BattleWarg's LotR Crossover Collections (#1 - Heroes)

[BattleWarg]

As stated over at the Mega LOTR Crossover Set thread, I'm suggesting having seperate threads for each contributer to host their collections.

Thus my first post here will begin my first collection (still somewhat in progress - I'm hoping to spot things I need to include before I finish, even if I have to replace cards I've done for the final Heroes collection).

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Heroes - Please note, some images may not be ones you want to look at if at work or if you have a queasy stomach (depending on the picture and your level of quesyness) - in general these will be fairly obvious, but I'll try to warn any in particular...

•Wind Chimes [Company]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/7/78/Wind_Chime.jpg
Possession • Support Area
Fellowship:  Exert a [Company] character to play a [Heroes] character; its twilight cost is -1.
Regroup:  Exert a [Heroes] character to play a [Company] characater; its twilight cost is -1.

Helping Hand [Heroes]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/b/b6/Eclaire_Main.jpg
Event • Skirmish
Exert a [Heroes] character to make a [Company] character strength +2 (or +3 if both are super characters) or exert a [Company] character to make a [Heroes] character strength +2 (or +3 if both are super characters).

Hiro, Future Hiro [Heroes]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/0/0b/Future_Hiro_on_NY_subway.jpg
Companion • Man
8 Strength
5 Vitality
6 Resistance
Super.  Hiro may not be played if another companion named Hiro with the same version is in play.
Each time the fellowship moves, wound Hiro and remove .

•Hiro, Yatta! [Heroes]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/4/43/Heroes_01x05_yatta06.jpg
Companion • Man
6 Strength
4 Vitality
8 Resistance
Super.  While you can spot another [Heroes] companion in your starting fellowship, Hiro's twilight cost is -1.
Each time the fellowship moves, you may discard a [Heroes] card from hand to remove a threat.

•Brain Reading [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/9/93/Sylar_Clair_Surgery.jpg [Warning - if you think any will bother you, this one will... - close-up of brain in use]
Condition • Support Area
Brain Reading gains the text of each other non-[Sylar] power in play.
Skirmish or Regroup:  Spot Sylar and remove to play a power event in any discard without paying its twilight cost, where X is 1 plus that event's twilight cost.

•Intuitive Aptitude [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/7/7c/Intuitive_Aptitude_in_I_Am_Sylar.JPG
Condition • Support Area
Power.  To play, spot a [Sylar] minion.
While you can spot Sylar, [Sylar] cards cost 1 less to play.

Lost Hope [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/a/a9/Elles_body_blazes.JPG [Warning - potentially bothersome, features Sylar standing over the burning body of Elle]
Event • Shadow
Spot Sylar and remove another minion from the game to take a [Sylar] card from your deck into your hand (or 2 [Sylar] cards from your discard pile into your hand).

Claire's Bedroom
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/a/ab/Bennet_house_claires_window.jpg
AImage:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/0/00/Bennet_house_claires_room.jpg
Dwelling.  At the start of the fellowship phase, you may exert a non-super [Heroes] companion to play a super [Heroes] companion from your deck.
<--

Primatech Paper
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/a/a2/Primatech_frontdistant.jpg
[Company] characters are strength +2.
-->

[DáinIronfoot]

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a Heroes fan by any means. I hate some of their past advertising campaigns and openly mocked the whole "save the cheerleader, save the world" thing they had going on a while ago.

Now, with that out of the way...I'm still going to review these, because I like YOU even if I don't like the show. So....

•Wind Chimes [Company]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/7/78/Wind_Chime.jpg
Possession • Support Area
Fellowship:  Exert a [Company] character to play a [Heroes] character; its twilight cost is -1.
Regroup:  Exert a [Heroes] character to play a [Company] characater; its twilight cost is -1.

A little hard to judge without knowing much about those cultures, but probably fine.

Helping Hand [Heroes]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/b/b6/Eclaire_Main.jpg
Event • Skirmish
Exert a [Heroes] character to make a [Company] character strength +1 (or +2 if both are super characters) or exert a [Company] character to make a [Heroes] character strength +1 (or +2 if both are super characters).

Ditto here. +1/+2 seems like an awfully tiny pump. Depending on how things go with these characters, you might be able to raise that to +2/+3, at least. But we'll see....

Hiro, Future Hiro [Heroes]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/0/0b/Future_Hiro_on_NY_subway.jpg
Companion • Man
8 Strength
5 Vitality
6 Resistance
Super.  Hiro may not be played if another companion named Hiro with the same version is in play.
Each time the fellowship moves, wound Hiro.  If you do, you may remove .

Wait, he's not unique?

I guess this is one of those have-to-understand-the-show things. The last line could be combined simply into "...wound Hiro and remove ", unless I'm missing something.

•Hiro, Yatta! [Heroes]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/4/43/Heroes_01x05_yatta06.jpg
Companion • Man
6 Strength
4 Vitality
8 Resistance
Super.  While Hiro is in your starting fellowship, his twilight cost is -1.
Each time the fellowship moves, you may discard a [Heroes] card from hand to remove a threat.

Ah, NOW he's unique. I guess this is a more "normal" version, eh? Seems alright, though perhaps tweak that starting fellowship thing to spotting certain other characters/cultures in the fellowship?

•Brain Reading [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/9/93/Sylar_Clair_Surgery.jpg [Warning - if you think any will bother you, this one will... - close-up of brain in use]
Condition • Support Area
Brain Reading gains the text of each other power in play.
Skirmish or Regroup:  Spot Sylar and remove to play a power event in any discard without paying its twilight cost, where X is 1 plus that event's twilight cost.

Okay, I DO know enough to know this "Sylar" is the big baddie, right? Um...really hard to judge, but this might be alright. Going to have to see some powers....

•Intuitive Aptitude [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/7/7c/Intuitive_Aptitude_in_I_Am_Sylar.JPG
Condition • Support Area
Power.  To play, spot a [Sylar] minion.
While you can spot Sylar, [Sylar] cards cost 1 less to play.

...ah, like this one. Probably should be worded "...the twilight cost of each [Sylar] card is -1."

Lost Hope [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/a/a9/Elles_body_blazes.JPG [Warning - potentially bothersome, features Sylar standing over the burning body of Elle]
Event • Shadow
Spot Sylar and remove another minion from the game to take a [Sylar] card from your deck into your hand (or 2 [Sylar] cards from your discard pile into your hand).

Unless you have some super-cheap minions, this is likely fine.

Claire's Bedroom
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/a/ab/Bennet_house_claires_window.jpg
AImage:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/0/00/Bennet_house_claires_room.jpg
Dwelling.  At the start of the fellowship phase, you may exert a non-super [Heroes] companion to play a super [Heroes] companion from your deck.
<--

Okay....

Primatech Paper
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/a/a2/Primatech_frontdistant.jpg
[Company] characters are strength +2.
-->

Again, so hard to judge without seeing [Company] characters, so we'll see.

[BattleWarg]

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a Heroes fan by any means. I hate some of their past advertising campaigns and openly mocked the whole "save the cheerleader, save the world" thing they had going on a while ago.

Oh, I can understand that.  It was a little odd (to put it mildly), even as a fan.
I'm going to go ahead and sum up my previously quoted parts...

Wind Chimes
A little hard to judge without knowing much about those cultures, but probably fine.

Basically, [Heroes] is (intended to be) more supporting companions/allies so taking an exertion for a slightly cheaper while [Company] is (intended to be) more combat-focused.  So, moving the ability to play [Company] during regroup and stop should be off-set by the fact you're more open to being fought.

Helping Hand
Ditto here. +1/+2 seems like an awfully tiny pump. Depending on how things go with these characters, you might be able to raise that to +2/+3, at least. But we'll see....

In this case, I was originally thinking +2/+3 but lowered it when I added the cheap (an exertion) cost with the versatility of being able to boost characters between the two cultures.

Hiro, Future Hiro
Wait, he's not unique?

I guess this is one of those have-to-understand-the-show things. The last line could be combined simply into "...wound Hiro and remove ", unless I'm missing something.

Actually, it had a more mechanical reasoning behind it (admittedly based on flavour reasoning).  Hiro's a time traveller - Future Hiro is the version that came back and gave the line you mentioned above.
So, I wanted a way to allow for multiple versions of Hiro (possibly other characters too, but not many) without making it incredibly powerful.  Any non-unique 'unique' character will have the text on the same line as Future Hiro's keyword line.  So, this'll make you able to have a single unique character and one of each non-unique with different sub-titles.  I did just notice that it allows him to be killed and replayed, though.
As for the text change - slight difference with Intimidate-like effects, but I don't think it would be too much worse having it that way.

Hiro, Yatta!
Ah, NOW he's unique. I guess this is a more "normal" version, eh? Seems alright, though perhaps tweak that starting fellowship thing to spotting certain other characters/cultures in the fellowship?

I'll probably just adjust to [Heroes] character.  Makes more than enough sense for me.

Brain Reading
Okay, I DO know enough to know this "Sylar" is the big baddie, right? Um...really hard to judge, but this might be alright. Going to have to see some powers....

Yeah, at least in the first season.  The other two depend slightly on your point of view.
Also, there is another card that pairs up with this and Sylar, which if I've got a low enough number to put up among the ones you've (unintentionally, I assume) requested, I'll put up.

Intuitive Aptitude
...ah, like this one. Probably should be worded "...the twilight cost of each [Sylar] card is -1."

That's true.  Though this makes me think I may want to change Brain Reading to only affect non-Sylar powers...
Sylar's similar to a Shadow early mixed with Saruman, that uses semi-costly/semi-weak minions to set up his ability to steal powers and then play Sylar himself late-game with overwhelming abilities.

Lost Hope
Unless you have some super-cheap minions, this is likely fine.

Basic flavour explanation:  Sylar teams up with the Company, and eventually utterly kills (beyond most peoples hopes of resurrection) his partner.  I'm thinking about making it culture enforced (either [Sylar], [Company], or [Sylar] or [Company]...), admittedly [Company] might have the cheaper minions.  Besides, the idea is that these are technically able to be mixed with current (to an extent, at least - if we go into it too much, there's a lot that would have to be avoided to prevent overpowered combinations).

Claire's Bedroom
Okay....

Was thinking on sites - trying to find a [Heroes] site while looking through images to build the cards and saw the pictures.  Then thought of Frodo's Bedroom - combining the sometimes random wandering of the fellowship (I still like the idea that you can start at Imladris or the Green Dragon Inn and move to that same site 8 times - or, admittedly 9 player only, start at Mount Doom and continue on to Mount Doom...) with the idea of having a group wander into someone's bedroom.  (Frodo dies at site 2 with Sam in play - Sam, Aragorn, Merry and Pippin find Frodo's room in Rivendell despite him having been dead...)
In other words, the intention was a somewhat humorous reference...

Primatech Paper
Again, so hard to judge without seeing [Company] characters, so we'll see.

Okay, so I appear to have left out the fact that while [Heroes] is the Free Peoples culture and [Sylar] is the Shadow culture, the [Company] is a split culture, being represented on both sides.

[BattleWarg]

Well, looking at the cards completed, it seems that today's cards will be focused on the big bad of Heroes - Sylar.

Anyway, first is a card I mentioned previously, that pairs up with Brain Reading.  It's a bit of a gamble if your opponent's got condition removal and extra companion cards, but worth it if they use powers.

•Deskulled [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/d/da/Claire_DeSkulled_Again.jpg (Some blood - I don't think its too bad, but thought I'd give the warning just in case)
Condition • Support Area
Sylar is considered to have the names of each companion stacked here for the purposes of Brain Reading.
Companions stacked here are considered to be in the dead pile.
Response:  If a companion is about to be killed, spot Sylar to stack that companion here.


Of course, with all that support for Sylar - what does he look like?  Well, I like the commando...

•Sylar, Commando [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/2/22/Commando_Sylar_with_Luke.jpg
Minion • Man
9 Strength
3 Vitality
4 Site Number
Super.  When you play Sylar, you may reinforce a culture token.
Response:  If a minion is about to be discarded (unless that minion is killed), exert Sylar to shuffle that minion into your deck.

and who will be the most effective to use his ability with?  The non-Sylar [Sylar] minions!  There are three, so I'll start you with the first to show up...

•Jackie Wilcox, The Cheerleader [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/3/32/Union_Wells_hallways.JPG (looking for better picture...)
Minion • Man
3 Strength
1 Vitality
4 Home Site
Assignment:  Remove to assign Jackie Wilcox to a companion.  The Free Peoples player may exert that companion to prevent this.
Assignment:  Discard Jackie Wilcox to assign Sylar to an unbound companion.

Still...  even Sylar wasn't always evil.  The show itself showed a couple possible good Sylars, and being in an alternate world already, I had to cover that possibility...

•Gabriel Gray, A Normal Life [Company]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/9/94/Powers_Gabriel_telekinetically_moves_a_tray.jpg
Companion • Man
6 Strength
4 Vitality
6 Resistance
Super.  If Gabriel Gray has 0 resistance, discard him and exert each character.
Gabriel Gray is strength +1 for each burden.


And I'll leave you with a generic site, usful for all cultures (not all decks, admittedly, but most).

Kirby Plaza
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/e/e6/Kirby_plaza.jpg
At the start of the regroup phase, each player may reinforce a culture token.
<--

[DáinIronfoot]

•Deskulled [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/d/da/Claire_DeSkulled_Again.jpg (Some blood - I don't think its too bad, but thought I'd give the warning just in case)
Condition • Support Area
Sylar is considered to have the names of each companion stacked here for the purposes of Brain Reading.
Companions stacked here are considered to be in the dead pile.
Response:  If a companion is about to be killed, spot Sylar to stack that companion here.

I must be stupid. How does this tie in with Brain Reading? That dealt with powers, while this deals with characters. I just don't understand the connection. Can you explain further, perhaps with an example?

•Sylar, Commando [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/2/22/Commando_Sylar_with_Luke.jpg
Minion • Man
9 Strength
3 Vitality
4 Site Number
Super.  When you play Sylar, you may reinforce a culture token.
Response:  If a minion is about to be discarded (unless that minion is killed), exert Sylar to shuffle that minion into your deck.

Seems good to me.

•Jackie Wilcox, The Cheerleader [Sylar]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/3/32/Union_Wells_hallways.JPG (looking for better picture...)
Minion • Man
3 Strength
1 Vitality
4 Home Site
Assignment:  Remove to assign Jackie Wilcox to a companion.  The Free Peoples player may exert that companion to prevent this.
Assignment:  Discard Jackie Wilcox to assign Sylar to an unbound companion.

Awesome. Love the interaction between her and the Commando.

•Gabriel Gray, A Normal Life [Company]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/9/94/Powers_Gabriel_telekinetically_moves_a_tray.jpg
Companion • Man
6 Strength
4 Vitality
6 Resistance
Super.  If Gabriel Gray has 0 resistance, discard him and exert each character.
Gabriel Gray is strength +1 for each burden.

Fun! The better he gets, the more you're flirting with disaster. I like this a lot.

Kirby Plaza
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/e/e6/Kirby_plaza.jpg
At the start of the regroup phase, each player may reinforce a culture token.
<--

Good stuff.

[BattleWarg]

I must be stupid. How does this tie in with Brain Reading? That dealt with powers, while this deals with characters. I just don't understand the connection. Can you explain further, perhaps with an example?

Actually, that would be me...  See, I mentioned they tie in with each other without including anything to show how.
Well, there is a card to hint at it...

Intuitive Aptitude

But, for a better idea, you need a Free Peoples power, so let's see the one Sylar's wanted forever.

•Spontaneous Regeneration [Heroes]
Image:  http://heroeswiki.com/images/f/f2/Claire_burnt.JPG [Warning - somewhat bad; extensive faked burns]
Condition • Support Area
Power.  When you play Spontaneous Regeneration, you may spot Claire Bennet to add 2 [Heroes] tokens here.
Response:  If a skirmish involving Claire Bennet is about to end, you may remove a [Heroes] token here or discard this condition to heal her.

and for good measure...

Healing Blood [Heroes]
Event • Maneuver or Regroup
Power.  Exert Claire Bennet (or spot Claire Bennet and another [Heroes] companion) to heal another companion (or 2 [Company] characters).
You may remove 4 [Heroes] cards in your discard pile from the game to play this event from your discard pile.


So, with Spontaneous Regeneration in play, Brain Reading becomes:

•Brain Reading [Sylar]
Condition • Support Area
Power.  When you play Brain Reading, you may spot Claire Bennet to add 2 [Heroes] tokens here.
Response:  If a skirmish involving Claire Bennet is about to end, you may remove a [Heroes] token here or discard this condition to heal her.
Skirmish or Regroup:  Spot Sylar and remove to play a power event in any discard without paying its twilight cost, where X is 1 plus that event's twilight cost.

Obviously, it's not entirely useful for the minion player...  he can discard Brain Reading to heal Claire, but why would he?
Thus, Deskulled comes into play when Claire Bennet is killed.  She gets stacked on it, and Sylar is now also named Claire Bennet.  Now, Brain Reading can be used to heal Sylar.

and Healing Blood ends up as:

Healing Blood [Heroes]
Event • Skirmish or Regroup
Power.  Exert Claire Bennet or Sylar (or spot Claire Bennet or Sylar and another [Heroes] companion) to heal another companion (or 2 [Company] characters).
You may remove 4 [Heroes] cards in your discard pile from the game to play this event from your discard pile.

Now, in general, with her on Deskulled (thus in the dead pile), Claire Bennet won't be exertable or spotable and this just allows Sylar to use his blood to heal [Company] minions.


And this discussion points out something I need to include in the [Sylar] culture before it can be finished...