our partnership with The Nerd of the Rings’ What if…? Series! In the series, Matt Graf explores how the story may have played out if key characters made different choices. If you’re a fan of the franchise and haven’t visited his channel, you should definitely check him out! Plus, he will be using some inspiration and artwork from The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship to speculate and tell his own fan-theories leading up to the summer release and into UK Games Expo and Gen Con.
Get ready for Middle-earth summer!
Wow, look at these segues! This summer is going to be incredible for LotR fans! Following the amazing success of 7 Wonders: Duel for Middle-earth by Repos Productions, Office Dog also released the stunning The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game. With those two power houses out in the world, and rumors of another announcement coming from Office Dog Games this spring, the buzz around The Lord of the Rings is palpable and we are excited to join the party. Stay tuned for news about how we are going to bring The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship to an event near you!
So how is this different than other Pandemic games?
Matt Leacock is responsible for the best cooperative strategy game, Pandemic (according to The Dice Tower and our mom), and brought that same deep love for a cooperative experience into The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship. Things that stand out against Matt’s original design start with the visual design but extend deep into gameplay mechanics.
The board is a beautifully illustrated and lore-accurate map of Middle-earth that features some fun little Easter eggs for the die-hard fans. Each player is given two characters to control who begin the game at their canonic origin (Frodo in the Shire, Arwen in Rivendell, etc.) and can meet up with other characters and friendly troops (elves, dwarves, and the human soldiers of Rohan and Gondor) to move together, like a real fellowship.
Shadow troops spawn from the depths of Mordor and spread in an effort to overtake Middle-earth’s safe havens. The watchful eye of Sauron scours the map and directs Nazgûl to inhibit the success of Frodo reaching Mount Doom. Characters must spend stealth, resistance, friendship, and valor to overcome challenges and complete objectives before all hope is lost.
Relive iconic moments through in-game objectives
The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship, much like other versions of Pandemic (sans Legacy), is deeply replayable. Each game, you’ll try to destroy The One Ring and complete several other objectives. The game includes 24 objective cards, many based on iconic moments from the books, and you can choose a different subset of them each time you play.
The game offers a suggested starting scenario, arming players with key beats to overcome and learn the game. Don’t let the starting scenario fool you, however; Frodo’s quest was a harrowing one, and you will need to work together to succeed in bringing The Fellowship together and destroying The One Ring. Adding additional and different objectives will increase the difficulty of the game.
Try it before you buy it, on BGA!
For a limited time, players will have the opportunity to play the starting scenario for free on Board Game Arena. BGA is the world’s largest digital board game platform. With millions of active players around the world, there is always someone ready to join your table. Play in real-time or turn-by-turn, and with players at your skill level. Board Game Arena is the ultimate gaming match-maker! Sign up for a free account now to get ready for The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship coming later this spring.
Support your Local Game Store!
Community is so important, which is why we partner with local game stores to offer in-store exclusive promo items to reward their loyal patrons. For The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship, we bring a lot of key story moments to the table, including Gandalf defeating the Balrog. There is not, however, that visual awe-inspiring moment of Gandalf revealing himself as Gandalf the White. Unless… Players who forgo online purchasing to visit a Hobby Next participating store will receive an exclusive Gandalf the White meeple and character card! Check with your LGS today or wait until closer to the release to find a store near you.
Note, the Gandalf the White promo is purely aesthetic. The character ability changes that occur as a result of defeating the Balrog will happen regardless, it is only a thematic visual indicator with exclusive artwork.
Want to skip the promo and ensure you get the game as soon as possible? Pre-order today!
