The Hobbit Card Game from Fantasy Flight Games

On October 18th from Fantasy Flight Games, you can own the newest game in fantasy collectible card gaming!

The Hobbit Card Game!

Relive the epic struggle of good versus evil in Middle-earth with The Hobbit Card Game, Martin Wallace’s fast-paced, standalone, trick-taking card game for 2-5 players. Win hands and use the cards you’ve won to deal damage to opponents, or heal allies and help them with extra cards. Each character assigns cards differently, so use your skills wisely! Fight the forces of evil as Gandalf, Thorin, or Bilbo, or smash the hopes of the heroes as Smaug or Bolg, the goblin leader.

The Hobbit Card Game includes:

– 1 Rulesheet

– 65 Cards

How the game is played:

Each player takes a side as either a hero or villain from Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Each side must use it’s combined powers to overthrow the other to win the game.

Game Play

To the victor go the spoils! Once a player has won an exchange, he assigns cards to the other characters depending on the rules outlined on their character cards. Each card can have one of three symbols on them or be blank.

Each character has a special affinity with the forces that govern their motives. Gandalf, Bilbo, and Thorin are scions of good, while Smaug and Bolg are cruel and evil. The cards respond to these alignments accordingly. A white star on the card symbolizes the forces of good, the helm of an orc adorns cards possessed of an evil power, and assigning a card with a pipe grants players the ability to draw an extra card in the next round. If a card with the opposite power is assigned to your character (Gandalf gets an orc helmet, or Smaug gets a star), then that character takes a point of damage. If your character is already damaged and is assigned a card with the symbol of their own side (Bilbo gets a star, or Bolg gets an orc helmet) then that character gets a single point of damage healed. Two points of damage eliminates a character from the game, so use the cards you win to knock out your opponents and heal your allies.

The round ends when players have emptied their hands, and the last of the cards that were in play have been assigned to the characters. Players who have taken enough damage are eliminated at this point. Depending of the number of players, if enough good characters have survived, the game continues until the final round. If the evil characters have killed enough of the heroes, then the villains win the day!

Prepare yourself for adventure as you relive Bilbo’s adventure as you brave the unknown in Middle-Earth!

The adventure doesn’t stop there. You can continue your quest into Middle-Earth with these other games offered from Fantasy Flight Games.

The Lord of the Rings Boardgame

Work together to confront the ultimate evil! Your task is to stop the Dark Lord Sauron from winning back the One Ring and destroy it in the volcanic fires of Mount Doom. Join Frodo and the Fellowship on the perilous adventure across Middle Earth, and use your skill and fortune to guide you!

Created by master designer Reiner Knizia, Lord of the Rings: The Board Game is fully illustrated by celebrated Tolkien artist John Howe. Help guide the Fellowship past Sauron’s wickedness and save Middle Earth from darkness! Players take on the role of five Hobbits—Merry, Pippen, Fatty, Sam, and Frodo—on their quest to destroy the One Ring. They must work their way through…

Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation Deluxe Edition

Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation Deluxe Edition features;

Gorgeous artwork

A beautiful game board with art by John Howe

Large tarot-size playing cards

18 finely-crafted plastic “wall” pieces to hold the game characters.

Middle-earth Quest

It is a time of growing darkness and despair. Sauron the Great, the Dark Lord of Mordor, has returned to his ancient fastness of Barad-dûr. From there, his evil and corruption has spread across the lands once more. Alas, in the West, there is little strength left. The Elves have all but abandoned Middle-earth, and the blood of Númenór has run thin; that which remains now dwells in Minas Tirith, or with the lonely rangers that haunt the ruins and wild country of Arnor.

Yet, there is still hope. Gandalf the Grey has learned that the One Ring, the master–ring which Sauron desires and fears above all, is with the hobbit Frodo in the Shire. …

More games can be found on the Fantasy Flight Games and Sophisticated Games websites.

FOLLOW Steve “Rifflo” Fitch on Twitter: @HobbitSteve