Where's Bombadil?
Flinch @ 4:02 pm EST

That's a question many Lord of the Rings fans asked about The Fellowship of the Ring film, which omitted this popular character from the first novel of the trilogy. But even though he didn't appear on screen, he'll be coming to The Lord of the Rings TCG – and you'll be able to get an exclusive preview version of his card as a bonus when you complete the Countdown to the King! Here's how it works.

Decipher has selected 18 rare cards, representing some of the most important characters, possessions, and artifacts from the Fellowship and Tower blocks – from The Balrog, Terror of Flame and Shadow, to Aragorn, Defender of Free Peoples – for reproduction with new lore and alternate template artwork. (There is no duplication with the Fellowship Anthology cards.) Each week of the Countdown to the King, you'll be able to get one of these exclusive cards from participating retailers with a $10 (or €10) purchase of Fellowship or Tower block booster packs. With your first purchase, you'll receive an oversized checklist card to track your progress toward earning these rewards

At the end of six weeks, after you have collected the first six cards, you will receive a Fellowship of the Ring poster depicting every card in the Fellowship block.

At the end of 12 weeks, after you have collected the second six cards, you will receive a Two Towers poster depicting every card in the Tower block.

After the full 18 weeks, when you have collected all 18 cards, you will earn an exclusive collector's binder to house your 18 cards – plus four bonus preview cards depicting characters that did not appear in the motion pictures, including Tom Bombadil!

The countdown begins August 25th and runs through December 29, 2003. Offer available through participating retailers only, while supplies last. Talk to your local retailer today to make sure they're on board, and watch www.decipher.com for weekly previews of the upcoming week's new card.

Join us in the Countdown to the King, and get your very own answer to the question, "Where's Tom Bombadil?"