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Author Topic: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters  (Read 7847 times)

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October 26, 2018, 11:07:57 AM
Reply #15

ket_the_jet

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #15 on: October 26, 2018, 11:07:57 AM »
[3] • Galadriel, Elf Queen [Elven]
Ally • Site 6 • Elf
Strength: 3
Vitality: 3
Fellowship: Exert Galadriel and discard an [Elven] ally from hand to remove a burden (or two burdens if you can spot The Mirror of Galadriel).
Common

Maybe this Galadriel replaces Sam, Son of Hamfast in the Horn of Boromir decks that appear so common? I thought about perhaps giving her a maneuver ability that allowed your opponent to draw a card (thus allowing you to utilize The Mirror of Galadriel). That poor card was errata'd out of existence (and with good reason, at least as it was originally printed).

The other idea was to make her an ally version of Galadriel's Glade, but that felt like it would be too powerful overall.

This is also the only Galadriel ally who is not, in some way, self-healing which I think is fair given the precedent of the Elrond I created earlier and the fact that this is a common card. You can cycle out the extra copies of her you might carry by healing her or by removing burdens, depending on what you need at the given point. Rumil, Orophin, and sometime Celeborn are still common enough in Towers Standard as well.
-wtk

October 26, 2018, 01:53:47 PM
Reply #16

Wyrden333

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2018, 01:53:47 PM »
 :-k :-k :-k

So, um, I guess she's fine, nothing to fancy in there.

I think that's somewhere the challenge: to give such powerful, important and cool characters a straight forward, simple, BUT NOT simply overpowered game text.

Go King Standard!

October 26, 2018, 02:16:31 PM
Reply #17

ket_the_jet

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #17 on: October 26, 2018, 02:16:31 PM »
Well, remember that the point of this is not to make a character so good that everyone wants to use it. It has to have some function--to some strategies it will be perfect--but it otherwise is getting fit into the decks that don't have all of the rares or it has to offer value in drafts.

I have mostly done cards that would appear in Fellowship block to this point, so how about one from Towers Block?

[6] • Ulaire Attea, Khamul [Wraith]
Minion • Nazgul
Strength: 12
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Fierce.
Easterlings are strength +1.
Regroup: Spot another [Wraith] minion and exert Ulaire Attea twice to add a burden.
Uncommon

Okay, whoa. This guy looks like he fits in really well with Easterlings, but does he? If you don't have a full flush of Easterling Captain and Easterling Army, this guy can fill in pretty nicely. And for

Remember, the second Nazgul, Khamul, was the only other named by Tolkien besides the Witch-King. He was an Easterling king. I imagine that, the way Aragorn cries out "Elendil" or the Rohirrim fight for "Helm," the name of this king might embolden the fiercest Easterling warriors.

And both Easterlings and Nazgul benefit from his burden-adding wonder. Maybe I am too liberal with the burden-adding capabilities? He certainly looks better when you can dump him out with the cheaper [Wraith] Orcs.

And here's another for Towers Block.

[4] • Ugluk, Disciplined Agent [Isengard]
Minion • Uruk-Hai
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Tracker. Fierce.
Assignment: Exert this minion and spot an unbound Hobbit to prevent the opponent from assigning that companion to this minion.
Uncommon

Ugluk only wants to fight your best warriors. After all, the Hobbits are gifts for Saruman.

Thanks for all of the responses so far. Let me know what you think!
-wtk
« Last Edit: October 26, 2018, 02:18:39 PM by ket_the_jet »

October 27, 2018, 11:05:15 AM
Reply #18

TheHumanHydra

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #18 on: October 27, 2018, 11:05:15 AM »
I like your flavouring of Attea. Ugluk makes sense. I feel like I could see opening him in a pack. I think that's the point!

October 27, 2018, 11:24:25 AM
Reply #19

Wyrden333

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #19 on: October 27, 2018, 11:24:25 AM »
But you got, what I meant, didn't you?


 And oh yes I absolutly love connecting the Nazgûl with their prior folks! Amazing flavor really!

I think he's totally fine, Tough I don't know if I'd play him in Constructed (he is near to make it! If not you still'd have a new deck idea by combining Wraith and Easterlings)
In sealed he would just be gorgeous! Easterling starter, Witch-King starter, Khamul. Boom!!!
 In Draft he would probably be a very decent pick.

If you need names or background for the other 7 you could use Games Workshops ones.

https://www.games-workshop.com/de-DE/Middle-earth?N=2273115266+11716117&Nr=AND%28sku.siteId%3ADE_gw%2Cproduct.locale%3Ade_DE_gw%29&Nrs=collection%28%29%2Frecord%5Bproduct.startDate+<%3D+1540667940000+and+product.endDate+>%3D+1540667940000%5D

Of course they have not been mentioned in the books, but if you want to use them...... well, here you go.

Ugluk seems pretty solid as well.



Go King Standard!

October 27, 2018, 12:12:09 PM
Reply #20

ket_the_jet

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #20 on: October 27, 2018, 12:12:09 PM »
If you need names or background for the other 7 you could use Games Workshops ones.

Games Workshop Nazgul

Of course they have not been mentioned in the books, but if you want to use them...... well, here you go.

Yeah, I don't know that I would be so inclined to actually use the non-canon names. The MECCG game also gave names to the other Nazgul as well, but I don't remember the flavor of the characters they created.
-wtk

October 27, 2018, 04:36:14 PM
Reply #21

Inspire

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #21 on: October 27, 2018, 04:36:14 PM »
Great topic, I really like this idea!

[4] • Ugluk, Disciplined Agent [Isengard]
Minion • Uruk-Hai
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Tracker. Fierce.
Assignment: Exert this minion and spot an unbound Hobbit to prevent the opponent from assigning that companion to this minion.
Uncommon

I think this one might a bit underpowered. His game text is noticeably weaker than Uruk Chaser and Uruk Searcher (both of whom also cost [4]). Unbound hobbits are infrequently assigned to skirmishes, and even when the FP player might want to assign an unbound hobbit there is nothing stopping them from assigning that hobbit to a different minion. It seems pretty rare that the Shadow player would actually benefit from this ability. Therefore, I'm not sure the additional one vitality is worth the significant downgrade in game text from Chaser or Searcher. I think I'd play most [3] or [5] cost trackers over this Ugluk as well. This is basically the decision between Uruk-hai Raiding Party vs. any number of other [4] cost Uruks.

How about this instead:

[4] • Ugluk, Disciplined Agent [Isengard]
Minion • Uruk-Hai
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Tracker. Fierce.
While you can spot two [Isengard] trackers, the twilight cost of each [Isengard] event and [Isengard] condition is -1.
While you can spot two unbound Hobbits, the twilight cost of each [Isengard] event and [Isengard] condition is -1. 
Uncommon

Essentially a check on Legolas, DH while still maintaining minor utility against other FPs (although very limited, given that most [Isengard] events used in tracker decks have zero twilight cost anyways).

October 27, 2018, 05:03:16 PM
Reply #22

Inspire

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #22 on: October 27, 2018, 05:03:16 PM »
Another rare that would benefit from a C/U version is Grishnakh, particularly since the Towers block [Sauron] orcs were so ... unfocused. Of course the entire Towers block was replete with interesting but only partially executed Shadow concepts. 

October 29, 2018, 01:14:47 PM
Reply #23

ket_the_jet

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #23 on: October 29, 2018, 01:14:47 PM »
Another rare that would benefit from a C/U version is Grishnakh, particularly since the Towers block [Sauron] orcs were so ... unfocused.

You read my mind. Here is my take on a common Grishnakh, that might play well with the FotR trackers as well as the RotK Sauron trackers. He also is not too dissimilar to Sharku, Vile Marauder, the minion who started this whole thought exercise and was probably best served as a common.

[4] • Grishnákh, Lieutenant of Lugbúrz [Sauron]
Minion • Orc
Strength 11
Vitality 3
Site 6
Tracker.
The site number for each [Sauron] tracker is -3.
Each [Sauron] tracker that is not exhausted is ambush [1].
Common

Ambush? With [Sauron] trackers? What could be the use?

For one, Sauron needs the extra twilight to stack with Teeth of Mordor. Later events such as Siegecraft might become more playable as well and could make a big difference in a Orc Banner deck. And extra twilight is just a general disincentive for another move.

That said, the Orcs cannot be exhausted. Under the Watching Eye, Hate, Desperate Defense of the Ring, and I'd Make You Squeak are all exertion-heavy [Sauron] cards, and that does not even address the potential pre-skirmish wounding you could run into.

I could see running this guy in a deck, but the hand extension and burden adding of the other Grishnakh still makes him ideal in my book.

Here's one more card that I decided to throw in the mix.

[2] • Grishnákh's Scimitar [Sauron]
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be a [Sauron] Orc.
Regroup: If bearer is Grishnakh, remove [2] and spot an exhausted [Sauron] tracker to return that minion to hand.
Uncommon

-wtk
« Last Edit: October 29, 2018, 02:43:23 PM by ket_the_jet »

October 29, 2018, 02:17:46 PM
Reply #24

Durin's Heir

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #24 on: October 29, 2018, 02:17:46 PM »
That Grishnakh looks great! The swarming set 5 [Sauron] Orcs need to exert, so your Grishnakh would be helping Beatdown or Grind [Sauron] Shadows, but not Swarm ones, that's good for balance.

Ambush should have been used in more cultures than only [Raider], and [Sauron] is probably the best bet for the reasons you point out. Other cards like Mordor's Strength and Strength Born of Fear would benefit fro that twilight too, which would also synergize with Teeth of Mordor and Orc Cutthroat. Bravo!

[2] • Grishnákh's Scimitar [Sauron]
Who may bear it? Grishnakh alone, or any [Sauron] Orc?

The regroup skill looks nice: a cheaper version of Teeth of Mordor in case you have scarce twilight (or fear condition removal). Also, gives a good reason to pack His Cruelty and Malice in a Teeth of Mordor deck!



All that inspired me to make a cheaper Shagrat:

[5] •Shagrat, Obedient Minion [Sauron]
Minion • Uruk-Hai
Strength 13  Vitality 3  Site 6
Damage +1.
Each time a Free Peoples artifact is discarded (except if is due to its game text), you may place a [Sauron] card from your discard pile on top of your draw deck.
"'It was Gorbag started it, trying to pinch that pretty shirt.'"
Uncommon

Pretty situational, would trigger mostly when a companion is killed/discarded when bearing an artifact, or due to Grond, just to get a [Sauron] card from discard back to the game next turn (that's Shagrat delivering the Mithril Coat to Barad-dur, of course). But both would happen very seldom in a Limited format.

Other than that, is a str 13 uruk, or str 16 with an Uruk Axe.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2018, 02:20:28 PM by Durin's Heir »
“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

October 30, 2018, 08:03:02 AM
Reply #25

Wyrden333

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #25 on: October 30, 2018, 08:03:02 AM »
I think both your ideas look great. Except I'm not sure what you intend to do with the twilight generated from ambush.
 I agree there should be no keywords for single cultures and should be spread as wide as possible but just the use for skirmish events and Teeths seem a bit to less.
But maybe there's no real use for the Ambush keyword in general.

And for Shagrat, I think he's perfect lore wise and is really good with the balance of his effect. He'd make a great uncommen.
Go King Standard!

October 30, 2018, 11:49:04 AM
Reply #26

Phallen Cassidy

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #26 on: October 30, 2018, 11:49:04 AM »
Foul Horde and Wolf Voices is a great example of what Ambush should have been used for. Easterling Captain and Raider Bow is a great example of what it should not have been used for. As for what to use the twilight for, ket made a few points: Teeth of Mordor in particular would be great. This Grishnakh is perfect because it allows for a new balance of existing resources, rather than simply adding to what the Shadow player can do. I think ambush was largely wasted the way it was rolled out, personally, but that's irrelevant.

October 30, 2018, 01:23:10 PM
Reply #27

ket_the_jet

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Re: Common/Uncommon Unique Characters
« Reply #27 on: October 30, 2018, 01:23:10 PM »
Foul Horde and Wolf Voices is a great example of what Ambush should have been used for. Easterling Captain and Raider Bow is a great example of what it should not have been used for. As for what to use the twilight for, ket made a few points: Teeth of Mordor in particular would be great. This Grishnakh is perfect because it allows for a new balance of existing resources, rather than simply adding to what the Shadow player can do. I think ambush was largely wasted the way it was rolled out, personally, but that's irrelevant.
Thanks for the feedback. Durin's Heir also brought up Strength Born of Fear and Mordor's Strength. which are reasonably useful as well. Even though I use the Raider Bow with Easterling Captain, I do agree that particular synergy was not in the spirit of what was intended.

All that inspired me to make a cheaper Shagrat:
[5] •Shagrat, Obedient Minion [Sauron]
Minion • Uruk-Hai
Strength 13  Vitality 3  Site 6
Damage +1.
Each time a Free Peoples artifact is discarded (except if is due to its game text), you may place a [Sauron] card from your discard pile on top of your draw deck.
"'It was Gorbag started it, trying to pinch that pretty shirt.'"
Uncommon
I haven't felt all that inclined to go past set 7 (which means Shagrat wasn't even on my radar). I like this one well enough, but it still feels noticeably better than the rare version, particularly in concert with Grond, Hammer of the Underworld. I don't know that having the "except by its own game text" really makes that much of a difference either.

I also think that the card encourages the use of Grond (which is the only way to discard a free peoples artifact in movie) and that is not a card that should be encouraged.
-wtk