The Last Homely House

Middle-Earth => Bag End => Topic started by: jmabry on May 08, 2019, 08:30:26 PM

Title: Starting a playgroup
Post by: jmabry on May 08, 2019, 08:30:26 PM
So myself and a few others in the orlando area have decided that this game is fun, and have all(for now) agreed that we're playing with set 1 so people can sort of learn the game. My questions are as follows:
1) What benchmark are we looking for in adding set 2?
2) Do we add sets 2 and 3 at the same time, assuming product is available?
3) What should we know moving forward as far as common rulings that don't necessarily make logical sense, as we won't be playing on GEMP?
4) At what point do we implement the X and R list?(Forces of Mordor is on the R list for this format as a full block)
Title: Re: Starting a playgroup
Post by: Air Power on May 09, 2019, 03:42:30 AM
Personal opinion only:
1: When your games of set 1 get boring/there aren't any new strategies you want to try, it's time to add set 2. 
2: I would add sets 1 at a time vs adding 2 & 3 at the same time. (Product for 2 is cheaper than 3 anyway, so that should be easy to do)
3: There were some balance issues when set 1 came out.  The most noticeable results were creating the rule of 4 and issuing errata for the Mirror of Galadriel.  I'd start with all errata in effect and the limit on drawing 4 cards in the fellowship phase, unless you want to play a few games without them and see how broken things were.  Also, much later they added a rule that you can't cancel the ring-bearer's skirmish.  I would ignore this rule because it was created for alternate ring-bearers, which don't show up in this block
4: I'd ignore them until games get boring because some decks are OP, then implement them
Title: Re: Starting a playgroup
Post by: jmabry on May 09, 2019, 09:06:33 AM
Can you elaborate on/link me to the rule of 4? I think all errata is definitely just in place anyway. We’re there other set 1 cards that received functional errata?
Title: Re: Starting a playgroup
Post by: ket_the_jet on May 09, 2019, 04:26:51 PM
The Rule of Four is simply that the Free People's player cannot draw more than four cards during a given Fellowship phase.

The best example would be if you used Delving and drew three cards, and tried to use a second copy of Delving, you would only draw one card.

Another example is that if you were to use Saved From the Fire, you would be able to choose three cards the first time, but on a second time you would only be able to grab one card during that Fellowship phase (unless you waited until a later turn).

There is more information on the fourth page of the Comprehensive Rules (http://lotrtcgwiki.com/rules/comprehensive.pdf) under "Fellowship Block" or in the glossary (page 15).
-wtk
Title: Re: Starting a playgroup
Post by: Air Power on May 10, 2019, 09:07:38 AM
Some cards received clarification, such as Axe Strike, but can basically be played within the set as written.  Cards with significant functional changes:
Gimli, Dwarf of Erebor
The Mirror of Galadriel
Far-seeing Eyes
Gift of Boats (arguably just a clarification)
A Ranger's Versatility
Ulaire Otsea, Lieutenant of Morgul
Thror's Map
Title: Re: Starting a playgroup
Post by: ArtificerAlf on July 08, 2019, 06:24:52 PM
This is awesome! I’ve been building up my collection and playing with my friends, though everybody else is just borrowing cards. I definitely wouldn’t utilize the Ring-bearer skirmish cancelling rules, as they are pretty important in the early blocks.
Title: Re: Starting a playgroup
Post by: menace64 on July 11, 2019, 08:54:41 PM
And now I'm remembering those very first games back in '01, before we figured out that minions were supposed to be discarded at the end of each turn. So many uruk-hai...
Title: Re: Starting a playgroup
Post by: Mythdracon on September 10, 2019, 08:38:18 PM
All that errata...funny thing is, Thror's Map in the Lord of the Rings Living Card Game also got a nerf fairly recently.