I obtained Lord of the Rings, as well as Friends and Foes and the Sauron expansion earlier this year. This is one of those games that I have seen on BGG for years but never payed it much mind for some reason. On a whim, I bought this with the two aforementioned expansions. Since the base game has been reviewed numerous times, I feel like I didn't need to say much more about it aside from the fact that personally, I love the game and could kick myself for not having acquired it sooner.

Components
Friends and Foes is an expansion to the base game that adds 2 new boards and a new element to the game: The Foes. The game comes with a new scenario board depicting Bree on one side and Isengard on the other, a deck of 30 Foe cards, 2 new Gandalf cards, feature cards for Bree and Isengard, and 1 card for each hobbit that grants them a one-time special power. There are transparent stickers for Isengard and Bree to be adhered to the master board.


New Rules
1. Now the Hobbits must travel through Bree, which occurs just after Rivendale. Isengard occurs just after Lothlorian.

2. Bree, Moria and/or Shelob's lair may be omitted if certain criteria are met (usually no foes on the foe line, see below). However, if you are lucky enough to bypass Bree and Moria, you won't be able to bypass Shelob's layer.

3. The Foes come into play. Whenever a square discard icon(s) is encountered, that many foe cards are drawn (in lieu of discarding cards from your hand) and placed in such a manner to create a foe line. If this foe line is ever 8 or more cards after a player's turn, the game is lost. To defeat foes, you can pay the consequence listed on the card (i.e. roll the Sauron die) or discard it for free, which is now a new end-of-turn action (now you can play cards, collect 2 cards, move toward the light, or eliminate a foe for free). Note foes usually have to be eliminated in order, last one first. Some new yellow cards can also let you eliminate foes. Eliminate all 30 foes and the hobbits win.

4. Hobbits now have a special card outlining a one-time special action.


I think that covers all the new rule changes/additions.

My Overall Impressions
I really enjoy the base game, though we lose a lot. I personally think you do get a sense of adventure and questing, despite the fact the game is a bit scripted. The Friends and Foes expansion, in my opinion, "complete" the game especially since it gives you 2 important scenarios: Bree and Isengard. I also really enjoy the foes. It offers a whole new aspect to the game and a whole new way to win. My recommendation is that if you enjoy the base game, definitely get this expansion. It adds a lot to the game without adding too much additional rules. The Sauron expansion is another consideration for those who want a Sauron player rather than an auto-Sauron. I cannot speak for the Battlefields expansion.