Fill in the Blank Season 1: Lairs #9 (Rule change!)

[menace64]

Welcome to Fill in the Blank Season 1: Lairs!

Each week I'll post the collector's information for one of the cards in the set's card-list.

Contestants are free to create whatever card they see fit for that slot in the card-list, keeping in mind the surrounding cards. As the contest progresses, the card-list will become more and more defined, guiding the contestants' choices.

The theme of our set is Lairs! You're free to interpret this however you want.

Not every card has to fit the theme, of course, but it's something to keep in mind when coming up with entries.

Each week a poll will go up for the previous week's entries. Simply vote for one you like the most. In the event of a tie, I'll let a random result generator make the decision.

UPDATE TO THE RULES:
We're getting a regular stream of ties, so in an effort to mediate the sting of losing to a coin flip I'm adding any cards eliminated via tie-breaker to the Misadventure Deck. These cards are not part of the 25-card set for purposes of contest-related card ordering. We might shuffle them into the set once the season is over; or we might leave them on their own at the end of the final card list. I came to this decision last night having forgotten that Durin's Heir had already resubmitted Durin's Axe, a card that had previously been eliminated vie tie-breaker. I reached out to him and let him know of the change, and offered him a resubmission for this week since his Axe is now safe!


On to Stuff!


Last week's winner...
SGollum wins with the set's first minion, •Ulaire Attea, Khamûl! You've moved up to first place alongside Inspire! Congrats!!


Last week's entries to pick from for Card #3...

•Tale of the Dragon's Lair
Condition • Support Area
Tale. When you play this condition, place a token here for each of these characters you can spot: Bilbo, Gandalf, Brand.
Skirmish: Remove a token here to make a character damage +2.
"I am fire, I am... death!"

Designer's notes:
The nature of this card gives damage bonuses without a full-on Dwarf deck so you could use Uri or Gloin (even though Gloin is awful) in a deck. To make up for the fact that it requires a very specific deck, it provides a damage +2 bonus.Why you would want this card:
1. Fits the theme with lairs.
2. Does something with multi culture Dwarves other than using Gimli.
3. You feel Dwarves are overpowered in set 9 and you want to see what they could be used for other than the infamous Dwarf deck.
Actually, I just want a Movie block Dwarven axe that doesn't discard the top card of the other player's draw deck... Sick of it!

•Book of Mazarbul, Record of Fortunes
Possession • Support Area
Each time a Dwarf wins a skirmish, you may draw a card.
Each time a Dwarf loses a skirmish, you may place a card from your discard pile beneath your draw deck.
Each time a Dwarf is killed, add a burden.
"'Balin is now lord of Moria.'"

Designer's notes:
My cards regarding Balin's Colony are meant to be in present time, so it's not a tale.

•Dared to Pass the Doors
Condition • Support Area
Tale.
Each Dwarf is strength -1 for each companion in the dead pile.
Fellowship: Discard a companion from hand to make each Dwarf companion strength +3 and damage +1 for each companion in the dead pile until the regroup phase.  
"'But now we spoke of it again with longing, and yet with dread....'"

Designer's notes:
I wanted to capture the despair of having lost people (such as Balin), countered temporarily by telling stories about them or otherwise 'remembering' them, represented here by discarding the spare companion cards.

•Balin, Lord of Moria
Ally • Home 4 & 5 • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 4
Damage +1. To play, spot 3 Dwarves.
Each time you discard a card from the top of your draw deck, you may exert Balin to take that card into hand from your discard pile.
Discard Balin if you spot 2 or more Dwarves in the dead pile.

Designer's notes:
Meant to synergize with cards like Realm of Dwarrowdelf which cannibalize your own draw deck. Balin makes sure you keep all the valuable stuff. Thematically this Balin exists in a "what if Moria didn't fall again?" design space, so I added a bit where Balin self-defeats if enough Dwarves have died.
The to-play requirement is there to prevent Balin from being splashed, since in a deck with no other Dwarves his discard penalty is negated, and I want Balin to work with the "delving" mechanic of Dwarves in Fellowship block.

A Horseman in the Night
Event • Response
If an opponent plays a minion, spot 2 companions and choose an opponent who may exhaust an unbound companion (or discard an exhausted companion) to place that minion on top of its owner's draw deck.
"'"The time of my thought is my own to spend," answered Dáin. "For the present," said he, and rode into the darkness.'"

This week's contest is...
Card #6!

It's almost like the random number generator wants us to get the FP stuff out of the way early.

• A card (after Sméagol Lied)
• A card (before Sheltered Hollow)

Closing date: June 27th. Good luck!


Lairs Card List
Number - Name - (Culture • Type) - Contestant - Week it won
1.
2. Stronghold of the Adorn River ( • Possession) - Durin's Heir - 3
3. SUBJECT OF THIS WEEK'S VOTE
4.
5. Sméagol Lied ( • Event) - SGollum - 4
6. IN CREATION THIS WEEK
7.
8. Sheltered Hollow ( • Condition) - TelTura - 6
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14. Wrested Kingdom ( • Condition) - menace64 - 1
15.
16. Úlairë Attëa, Khamûl ( • Nazgul Minion) - SGollum - 7
17.
18.
19.
20. Bag End Hearth ( • Condition) - Inspire - 2
21. Merry, Conspirator ( • Hobbit Companion) - Inspire - 5
22.
23.
24.
25.


The Misadventure Deck
1. Durin's Axe, Omen of Fortune
2. From Lowest Dungeon to Highest Peak
3. Orkish Whip
4. Mountains of Shadow

[Durin's Heir]

Depending on the results of this round's entries the Gandalf culture might be eliminated.

I wish I was wrong, but the culture comes between and , so the options now are only (post "Sméagol Lied") or (pre "Sheltered Hollow"). still has potentially a single slot as a regular card in #4, and up to 2 in #24 and #25 as Premium characters. And that's all.

I reached out to him and let him know of the change, and offered him a resubmission for this week since his Axe is now safe!

My Axe may be safe now, which is great, but that doesn't remove the fact that is still notched: the forty-second had an iron collar on his neck...

[menace64]

the culture comes between and , so the options now are only (post "Sméagol Lied") or (pre "Sheltered Hollow"). still has potentially a single slot as a regular card in #4, and up to 2 in #24 and #25 as Premium characters. And that's all.

Yup! Brainfarted!

[SGollum]

(1) Tasty Fish
Possession
To play, add a burden. Plays on Smeagol.
Skirmish: Discard your card to make Smeagol strength +1 for each burden you can spot.

"It's nice to eat a tasty fish, so juicy sweet!"

[Inspire]

Would Sméagol, Helps Master come before Sméagol Lied? I believe commas are usually ignored when arranging alphabetically, but I don't see a precedent in the existing cards.

[SGollum]

Would Sméagol, Helps Master come before Sméagol Lied? I believe commas are usually ignored when arranging alphabetically, but I don't see a precedent in the existing cards.

Changed the name. Thanks for catching that!

[Legion]

I'd say that if we are being really picky, any Smeagol (with or without subtitle) should come before "Smeagol Lied". The card title determines position in the collector's info, with a subtitle only resolving ties. If the card were actually printed, it would be more obvious, as the top panel would only say "Smeagol".

[Inspire]

•Aragorn, Unrevealed
Companion • Man
Strength: 8
Vitality: 4
Signet: Frodo
Ranger.
Each time the fellowship moves, you may make each opponent draw 2 cards to subtract 1 from the number of companions that any player can spot until the start of the regroup phase. 
"‘If simple folk are free from care and fear, simple they will be, and we must be secret to keep them so.'"


The "rule of five" was primarily a product of the standard eight card hand, since for many Shadows (particularly of the swarm variety), defeating a fellowship of nine companions with eight cards is an exceedingly difficult task. Aragorn provides an opportunity for the Free Peoples player to bend the rule of five, while correspondingly scaling up the Shadow player's resources to compensate for the additional companion. 

[TelTura]

Wild idea, tho I think the wording can be interpreted as making it impossible to, for instance, "Spot a Dwarf" (even tho this is incorrect).  The technical reading is clear, but the intuitive one is a bit muddy.

Maybe:

"Each time the fellowship moves, you may make each opponent draw 2 cards to make the total number of companions any player can spot at a time -1 until the start of the regroup phase."

That's one option.  Perhaps we need to think outside the box a bit:

"Each time the fellowship moves, you may make each opponent draw 2 cards to make Aragorn lose the Companion keyword until the start of the regroup phase."

or

"Each time the fellowship moves, you may make each opponent draw 2 cards to make Aragorn unable to be spotted until the start of the regroup phase."

These have the additional effect of making Aragorn unable to be the target of certain freeps actions as well, but hey, fair's fair! Perhaps this helps make the choice a little more nuanced for the freeps player.

[Inspire]

Wild idea, tho I think the wording can be interpreted as making it impossible to, for instance, "Spot a Dwarf" (even tho this is incorrect).  The technical reading is clear, but the intuitive one is a bit muddy.

Maybe:

"Each time the fellowship moves, you may make each opponent draw 2 cards to make the total number of companions any player can spot at a time -1 until the start of the regroup phase."

I had to think about the wording for a bit myself and understand the point you are making. I debated using "total" as a clarifying word, but "total number of companions" was not a convention that was ever used by Decipher - always only "spot [number] companions". I could still see the case for adding it, but I don't like the lack of congruence it creates with the language on cards such as Ulaire Enquea, Greed, or Southron Commander.

"Subtract 1" compared to "-1" is an interesting question. "Subtract" was never utilized on an existing card, but "add 1" appears to be the preferred method to modify spottable card types (see Gimli's Pipe, Merry ItBoH and Pippin ItBoH). I couldn't find an example of a card making a spottable card type "+1" or "-1" - only numerical mechanics such as strength, archery total, or move limit (that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, just that I couldn't find one).  

"Each time the fellowship moves, you may make each opponent draw 2 cards to make Aragorn lose the Companion keyword until the start of the regroup phase."

The idea of taking an alternate route to get to (approximately) the same result is a good idea, but this one seems too limiting. Losing ‘companion' means that very few special abilities or events can interact with Aragorn (which frankly makes for a less interesting play experience).

"Each time the fellowship moves, you may make each opponent draw 2 cards to make Aragorn unable to be spotted until the start of the regroup phase."

This one is interesting. At first glance I don't think you would lose much from being unable to spot him.  I really like this idea, but I think it runs into the same issue with the original language in the sense that there's never been a card (that I know of) that is unable to be spotted - so although there is a clearly defined effect, it still may cause confusion. Plus, I think the original language is a little more limited in scope, whereas "unable to be spotted" affects much larger card pool (given the volume of cards printed over the years, I can't say for certain that having a companion that can't be spotted won't break the game somehow).

[SGollum]

I'd say that if we are being really picky, any Smeagol (with or without subtitle) should come before "Smeagol Lied". The card title determines position in the collector's info, with a subtitle only resolving ties. If the card were actually printed, it would be more obvious, as the top panel would only say "Smeagol".

Never noticed that either.

[menace64]

The exception that makes the rule is The Balrog's Sword.

[Legion]

Frodo, Frenzied Fighter comes before Frodo Gamgee, showing that a subtitle's comma comes before a space alphabetically. It's not the most clear cut (Frenzied comes before Gamgee), but I think that's the best you'll get. And yes, The Balrog's Sword was definitely a misprint.

[Durin's Heir]

(1) Tasty Fish
Possession
To play, add a burden. Discard a card from Smeagol or your support area to make Smeagol strength +1 for each burden you can spot.

"It's nice to eat a tasty fish, so juicy sweet!"

It's unclear how it's meant to work. The way it's worded now, the "discard a card from Sméagol" skill would last (just as events do) during the phase in which you play it only (pretty useless during Fellowship). It also lacks the usual "plays on / bearer must be" part in the first sentence.

Interesting card, btw. I believe it needs some limit like "once per phase", to not make it Cirdan-ish.

[Durin's Heir]

Most of you must already know this ARB, but I have nothing better to post now (it's slightly modified from its original post).

•Aragorn, Bearer of Weakness
Companion • Man
Strength 7  Vitality 4  Resistance 7
Defender +1. Ring-bound. Ranger.
While Aragorn is the Ring-bearer, cards he bears lose all special abilities and each Shadow card is twilight cost -1.
Each time you play a artifact or a tale, you may draw a card.
"'...for the Ring of Isildur concerns him closely.'"

No moving or skirmish penalty at all with a str 7 Ranger who can wield Anduril and fight 2 foes at once, but whose bold advance towards Orodruin makes each Shadow card cheaper so the hammer will be falling heavier than ever. The real penalty is turning Beatdown shadows into Swarm ones (and regular Swarm into Stupid Swarm) while shutting down the special ability of Aragorn's Bow. The defender bonus will be surprisingly useful for a Ring-bearer, just to avoid your support companions from being erased while Aragorn defeats foes more easily (KotG, PATHS, CotS, Crown of Gondor, Swordarm of the White Tower), or survives them with less harm. Yes, your RB is your main tank.

As a regular companion, he's a RB Ranger version of Heir of Elendil, with access to all the RB Ranger tricks and diplomatic immunity.