Ring
Ring is an Item Class, and thus a Loaded Keyword. All of the rings in this game are Artifacts of a previous age. Characters may only bear one ring at a time.
The One Ring, despite its name, is a special card type and is not considered a ring. Cards that affect rings in general do not affect the One Ring, and the Ring-bearer may also bear a ring artifact.
Rings were first introduced in Realms of the Elf-Lords, where they were as useful for their +1 vitality for Elrond, Galadriel, or Gandalf as for their game text. Ring of Barahir (6R55) , in Ents of Fangorn, sees some occasional play as a healing tool in decks the use Culture Tokens and Aragorn, especially decks using Aragorn, Defender of Free Peoples (6R50) or Noble Leaders (7R112) , or Knight decks using Garrison of Osgiliath (6C52) .
The bulk of the rings were released in Reflections, and almost all of them are popular staples. Dwarven decks always liked stacking many cards on relatively few companions, and both rings and Durin III, Dwarven Lord (9R+3) are suited to that strategy. Gimli, Bearer of Grudges (9R+4) appreciates Damage bonuses, especially from Ring of Fury (9R+7) . Galadriel, Bearer of Wisdom (9R+14) benefits from spotting Elven artifacts. Both she and Mount Doom's Galadriel, Lady Redeemed (10R11) are both ubiquitous in formats where they're available, making either version of Nenya much easier to play. The Wraith rings (except for Ring of Ire (9R+43) , which is too often a dead draw) are all popular as cheap ways to recur Nazgul. Reflections also introduced The One Ring, The Binding Ring (9R+1) , which can download Free Peoples rings, albeit at a high cost.
Rings didn't appear again until Rise of Saruman. The three rings from that set are all similar to previous ones from Reflections. Ring of Artifice (17R4) can become very strong in Dwarven self-mill decks or decks with multiple copies of the other Dwarven rings. Ring of Savagery (17R142) and Ring of Terror (17R143) serve largely the same role as the previous Wraith rings.
The names of the Dwarven and Ringwraith rings were invented by Decipher (like the names of the Nazgûl themselves).
See also Rings of Power on Tolkien Gateway
List of Cards with the Ring Item Class[edit]
Portrait | Card Name | Culture | Card Type | Game Text |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ring of Accretion (9R6) | Dwarven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Bearer is damage +1. Maneuver: For each Dwarf you spot, reveal a card from the top of your draw deck. Take all Free Peoples cards revealed into hand and discard the rest. Discard this artifact. | |
Ring of Fury (9R+7) | Dwarven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Bearer is damage +2. Regroup: Spot a Dwarf that is damage +X to heal X Dwarves. Discard this artifact. | |
Ring of Guile (9R8) | Dwarven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Bearer is damage +1. Maneuver: Take a event into hand from your discard pile. Discard this artifact. | |
Ring of Retribution (9R9) | Dwarven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Response: If bearer wins a skirmish, discard this artifact to exert each Orc. | |
Ring of Artifice (17R4) | Dwarven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Bearer is damage +1. Bearer is strength +1 for each artifact in your discard pile. Regroup: Discard this to take a non-event card into hand from your discard pile. | |
Nenya (3R23) | Elven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be Galadriel.
At the start of each regroup phase, you may discard up to 2 cards from hand to draw the same number of cards. | |
Vilya (3R27) | Elven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be Elrond.
Maneuver: Exert Elrond twice and spot a Shadow condition to return that condition to its owner’s hand. | |
Narya, Ring of Fire (9R19) | Elven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be Círdan or Gandalf.
Fellowship: Remove X culture tokens, where X is equal to bearer’s vitality. Discard this artifact. | |
Nenya, Ring of Adamant (9R20) | Elven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be Galadriel.
Maneuver: Heal 2 companions and place up to 2 cards from hand on top of your draw deck. Discard this artifact. | |
Vilya, Ring of Air (9R23) | Elven | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be Elrond or Gil-galad.
Skirmish: Discard the top card of your draw deck. Make a minion skirmishing an Elf strength –X, where X is the twilight cost of the discarded card. Discard this artifact. | |
Narya (3R34) | Gandalf | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be Gandalf.
At the start of each of your turns, you may add to remove a burden. | |
Ring of Barahir (6R55) | Gondor | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be Aragorn. At the start of each of your turns, you may spot a culture token to heal a companion of that culture. | |
Ring of Asperity (9R42) | Ringwraith | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Nazgûl.
When you play this artifact, you may wound an unwounded companion. Response: If a player reconciles, return bearer to his owner’s hand. | |
Ring of Ire (9R+43) | Ringwraith | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be The Witch-king.
Skirmish: Exert bearer twice to make a minion damage +1. Response: If a player reconciles, return bearer to his owner’s hand. | |
Ring of Rancor (9R44) | Ringwraith | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Nazgûl.
Maneuver: Remove a burden to heal each Nazgûl. Response: If a player reconciles, return bearer to his owner’s hand. | |
Ring of Savagery (17R142) | Ringwraith | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Nazgûl.
Each time bearer wins a skirmish, the Free Peoples player must either add a burden or exert a companion. Response: If a player reconciles, return bearer to his owner's hand. | |
Ring of Terror (17R143) | Ringwraith | Artifact • Ring | Bearer must be a Nazgûl.
Bearer is damage +1. When you play this artifact, you may remove 2 threats to take a card into hand from your discard pile. Response: If a player reconciles, return bearer to his owner's hand. |
List of Cards that Interact with the Ring Item Class[edit]
Portrait | Card Name | Culture | Card Type | Game Text |
---|---|---|---|---|
The One Ring, The Binding Ring (9R+1) | The One Ring | The One Ring | Fellowship: Add 2 burdens to play a ring from your draw deck.
Maneuver: Exert bearer to wear The One Ring until the regroup phase. While wearing The One Ring, each time the Ring-bearer is about to take a wound, add a burden instead. | |
Three for the Elven-Kings (V1_12) | Elven | Condition • Support Area | Tale.
Each time the fellowship moves, you may spot an or ring to place a card from hand beneath your draw deck and draw a card (and heal a companion if you can spot 3 or rings). | |
Scroll of Isildur (9R36) | Gondor | Artifact • Support Area | Tale. To play, spot a Man.
The Ring-bearer is resistance +1 for each artifact you can spot (limit +3). Fellowship: Discard this artifact to play a ring from your discard pile. |
Loaded Keywords | ||
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Numeric | Decipher | Damage + X • Defender + X • Ambush X • Hunter X • Toil X |
Non-numeric | Decipher | Aid • Archer • Enduring • Fierce • Lurker • Muster • [Roaming] • Sanctuary • Ring-bearer • Unhasty |
Item Class | Decipher | [Classless] • Support Area • Armor • Box • Bracers • Brooch • Cloak • Gauntlets • Hand Weapon • Helm • Mount • Palantír • Phial • Pipe • Ranged Weapon • Ring • Shield • Staff |