Forest River
Site 8 [LA]
Forest. River. Each character is strength +1.

Nice.

Long Marshes
Site 8 [LA]
Marsh. When the fellowship moves here, spot your minion or two threats to exert each unwounded companion.

Why ’exert’ each ’unwounded’ companion? Why not either exert each companion or wound each unwounded companion? Nice.

River Running
Site 8 [LA]
River. Archery: Make your archery total -1 (to a minimum of 0) to draw a card.

Do you need the minimum 0? Cool though.

Long Lake
Site 8 [LA]
River. Shadow: Play a or minion to draw a card.

Good.

Esgaroth Bridge Gate
Site 8 [LA]
River. When the fellowship moves here, add for each non- companion.

Like it.

Esgaroth Market-Place
Site 8 [LA]
Dwelling. Fellowship: Spot 3 Men to play a Man ally from your draw deck; the twilight cost of that ally is -2. Limit once per phase.

This one is probably the easiest way to bring out Master of Laketown, Leader of Esgaroth...or any other ally you want, of course.

That combo is amazing filtering. Nice.

Esgaroth Great Hall
Site 8 [LA]
Dwelling. When the fellowship moves here, if you cannot spot 3 Man allies (or Master of Laketown), add 3 threats. Otherwise add a burden or a threat.

Take out the otherwise bit, it seems unnecessary.

Lake-town
Site 8 [LA]
River. Dwelling. Site 9 minions are not roaming.

Remember, Smaug is a site 9 minion.

Well I was hoping for another review or two, since Site 7 has so many options, but reviews seem a little slower the last couple days. So, impatient guy that I am, I’m moving on!

Site 8 is chiefly (though not entirely, as you’ll see) focused around Lake-town, and with Master of Laketown, Leader of Esgaroth, any of these can become a sanctuary, just like in The Hobbit. However, ALSO like the book, the longer the fellowship lingers, the more risk you take on, because by then, chances are that lingering only makes things easier for your opponents to plan how to crush you at the next site, or rush ahead and beat you to the finish line.

Anyway, the actual sites don’t usually help as much as you might expect. This IS, after all, a town that Smaug swoops in and utterly destroys by the end of the novel. It’s not as peaceful as you might expect.

Forest River
Site 8 [LA]
Forest. River. Each character is strength +1.
Cool.

Long Marshes
Site 8 [LA]
Marsh. When the fellowship moves here, spot your minion or two threats to exert each unwounded companion.
Wow. Nice.

River Running
Site 8 [LA]
River. Archery: Make your archery total -1 (to a minimum of 0) to draw a card.
Sweet!

Long Lake
Site 8 [LA]
River. Shadow: Play a or minion to draw a card.
Sweet.

Esgaroth Bridge Gate
Site 8 [LA]
River. When the fellowship moves here, add for each non- companion.
Cool.

Esgaroth Market-Place
Site 8 [LA]
Dwelling. Fellowship: Spot 3 Men to play a Man ally from your draw deck; the twilight cost of that ally is -2. Limit once per phase.
Sweet.

This one is probably the easiest way to bring out Master of Laketown, Leader of Esgaroth...or any other ally you want, of course.

Esgaroth Great Hall
Site 8 [LA]
Dwelling. When the fellowship moves here, if you cannot spot 3 Man allies (or Master of Laketown), add 3 threats. Otherwise add a burden or a threat.
Sweet.


Lake-town
Site 8 [LA]
River. Dwelling. Site 9 minions are not roaming.
Cool!

Remember, Smaug is a site 9 minion.

Well I was hoping for another review or two, since Site 7 has so many options, but reviews seem a little slower the last couple days. So, impatient guy that I am, I’m moving on!

Site 8 is chiefly (though not entirely, as you’ll see) focused around Lake-town, and with Master of Laketown, Leader of Esgaroth, any of these can become a sanctuary, just like in The Hobbit. However, ALSO like the book, the longer the fellowship lingers, the more risk you take on, because by then, chances are that lingering only makes things easier for your opponents to plan how to crush you at the next site, or rush ahead and beat you to the finish line.

Anyway, the actual sites don’t usually help as much as you might expect. This IS, after all, a town that Smaug swoops in and utterly destroys by the end of the novel. It’s not as peaceful as you might expect.

Forest River
Site 8 [LA]
Forest. River. Each character is strength +1.

Nice.

Long Marshes
Site 8 [LA]
Marsh. When the fellowship moves here, spot your minion or two threats to exert each unwounded companion.

Um...no. Just spot a minion. Double move stopper. I’d make it move from here, just to stop a double from 8 to nine.

River Running
Site 8 [LA]
River. Archery: Make your archery total -1 (to a minimum of 0) to draw a card.

Nice.

Long Lake
Site 8 [LA]
River. Shadow: Play a or minion to draw a card.

Again, nice. Perfect for a late game swarm. Although, I would just pick one culture and go with it. And definitely make it

Esgaroth Bridge Gate
Site 8 [LA]
River. When the fellowship moves here, add for each non- companion.

Make it .

Esgaroth Market-Place
Site 8 [LA]
Dwelling. Fellowship: Spot 3 Men to play a Man ally from your draw deck; the twilight cost of that ally is -2. Limit once per phase.

Just do at the start of the fellowship phase. Not a problem.

This one is probably the easiest way to bring out Master of Laketown, Leader of Esgaroth...or any other ally you want, of course.

Esgaroth Great Hall
Site 8 [LA]
Dwelling. When the fellowship moves here, if you cannot spot 3 Man allies (or Master of Laketown), add 3 threats. Otherwise add a burden or a threat.

Make it

Lake-town
Site 8 [LA]
River. Dwelling. Site 9 minions are not roaming.

Nice. Perfect with , bangs up the FP. Just make it minions are not roaming, since no minions except site 9 minions would be roaming at site 8 anyway.

Remember, Smaug is a site 9 minion.

Ruins of Dale
Site 9 [LA]
Plains. Battleground. When the fellowship moves here, if you can spot a Man and a Dwarf, add 2 threats. Otherwise add .

Take out the otherwise bit and raise the shadow number to - adding i think is too good. Fun.

The Desolation of Smaug
Site 9 [LA]
Plains. When the fellowship moves here, exert each unwounded companion and ally (and, if the Ring-bearer is unwounded, add a burden).

Very nice, but I still don’t get why it exerts each unwounded guy. Why not wound them? Or leave out the unwounded bit?

Ravenhill
Site 9 [LA]
Mountain. Each time a Shadow condition is played, add a threat.
Each time a Free Peoples condition is played, remove a threat.

Take out the free peoples bit, no free peoples cards except events will be played at site 9 (unless you have some cards in mind).

The Lonely Mountain
Site 9 [LA]
Mountain. Battleground. When the fellowship moves here, exert each Dwarf. If you cannot spot 3 Dwarves, add 2 burdens.

Good and nasty.

Front Gate of Erebor
Site 9 [LA]
Mountain. Battleground. Each character’s twilight cost is -1.

Make it or it’s insane!

Great Hall of Thráin
Site 9 [LA]
Underground. The twilight cost of each artifact, possession, and condition is -1.

Nice, I’d leave this one (probably).

Smaug’s Lair
Site 9 [LA]
Underground. Shadow: Remove a threat to play Smaug from your draw deck or hand (or remove 2 threats to play Smaug from your discard pile); Smaug’s twilight cost is -5.

Here it is: the last site on the Lasting Alliances sitepath. Hope you’ve enjoyed the journey thus far...because there’s no way you would enjoy ANY of these sites were you trying to keep your fellowship alive and win a game!

The last site focuses on Erebor--the Lonely Mountain--and the surrounding lands, collectively called simply "The Desolation of Smaug" at the time. And for good reason: the area around Erebor was desolate and dangerous to anyone the Dragon didn’t want near his treasure hoarde. So not surprisingly, almost without exception, every site on this final stop is bad news for the Free Peoples player. If you rushed to get here, you might really regret not stopping in Lake-town at Site 8 for some rest.

So hold onto your butt, pray, and proceed at your own risk.

Ruins of Dale
Site 9 [LA]
Plains. Battleground. When the fellowship moves here, if you can spot a Man and a Dwarf, add 2 threats. Otherwise add .

Nice.

The Desolation of Smaug
Site 9 [LA]
Plains. When the fellowship moves here, exert each unwounded companion and ally (and, if the Ring-bearer is unwounded, add a burden).

Ouch. I like it. But it kinda shoots the stop at site 8 in the foot.

Ravenhill
Site 9 [LA]
Mountain. Each time a Shadow condition is played, add a threat.
Each time a Free Peoples condition is played, remove a threat.

And who’s playing FP conditions at site 9? Nobody...BTW, who’s playing Shadow conditions at 9? Hopefully nobody...

The Lonely Mountain
Site 9 [LA]
Mountain. Battleground. When the fellowship moves here, exert each Dwarf. If you cannot spot 3 Dwarves, add 2 burdens.

Ouch. Especially if you’ve beat them up a lot. Kinda OP, IMO, maybe add a burden.

Front Gate of Erebor
Site 9 [LA]
Mountain. Battleground. The twilight cost of each character and follower is -1.

Nice. Perfect for a swarm

Great Hall of Thráin
Site 9 [LA]
Underground. The twilight cost of each artifact, possession, and condition is -1.

Would never be used. If you’re setting up at site 9, you’re in trouble.

Smaug’s Lair
Site 9 [LA]
Underground. Shadow: Remove a threat to play Smaug from your draw deck or hand (or remove 2 threats to play Smaug from your discard pile); Smaug’s twilight cost is -5.

SWEET! The Bridge of Khazad-Dum, only better!

Ouch. I like it. But it kinda shoots the stop at site 8 in the foot.

And who’s playing FP conditions at site 9? Nobody...BTW, who’s playing Shadow conditions at 9? Hopefully nobody...

Ouch. Especially if you’ve beat them up a lot. Kinda OP, IMO, maybe add a burden.

Would never be used. If you’re setting up at site 9, you’re in trouble.