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November 26, 2018, 08:12:16 PM
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Not a Zombie

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Cards missing from towers block
« on: November 26, 2018, 08:12:16 PM »
[1] A Wizard Should Have Known Better [Gandalf]
Event • Assignment
Make an Ent loose unhasty untill the end of the assignment phase.
"There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of Men for this treachery."
 
Always thought this card was missing from TTT block. Would make a good C/U I think. What are some cards you think are missing?
No one loves you like I do.
--God

I'm imploring people I've never met to pressure a government with better things to do to punish a man who meant no harm for something nobody even saw, thats what I'm doing!

November 27, 2018, 07:55:13 AM
Reply #1

ket_the_jet

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2018, 07:55:13 AM »
Hey, that totally makes sense for the format and would probably be a nice fit...but it would really only be a boon for Treebeard, Guardian of the Forest. In any other case, you could just discard one additional card to remove unhasty.

What about this?

[2] A Wizard Should Have Known Better [Gandalf]
Condition • Support Area
Assignment: Discard this condition to make an Ent lose unhasty until the end of the assignment phase.

Still only works for one assignment--not fierce. Doesn't clog the hand but is prone to condition removal. I look at it like Ancient Roads versus Gondorian Ranger. What is your poison?
-wtk

November 27, 2018, 08:53:41 AM
Reply #2

Not a Zombie

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2018, 08:53:41 AM »
I considered making it a condition as well. I think it works either way, I just loved the flavor. Either way, probably not a card that would ever see play outside of starter decks. Here is another card to keep us rolling!

[2] Ally of Men [Isengard]
Condition
To play, spot an [Isengard] man and a free peoples Man. Plays on an Elf or Dwarf companion.
Bearer gains the Man race.

I don't know that this card is "missing" so much as I really want [Isengard] men to have a chance, and I think this gives it to them.
No one loves you like I do.
--God

I'm imploring people I've never met to pressure a government with better things to do to punish a man who meant no harm for something nobody even saw, thats what I'm doing!

November 27, 2018, 11:01:28 AM
Reply #3

Phallen Cassidy

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2018, 11:01:28 AM »
For what it's worth, you could also use either of these [Gandalf] cards to make one of the ally Treebeards lose unhasty, then use One Whom Men Would Follow to allow him to skirmish at any site. Roundabout, but that's absolutely what I would do ;)

[3] Last Defense [Rohan]
Event
Response: If a companion is killed, exert three [Rohan] companions or exert Theoden twice to make each villager participate in archery fire and skirmishes until the regroup phase. The Shadow player may liberate a site to prevent this.

The idea for Rohan was to use villagers and have weak companions. Instead, they have strong companions and weak villagers. I don't know if this card is really missing either, but you get the idea. I just want some way to get those guys fighting.

Honestly though, if I were editing Towers block I would make about a hundred tiny, almost unnoticeable errata. E.g., I very strongly believe that Sigewulf should have his home at site 5.

November 27, 2018, 01:16:00 PM
Reply #4

ket_the_jet

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2018, 01:16:00 PM »
For what it's worth, you could also use either of these [Gandalf] cards to make one of the ally Treebeards lose unhasty, then use One Whom Men Would Follow to allow him to skirmish at any site. Roundabout, but that's absolutely what I would do ;)
Yes, because Stump and Bramble is the problem with Towers Block...?

I do really like Last Defense though.
-wtk

November 28, 2018, 12:59:42 PM
Reply #5

Phallen Cassidy

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2018, 12:59:42 PM »
I'm not saying it a problem per say, I'm just saying this would make Aragorn One Whom Ents Would Follow and I am all for it :) However, Nazgul did have a serious problem in Towers Block. I mean, once again The One Ring was *this* close to being reclaimed at the end of The Two Towers, and how is that event represented? Its awesome picture got used for Fell Beast. A fine card and all, but come on!

[2] Desire of the One Ring [Wraith]
Event
Assignment: Assign a Nazgul to the Ring-bearer. The Free Peoples may exert the Ring-bearer twice or allow you to make a Nazgul strength +3 and unable to take wounds until the regroup phase to prevent this.

Went through a several versions to get the effect I wanted, and I'm still not sure it's right. [2] seems too cheap, but 9 times out of 10 I don't see this event doing what the Shadow player wants unless that player is very sneaky. Three exertions seemed too heavy, but two exertions feels like child's play with Answer to All Riddles which I think further justifies the twilight cost. This event doesn't feel overpowering when combined with Fellowship Nazgul, but later minions may make this way too strong. No idea. I toyed with adding a companion spot cost (spot 6 companion to assign...), but although Nazgul are missing big fellowship hate in Towers block this event isn't the right way to approach that. Nazgul already have one of their fold devoted to crushing large fellowships:

[6] Ulaire Enquea, Winged Hunter [Wraith]
Minion • Nazgul
Strength 11
Vitality 4
Site 3
Fierce.
Skirmish: Discard a card from hand to make Ulaire Enquea strength +1 for each companion over 4.

Cheap skill, but hopefully not very effective with only 5 companions. What, he becomes strength 18 at worst? The toughest fighter should be able to survive that once. I had wanted a regroup action along the lines of Ulaire Lemenya, Winged Hunter, but that would never stand up to Rohan.

[2] Terrifying Presence [Wraith]
Event
Shadow: Play a Nazgul to take control of a site. The Free Peoples may add a burden to prevent this.

Apparently, I'm a fan of prevention text. As before, controlling sites and adding burdens usually don't go together so the event seems well costed considering the Shadow player likely isn't getting what they want.

[5] •Ulaire Nelya, Winged Sentry [Wraith]
Minion • Nazgul
Strength 10
Vitality 3
Site 2
Fierce.
Skirmish: Exert Ulaire Nelya or discard an Orc to make him strength +1 for each site you control.

As with the first and third cards, the idea for these comes from that scene at the end where Nazgul are flying over Osgiliath. As far as I can tell, the scene never happens in the books, so why not say this guy was there? If the Nazgul are going to have a minor role in Towers Block, their supporting role may as well be encouraged. I considered discarding any minion, but I don't know if I want him to be too good in Dunland or Uruk-hai decks - thoughts? I had also made it only [Sauron] Orcs, but I don't see why to restrict it further. Maybe even encourage use of Peril and Spied from Above with what site control Sauron has. Needs more, but maybe a step in the right direction? I think he's worth using with Besiegers in Movie block, but not game-breaking. Feel free to correct me, ket!
« Last Edit: November 28, 2018, 01:14:07 PM by Phallen Cassidy »

November 30, 2018, 04:16:10 PM
Reply #6

ket_the_jet

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2018, 04:16:10 PM »
[2] Desire of the One Ring [Wraith]
Event
Assignment: Assign a Nazgul to the Ring-bearer. The Free Peoples may exert the Ring-bearer twice or allow you to make a Nazgul strength +3 and unable to take wounds until the regroup phase to prevent this.
A Nazgul version of Vision From Afar mixed with Gollum, Mad Thing. This seems pretty strong and I imagine I would use it with gusto in a Return to Its Master deck.

I don't know if it fits the meta, but maybe one could exert a ring-bound companion twice rather than the Ring-bearer exclusively? Sam sure seemed to save the day, and Faramir helped a bit in this entirely fictitious scene the movie created.

[6] Ulaire Enquea, Winged Hunter [Wraith]
Minion • Nazgul
Strength 11
Vitality 4
Site 3
Fierce.
Skirmish: Discard a card from hand to make Ulaire Enquea strength +1 for each companion over 4.
Not bad, but at worst he could become strength 56. Or he could whittle down two companions with a shadow player willing to discard an entire hand. Of course, the Free Peoples' player would still have seven companions, but...

[2] Terrifying Presence [Wraith]
Event
Shadow: Play a Nazgul to take control of a site. The Free Peoples may add a burden to prevent this.
I'm game for this, but without just a little more cultural enforcement it feels like a boon to Dunland or possibly Uruk-Hai. Dunland might not care about the burdens as much, but Worry Uruks and your Uruk Spy fascination would appreciate the addition. I'd love to see the News From Mordor deck too, of course.

[5] •Ulaire Nelya, Winged Sentry [Wraith]
Minion • Nazgul
Strength 10
Vitality 3
Site 2
Fierce.
Skirmish: Exert Ulaire Nelya or discard an Orc to make him strength +1 for each site you control.
Not the best; not the worst. A little better than Ulaire Nelya, Assailing Minion, but you're the only one to introduce site control to the Nazgul. Nice synergy with the swarming [Sauron] guys.

And you are correct, the scene never at all happens in the books in even the slightest way.
-wtk

December 06, 2018, 11:01:16 AM
Reply #7

ket_the_jet

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2018, 11:01:16 AM »
Okay, here's one I was just thinking of, but I don't know the repercussions off the top of my head.

[1] The Rarest of Meetings [Gandalf]
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot a [Gandalf] companion or ally. Plays on a site.
While you can spot three Ents, this site is a forest and each Orc at this site is strength -1.

I kind of took Strong Arms from set 7 as a template for the first card. Does it describe the three Hunters finding Gandalf? Merry and Pippin finding Treebeard? Treebeard calling the entmoot?

(0) Thick-Trunk [Gandalf]
Event • Skirmish
Make an Ent strength +1 for each forest on the site path.

Might as well give Ents a boon for being around other ents, and in their forest homes.

[5] •Trembling Giant [Gandalf]
Companion • Ent
Strength: 10
Vitality: 4
Unhasty.
Maneuver: Discard a [Gandalf] condition to make the current site gain forest until the regroup phase.
Assignment: Exert an unbound Hobbit or spot two forests on the adventure path to allow Trembling Giant to skirmish.

Hey! I got to name a card after Pando!

What are your thoughts? In what way are forests missing from Towers and King blocks, and how would it be improved with a preponderance of Ents?
-wtk
« Last Edit: December 06, 2018, 11:07:30 AM by ket_the_jet »

December 06, 2018, 11:20:58 AM
Reply #8

ket_the_jet

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2018, 11:20:58 AM »
I am making this one in a separate reply because this might be even too absurd for my taste.

[4] • Courageous Instigators [Shire]
Condition
Vitality: 2
To play, discard Merry and Pippin. Bearer must be Treebeard. Merry and Pippin cannot be played.
Bearer is strength +1 for each Ent you can spot.
Archery: Discard this condition to exert each minion.

Truth be told...I am not very sure what I wanted to do, except emulate the hobbits sitting on Treebeard's shoulder, tossing rocks. This could, in theory, make Treebeard a strength 20 monster (which isn't really my intention). Maybe limit+4? Or even +3 (one Hobbit's strength).

Another thought for the card was if Merry and Pippin were both stacked on Treebeard, Earthborn, he lost his "ally" and became a "companion," but that seems too circuitous.

So I will welcome thoughts on this one.
-wtk

December 10, 2018, 02:32:12 PM
Reply #9

Phallen Cassidy

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2018, 02:32:12 PM »
[1] The Rarest of Meetings [Gandalf]
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot a [Gandalf] companion or ally. Plays on a site.
While you can spot three Ents, this site is a forest and each Orc at this site is strength -1.

I kind of took Strong Arms from set 7 as a template for the first card. Does it describe the three Hunters finding Gandalf? Merry and Pippin finding Treebeard? Treebeard calling the entmoot?

As with my Nazgul/site control cards, the value of this will be determined by the rest of your cards. The cost encourages a multifaceted approach, so maybe there's room for another effect or two?

(0) Thick-Trunk [Gandalf]
Event • Skirmish
Make an Ent strength +1 for each forest on the site path.

Solid start, though it relies heavily on The Rarest of Meetings to be better than Roused (or Boomed and Trumpeted, for that matter). Costs less than Roused though, which is nice flavor.

[5] •Trembling Giant [Gandalf]
Companion • Ent
Strength: 10
Vitality: 4
Unhasty.
Maneuver: Discard a [Gandalf] condition to make the current site gain forest until the regroup phase.
Assignment: Exert an unbound Hobbit or spot two forests on the adventure path to allow Trembling Giant to skirmish.

Hey! I got to name a card after Pando!

Hey, I got to learn about Pando! This looks like the direction Unhasty should have gone. Ents got what, 3 conditions? 4 with yours, though discarding that card would be pointless. I might prefer the current site to be a forest to promote his ability.

[4] • Courageous Instigators [Shire]
Condition
Vitality: 2
To play, discard Merry and Pippin. Bearer must be Treebeard. Merry and Pippin cannot be played.
Bearer is strength +1 for each Ent you can spot.
Archery: Discard this condition to exert each minion.

Of course, you'll have to make Treebeard lose Unhasty or he'll be a 20 strength pacifist. I'm finally reading The Two Towers and I'm a good way through the Treebeard chapter, and he mentions (as most of you well know) that Trolls are weaker, counterfeit Ents. There's so much room for Ents to be more than large pools of HP in this game, and I encourage any step in that direction. I don't mind the strength, especially since this is a condition with a steep cost.

As for your second thought, why make him a companion? "Each time the Fellowship moves, discard this condition if you can spot a companion in play and stacked on Treebeard. While you can spot at least 2 distinct Hobbits stacked on Treebeard, Treebeard is strength +3 for each distinct Hobbit stacked on him and participates in archery fire and skirmishes." Okay, yeah, it's confusing and wordy. Hey, we come back to Stump and Bramble! What about an event to allow him to skirmish and make him strength +3 for each card stacked on him? :P

What I want to see is more ways to use an Ent's vitality than losing skirmishes and taking archery fire. And also continued use of Unhasty as a key trait. As a subculture, Ents probably have fewer cards than Dunland or Corsairs in Movie block... I think you guys are right, they're the real victims of Towers block.

December 18, 2018, 10:16:01 AM
Reply #10

ket_the_jet

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #10 on: December 18, 2018, 10:16:01 AM »
Here's another version:

[4] • Courageous Instigators [Shire]
Condition
Bearer must be Treebeard. Bearer is strength +2 for each hobbit stacked on Treebeard. Unbound Hobbits cannot be played from hand or the discard pile.
Response: If an unbound hobbit is about to be discarded, stack him on Treebeard instead.


Too much text for a single card and it doesn't get the rock-throwing aspect. But it makes Treebeard stronger (though with this and two Hobbits, he is in Grima, Wormtongue territory which I think is interesting). Also gets around you having a Merry on his shoulder and a Merry in the Fellowship, which goes against the spirit of what I am trying to do.

In expanded, this means that all of your unbound Hobbits have to be in play before you drop this on Treebeard. I don't know the expanded implications of that move though.
-wtk

December 18, 2018, 11:54:12 AM
Reply #11

Not a Zombie

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2018, 11:54:12 AM »
I like it Ket! Here is where Treebeard gets mean:

[2] Hobbit Projectile [Gandalf]
Event • Maneuver
Discard a hobbit stacked on Treebeard to deal 2 damage to a minion.
"Burarum..."

I considered making it the dead pile instead, but that was just too morbid :P
« Last Edit: December 18, 2018, 11:56:09 AM by Not a Zombie »
No one loves you like I do.
--God

I'm imploring people I've never met to pressure a government with better things to do to punish a man who meant no harm for something nobody even saw, thats what I'm doing!

December 21, 2018, 02:39:09 PM
Reply #12

ket_the_jet

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #12 on: December 21, 2018, 02:39:09 PM »
I like it Ket! Here is where Treebeard gets mean:

[2] Hobbit Projectile [Gandalf]
Event • Maneuver
Discard a hobbit stacked on Treebeard to wound a minion twice.
"Burarum..."

I considered making it the dead pile instead, but that was just too morbid :P
I mean, that card is gold. No arguments there. I cleaned up the wording though.
-wtk

December 22, 2018, 05:56:19 AM
Reply #13

Phallen Cassidy

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2018, 05:56:19 AM »
[3] Ta-Runda Rom! [Gandalf]
Event • Skirmish
Exert X Ents. Make an unbound companion strength +2 for each Ent exerted this way.
"We come, we come with roll of drum ..."

[2] Stronger than Trolls [Gandalf]
Event • Assignment
Assign an Ent companion to a minion and exhaust both characters. Make that Ent strength +2 until the regroup phase for each exertion made this way. That Ent cannot be assigned to another skirmish this turn.
"'We could split Isengard into splinters ...'"

Exhausted Ents may still be assigned (I'm pretty sure); I don't know whether that's a bad thing.

[5] •Ent Conclave [Gandalf]
Condition • Support Area
Each time the Fellowship moves from a forest, you may heal an Ent (or two Ents if you can spot 7 companions).
At the start of the regroup phase, you may exert any number of Ents to heal that many unbound companions not assigned to a skirmish this turn.
"'There are still some words to speak before the Moot really begins.'"

Alternate version, I can't decide:
[2] Ent Conclave [Gandalf]
Condition • Support Area
Each time the Fellowship moves from a forest, you may heal an Ent (or two Ents if you can spot 8 companions).
At the start of the regroup phase, you may exert an Ent to heal an unbound companions not assigned to a skirmish this turn.

[6] •Last March of the Ents [Gandalf]
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot 6 Ents. Cannot be discarded by the Free Peoples player.
The move limit is +1. Each time the Fellowship moves, each shadow player may take a card from discard into hand and draw 2 cards.
"'But if we stayed at home and did nothing, doom would find us anyway, sooner or later.'"

I think I ran out of lines on these cards.

(0) Very Odd Indeed [Shire]
Event • Maneuver or Skirmish
Heal an Ent for each unbound Hobbit you can spot.
"'... they have agreed that you are not Orcs, and a new line shall be put in the old lists.'"
« Last Edit: December 22, 2018, 12:12:45 PM by Phallen Cassidy »

December 22, 2018, 07:56:18 AM
Reply #14

Inspire

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Re: Cards missing from towers block
« Reply #14 on: December 22, 2018, 07:56:18 AM »
Moving in a different direction, here are a couple ideas to help give warg-riders a boost:

[3] •Veteran Rider [Isengard]
Minion • Orc
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Site: 4
Warg-rider.
While this minion is not exhausted, he is fierce.
The twilight cost of each [Isengard] mount is -1.

[1] •Wolf Pen [Isengard]
Possession • Support Area
Shadow: If no card is stacked here, stack a warg-rider or [Isengard] mount from hand here.
Shadow: Stack a warg-rider or [Isengard] mount from hand here to take a card stacked here into hand.

Desperately needed hand extension for "two card Nazgul".

(0) Feral Unpredictability [Isengard]
Event • Skirmish
Discard an [Isengard] mount from play to make a warg-rider damage +1 and strength +X, where X is the twilight cost of the discarded card.

This offers the Shadow player the rare opportunity to wrest control of the assignment/skirmish phase away from the Free Peoples player by effectively allowing them to transfer a warg post-assignment phase (at the cost of the vitality bonus and response action). I assume Free Peoples players would resolve skirmishes in an optimal manner (non-mounted minions first), otherwise this card would likely be too strong.