Risen from Shadow looks great, pretty straightforward! I love the idea of having a fierce, non underground-bound Balrog in Movie Block, that enhances and re-enables the
strategies that lost too much when FOTR sitepath was discarded. For wording, I'd change it to "If you can spot a Wizard, the Balrog's twilight cost is -4." Is it meant to count Saruman too? If not, should specify Wizard companion, or
Wizard (filmwise, Saruman wanted the Company to pass through Moria so Gandalf had to face a proper match, but then he was in service to Sauron; bookwise, he was a traitor to both sides and thus wanted all Orcs not under his own command to remain as far as possible from the Ring).
Perhaps might include "
artifact" along with Wizards, don't you think?
Grief seems very interesting. Needs the usual "(except the Ring-bearer)" text. And, I think, a built-in counter too, expensive and
grievous like "The Free Peoples player may add X burdens to prevent this". Or 3 fixed burdens. With that considered, it's a pretty neat grind/beatdown card that removes annoying defenders for a late game swarm.
You inspired me to write a Balrog event of my own... he must be (along with Denethor) the most underdeveloped character in the whole game.
Ancient Might Event • Response
Spell.If The Balrog is about to be discarded, prevent him from being discarded until the end of the turn. Any
Wizard may wound himself twice to prevent this.
"'Over the bridge!' cried Gandalf, recalling his strength. 'Fly! This is a foe beyond any of you...'"(Most Balrog related events/conditions - like
Dark Fire or
Power and Terror - should be
spells.)
So the fellowship doubles to FOTR site 6, and your Balrog is going to bite the dust? Or you have 12 twilight available and
Durin's Bane in hand, but the fellowship passed Moria time ago (perhaps a movie or two)? No worries! This event brings the fierce FOTR Block Balrogs back into the game, and keeps any Balrog there if
A Path Appointed,
Rohirrim Army,
Sent Back,
Narrow Escape,
OOTHA try to get rid of him. What do you think?
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"Flavor Talk" - a Card Game Design Podcast coming to an audio platform near you! (I'd listen for sure ) I like your description of Saruman as more of a condition than any other card type; I've not thought of him in that way before and I wouldn't be surprised if that led to some ideas down the road.
Think about
Bound By Rage and
Keeper of Isengard: both add/remove tokens to prevent wounds. Mix in some "fierce for all" condition (
Legions of Morgul) and you got
KoI. While other influential minions risk their necks (like
Advance Regular or
Hillman Horde), he sits comfortably in the background like a support area condition... except that he's immune to condition hate. So he's magnificent as a support card, but awful if anything as a minion. The Staff brings him to the fray, but adding 2 strength (instead of 4 or 5) to an 8 str elder is missing the mark by miles.
Ouch! That is perhaps one of the broadest nets I've seen and it feels right at home in . It could be seen as a NPE by many FP players due to its versatility at cancelling things. I could also see such a card becoming a condition.
Ever Watchful just counters what
SSaW doesn't (except events). And both counter response abilities. While it's very punitive and broad, is very costly too... can in theory counter and punish
Narya and
Aragorn CoG, but only because those add the twilight to pay the
event, and only if you can spot 3
cards (with no minions at that stage of the turn).
•Gothmog, Siege-lieutenant
Minion
Strength: 11
Vitality: 2
Site Number: 5
Fierce. When you play Gothmog, name Man, Nazgûl, or Orc. Gothmog gains that race until the end of the turn.
Each minion of Gothmog's race gains besieger.
Response: If this card is in your hand when your Nazgûl is killed during a skirmish, play this card from your hand for free.
"...but Gothmog the lieutenant of Morgul had flung them into the fray..."
Siege-lieutenant is weird indeed, but very cool card! And really accurate with the book's depiciton!
The effect on "each minion of Gothmog's race" is a bit bland, I think "
fierce and strength +1" would be much better, since he rallies the dispersed evil armies back to the fight (and fierce means, well, more fight!); also, the siege was already broken. The response skill is great, bravo! I'd give him +1 vitality and -1 site number, and reword him in a clearer way:
•Gothmog, Siege-lieutenant Minion
Strength: 11
Vitality:
3Site Number:
4Fierce. (unnecessary)
When you play Gothmog, name Man, Nazgûl, or Orc. Gothmog gains that race until the end of the turn.
Each minion of Gothmog's race is
fierce and strength +1.Response: If a Nazgûl is
about to be killed in a skirmish, play Gothmog from your hand for free.
"...but Gothmog the lieutenant of Morgul had flung them into the fray...""A Nazgûl is about to be killed" prevents you from replaying him if the killed Nazgul was... himself.