…and many, both Dwarves and Men, took refuge in Erebor, and there withstood a siege. —The Return of the King

When Revealed: Set Gate of Erebor aside, out of play. If there are 1 or 2 players in the game, add 1 Iron Hills Reinforcements to this stage’s staging area. Remove all remaining copies of Iron Hills Reinforcements in the encounter deck from the game and shuffle the encounter deck.

The Dwarvish stronghold of Erebor lies deep within the mountain.

During the quest phase, characters at this stage get +1

Response: After the players quest successfully at this stage, add Gate of Erebor to this stage’s staging area.

Forced: When Erebor is abandoned, the players lose the game.