Nuannaiel writes, “Hi, just wanted to let you know about the art competition Harper Collins is running for…
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Nuannaiel writes, “Hi, just wanted to let you know about the art competition Harper Collins is running for 11 – 19 year old New Zealanders. Entrants must draw a scene from ROTK. I hope to enter and good luck to anyone else – the prizes look fantastic!” [More]
Get An Advance Look Into the World of Middle-earth on November 5th
When The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game Begins
A New Chapter with The Return of the King
Newest Base Set to Hit Stores Worldwide Weeks Before the Stunning Final Installment of the Epic Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy Unfolds on December 17th
(Norfolk, VA-September 16, 2003)-It all began with The Fellowship of the Ring as Frodo Baggins and his Hobbit friends embarked on a journey unlike anything they could have ever imagined. The journey then continued with The Two Towers as the Fellowship of Nine disbanded in various forms, each encountering adventures that would bring them closer to the evil lurking within Middle-earth. Now, J.R.R. Tolkien fans around the world anxiously await New Line Cinema’s theatrical release of The Return of the King, the final chapter that is sure to be the most highly anticipated film of Peter Jackson’s epic dramatic trilogy.
Decipher is proud to bring this electrifying chapter of the trilogy to life with the latest base set for The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game: The Return of the King. Available worldwide on November 5th, The Return of the King will tell the tale of Aragorn – revealed as the hidden heir to the Kings of the West – as he joins with the forces of Gondor to take down the armies of Sauron, while Frodo races to destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom. With breathtaking new images from the film featured on 365 new cards for new characters, sites, and themes, this set is sure to be a must-have for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson’s trilogy, and TCG players alike.
The Return of the King also introduces exciting, new gameplay mechanics that represent the increasing threat of the shadow of Sauron. “Threats” are a new mechanic that presents players with an activated effect using wounds that threaten every Fellowship companion when just one dies. “Initiative” is an innovative new mechanic that activates powerful cards that key off of the cards a player has in hand. This will discourage the Fellowship player from playing every card possible to survive and will also add new discarding strategies for the Shadow player in order to win initiative.
“The Lord of the Rings trilogy has given us an opportunity to take an exceptional storyline and bring it to life in a format that can convey all of the dramatic twists and turns that are inherent to the plot,” said Decipher Senior Game Designer Tom Lischke. “Although The Return of the King is the final chapter in the film trilogy, this base set is the beginning of yet another enlivening block for the trading card game – which introduces even more new characters and mechanics. And, unlike the film, it won’t end here. We have plans for new expansions for The Lord of the Rings TCG for years to come.”
Players will be able to participate in release day events on November 5th. Retail locations worldwide will participate in these tournaments where prizes will be awarded to the top finishers. In addition, a special Release Day card will be presented to all competitors.
This 365-card base set contains: 121 rare cards; 121 uncommon cards; 121 common cards; and two starter-only premium cards.
The Return of the King will be available in the following product configurations:
*63-card Starter Decks: Starter decks will be available in two versions, Éomer and Aragorn. Each deck has three random rare cards, 2 premium cards, and a rulebook. MSRP: US $10.99
*Booster Packs: 11-card packs will include 1 rare plus a mixture of common and uncommon cards. Foil cards will be found in approximately one out of six booster packs. MSRP: US $3.29
As with previous The Lord of the Rings TCG cards, all cards in The Return of the King will receive a foil treatment in a parallel set.
The Lord of the Rings TCG: The Return of the King set continues the mission introduced with The Fellowship of the Ring, which introduced the top award-winning trading card game of 2001 and 2002. Players try to win the game by advancing their Ring-bearer to the end of the adventure path; killing the opponent’s Ring-bearer; or corrupting the opponent’s Ring-bearer.
Just in time for New Line Cinema’s December 17, 2003 theatrical release of the third and final
installment, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, look for the new base set of The Lord of the Rings TCG in November when The Return of the King releases in stores worldwide!
Release Dates:
Siege of Gondor – March 2004
Mount Doom – July 2004
Shadows – November 2004
Black Rider – March 2005
Bloodlines – July 2005
The Hunters – November 2005
Rise of Saruman – March 2006
Treachery and Deceit – July 2006
The Great Eye – November 2006
Shelob’s Lair – March 2007
Age’s End – July 2007
Vincent Smalls writes: Thought I’d give you an update on the ROTK ADR (additional dialog recording) mixing going on down here at Anvil Studios. They are still hard at work with the sound mixing. Elijah Wood (Frodo) was in yesterday, presumably doing some sound looping. I’m going to try and get over there sometime soon. As soon as we know Peter Jackson is over there, I will try to “accidentally” bump into him, perhaps ask him a few questions. It’s not over yet!
Annalisa writes: Dr. Michael Drout (author of the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award-winning “Beowulf and the Critics”) writes in his blog that he is negotiating a contract to edit a new Tolkien Encyclopedia. He mentions back in a July 28th entry that he was interviewed for the new National Geographic: Beyond the Movie (ROTK) which will be airing sometime in November. [More]
Louise Jury writes: Some 260,000 people are expected to see the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ exhibition – but critics say it is further evidence of dumbing down. Devotees of The Lord of the Rings will think they have died and gone to Middle Earth. From today, hundreds of props, costumes and gadgetry from the epic production of the J R R Tolkien trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson, go on display in a £750,000 show in London. What critics were asking yesterday was how this Victorian spirit of intellectual improvement could be reconciled with a self-conscious blockbuster exhibition based on a fantasy movie already seen by a global audience of millions? [More]
The official LOTR site posted a new interview with Miranda Otto (Eowyn. Miranda talks about her sword training, Eowyn’s developement and how she approached the character, and her filming experience in New Zealand. [More]
