The Siege of Erebor is Now Available

“At the same time as the great armies besieged Minas Tirith a host of the allies of Sauron that had long threatened the borders of King Brand crossed the River Carnen, and Brand was driven back to Dale. There he had the aid of the Dwarves of Erebor; and there was a great battle at the Mountain’s feet. It lasted three days, but in the end both King Brand and King Dáin Ironfoot were slain, and the Easterlings had the victory. But they could not take the Gate, and many, both Dwarves and Men, took refuge in Erebor, and there withstood a siege.” ‒The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

A Long-extended Party is pleased to present The Siege of Erebor, a free, community-created scenario for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. This standalone quest can be played cooperatively by 1-4 players.

While the cries of battle sing across the Pelennor in the south, the northern front of the War of the Ring rages around the city of Dale and the foot of Erebor. King Brand and the Men of Dale have been pushed back by a host of Easterlings crossing past the River Carnen. Durin’s Folk have come to the aid of the Northmen. Brandish axe and sword to defend the northern kingdoms of Dale and Erebor!

In The Siege of Erebor, players are tasked with maintaining a defense of the northern realms as they are assaulted by Sauron’s forces from Rhûn. The Easterlings will use every machination available to push your armies back west toward the city of Dale and conquer the Lonely Mountain itself for the Dark Lord.

As you mount your defense, you will need to decide how best to allocate your armies. Maintaining the Eastern Defenses as long as possible may serve to hold off the bulk of invading forces, but wise tacticians should be wary not to leave the cities of men and dwarves exposed to flanking enemies.

This unique scenario begins with four stages in play simultaneously, representing the eastern and western portions of the geographic region, with the Eastern Defenses farthest east and Erebor farthest west. At the beginning of each round, each player must decide which stage they will commit to defend. Be on your guard! If enemies accumulate in one area, a stage will rapidly begin to take damage. As stages fall beneath the spears and hooves of your enemies, players will be pushed farther west, back toward Erebor, the last bastion of defense.

The Easterling army is a relentless tide, and they have not come unprepared. Be wary, or swift wainriders may charge past the line, burning and pillaging as they go. But the Northmen and the Dwarves are hardy folk, and the cities of Dale and Erebor will not come to ruin idly. Falling back, you may find a stouter position closer to the Mountain and the Gate of Erebor itself. Hold the stronghold against the siege to the last man and dwarf, for news of hope may yet come from the south!

“So it was that when the War came at last the main assault was turned southwards; yet even so with his far-stretched right hand Sauron might have done great evil in the North, if King Dáin and King Brand had not stood in his path.”

‒The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

For players attending Con of the Rings 2023, The Siege of Erebor will be available to play, and each attendee will receive a printed copy. We can’t wait to see everyone in Minnesota and play this new quest, and the Con featured Oaths of the Rohirrim cycle, alongside all of you.

Want to play thematically? Thematic decks are a fun way to immerse yourself in the scenario you are experiencing! To get your imagination going, check out these decks built mostly of cards from the event represented in this quest.

The Siege of Erebor: The Last Alliance of Dwarves and Men

Final Stand at the Gates of Erebor

The Siege of Erebor is available now as a free print and play expansion, available to download below. Prefer to play digitally? This expansion, and all future ALeP content, is available to play on both DragnCards and Tabletop Simulator. Looking for a more professional, third party print job? Check out our accompanying printing guides below for detailed, easy to follow instructions.

Printing Guides and Downloads

We are hard at work preparing French, German, Italian, Polish, and Spanish translations of The Siege of Erebor: