The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

GIn The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Deck-building Game, you take on the role of Bilbo, Gandalf™, Radagast, Elrond, or one of the 13 brave and heroic dwarven allies as they begin their journey to reclaim the lost Dwarven Kingdom of Erebor! While you begin armed only with the strength of your courage, you will add new, more powerful cards to your deck as you go, with the goal of overcoming the swarming Goblins and Orcs, and deadly Wargs and Sorcerers that wait to ambush you on your journey. In the end, the player who has accumulated the most Victory Points from the cards in his or her deck wins the game.

Each player takes on the role of an iconic hero from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, including Bilbo, Gandalf, Radagast, Elrond, Thorin, and his 12 dwarven allies. Each hero or group of heroes comes with a special power unique to that character and usable only by that player.

Each player starts with his or her own basic ten-card deck and draws a hand of five cards each turn. Power is the currency you will use to buy new, stronger cards to add to your deck. The goal of a deck-building game is to craft your personal deck into a well-oiled machine. There are five different types of cards that can be acquired: Enemies, Allies, Artifacts, Maneuvers, and Locations.

To bolster their existing deck of cards, players use Power to acquire cards from “The Path,” a changing five-card line-up that is supplied by a large, central stack of cards. Each player will always have five face-up cards to choose from each turn, so every turn there are new options and surprises.

When a player has amassed enough Power, he or she may defeat more powerful enemies from the “Archenemy” deck, which represents the notable enemies and dangerous situations from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, including the deadly Trolls, Bert, Tom, and Bill. When an “Archenemy” is defeated, a new one appears and makes an Attack against each player in the game! Players can defend themselves with Defense cards like “A Short Rest” or a Dwarven Axe.

The objective for each player is to acquire the most “Victory Points” at the end of the game. Nearly every card acquired during the game has a Victory Point value, with the “Archenemy” cards providing the most Victory Points. In the end, the player who has accumulated the most Victory Points from the cards in his or her deck wins the game.