Middle-earth FAQ

These are the most frequently asked questions by Middle-earth players, especially those new to the game. For further rulings on more complicated subjects, see the CRF. This file is current as of August 1, 1998.

Q1: While company A moves, can I tap Adunaphel to tap a character in company B?
A1: No. Hazards cannot target characters not in the currently moving company.

Q2: Are agent attack detainment?
A2: Sometimes. Agent attacks are always detainment against minions, but are never detainment against heroes.

Q3: Do I have to have enough DI to control my allies?
A3: No. Allies do not have to be controlled, their mind is only their for influence attempts by your opponent.

Q4: I didn't move this turn, and faced the automatic-attack last turn. Do I have to face the automatic-attack this turn to play an item?
A4: Yes. You may not do anything during the site phase unless you faced the automatic-attack that turn.

Q5: Are automatic-attacks keyed to the site?
A5: No. Neither are agent attacks.

Q6: Can you defeat detainment attacks?
A6: No.

Q7: If I have a +3 direct influence against Orcs and Orc factions, and I'm using it to control an Orc, can I use it at the same time to influence an Orc faction?
A7: No. It can be used for one or the other, but not both at the same time. Note that you can use 2 of it for Orcs, and 1 for Orc factions, but not 3 for each at the same time.

Q8: Are Dragon Ahunt and Roused attacks detainment?
A8: No. They are not keyed to anything, so they do not count as detainment.

Q9: If a creature is keyed to Rhudaur by name, can I cancel it with an Elven Cloak?
A9: No, it must be keyed to the region by type.

Q10: Can I take actions after I reset to hand size at the end of the turn?
A10: Yes.

Q11: Where can I find the errata?
A11: All of the errata, along with more in-depth rulings, are in the Collected Rulings File (CRF). It can be found at http://www.mindspring.com/~vnorton, and new versions of it are posted to the mailing list and the newsgroup.

Q12: Do the factions playable with a leader give 2 extra MP per faction, or per group of factions?
A12: Per group of factions.

Q13: What does the white hand on the Fallen-wizard mean?
A13: It is that Fallen-wizard's general influence, once he is in play.

Q14: If I can hold one more card in my hand, can I draw up to nine cards instead of eight?
A14: Yes. Any time you would normally go to eight, go to nine instead (except Favor of the Valar and the beginning of the game).

Q15: Do Havens untap?
A15: No. New versions of the Haven (from splitting or moving companies) come into play untapped, but tapped Havens in play will not untap.

Q16: Can I put 3 hero Slayers and 3 minion Slayers in my deck?
A16: No, there are not hero hazards and minion hazards, just hazards. You can only have three of a card by name in your deck, not by art.

Q17: I have a card with a black head instead of a mind symbol. What does that mean?
A17: It was a printer error, all such cards have two mind.

Q18: If I use region movement one turn, do I have to use it the rest of the game?
A18: No, you can switch back and forth between region and starter movement.

Q19: Can I play Muster Disperses on Army of the Dead?
A19: Yes. Muster Disperses is not an influence check.

Q20: What does "protected Wizardhaven" mean?
A20: Nothing. It is merely a key word that affects the playability of other cards.

Q21: If an effect is in play at the beginning of my movement/hazard phase that returns my company to its site of origin, can hazards be played on the company?
A21: Yes, but not creature hazards or corruption cards. The return effect is the first declared effect in the first chain of effects after the site has been revealed and cards have been drawn. It can be responded to with hazard events in that same chain of effects, but creatures and corruption hazards may not be played in response.

Q22: When a card says "site path," is that the regions listed on the site?
A22: It depends. Some cards (like Snowstorm) refer to the company's site path, which is the regions the company moved through. Other cards (like the tapping effect of Long Winter) refer to the site's site path, which is the regions listed on the site card. Note that when using starter movement, the site's site path and the company's site path are the same.

Q23: Do starting stage cards count against the five character limit?
A23: No. They are revealed as if they were characters, but do not count as characters.

Q24: If I use starter movement, can creatures be keyed by name to the regions I move through?
A24: They can only be keyed by name to the region of the new site and the site of origin, not the intervening regions.

Q25: Can I bring a hero deck and a minion deck to a general opponent tournament?
A25: No. Both decks must be of the same alignment. Also, each time you play with one of the decks, it must start with exactly the same cards in it.

Q26: Can I get Twilight from my discard pile with a Smoke Rings?
A26: No. Twilight can only count as a resource while it is being played, or while you are constructing a Council of Lorien tournament deck.

Q27: Do I have to defeat the body of strikes assigned as -1 modifiers to defeat the attack?
A27: No. You only have to defeat the body for strikes actually faced by characters.

Q28: Does Twilight ever count against the hazard limit?
A28: No.

Q29: If I have a Wizardhaven that says my companies do not count as moving through the region of the Wizardhaven, can I move five regions?
A29: No.

Q30: If I have the White Tree in play, can I play a Wizard's Ring at Minas Tirith?
A30: No. If an effect makes a site a Haven for specific purposes, that site does not count as a Haven for any other purposes.

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