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Author Topic: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game  (Read 16073 times)

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December 01, 2017, 03:16:50 AM
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-Enola-

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New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« on: December 01, 2017, 03:16:50 AM »
The current version of Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves is unused on gemp and seems to be the weakest Gandalf among the 4 Gandalf.




I'll put here all the ideas for a new Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves.


New ability/drawing cards

Each time a Dwarf heals, you may draw a card. (2 lines, but 1 line without "you may")

Each time a Dwarf heals, you may wound a minion. (2 lines, but 1 line without "you may")

Each time you play a [Gandalf] event, you may add a doubt to draw 2 cards. (2 lines)

Each time you play a [Gandalf] event, you may add a doubt to take a skirmish [Dwarven] event (or an artifact) from your discard pile into hand. (3 lines)

While Gandalf is in your discard pile, each Dwarf companion is strength +1. (2 lines)

Fellowship: Remove from the game 2 [Gandalf] events in your discard pile to draw 3 cards. (2 lines)

Fellowship: Discard a [Gandalf] event from hand to draw 2 cards (or 2 [Gandalf] cards to play an artifact from your discard pile). (3 lines)

Maneuver: Discard 2 [Dwarven] followers and play Gandalf from your discard pile to make each [Dwarven] companion strength + 2 until the end of the turn. (4 lines)

Skirmish: Play a [Gandalf] skirmish event to draw 2 cards. (2 lines)

Regroup: Discard a [Gandalf] event from hand to heal a character and draw a card. (2 lines)

Response: If a companion is about to take a wound, exert Gandalf to prevent it. (2 lines)



Dwarf tutor

Each Dwarf companion is twilight cost -1. (1 line)

At the start of each of your turns, you may exert Gandalf to play a Dwarf from your draw deck. (3 lines)

Fellowship: Exert Gandalf to play a Dwarf from your draw deck (limit 1). (2 lines)

Fellowship: Kill a Dwarf companion to play a Dwarf companion and an artifact from your draw deck or discard pile. (3 lines)



Play Gandalf/Glamdring/Narya from discard pile

If there are 4 or more [Gandalf] cards in your discard pile, Gandalf cannot be discarded.

Fellowship: Kill a Dwarf companion to play Gandalf from your discard pile. (2 lines)

Fellowship: Add 3 doubts to play Gandalf from your discard pile. (2 lines)

Fellowship: Play Gandalf from your discard pile. (2 lines)

Fellowship: Exert Gandalf and a Dwarf companion to play an artifact from your draw deck or discard pile. (3 lines)

Fellowship or Regroup: Discard 2 [Gandalf] cards from hand to take a card from your discard pile into hand. (3 lines)

Fellowship: Add [2] to play a [Gandalf] artifact from your draw deck or discard pile. (2 lines)

Maneuver: Discard a [Dwarven] follower and exert a companion to play Gandalf (or an artifact) from your discard pile. (3 lines)

Maneuver: Discard 2 [Gandalf] cards from hand to play Gandalf from your discard pile (2 lines)

Maneuver: Play Gandalf from your discard pile to discard a minion (except Smaug). (2 lines)



Objectives

You can change the twilight cost of Gandalf. Then, build a Gandalf with max 5 lines who use :
- Lore of Imladris (not enough played) or
- Noble Intentions (not enough played) or
- [Gandalf] events (to compete with Gandalf The Grey on the [Gandalf] events during a draft).
« Last Edit: December 08, 2017, 05:17:59 AM by -Enola- »
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December 03, 2017, 07:36:13 AM
Reply #1

Durin's Heir

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2017, 07:36:13 AM »
Gandalf has 2 important things to consider when designing a new version:

1.- His main role is to assemble the Felowship. That means he must either play Dwarf companions from deck (usually costing [4]), or allow a large starting fellowship (usually costing [1] or (0), and reducing cost to others) AND also cycle cards (since playing directly from deck won't be possible, must hasten the playing from random drawing). If you want a functional Gandalf, he must do one OR the other; otherwise will mean an immediate failure.

2.- Discarding Gandalf means losing any card he bears. [Gandalf] Artifacts most of the times. Losing Glamdring is a great cost, that most players don't want to pay (so they play LotC or Friend of Thorin, which can prevent his discarding) or want to reverse as soon as possible (so they play The Grey to replay it). If he can't recover Glamdring (or prevent its discarding), any new version simply won't be appealing to players.

The original Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves is very good tutoring Dwarf companions, that's undeniable. But he cannot prevent his own discarding (by a built-in skill) nor recover Glamdring / Wizard Staff, so that's the part that makes him weaker and of little appeal. The Maneuver self-replaying skill is very good to clear all the wounds he'll be gathering due to his Dwarf tutoring (and facing minions), but the steep cost of discarding 2 [Dwarven] followers makes it somewhat repulsive and weaker.


With that in mind, here's an enhanced version of the original one:

[4]Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves [Gandalf]
Companion • Wizard
Strength 7  Vitality 4
Wise.
At the start of your turn, you may exert Gandalf to play a companion or artifact from your draw deck or discard pile.
Maneuver: Discard a Dwarf follower to play Gandalf from your discard pile.
"You do know my name... I am Gandalf."

The self-replaying Maneuver skill was reduced to discarding only 1 follower.

The fetching part was increased from companions to also artifacts, and also from discard (to recover Glamdring). Please note that it will hardly change anything from the original before site 5 or 6: in the early game playing companions is vital (since he starts with Bilbo only), but only at the late Region 2 and onwards (re)playing artifacts becomes more important (unless your Company is severely decimated).

By using site 5's discarding to his own favor, he incentivizes you to use those sites 5 which punish your opponent's Gandalf (The Grey and potentially Friend of Thorin), while keeping all wounds on the other versions (LotC and, again, potentially Friend of Thorin). So he gets some synergy with your own Shadow side!

He would also be the only Gandalf with a built-in counter to cards like Riddles in the Dark (when discarding The One Ring or Sting) and Goblin Song (when discarding Orcrist or the [Dwarven] Ring of Thrór). Can even counter Smaug's artifact discarding, notably the [Dwarven] Arkenstone to play the Shadow version in the next turn. But still will be only 1 artifact recovered per turn (and will be at the next turn), so those Shadow cards won't be rendered useless (the loss of FP resources will last the whole turn, reducing double moves; discarding more than 1 artifact will make part of its effect last much longer).


So he mantains his good parts (great Dwarf tutor, and returns refreshed at site 5+) while correcting the shortcomings (lack of Glamdring replay, and too steep self-replay cost). And gains some counters to both your opponent's FP (some Gandalfs) and Shadow sides (artifact discarding).
« Last Edit: December 05, 2017, 12:48:47 PM by Durin's Heir »
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December 03, 2017, 10:05:47 AM
Reply #2

-Enola-

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2017, 10:05:47 AM »
Thanks but the text is 6 lines long (no more lore text). Can you build something good with the 2 points you mentioned and [Gandalf] events/cards?

Here's an example (5 lines)

[1]Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves [Gandalf]
Companion • Wizard
Strength 7  Vitality 4
Wise.
Each Dwarf companion is twilight cost -1.
Fellowship: Add a doubt and remove 2 [Gandalf] events in your discard pile from the game to to take a [Dwarven] skirmish event (or an artifact) from your discard pile into hand.
"You do know my name... I am Gandalf."
« Last Edit: December 03, 2017, 10:09:08 AM by -Enola- »
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December 05, 2017, 02:00:20 PM
Reply #3

-Enola-

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December 06, 2017, 09:17:25 AM
Reply #4

Tonio

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2017, 09:17:25 AM »
I am not sure it is a good idea to allow players to play back artifacts from discard... Isn't that too powerful?

As a shadow player, discarding Orcrist or Sting is not really easy...!


December 06, 2017, 06:29:25 PM
Reply #5

Durin's Heir

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2017, 06:29:25 PM »
Thanks but the text is 6 lines long (no more lore text).
Hmmm, it can fit into 5 lines if the 1st skill is turned into a Fellowship special ability. I'd prefer that and only enhance the original LoD since the self-replay is really good, and differentiates him a lot: he turns a bad thing into healing for you (but not for your opponent!). It's not that part (but the steep cost and the lack of Glamdring replay) which makes him less appealing and strong.

"Fellowship: Exert Gandalf to play a Dwarf companion or an artifact from your draw deck or discard pile (limit 1)."    (3 lines)


Can you build something good with the 2 points you mentioned and [Gandalf] events/cards?
I can try, but don't like the idea...

I mean, it's really hard if I try also to keep the self-replay (which uses 2 lines). If stays, the other 3 lines would need to be suficient for a "Glamdring replay skill" + either "a skill to fetch Dwarf companions" or 2 skills for "a cost reduction for Dwarves" + "good card drawing." So the easiest thing to do is to not change the 1st skill, while changing merely the cost of the Maneuver skill to instead burn [Gandalf] cards:

"Maneuver: Discard 2 [Gandalf] cards from hand to play Gandalf from your discard pile."

Still, [Gandalf] cards in hand become useful again once Gandalf reappears, so that cost is counterproductive. And unfortunately the room is insuficient for "remove 2 [Gandalf] cards in your discard pile from the game."


Another version:

http://hobbitdraftgame.free.fr/Cards_Good_def/Gandalf_alter8.png
I feel that new text is complicated to understand, by reading once. The original LoD is simple and easy, while that version would have 4 different skills (2 individual, + 1 double).

Besides that, to "remove [Gandalf] cards in discard from the game" those [Gandalf] cards need to be in discard first, so its potential grows with the advance of the game; or said otherwise, it's really feeble if not impossible at Region 1. But the drawing skill needs to be good and easy at the early game, in order to counter the lack of Dwarf direct playing... so I'd change it to "discard [Gandalf] cards from hand":

"Fellowship: Discard a [Gandalf] card from hand to draw 2 cards (or 2 [Gandalf] cards to play an artifact from your discard pile)."

The 1st alternative is easy to use from the very start (and is limited to twice per turn by the Rule of 4), while the 2nd is much harder to use (and that serves as natural limit).

But I believe Tonio is right: since discarding FP artifacts is hard, replaying them shouldn't be easy. In that sense, my version of LoD requires you to choose between an artifact and a much-needed Dwarf companion, only once per turn... :-k
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December 07, 2017, 08:48:06 AM
Reply #6

Dictionary

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2017, 08:48:06 AM »
The current Leader of Dwarves would seem (appropriately) to have the most [Dwarven] synergy and the least [Gandalf] dependency - He's good at summoning dwarves but disinclined to fight afterwards, he gets the least out of [Gandalf] equipment, and he loses the most from disappearing at site 5. He already synergises with Lore of Imladris, albeit indirectly because he works with Dwarves and their followers - [Dwarven] followers need exertions to use.

I would argue that these features are what make him unique. [Gandalf] cards and replaying artifacts are The Grey's specialties, not LoD's, while card draw is Friend to Thorin's focus. LoD's first ability is fine, and I think the second is good in principle, but not nearly powerful enough. Compare it with Radagast; why discard 2 followers when you can pay nothing and boost the move limit?

Lore of Imladris works well with LoD's theme, but it actually works against his maneuver ability, because players will want to aWiNL Elrond, which means they'll certainly have aWiNL and possibly Radagast too. With this in mind, his maneuver needs far more going for it, especially if he can't combine it with Glamdring.

I propose something like this:

[4] •Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves [Gandalf]
Companion • Wizard
Strength 7  Vitality 4
Wise.
At the start of your turn, you may exert Gandalf to play a Dwarf from your draw deck.
Maneuver: Play Gandalf from your discard pile to discard a minion (Except Smaug).
"You do know my name... I am Gandalf."

It further encourages less [Gandalf] and more [Dwarven] dependency, since you may not wish to replay him immediately, but wait for the opportune moment (Thus, no spotting Gandalf for several turns). This fits well with the story and Gandalf's character, and makes him stand out a bit more. It's powerful, but can only be used once, and it requires an appropriate site 5. It competes well with Radagast's ability, since the player will have to choose which to use for what situation.

Apologies if it seems like I'm clinging to the old idea, but it seems to me that there's a danger of some of the newer abilities becoming too similar to those of other Gandalfs, or ending up incredibly specialised rather than giving the players various options. Just giving my thoughts.
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December 08, 2017, 05:17:43 AM
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-Enola-

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2017, 05:17:43 AM »
Thanks a lot for your advices. I'll discuss it with my group of players tomorrow.
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December 08, 2017, 10:27:17 AM
Reply #8

Phallen Cassidy

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2017, 10:27:17 AM »
I really like Dictionary's approach. Since there's only one opportunity to replay Gandalf in this format, discarding a minion at the already less threatening site 6 sounds pretty appropriate. I don't know how the other sets work, but if I remember Jails correctly this could make Gandalf very undesirable to jail, if next turn he can be played after the shadow phase and discard a companion. Again, I like Dictionary's card, and if it's balanced I think it should be kept. If you decide it's too strong, though, what about giving a Dwarf a strength boost when he's replayed? Or give every dwarf +1 strength? Keeps with the "supporting the Dwarves" theme, but doesn't make as big of a direct impact as discarding a mounted Azog, for example.

December 09, 2017, 11:02:25 AM
Reply #9

Durin's Heir

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2017, 11:02:25 AM »
The problem of losing Glamdring is that Glamdring means 2 very important things: 1) tanks Gandalf to the towering base attributes of str 9 vit 4, making him your 2nd best fighter; and 2) that tank removes doubts with relative ease, turning weak minions into doubt remotion (uncomplete Swarms, fierce mid-strength minions and weak minions played just to unclog hand trigger it very often).

After losing it, you only got He Gives Me Courage (and the Acorn, in the 1st format) to remove doubts. That's why they don't want to have a Gandalf that will either lose his Gondolin blade, or will need to play it not sooner than Site 5. Format 2 will have Narya to prevent Gandalf's discard, and Site 6 Town Hall to replay any weapon, so Gandalf will have extrinsic ways of dealing with Glamdring's loss. But only there.

Recovering artifacts was always a weak spot in the development. Thorin can "place a [Dwarven] artifact from your discard pile beneath your draw deck" (and needs Balin to increase chances of drawing it soon). But there's nothing for [Gandalf] or [Shire] artifacts (except The Grey), so perhaps removing that [Dwarven] culture enforcement on Thorin's definitely-not-strong artifact recycling will help (but that requires printing again 8 copies of Thorin, instead of only 2 copies of Gandalf).


Another way is to give Gandalf LoD a base str of 8. All other Gandalfs can replay the sword (The Grey) or prevent its loss (FoT and LotC), so this one comes in clear skirmish disadvantage. A slightly higher strength would mean 2 good things: 1) he'll depend less on Glamdring, making its loss much more bearable; and 2) making him str 10 while wielding Glamdring will actually create a great need of triggering Site 5!

We know, Old Forest Road and Dol Guldur* give the Shadow player the option of NOT discarding him (and Forest River doesn't participate in that), and the threat of a fully-healed Gandalf reappearing (and also discarding a minion or so) makes that option not so disgusting actually. So let's give Shadow players a good reason to discard him! Also, as Dictionary points out rightly, this Gandalf's vitality will be taxed by the Dwarf companion fetching (and is the only self-exerting Gandalf), which makes him less secure to expose in skirmishes... that skirmish hindrance can be compensated by a slightly higher base strength.

* EDIT: Dol Guldur's text can be used by the FP player too!

Compare it with Radagast; why discard 2 followers when you can pay nothing and boost the move limit?
Because Radagast must replay him at Site 6+'s Fellowship phase (and the twilight can be used at Shadow phase), while LoD can reappear at Site 5+'s Maneuver, ready to face a minion (or some arrows). That's often the difference between a successful and a failing Swarm.

Maneuver: Play Gandalf from your discard pile to discard a minion (except Smaug).
I like Dictionary's idea, both in flavor and gameplay. But reappearing and also removing a minion from the struggle means 2 points more in the balance (vs Swarm). So if he discards a minion, I'd make it a Skirmish ability instead to make Gandalf can join the fight only in fierce skirmishes. Perhaps also "wound a minion twice" instead of discarding, to prevent him from eraing a mounted Azog/Bolg so easily as Phallen says. Since Gandalf's potential is mostly in Skirmish events, skipping the Maneuver phase would only stop He Gives Me Courage.

Since there's only one opportunity to replay Gandalf in this format, discarding a minion at the already less threatening site 6 sounds pretty appropriate.
That's not true. Gandalf's replaying can work since Site 5 (it's at Maneuver, you don't have to wait until the next turn). And Site 5 is often as perilous as Site 8. So while wounding a minion twice is good, erasing it seems too strong to me.

I don't know how the other sets work, but if I remember Jails correctly this could make Gandalf very undesirable to jail, if next turn he can be played after the shadow phase and discard a companion.
Jail retains Gandalf, so you need condition discard to release him to discard pile. And 3 [Wraith] minions can punish condition discard: Lemenya (like Bert, "discard an ally"), Enquea ("exert a companion") and Nertea ("play a [Wraith] minion from discard, at twilight cost -8").

If you decide it's too strong, though, what about giving a Dwarf a strength boost when he's replayed? Or give every dwarf +1 strength?
There's hardly room for such addition. But if the pump is for 1 Dwarf only, and lasts only during a skirmish, turning Gandalf's replay into a Skirmish ability will shorten that addition. Something like this (2 lines): "Skirmish: Play Gandalf from your discard pile to make a [Dwarven] companion strength +3."

--------

With all that in mind, this would be my version of LoD:

[4]Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves [Gandalf]
Companion • Wizard
Strength 8  Vitality 4
Wise.
At the start of each of your turns, you may exert Gandalf to play a Dwarf from your draw deck.
Maneuver: Play Gandalf from your discard pile to wound a minion twice.
"You do know my name... I am Gandalf."

Str 8, no artifact playing/replaying, can play both Dwarf companions and Dwarf followers, and reappears costlessly at Skirmish to deal 2 wounds (and thus save Dwalin or Bilbo from a Swarm). But cannot cycle (unlike FoT), cannot wound easily (unlike The Grey) and counters doubts much hardly (by losing Glamdring). And exerts a lot (unlike all other versions of Gandalf).


EDIT: Dol Guldur's current wording allows it to be used by any player (FP player too!), since it says "at the start of the Shadow phase" (only Shadow players can do Shadow phase actions, but this is NO phase action! Phase actions always have their phase worded in bold) and also "you may discard Gandalf" (doesn't specify which player).

That may be too much power in the FP player's hands for Leader of Dwarves, as this site's text creates a choice for the Shadow player on which both roads have pros and cons in the very important Site 5, AND different Gandalfs respond differently (The Grey is much better discarded; but an instantly-reappearing LoD + also each Wise ally is of no advantage for the Shadow, except perhaps for Glamdring's loss).
The FP player's hands should be out of that decision.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2017, 09:31:19 AM by Durin's Heir »
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December 09, 2017, 02:21:16 PM
Reply #10

Dictionary

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2017, 02:21:16 PM »
Because Radagast must replay him at Site 6+'s Fellowship phase (and the twilight can be used at Shadow phase), while LoD can reappear at Site 5+'s Maneuver, ready to face a minion (or some arrows). That's often the difference between a successful and a failing Swarm.
But Radagast (and several elves) have home site 5, would you not say this balances out Gandalf's absence at this site? Don't get me wrong, I like it being a post-fellowship phase ability, but it still doesn't seem to do enough on its own.

Wound twice seems to weak to me. How about wound thrice? :P Mounted Azog, Bolg and Trolls will still live that way.
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December 10, 2017, 09:18:44 AM
Reply #11

Durin's Heir

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2017, 09:18:44 AM »
But Radagast (and several elves) have home site 5, would you not say this balances out Gandalf's absence at this site? Don't get me wrong, I like it being a post-fellowship phase ability, but it still doesn't seem to do enough on its own.
Radagast and Mirkwood allies are only in Format #1. In #2 there'll be the White Council (home 3), Esgaroth (home 6) and the Iron Hills (home 9) allies; in Format #3 there'll be Rivendell allies (home 3 again), and probably nothing else. So losing Gandalf will be much heavier in those formats, and then LoD gains some advantage over The Grey (and FoT, if Yazneg did a good previous work). We must also remember that Supplementary Packs are randomly chosen in the original Draft version, so you can't assure you'll get any ally at all in them.

But I agree completely with you in this: the self-replay must cost much less than 2 [Dwarven] followers (if any!), and also pack a much stronger punch. And due to scarceness of card room, the cost is better erased to create a more interesing side effect.

Wound twice seems too weak too me. How about wound thrice? :P Mounted Azog, Bolg and Trolls will still live that way.
It'd need to be "wound a minion up to 3 times", otherwise you won't be able to target a minion with vitality 2 or less, as far as there's another one with vitality 3 or more. But 3 times is too much, since can easily be paired with Kili twice or Dawn Take You All will easily kill any vit 5 minion: Smaug, Threatening Warg + Azog/Bolg, or Sauron + the [Sauron] Ring of Thrór.

Wound "twice/up to 2 times" is good by itself, with or without additional wounding. Besides, it's a side effect of replaying a fully-healed Gandalf.

----

Been rethinking the phase of the replaying, and Maneuver should be better (unless the effect is a pump). Allows the Shadow side a some degree of response (Azog Commander plays [Moria] minions at Maneuver, Hidden/Spider Nest play Orcs/Spiders at Assignment; those can use Gandalf's twilight) and also allow him to take arrows if needed. Besides, having the chance of irrupting with 2 wounds in any Skirmish where things don't go as expected is too disruptive for the Shadow player's strategy.
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December 19, 2017, 11:19:36 AM
Reply #12

Durin's Heir

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #12 on: December 19, 2017, 11:19:36 AM »
Can you build something good with the 2 points you mentioned and [Gandalf] events/cards?
By removing the self-replay (which I'd rather not) and the direct fetching, and adding both drawing and Glamdring-replaying, there should be some remaining room for some interaction with [Gandalf] cards. Here's my try:

[1]Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves [Gandalf]
Companion • Wizard
Strength 7  Vitality 4
Wise.
Each Dwarf companion is twilight cost -1.
Each time a companion heals, draw a card.
Regroup: Discard 2 [Gandalf] cards from hand to heal a charactar or to play a [Gandalf] artifact from your discard pile.
"You do know my name... I am Gandalf.

Can start with either Thorin + Dwalin/Balin/Nori, or Thorin + 2 of Fili/Kili/Glóin. The combo Glóin + Fili should be awesome to start!

The 1st skill gives you great drawing at sanctuaries, and draws after Fellowship phase with Lore of Imladris, Óin and Elrond; should be great to help your shadow side to assemble killer hands. The 2nd skill allows you to heal allies and companions in emergency cases (and so the latter draws a card), and to replay Glamdring/Staff/Narya.


Still, I'd prefer to stick around the Maneuver self-replay. But I told you I could try to do something that requires [Gandalf] card, and here's my try.
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December 27, 2017, 03:13:06 PM
Reply #13

-Enola-

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2017, 03:13:06 PM »
Sorry for the delay, I hadn't time to post more comments these last weeks.
We made a Draft Game with 6 players 2 weeks ago. We think this could be a good Gandalf:



We didn't have a "suicide" Gandalf helping the Shadow side a lot.
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January 06, 2018, 08:50:24 PM
Reply #14

Durin's Heir

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Re: New Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves for the Hobbit Draft Game
« Reply #14 on: January 06, 2018, 08:50:24 PM »
Seems that delay is either a property of none, or of everyone. I'm sorry too.


You got a really interesting Gandalf there...

The drawing just before becoming the Shadow player seems really nice! But it won't be enough to compensate the lack of direct Dwarf playing from deck (to do so, you'd either need to draw at Fellowship phase, or draw lots post-Fellowship with more ease), so I'd broaden it to each time "you reconcile or play a spell", and also change "add a doubt" to "exert Gandalf" to make it easier to pay (and get a benefit from being discarded at site 5). Besides, adding doubts to draw cards is Friend of Thorin's identity... and self-exhausting is much more "suicidal" ;).

The Glamdring replay skill is good and balanced, but I'd prefer it to be less specific. I believe it might very well play "a weapon" from discard, since the cost is high enough so you cannot use it often. If so, he'd be able to both back up Sting / Orcrist / Hadafang / Axes-spears, and to replay the discard-to-wound [Dale] weapons. Also, would bring more cycling (since the effect plays from discard, you need to have the target in discard before being able to pay the cost, if that's your true intention).

The cost reduction for Balin only is excessively specific to my taste, too. Starting Gandalf + Thorin + Balin is powerful, but without a skill to play them from deck the FP player must have the chance to start Kili (if pulls a good bunch of wounding cards in the draft) or Dwalin (if the meta is heavy on Swarm shadows), for instance. Specificity = lack of versatility. So "each Dwarf companion is twilight cost -1" would be better: since this Gandalf can't draw at Fellowship phase, being able to start either Dwalin or 3 cost [2] Dwarf companions can be the difference between surviving the early game and not.


[1] •Gandalf, Leader of Dwarves [Gandalf]
Companion • Wizard
Strength 7  Vitality 4
Wise.
Each Dwarf companion is twilight cost -1.
Each time you reconcile or play a spell, you may exert Gandalf to draw 2 cards.
Fellowship: Discard 2 [Gandalf] cards from hand to play a weapon from your discard pile.
"You do know my name... I am Gandalf."


Hope it's not too late to post this. And Happy delayed New Year, my friend!
“If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”  - Malcolm X