A Knife In The Dark: Participants

A KNIFE IN THE DARK The ancient tower of Amon Sûl lies upon the soaring peak of Weathertop Hill, a tumble-down ruin that even in its broken state offers a commanding view of the downs that surround it. It is here that the enigmatic Strider brings the four Hobbit travellers as they flee the town of Bree, and the Nazgûl which almost ambushed them there. While Strider is tough and hardy, well used to a life in the wilds, the Hobbits are gentler creatures, and thus he leaves them to rest awhile, nestled in a nook on the hillside, while he scouts out the area. Merry, Pippin and Sam throw caution to the wind and raise a small fire… all the better for cooking tomatoes, sausages and some nice crispy bacon. But a midnight feast is shortly the least of their worries, for though their intentions were simply to provide a hearty meal, the glimmer of firelight has revealed their camp to the Nazgûl, whose piercing cries now fill the night. Horrified at their carelessness, Frodo Baggins chastens his companions and together they retreat to the dubious safety of Amon Sûl’s ruined watchtower, where a deadly duel breaks out. Alone, the Hobbits are surely doomed, for the Witch-king has arrived and by the point of his Morgul blade he will enact his master’s will. But help is at hand… for Strider has heard the shriek of the Ringwraiths, and he now rushes to the aid of the Hobbits.

PARTICIPANTS

Good • Frodo Baggins • Samwise Gamgee • Peregrin Took • Meriadoc Brandybuck • Aragorn – Strider The profiles for these models are found in The Free Peoples™ Sourcebook. Evil • The Witch-king of Angmar with Morgul Blade • 4 Ringwraiths The profiles for these models are found in the Mordor™ Sourcebook. This encounter takes place right at the start of their quest, so Frodo does not carry Sting™ or the Mithril coat. Aragorn does not carry Anduril. None of the models wear Elven cloaks.

Note that the Ringwraiths have the minimum amount of Might, Will and Fate described in the main rules manual (ie, 0/7/0 for the Ringwraiths and 0/10/0 for the Witch-king of Angmar). This represents the fact that Sauron’s power is still building and even his most deadly servants are not yet at full strength.

LAYOUT

This Scenario is played within the ruin of Amon Sûl and a small portion of the board that surrounds it (we recommend a 2'x2' board, although you could play this on any surface your Amon Sûl scenery piece will fit onto).

STARTING POSITIONS

The Good player deploys the Hobbits as close as possible to the centre of Amon Sûl. Once they are positioned, the Evil player then sets up the Nazgûl anywhere on the outer edge of Amon Sûl. Aragorn does not start play on the board, but will be available as a reinforcement as the game continues.

Designer’s note

The Weathertop scenery piece has been faithfully designed using original film set plans, and as such you’ll need to bear in mind that while the pillars are just the right size for a Nazgûl to pass between, things are a little snug with a Citadel base attached! In your games, assume that models can pass between the pillars around the edge as long as the gap would actually fit the creature or character in question (so bigger Trolls probably can’t get through).

© 2016 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.

OBJECTIVES

In the dark of night, the four travellers must fight for their lives, preserving Frodo from the Nazgûl’s attack. The Good player wins if all of the Nazgûl can be slain or driven off before Frodo is injured. The Dark Lord has tasked his Ringwraiths with reclaiming The One Ring and returning it to Barad-dûr. The Nazgûl care nothing for the life of the Ringbearer, and will gladly slay the meddlesome Hobbit if the act aids their mission. The Evil player wins if Frodo is slain. In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring™, Frodo survives the encounter at Weathertop, but suffers a grievous wound from the Witch-king, an injury so dire its effects haunt Frodo for the rest of his days. If Frodo suffers a Wound (which is not prevented by Fate), the best result the Good player can hope for is a draw.

SPECIAL RULES

March of the Nazgûl. The Ringwraiths now approach their greatest prize through the detritus-strewn ruin with solemn and murderous intent. The Nazgûl are limited to a maximum move of 3" during this Scenario. The Evil player starts this Scenario with Priority. Shriek of the Nazgûl. The Ringwraiths are able to unleash a piercing cry that can chill the blood of their foes. Once per game, at the start of any Move phase, before any Heroic Actions are declared, the Evil player may choose to unleash the ‘Shriek’. For the rest of the turn, all Good models suffer a penalty of -3 to their Courage tests.

The Flaming Brand. Upon hearing the Nazgûl advancing, Aragorn rushes back to protect the Hobbits, pausing only to arm himself with a flaming torch. If Aragorn wins a Duel roll against a Nazgûl, he may choose to hit it with his flaming brand instead of making Strikes as normal. If he chooses to do this, the Ringwraith is immediately Set Ablaze. The Ranger’s Return. Strider has been scouting for signs of the foe and, as the Nazgûl assail the Hobbits, he races to the rescue. Aragorn enters play at the end of the Good Move phase in turn 3 – place him touching the outside of the ring of walls and archways.

Points Match Games

The Ruined Watchtower of Amon Sûl is but one of many ancient edifices across Middle-earth™ that have fallen to ruin, either through the ravages of war or the relentless march of time. Using it in your Points Match games is simple, and ensures you have a brilliant centerpiece for your battles and provides a powerful advantage (so it’s important that it’s placed somewhere fair for both players): The Watchtower of the North. In ancient times Amon Sûl was home to one of the Palantiri, ancient stones that granted those who possessed them vision far beyond sight. It is possible a hint of that age-old power still lies there. The player who controls the ruins of Amon Sûl rolls two dice when rolling for Priority, and may choose the result they prefer once they have seen their opponent’s roll. A player controls Amon Sûl if they have at least one Hero within its walls. If both players have a Hero within it, then a player may claim control so long as they have at least twice as many models within it in total.

© 2016 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.