Ares Games announced a new expansion for War of the Ring - The Card Game. This new expansion also sees the release of deluxe playmats for players to show off their allegiances too:
Hope and Despair, the new expansion for War of the Ring - The Card Game is announced for release in October 2026. The new expansion introduces Story cards, a new type of faction card inspired by key moments from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which add powerful new abilities, deck customization, and deeper tactical choices to the game. Along with the expansion, a new accessory will arrive: six Deluxe Playmats featuring iconic characters and Middle-earth locations, designed to enhance every game with dedicated card layouts and stunning artwork by John Howe.
Drawing on Tolkien's rich lore and the emotional depth of Middle-earth, the Story cards introduced by Hope and Despair represent the natural and supernatural forces that shape the fate of its peoples, offering new strategic options, greater replayability, and additional content, making every adventure in Middle-earth even more immersive. Unlike other faction cards, Story cards are played only to Reserve and remain there for the rest of the round, providing unique effects that can influence the course of the game. The expansion also includes additional cards for the Northmen, Easterling, and Ruffian factions introduced in the Fire and Swords expansion, for use in scenarios featuring those factions, dedicated Shadow Bot cards for solo and cooperative play, Story tokens, and rules for integrating the new mechanics.
The Deluxe Playmats combine functionality and collectible appeal. Produced in high quality neoprene, and with an optimized 61 x 36 cm (about 24” x 14”) playing area, these playmats feature iconic War of the Ring - The Card Game artwork for every faction and player configuration, from 2 to 6 players. They are offered in a complete set, or individually, in six versions - three for the Free Peoples (Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn) and three for the Shadow (Saruman, the Witch-king, plus a double-sided The Balrog/Bill Ferny).
Each playmat features an illustration of a location from the saga associated with its featured character and is finished with finely stitched edges. Elegant markings indicate the draw deck and discard pile positions in the lower-left corner, while the remaining mat area has space for cards in Reserve and in Play. The playmats are scheduled to release in October 2026, together with Hope & Despair.
The Pre-order Offer
Ares Games is offering a pre-order bundle, including both the Hope and Despair expansion, with two promo cards (“Not by the Hand of Man” – a Free People card - and “Beyond All Darkness“– a Shadow Player card), and the Deluxe Playmats Complete Set, at the discounted price of $120, with free shipping to European Union and Contiguous USA.
The expansion and the playmats can also be pre-ordered separately, with subsidized shipping charges ($ 13 for EU and Contiguous USA):
● Hope and Despair with 2-card promo set - $24.90
● Deluxe Playmats Complete Set - $99 (instead of $154.40 for six individual mats)
● Deluxe Playmat (Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, The Witch-king, Saruman) - $24.90 each
● Deluxe Playmat (The Balrog Deluxe Playmat (Double-sided)) - $29.90
