Threats
Threats represent imposing danger, hardship, or poor morale that comes to the fore when a companion is killed. Threats are placed on the Free Peoples player's dead pile, using the same tokens used to represent wounds. If there are threats on the dead pile when a companion or ally is killed, and thus placed there, the threats present are distributed throughout the remaining fellowship as wounds, similar to archery fire.
In general, Free Peoples cards are limited by the presence of threats, have costs that add threats, and effects that remove them. Shadow cards are the opposite by having bonuses while threats are on the table, costs that involve removing threats and effects that add them. There are a few cards which deviate from this model, and are as a result almost unilaterally considered stupid OP (see Madril, Defender of Osgiliath).
There is a hard limit on the number of threats that can be on the table at any given time, which is no more threats than there are active companions in the Fellowship. Occasionally a strange situation can occur where max threats are stocked up and a character is discarded rather than killed, in which case there are more threats than there are companions, but there are no actions made when this happens; there's just too many threats until they're cleared out.
See Also wound.
From the Comprehensive Rules 4.0:
A threat is a token placed on the dead pile by the Free Peoples player. The same tokens that are used for wounds can be used for threats. There are many cards that add or remove threats, much in the same way that burdens are added or removed. However, threats cannot be added if the number of threats on the dead pile is equal to or greater than the number of companions in play.
If the dead pile has four threats and there are four companions in play, no more threats may be added. Sometimes a companion will be discarded, and there will be more threats than companions in play.
When a companion or ally is killed and that card is placed in the dead pile, the Free Peoples player counts the number of threats on the dead pile and then removes them. Then the Free Peoples player must assign a number of wounds equal to the number of threats removed to his companions in any way he wishes.
If there are three threats on the dead pile when an ally is killed, the Free Peoples player must remove those tokens and assign three wounds to his companions (not allies). This may be three wounds to one companion, one wound each to three different companions, or any other possible combination.
See also active, leaving play.
Cards That Spot Threats[edit]
Dwarven[edit]
Men[edit]
Orc[edit]
Raider[edit]
Sauron[edit]
Wraith[edit]
Cards That Add Threats[edit]
Dwarven[edit]
Elven[edit]
- Leaving Forever
- Legolas, Nimble Warrior
- Orophin, Silvan Elf
- Rumil, Silvan Elf
- The World Ahead
- Weapons of Lothlorien
- Gil-galad, High King of the Noldor
- Miruvore
- Arwen, Royal Maiden
Gandalf[edit]
- Numenor's Pride
- Stay This Madness
- Shadowfax, Greatheart
- Gwaihir, The Windlord
- Shadowfax, Greatest of the Mearas
- Perspective
Gollum (Free Peoples)[edit]
Gollum (Shadow)[edit]
Gondor[edit]
- Denethor, Steward of the City
- Duty of Two
- Guarded
- Hidden Knowledge
- Knight's Spear
- Long Prepared
- Stout Resistance
- King of the Dead, Oathbreaker
- Oathbreaker
- Shadow Host
- Sleepless Dead
- Stronger and More Terrible
- Swept Away
- Seeing Stone of Minas Anor
- Seeing Stone of Orthanc
- Cursed of Erech
- Dead Man of Dunharrow
- Aragorn, Thorongil
- Aragorn's Bow, Ranger's Longbow
- Ranger's Cloak
- Nimble Attack
- Faramir's Company
Men[edit]
Orc[edit]
Raider[edit]
- Bold Men and Grim
- Dark Tidings
- Desert Fighter
- Desert Villain
- Southron Bandit
- War Towers
- Rallying Call
Rohan[edit]
Sauron[edit]
- Army of Udun
- Gorgoroth Engineer
- Mordor Defender
- Mordor Guard
- Mordor Regular
- Mordor Savage
- Sauron's Hatred
- Gorgoroth Agitator
- Sauron's Might
Shire[edit]
- Merry, Rohirrim Squire
- Pressing On
- So Fair, So Desperate
- Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs
- Merry, The Tall One
- Second Breakfast
- Prized Lagan
Uruk-hai[edit]
Wraith[edit]
- Disposable Servants
- Morgul Destroyer
- Morgul on the March
- There Came a Cry
- Ulaire Cantea, Faster Than Winds
- A Shadow Fell Over Them
- Ulaire Lemenya, Eternally Threatening
Site[edit]
- Beacon of Minas Tirith
- Hall of the Kings
- Tower of Ecthelion
- City Gates
- Dagorlad
- The Dimholt
- Crashed Gate
- Base of Mindolluin
- City Gates
Cards That Remove Threats[edit]
Elven[edit]
Gandalf[edit]
Gollum (Free Peoples)[edit]
Gollum (Shadow)[edit]
Gondor[edit]
Orc[edit]
- Black Land Commander
- Black Land Overlord
- Unmistakable Omen
- War Preparations
- Troll of the Deep, Cave Troll
Raider[edit]
- Bold Men and Grim
- Southron Leader
- Southron Marksmen
- Southron Thief
- Corsair Buccaneer
- Ships of Great Draught
- Cast Unto the Winds
- Seasoned Leader
Rohan[edit]
Sauron[edit]
- Anguish
- Army of Udun
- Breached
- Host of Udun
- Legions of Morgul
- Mordor Assassin
- Mordor Guard
- Mordor Soldier
- Mordor Trooper
- Mordor Veteran
- Rally the Host
- Sauron's Hatred
- Gorgoroth Agitator
- Gorgoroth Berserker
- Their Marching Companies
- Orc Ravager
- Window of the Eye
Shire[edit]
- Frodo, Hope of Free Peoples
- Hornblower Leaf
- Nine-Fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom
- Sting, Elven Long Knife
- Tom Bombadil
Uruk-hai[edit]
Wraith[edit]
- Called
- Ghastly Host
- Held Ground
- Morgul Destroyer
- Ulaire Cantea, Faster Than Winds
- The Witch-king, Morgul King
- Winged Mount
- Swarming Like Beetles
- Later Than You Think
- They Feel the Precious
Site[edit]
- City Gates
- Cross Roads
- Morgul Vale
- Morgulduin
- Northern Ithilien
- Haunted Pass
- Watchers of Cirith Ungol
- Dol Guldur
