Decipher has announced plans for the long-term future of The Lord Of The Rings CCG.  In addition to the first nine sets announced before the game launched in November of 2001, nine new expansion sets and collector's products are being added to the list, taking the schedule through 2007.  The final chapter of the LOTR trilogy, The Return of the King opens in theaters in December, and the LOTR CCG's current schedule runs through the Mount Doom expansion in July 2004.  Starting in November of 2004, the game's next nine expansions are:

 

November 2004 -- Shadows

March 2005 -- Black Rider

July 2005 -- Bloodlines

November 2005 -- The Hunters

March 2006 -- Rise of Saruman

July 2006 -- Treachery and Deceit

November 2006 -- The Great Eye

March 2007 -- Shelob's Lair

July 2007 -- Age's End

 

Decipher has planned gameplay innovations, new entry points and new material to keep the game fresh.  Since Decipher has the rights to The Hobbit as well as all three books in the LOTR trilogy, characters, events, and places depicted in the books but not shown in the films will be introduced in the next nine expansions.  Favorites such as Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, Glorfindel, Radagast the Brown, and the Barrow-wights will be among the first to join the CCG.  Starting with the Shadows expansion in November 2004 a new adventure path known as the nine-site path will start in The Shire and take your fellowship all the way to Mount Doom.