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This thread is meant to serve as a place where, for easy reference, players can find all instances where rules by Fantasy Flight Games contradict the rules and rulings by Reiner Knizia himself on this game.
A decidedly good thing about FFG is that its rules and FAQ's are easy to find. Knowing with certainty how Knizia himself sees his own game is slightly trickier, but via Chris Lawson we have a few rulings by him on specific cases. In all other cases, I will assume that Knizia's original German rules - as printed in the Kosmos edition of the game - reflect how he meant his game to be played. This, in the past controversy over Shelob, turned out to be true, and since it is his very own text, just edited by one guy (only one editor named), the potential sources of errors would be few. (From there, FFG's rule book names one translator and three editors involved in the further processing of the text, before FFG's English rules came to be.)
Differences
• Retreat: Actual retreat after play of a retreat card is optional according to Knizia/Kosmos, automatic according to FFG.
• Balrog: His ability is automatic according to Knizia/Kosmos, optional according to FFG. (See here.)
• Orcs vs. Frodo: If Frodo retreats before battle, the orcs retain their ability vs. the next character in the region (if any) according to Knizia (direct ruling). They lose it, according to FFG (in FAQ and new expanded deluxe version of theirs).
• Shadowfax: Shadowfax can not be used along the Anduin (sideways move), according to Knizia (direct ruling, as mentioned at the beginning of this text). He can too, according to FFG (not in their original rules, but in FAQ and expanded deluxe version of theirs).
A further contradiction in the past was over Shelob, where FFG issued a FAQ according to which, after a previous battle the same turn, she would be able to make battle again against any good character standing in Gondor on her forced return there. The Kosmos rule for Shelob - also confirmed by direct ruling from Knizia - always stated that she immediately dies in this situation. This issue, however, seems to have been resolved with FFG withdrawing their previous FAQ and changing their rule for Shelob (in their deluxe edition) to match that of Kosmos/Knizia.
Obviously, if anyone has further info, I will update the list.
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Why this?
During the process of checking the Swedish rules for this game against the English and German ones, I discovered something interesting: In one case, the Balrog rule, FFG added a may (and a player option) where there is none in the German original. While in another, the retreat cards, FFG went the opposite way and removed a may (and the corresponding player option) which is in the original.
The original rules for the Retreat Backwards and Retreat Sideways cards:Reiner Knizia - in the German rules from Kosmos - wrote: Rückzug rückwärts:
Der helle Spieler darf seine Spielfigur auf ein rückwärts angrenzendes Feld zurückziehen, soweit dieses nicht von einer gegnerischen Spielfigur oder von der maximalen Anzahl eigener Spielfiguren besetzt ist. Diese Karte wird auch ausgeführt, wenn der dunkle Spieler seine Rückzugskarte ausgespielt und ausgeführt hat.
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Rückzug seitwärts:
Der dunkle Spieler darf seine Spielfigur auf ein angrenzendes Feld seitlich zurückziehen, soweit dieses nicht von einer gegnerischen Spielfigur oder von der maximalen Anzahl eigener Spielfiguren besetzt ist. Im Gebirge darf niemals seitwärts gezogen werden. Wenn sich mit dieser Karte der dunkle Spieler aus dem Kampf zurückzieht, während gleichzeitig die helle Karte „Beide Figuren sind besiegt“ gespielt wurde, ist die helle Karte wirkungslos. (Use of red is mine. German "darf" = may in English.)
This has caused me and other Swedes a lot of confusion when trying to establish what the correct rules are for our game. (In particular, see the Balrog story.) Of course, it turns out there are at least two direct rulings by Knizia that also are contradicted by rules and FAQs from FFG. And, adding it up, I felt there are enough contradictions to warrant a list or thread to keep track of them.
I do hope nobody takes offense to it, or to the title I chose for it. There may well be merits to the rules by FFG. My only wish is to clear up whatever confusion these contradictions may have caused others - in particular those who play by the rules of the many non-English, non-FFG editions of the game.
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Yours Truly,
United States
Gainesville
Florida
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For the Balrog ability, I've always enjoyed the bluffing element introduced by the optional aspect. But I've never tried the other way, I'll give it a go now that I know it was Knizia's original design.
Anyway thanks for posting this, I'd like to try the whole game as originally designed now.
You might want to post this in the deluxe edition entry too, I'm sure owners of that game would be as interested. Which is why I think it's silly of BGG to have split this into 2 entries, for the very reasons as interesting posts like this that are very relevant to both editions of what is really the same game.
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 You're most welcome.
As for the owners of FFG's deluxe edition, perhaps you're right, but since I don't own it myself, I'd hesitate to "crash the party" and post there too. If anybody else thinks it worthwhile to put up a link here from there, feel free, of course.
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Mark L
United Kingdom
Belfast
Northern Ireland
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Thanks for this thread, Marlin! It's good to have all this information in one place. I've just recently dug this game out and played it again for the first time in years, and it's fascinating and enlightening to see the differences between the original intended rules and those produced by FFG.
I don't much like Knizia's rule regarding the Orcs vs. Frodo (orcs are dangerous enough already!), but otherwise I think I prefer his rules to the FFG ones. Still, whether I prefer them or not, they are his intended rules, and it's always nice to know what they are!
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