Mirrors in Fairyland

“Remember that the Mirror shows many things, and not all have yet come to pass. Some never come to be, unless those that behold the visions turn aside from their path to prevent them. The Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deeds.”

–The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Mirrors have been a staple in fairy tales since their inception, and modern fairy tales, such as those by George MacDonald, maintained the use of mirrors in mystical symbolism well into the Victorian era. Temptation, vanity, self-reflection, even portals to other planes, mirrors in early fairy tales were undoubtedly the inspiration for Tolkien’s Mirror of Galadriel, which set the stage for countless other contemporary fantasy works. 

But Galadriel’s Mirror itself represents a crux at the center of Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mordor. Indeed, seemingly through its own agency, the Mirror offers Frodo and Sam a pivotal choice: stay the path or go home. Sam glimpses the Shire but not as he left it. Bagshot Row is in disarray, the Old Mill is gone, trees are felled, and some devilry seems to be at work in the peaceful land he left behind. Frodo, on the other hand, is shown a panoply of darkness, war, and a great Eye, ever roving, ever searching. Whether a desire to save the Shire or pass the responsibility of the quest on to those more well-equipped, the knowledge offered by the Mirror tests each Hobbit’s resolve and commitment to the quest.

Will you accept the Lady’s offer to gaze into the Mirror? Remember, though Galadriel can command the Mirror to reveal some of what you desire to see, other malevolences may arrive unbidden. But are these visions the end of your quest, or can they yet be changed? Look, if you will, and you may learn something, whether fair or evil.

Announcing The Mirror of Galadriel

At Con of the Rings 2025, A Long-extended Party will present The Mirror of Galadriel, a modular, cooperative scenario meant to explore many devilries that yet may be. 

While official content produced by Fantasy Flight Games, such as The Wizard’s Quest or Escape from Khazad-dûm, has brought a modular flair to a competitive spin on The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, The Mirror of Galadriel takes a cooperative stab at mix-and-match gameplay. Influenced by roguelite videogames, in The Mirror of Galadriel players may find their first glance into the mirror terrifyingly difficult. Should they fail, brave players can ask the Lady to dip her ewer again and turn their gaze back to the surface of the Mirror. Boons from their previous efforts will follow them back into the Mirror’s visions.

Modules

To play, players must select a Scenario module, a Villain module, a Wave 1 module, and Wave 2 module by selecting their corresponding objective cards. A single Scenario and Villain module is included in this release (with potential for more in future releases):

The Wave modules, on the other hand, are constructed using existing encounter sets from past FFG and ALeP releases, which you need to provide yourself.

Players attending Con of the Rings 2025 will be receiving a copy of The Mirror of Galadriel, so if they wish to play at the convention they should bring the necessary cards to build at least one module for each wave. The options for the wave modules are below. Most wave modules are constructed using a single encounter set, though there are some modules that require two encounter sets to construct, as indicated.

For example, if you bring the Brigands encounter set for Wave 1 and the Orc-host encounter set for Wave 2, you will have enough to play. Another option would be to bring the Escape from Umbar and Harad Soldiers encounter sets for Wave 1, and the Helm’s Deep and Orcs of the White Hand encounter sets for Wave 2. You can also bring multiple options for each wave and select different options each time you play!

Wave 1

Wave 2

The Gifts of Galadriel

Also making its first appearance at Con of the Rings 2025 is a brand-new Contract! While Forth! The Three Hunters [TVoM 49] and The Burglar’s Turn [TVoM 24] might prevent players from including allies and attachments respectively, The Gifts of Galadriel [TMoG 62] requires players to deckbuild without event cards.

The White Lady will also grace players with several new attachments to include with The Gifts of Galadriel or any other deck they can imagine! While some gifts have already found their way into the cardpool (not including campaign cards), players can expect to see the rest with the release of The Gifts of Galadriel.

A Long-extended Party hopes to see you at Con of the Rings this year! Each attendee will receive a printed copy of The Mirror of Galadriel. The full public release will follow Con of the Rings 2025.

A Long-extended Party is a fan-made expansion for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game and is not endorsed, supported, or affiliated by Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.  The copyrightable portions of The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game and its expansions are © 2011 – 2013 Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. The Lord of the Rings, and the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises and are used, under license, by Fantasy Flight Games. Living Card Game, LCG, LCG logo and Fantasy Flight Supply are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved to their respective owners.