The players battle on the side of Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, and other companions against the foes of Mordor. Three enemy cards always lie on the table in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth Card Game. Each enemy card shows a combination of one (e.g. Orc patrol) to four (e.g. Balrog) symbols, with six different symbols total in the game: sword, axe, spear, bow, fist, and shield. In order to beat the enemies, the players collect groups of companion cards (which also show symbols) in front of them. Once the symbols of a group match one or more enemy cards, the player can send this group to battle to win enemy cards. The group is then discarded. On his turn a player can either: Play one companion card to one of his groups and, if possible, attack. Start a new group and, if possible, attack. Draft one card to his hand. If he drafts a Mordor card, it is placed on the table and he drafts another card. When the third Mordor card hits the table, the players suffer a counterattack and all lose a card from their hand, a card from one of their groups, or an already vanquished enemy, depending on the text of the Mordor card. When no enemies remain, the game ends. Each enemy card is worth 1-10 victory points, and the player with the most points wins.