Roaming

Rangers are largely defined by their interaction with roaming Minions․

Roaming is a pseudo-loaded keyword which is automatically applied to Minions which are played to a site earlier than their Home Site. No minion is printed with that keyword, but there are plenty of effects which key off a roaming minion (or which force a minion to become roaming, to more easily be affected by the aforementioned effects).

Minions who are roaming at the time they are played must pay a Roaming Penalty of extra Twilight. Being made roaming after they are played does not incur this penalty.

Rules Entries

From the Comprehensive Rules:

Each minion is normally played to a certain range of sites beginning with the minion's site number. If the minion is played to (or is currently at) a site that has a lower site number, that minion is roaming. The player must pay a roaming penalty by removing an additional two twilight tokens when playing that minion.

Block symbol has no effect on whether a minion is roaming or not.

A minion with a site number of 4 must remove 2 more twilight tokens to play at site 3 (or site 3). If that same minion plays to site 4 (or site 4), there is no roaming penalty. If he survives the fellowship’s first move to 3, he would no longer be roaming when the fellowship moves to site 4.

- roaming section

List of Cards that Interact with the Roaming Pseudo-Keyword

Portrait	Card Name	Culture	Card Type	Game Text
	Eregion's Trails (1C104)	Gondor	Event	Maneuver: Exert a ranger to make each roaming minion strength -3 until the regroup phase.
	Swordsman of the Northern Kingdom (1C117)	Gondor	Event	Skirmish: Make a ranger strength +2 (or +4 when skirmishing a roaming minion).
	What Are They? (1C119)	Gondor	Event	Maneuver: Spot a ranger to discard a roaming minion.
	Arrows Thick in the Air (4U110)	Gondor	Event	Archery or Skirmish: Exert 2 Ring-bound Men to wound each roaming minion.
	Curse Them (4C113)	Gondor	Event	Skirmish: Exert a Ring-bound Man to cancel a skirmish involving a roaming minion.
	Faramir, Captain of Gondor (4R116)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ring-bound. Ranger. The twilight cost of each other Man in your starting fellowship is -1. While skirmishing a roaming minion, Faramir is strength +2.
	Faramir's Bow (4R118)	Gondor	Possession • Ranged Weapon	Bearer must be Faramir. He is an archer. Skirmish: If Faramir is skirmishing a Man or a roaming minion, exert Faramir to wound that minion.
	Faramir's Cloak (4R119)	Gondor	Possession • Cloak	Bearer must be Faramir. Each roaming minion skirmishing a Ring-bound Man is strength -1.
	Henneth Annûn (4R125)	Gondor	Condition	Plays to your support area. While the fellowship is at site 6, each roaming minion skirmishing a Ring-bound companion is strength -2. Skirmish: Spot a Man and discard this condition to wound a roaming minion.
	Mablung, Soldier of Gondor (4U127)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ring-bound. Ranger. To play, spot a Ring-bound Man. Skirmish: Exert Mablung to exhaust a roaming minion he is skirmishing.
	Ranger of Ithilien (4C130)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ring-bound. Ranger. When this companion is in your starting fellowship, his twilight cost is -1. While skirmishing a roaming minion, this companion is strength +2.
	Ranger's Bow (4C131)	Gondor	Possession • Ranged Weapon	Bearer must be a Ring-bound Man. Skirmish: If bearer is skirmishing a Man or a roaming minion, exert bearer to wound that minion.
	Sword of Gondor (4C134)	Gondor	Possession • Hand Weapon	Bearer must be a Man. While skirmishing a Man or a roaming minion, bearer is damage +1.
	War and Valor (4C135)	Gondor	Event	Skirmish: Make a Man strength +2 (or +3 and damage +1 if skirmishing a roaming minion).
	Guarded (7R101)	Gondor	Condition • Support Area	To play, spot 3 Men. Each time the fellowship moves, add a threat or discard this condition. Regroup: Discard this condition to discard a minion (or all roaming minions).
	Long Prepared (7U109)	Gondor	Condition • Support Area	To play, add 2 threats. Skirmish: Exert a Man to wound a roaming minion that Man is skirmishing. Discard this condition at the start of the regroup phase.
	Madril, Faramir's Aide (7U110)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ranger. Skirmish: If you have initiative, discard 2 cards from hand to wound a roaming minion Madril is skirmishing.
	Ranger of Minas Tirith (7C115)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ranger. While skirmishing a roaming minion, this companion is strength +2 and damage +1.
	Stand to Arms (7U120)	Gondor	Event • Skirmish	If you have initiative, discard 2 cards from hand to wound a roaming minion skirmishing a Man twice.
	While We Yet Live (7U128)	Gondor	Event • Skirmish	Make a roaming minion skirmishing a Man strength –3.
	Concealment (12C44)	Gondor	Event • Skirmish	Make a Man strength +1. If he or she is skirmishing a roaming minion, your opponents cannot use special abilities.
	Faramir's Sword (12R48)	Gondor	Possession • Hand Weapon	Bearer must be Faramir. He is damage +1. Each minion skirmishing Faramir at a battleground or forest site is roaming.
	Invigorated (12U51)	Gondor	Condition • Support Area	Skirmish: Discard this condition to heal a Man (or to heal 2 Men if you can spot a roaming minion).
	Tireless (12C52)	Gondor	Condition • Support Area	Skirmish: Discard this condition to make a Man strength +1 for each of the following that is true: he or she is at a battleground site; he or she has resistance 4 or more; he or she is bearing a hand weapon; he or she is skirmishing a roaming minion.
	Ithilien Blade (15C62)	Gondor	Possession • Hand Weapon	Bearer must be a Man. While you can spot a roaming minion, bearer is strength +1. Maneuver: Exert bearer twice to discard a roaming minion.
	Mablung, Ranger of Ithilien (15U63)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ranger. Hunter 1. (While skirmishing a non-hunter character, this character is strength +1.) Skirmish: Exert Mablung to wound a roaming minion he is skirmishing.
	Silent Traveler (15C69)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ranger. Hunter 1. (While skirmishing a non-hunter character, this character is strength +1.) At the start of each skirmish involving this companion and a roaming minion, you may reinforce a token.
	Unyielding Ranger (15C71)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ranger. Hunter 1. (While skirmishing a non-hunter character, this character is strength +1.) This companion is strength +1 for each roaming minion you can spot.
	Faramir, Bearer of Quality (17R28)	Gondor	Companion • Man	While Faramir is the Ring-bearer, at the start of each skirmish involving him, add 2 burdens or 2 threats. Skirmish: While Faramir is the Ring-bearer, you may wound Faramir to make a minion skirmishing a Man roaming until the end of the turn.
	Madril, Loyal Lieutenant (17S30)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ranger. Hunter 1. While you can spot a roaming minion, your conditions cannot be discarded from play by Shadow cards. Maneuver: Exert 2 rangers to make a minion site number +2 until the regroup phase.
	Ranger of the White Tree (17S33)	Gondor	Companion • Man	Ranger. Hunter 1. When this is in your starting fellowship and you can spot an unbound companion with cost 3 or more, his twilight cost is -2. Maneuver: Exert this companion and spot a roaming minion to make him defender +1 until the start of the regroup phase.
	Valleys of the Mark (4R293)	Rohan	Condition	Each time your opponent plays a roaming minion, you may spot a villager to exert that minion.
	Pippin, Wearer of Black and Silver (7R324)	Shire	Companion • Hobbit	Skirmish: If Pippin is not assigned to a skirmish, return him to your hand to wound a roaming minion twice.
	It Draws Him (18R31)	Gollum	Event • Shadow	Spot a card to play a minion. Its twilight cost -1 (or -3 if it is roaming).
	Uruk Scout (2C47)	Isengard	Minion • Uruk-hai	Tracker. Damage +1. The roaming penalty for each minion you play is -1. Response: If an event is played that spots or exerts a ranger, exert this minion to cancel that event.
	Uglúk, Servant of Saruman (4R176)	Isengard	Minion • Uruk-hai	Tracker. Fierce. The roaming penalty for each tracker you play is -2. While you can spot 2 trackers, Uglúk is strength +3. While you can spot 3 trackers, Uglúk is damage +1.
	Goblin Scrabbler (2C64)	Moria	Minion • Orc	When you play this minion, you may discard an condition. The roaming penalty for each Orc you play is -1.
	Bill Ferny, Swarthy Sneering Fellow (2R75)	Ringwraith	Minion • Man	Nazgûl are not roaming. The Free Peoples player may not assign a character to skirmish Bill Ferny. Discard Bill Ferny if underground.
	Orc Ambusher (1C261)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Tracker. The roaming penalty for each minion you play is -1. Response: If a Free Peoples regroup event is played, exert this minion to cancel that event.
	Orc Assassin (1U262)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Tracker. The roaming penalty for each minion you play is -1. Assignment: Spot two Hobbit companions to make the Free Peoples player assign a Hobbit to skirmish this minion.
	Orc Scouting Band (1U270)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Tracker. The roaming penalty for each minion you play is -1. Skirmish: Exert this minion to wound a character it is skirmishing.
	Orc Scout (2C89)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Tracker. The roaming penalty for each minion you play is -1. Response: If an event is played that spots or exerts a ranger, exert or discard this minion to cancel that event.
	Fires Raged Unchecked (7R269)	Sauron	Condition • Support Area	The site number of each Orc is –1 for each threat. While you can spot 3 threats, each Orc that is not roaming is strength +1.
	Sauron's Hatred (7U310)	Sauron	Condition • Support Area	To play, spot a Orc. Shadow: Remove a threat to play a Orc without paying any roaming penalty. Regroup: Spot a Orc and remove to add a threat.
	Advance Captain (10R75)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Each roaming minion is damage +1.
	Advance Marauder (10C76)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Skirmish: exert this minion to make a roaming minion strength +3.
	Advance Regular (10C77)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Each roaming minion is fierce.
	Advance Scout (10U78)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Shadow: Exert or discard this minion to make each minion you spot roaming until the regroup phase.
	Flames Within (10C85)	Sauron	Condition • Support Area	While you have initiative, each of your minions is strength +2. Skirmish: Discard this condition to make a minion strength +2 (or +4 if it is roaming).
	Mordor Fiend (10C91)	Sauron	Minion • Orc	Shadow: If you cannot spot another minion and there are 3 or fewer twilight tokens, add (or if this minion is roaming).
	Rank and File (10U96)	Sauron	Condition • Support Area	Each time a roaming minion takes a wound, you may add a token here. Regroup: Exert an Uruk-hai or discard a minion to add a token here. Skirmish: Remove 2 tokens from here to make a minion strength +2.
	White Hand Scout (17C130)	Uruk-hai	Minion • Uruk-hai	Damage +1. Hunter 2. (While skirmishing a non-hunter character, this character is strength +2.) The roaming penalty for each minion you play is -1.
	Bree Streets (1U328)	Site	Site	The roaming penalty for each Nazgûl you play to Bree Streets is -2.
	Hollin (2C119)	Site	Site	Plains. Uruk-hai are not roaming.
	Rohirrim Camp (7U336)	Site	Site	Plains. If the Shadow has initiative, minions are not roaming. ​

---