“The Dwarves listened and shook their beards, for they knew that they must soon venture into that forest and that after the mountains it was the worst of the perils they had to pass before they came to the Dragon’s stronghold.” –J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
A new menace stirs in Mirkwood. Rumors of gigantic spiders infesting the forest have drawn you to visit the realm of the Woodland King, but who knows what you might find there, lurking around the next corner, shaded under thick, rustling boughs?
Calling you east of the Misty Mountains, this expansion unlocks an all-new campaign with thirteen scenarios that take you from the tangled paths of Mirkwood deep into the shadowed halls of abandoned Moria. At the same time, Shadowed Paths adds five heroes, 25 enemy miniatures and 20 journey map tiles as well as new terrain, items, and titles to all of your adventures in Middle-earth!
Will you heed the call? Gather your friends, prepare your heroes, and brave the terrors of Shadowed Paths!
Into the Woodland Realm
The evil growing in the shadows of Mirkwood can only be repelled by brave heroes willing to face down this darkness. As you prepare to venture forth into Middle-earth once more, then, Shadowed Paths provides five new heroes who can contribute their unique skills to your Fellowship.
Hailing from all corners of Middle-earth, these heroes have no lack of experience fighting the foul beasts who plague the land. Arwen Undómiel, for example, carries the legacy of her ancestors forward. Like her father before her, Arwen is a master of the healing arts and can flip fear and damage cards facedown or remove facedown fear and damage cards altogether.
But Arwen is more than just a healer. Adept at attacking both with blade and from afar, she can easily dispatch the beasts you encounter with Knife or Sling. Not content to simply fight off enemies, though, she is also Willful enough to keep fighting until all evil has been eliminated. Outside of combat, Arwen shares the Elven Light commonly seen amongst her people, but her great Nobility also sets her apart from other Elves and helps nearby heroes prepare for their own tests. No matter what dangers await her, Arwen will always be the Evenstar of the Elves, bringing light and wisdom to all.
In addition to her natural abilities, Arwen can also take on a specific role in your Fellowship, of course, and the Shadowed Paths expansion unlocks five new roles that any hero can choose when beginning an adventure. In Arwen’s case, her vast knowledge and skill in the healing arts make her a natural Herbalist. In this role, Arwen can use the natural Curiosity of Herbalists to find the inspiration she needs to overcome the challenges ahead. Once she’s indulged this curiosity, she can then dispense her Gathered Wisdom to prepare more skills or heal her wounds.
We’ll take a look at all of the new heroes included in the Shadowed Paths expansion in a future preview!
Dark Influence
Whether you choose the healing expertise of an Herbalist or use trinkets and items in new ways as a Smith, your quest remains clear: journey into the heart of Mirkwood and eliminate the evil that has taken root there. But more than one road can lead you to this goal. At the end of many Shadowed Paths adventures, the app will present you with a choice of which adventure to play next. Each fork in the road changes the course of your journey and, ultimately, the path your Fellowship takes is up to you.
Countless dangers are arrayed against the heroes, including the mighty Balrog!
These adventures will certainly bring you into contact with enemies of many different types, of course, and while these beasts are certain to take their toll, the true enemy may lie within. Despite beginning the campaign united in their efforts to rid Mirkwood of the rising menace that resides there, throughout Shadowed Paths heroes can slowly give into to the forces of greed, despair, and suspicion in the form of corruption.
Unlike damage or fear, corruption stays with the heroes throughout the entire campaign, and is tracked by the app. This corruption can weigh on a hero, triggering certain events during your adventures. What’s more, if a hero cannot pass a last stand test when they would gain their fourth corruption, they are defeated. Do you have what it takes to resist the corrupting influences you face long enough to complete your quest?
For more information on Shadowed Paths, watch our announcement stream with designer Grace Holdinghaus!
Travel New Roads
Rumors of dark creatures infesting Mirkwood have reached your ears. If they are true, you will have to seek out ways to fight the foul beasts. But what awaits in the gathering shadows of the forest? Build a new Fellowship and journey into the darkness with the Shadowed Paths expansion for Journeys in Middle-earth!
