Updated November 29, 2022
Is the Revised Core Set compatible with the old expansions?
Yes 100% compatible because it is not a new edition. The rules and cards are the same.
If it’s not a new edition, why is it called the Revised Core Set?
It’s called the Revised Core Set because the contents of it have changed slightly.
- It now has 3 copies of every player card except heroes, Gandalf, and the new campaign cards. The original Core Set sometimes only had 1 or 2 copies of a player card.
- It now has enough tokens and threat trackers for 4 players out the box. The old core set had only 2 threat trackers.
- Resource, progress, and damage tokens now have 1, 3, and 5 value denominations. The original Core Set tokens only had denominations of 1.
- A new campaign mode added with campaign, boon, and burden cards added. These are also available as Print and Play for anyone with an original Core Set.
- It comes with 2 rulebooks, a Learn to Play and Rules Reference that includes campaign rules. The original Core Set only had a single rulebook. Original rulebook didn’t have campaign rules because it was introduced later with the Lord of the Rings Saga expansions.
What is the new release model?
At the 2021 In Flight Report, FFG announced it will re-release some but not all the cycle expansions (deluxe + 6 associated adventure packs.) as 2 expansions instead. Each re-released cycle will have a scenario expansion with all the quests, encounter cards, and a new campaign mode. All the player cards will be released in a player card box.
Which ones will be re-released?
FFG announced Angmar Awakened will be the first cycle released as campaign and player card boxes in March 2022 and it released in July and August 2022.
Fellowship of the Ring that repackaged The Black Riders and The Road Darkens Saga expansions released in October 2022. It is anticipated that 2 more boxes will repackage the 4 remaining Saga expansions (Treason of Saruman + The Land of Shadow and The Flame of the West + The Mountain of Fire).
Dream-Chaser FFG announced will release with hero and campaign expansion in June 2023. It and Ered Mithren were also expected to be repackaged. The community pieced this together from an interview with Caleb Grace (go to the 48 minute mark) where he said he avoided using cards from repackaged cycles in the four starter decks. Stephan of the LOTR Players Facebook Group, identified that there were no cards in them from Angmar Awakwened, Dream-Chaser, Ered Mithren, and the LOTR Sagas. The Angmar Awakened announcement and subsequent releases backs up Caleb’s statement.
I bought the Revised Core Set, what should I get next?
Community consensus is look at getting Dark or Mirkwood and/or Saga expansions next.
Dark of Mirkwood is a re-release of 2 quests from the Limited Edition 2 Player Starter Set. Both are good introductory scenarios that are only a little more difficult than the first Core Set scenario, Passage Through Mirkwood. It also will come with new campaign cards that continue the Revised Core Set campaign after Escape from Dol Guldur. The one downside is this pack doesn’t have new player cards if you want more deckbuilding options.
The Saga expansions cover the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings in 8 deluxe sized boxes (the new LOTR Saga expansions are or will be in 3 revised core set sized boxes). They each come with lots of player cards and 3 scenarios (6 scenarios in revised Saga boxes.) The scenarios are designed to be playable with just the included player cards and a core set. Many of the included player cards are quite good. The first Hobbit one is Over Hill and Under Hill. The first LotR one is The Black Riders or The Fellowship of the Ring.
Should I wait for new re-released cycles or buy the old deluxe expansions and 6 adventure packs if they’re available?
At this point, new players should just wait for the repackaged expansions. Players on r/lotrlcg and Discord report stock of the old deluxe and adventure pack expansions is extremely difficult if not near impossible to find. If you’re looking to get all the old scenarios and full card pool, the best bet is to find someone selling their collection.
If you do find the older expansions, don’t worry about missing out on any new campaign added to re-released cycles. FFG has released all new campaign cards for the Core Set, Dark of Mirkwood, and Angmar Awakened as Print and Play.
For more on the deluxe and adventure pack expansions see Dave’s New Player Buying Guide
What are the new Starter Decks?
They are 4 pre-built player decks centered around the Dwarf, Silvan, Gondor, and Rohan traits. These are fully playable 50 card decks out of the box with additional cards to customize. You can find more details in our New Starter Decks Announced and Starter Decklists Spoiled news posts.
What are Nightmare Packs? Do I need them?
Nightmare packs are small expansions that added difficulty and often refined older scenarios. They’re not essential and not recommended for newer players.
Card Talk: A LOTR LCG Podcast and Blog 