Overview

Ringwraiths (original German title: Ringgeister) is a Lord of the Rings-themed board game published by Laurin Games in 1994. Players take on the roles of hobbits racing to complete lesser quests before being allowed to cast the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. The board is randomly assembled each game, creating different paths and challenges. Unlike many cooperative Lord of the Rings games, this is a competitive race, although all players lose if any ringbearer is caught by a Ringwraith.

Components

• 12 octagonal board tiles
• 11 square board tiles
• Hobbit player pieces (one per player)
• Ringwraith tokens
• Orc tokens
• Gollum token
• Gandalf token
• Quest cards
• Event cards
• Dice

Setup

1. Randomly assemble the board using the 12 octagonal and 11 square pieces, with one corner designated as the hobbits’ home (the Shire) and the opposite corner as Mount Doom.
2. Each player takes a hobbit piece and places it at the Shire.
3. Place Ringwraith, Orc, and Gollum tokens on their designated starting positions.
4. Place Gandalf on his starting position.
5. Shuffle and deal quest cards to each player.

Turn Structure

On each turn, a player:

1. Rolls the dice to determine movement.
2. Moves their hobbit piece along the assembled board paths.
3. Resolves any encounters with tokens (Ringwraiths, Orcs, Gollum) or events on the space.
4. May move Gandalf to assist in encounters if available.
5. Attempts to complete quest objectives as possible.

Actions

Move: Advance your hobbit piece the number of spaces indicated by the dice roll along the paths connecting board tiles.

Complete Quests: When landing on or passing through a quest location matching one of your quest cards, you may attempt to fulfill that quest’s requirements.

Use Gandalf: Move Gandalf to your location to gain assistance in encounters or quest completion. Gandalf’s movement may be limited by game rules.

Encounter Resolution: When meeting Ringwraiths, Orcs, or Gollum, resolve the encounter using dice rolls and any applicable cards or abilities.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Winning: The first player to complete all required lesser quests and then reach Mount Doom to cast the One Ring into the fire wins the game.

Losing (All Players): If any hobbit ringbearer is caught by a Ringwraith at any point, all players lose the game immediately.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• The randomly assembled board means every game has a different layout, requiring different strategic paths.
• Ringwraiths move according to specific rules each turn, creating an ever-present threat that players must navigate around.
• Gollum acts as an independent hazard that moves on the board and can interfere with any player.
• Gandalf is a shared resource; strategic timing of his use can be critical.
• Quest completion order may matter depending on board layout and proximity.

Player Reference

Turn: Roll dice > Move hobbit > Resolve encounters > Complete quests if possible.

Win condition: Complete all lesser quests, then reach Mount Doom.

Loss condition: Any hobbit caught by a Ringwraith = all players lose.