Sponsored.  Components and art in board games are often able to elevate the experience to the next level, and that is certainly the case with Z-Man Games' upcoming launch.  In The Lord of the Rings™: Fate of the Fellowship, players each control 2 iconic characters from the series and work together to accomplish thematic objectives, culminating in destroying The One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.  If you hear that and are already excited to jump into Middle-earth with your friends, wait until you hear about the detailed, lore-accurate map through which you'll guide the characters, and the Barad-dûr dice tower that helps players feel the pressure of the ever-watching Eye of Sauron alongside the characters they control!

From abilities that pay homage to the source material and make fans smile (like Eowyn being able to remove a normally unkillable Nazgûl from the game), to battle lines that follow the paths the conflicting forces actually took in the novels, to secret paths that avoid battle but have their own costs to traverse, to the constant terror from The Eye following the journey of The One Ring except when players draw its gaze by launching their own attacks against the forces of Mordor, The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship brings players to the world of Middle-earth and lets them work together to craft their own narrative in this beloved setting.  Whether you want to follow in the footsteps of the canon, carve your own path, or find a balance between the two, you'll have tools to do so, and you'll get the satisfaction of driving back forces of evil and accomplishing objectives that are major story beats!

The pieces bring together the thematic and mechanical at every turn, and they even allow for highly customizable gameplay sessions!  With 24 unique objective cards, you can choose objectives randomly, follow a pre-built scenario, or craft your own set of narrative moments to strive for.  Pick different sets of characters and see how each character's special ability changes the opportunities and strategies that are available to you!  If you find your first session too easy or too difficult, there are five different difficulty settings to let you further build your experience to what you find the most enjoyable.

Grab your friends, swing by The Green Dragon (or Isengard's storerooms if you're feeling particularly adventurous) for some refreshments, and get ready to evade and/or battle the encroaching forces of Mordor in this summer 2025 release!

The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship is a cooperative game for 1-5 players, with an average game time of 90 minutes.  Brick & mortar stores that pre-order now can secure their allocation of Gandalf the White promo cards and meeples, an exclusive offered for free through Asmodee's Hobby Next retailer program.

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