Next Updates for the Hobbit Draft Game

[Durin's Heir]

- Elven Jails: Great! I really like it! "Return to hand" is shorter and gives a good flavor of a band of fugitives (they use hand slots while escaping, add full twilight when replayed, and reappear totally healed). Bravo!

But needs some slight changes. "It's owner's hand" is wrong, should be "their owner's hand" (as refers to the plural "companions"). Also we need to compress the text a bit more, according to my measuring method. "Companions stacked here" can be changed to "cards stacked here". The word "card" can be erased in "when this card is discarded" (similar to Namarie or Ceremonial Armor). Finally, in the active skill you can change the order of a word to use better each line's room: "stack a companion assigned to a skirmish here" to "stack here a companion assigned to a skirmish." That should be enough.


- Borders of the Forest: By merely revealing the event, you can remove 2* and discard X surviving Orcs (fierce Orcs tend to survive less), and the exact same event will be nullifying each try. Mocking Goblin doesn't have that problem, since needs the event to be discarded. So I'd change it to "unless the FP player discards a Free Peoples event from hand." Any FP event, including now , and (like Barrels ).

Since the skill requires Orcs and this condition to remain until regroup, Ancestral Knowledge won't stand with crossed arms, while pumps and direct wounding events will often counter the Orc part by being played. Then mainly events to set up, heal and summon allies will he held in hand to stop this condition's menace. That'll impair well those specific events (and also the use of Ori, Óin and Gwaihir).


- Elf-Guards: Found a potential abuse: you may play no minions at all, in order to skip directly to the regroup phase and prevent counters (Ancestral Knowledge, Sting and Bifur), also saving twilight by the way for a potential double move. Changing it to "at the end of the maneuver phase" will force some minion to be played and thus Ancestral Knowledge can try to discard it before triggering, or Sting and Bifur after (if a minion survives the archery phase). And would work at site 9 (where the Elf host besieged the Lonely Mountain).

(Must be after followers are attached, and since followers are optional and this card is a required action, it cannot happen "at the start of the maneuver phase." "At the end" of such phase will be enough.)

Alike Dark Sorcery, should say "a Free Peoples card borne by a companion" to include the Dale weapons, Old Thrush and Gwaihir. By triggering at (the end of) maneuver, it'd affect skirmishes more as the FP support would be removed before they take place, so including more cultures to discard should balance that power increase.

[-Enola-]

Thanks, I made some changes on these 3 cards. Tell me if it's ok now.

[Durin's Heir]

I'm really sorry to be so late again . I've had troubles with both my health and my computer...


- Elven Jails: Much better. "Remove " seems fine, but raise it to in case you make Braga "lurker" again (any lurker minion facing a Dwarf will easily fulfill Elven Jails' trigger, EVEN if Bilbo is assigned to another minion)

- Borders of the Forest: I like the Shadow skill's effect, but would have a much better flavor if the cost was "discard an Orc from play." About Gandalf, the skill seems not totally right lorewise (only Thráin can explain it), but seems good for gameplay as this Shadow has worse chances against figthing allies and/or a strong Gandalf.

- The Elvenking: Cool card, works like Siege Engine. Fortunately there's no condition nukes here, but still this Shadow will fall too easily if there's no protection for conditions. I like it!

- Ancient Grudge: Making minions fierce only at certain (low) sites is simply too superfluous. I'd change it to "Each minion at a forest is fierce", which triggers at all sites 5 (btw forget about site 3, they were friends) but also at any other you want to force. The Skirmish skill seems fine.

The pack has currently only pictures and themes of the imprisonment at Mirkwood, and nothing for the Siege of Erebor. I'd prefer for this card a picture of the close melee between the Iron Hills Dwarves and Thranduil's soldiers!


- Elf-guards: Better at archery. But I still think it should include the [Dale] Weapons... makes no sense that the Wood elves wouldn't confiscate them if somehow the Company would've carried them in that stage of the Quest. Also, (besides Orcrist) in the book they only took from them knives and bows given by Beorn, which should be here if ever included.

If the problem is discarding Gwaihir and the Old Thrush, you can try this: "At the start of the archery phase, add a doubt (or 2 doubts at a forest site). The Free Peoples player may discard a card (or a weapon) borne by a companion to prevent this."

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Before I forget, I made this prototype for Balin's pack, I think it'd be cool to have some brotherly interaction:

Brothers In Arms
Event • Fellowship or Skirmish
Exert a companion to spot a companion and either heal him or make him strength +3.
If both companions are Balin and Dwalin or Fili and Kili, you may return this event to your hand at the end of this phase.
"I will carry him, if I must!"

A Dwarf helps another Dwarf. They share the peril. In skirmish, it can heal a Dwarf that otherwise'd be killed by wounds, or save a Dwarf from losing a skirmish or be overwhelmed. In fellowship, they simply share the burden. If both Dwarves are blood brothers, their mutual help will be much more frequent.


Hope this helps.

[-Enola-]

Mirkwood Shadow:

Borders of the Forest: Ok, great idea.

Ancient Grudge: I will change the picture . The idea is to use Rhudaur to grab conditions to set up the Shadow. I think the new text is better now.

Elf-guards: I think the text could be a bit long with your addition. The targets are the followers more than the weapons.


Balin Pack

Great idea, I want a simpler card. The text will change with the tests.

[Durin's Heir]

Mirkwood Shadow:

- Borders of the Forest: Considering it might arrive too late in the game (and the cost isn't low), I'd either change it to "(limit twice per phase)" or add a new phase to the special ability, like "Shadow or Maneuver" or "Shadow or Skirmish".

- Ancient Grudge: Very interesting! It'll work wonders with Orcrist, rising the chances of Elf-Guards of discarding it (if the Company is being troubled by Orcs). It'll interact niftily with Thranduil (he'll be able to erase the fierce effect, at a very high cost), and exactly in the opposite way with the Thorin, Thráin and Dáin packs. Also, will often trigger at site 3 for Rhudaur to work, as you wanted. 

I think this loretext might do well here, an extract from The Hobbit book that fits marvelously well with the Nauglamír incident told much later in the Silmarillion: "...for they did not love dwarves... though Thorin's family had had nothing to do with the old quarrel..."


- Elf-Guards: I don't think my version is too long (only 5 lines). By now, all weapons for Dwarves are cultured, except for the [Dale] Iron-Forged Weapons. Still, the DoS film gives pictures of Thorin using a "Beorning Bow," and doesn't take too much effort to create such a weapon if we ever wished:

Beorning Bow
Strength +1
Possession • Ranged Weapon
Bearer must be a companion.
If bearer is Thorin, he is an archer.
Each time the special ability of a Shadow card is used, you may exert bearer to exert a minion.
"...he had bent his bow and fitted an arrow in case any hidden guardian of the boat appeared."

The bow of a keen and wary traveller. A mere example (it doesn't fit any pack in the current Extension). But illustrates my point.


Balin Pack:

- Brothers in Arms: Ok for a simpler version. But +2 str to EVERY Dwarf worries me, is similar to the mighty Lend Us Your Aid (Thorin + Orcrist + followers... and +2 str!). Also, you can save 2 copies for +4 str at site 9 (an easy happy ending). So I'd limit its effect to only the pair of brothers you choose:

Brothers In Arms
Event • Maneuver
Spot Balin and Dwalin (or Fili and Kili) to heal them once and make them strength +2 until the regroup phase.
"I will carry him, if I must!"

Keep in mind those 4 Dwarves have very cool exert-to-use special abilities, so healing 2 of them allows those skills to be used much more often (we that for Balin!). Also, by being both healed and pumped, those defenders will have much better stats to fight and survive tough battles. The specific combos would be:

- Balin & Dwalin: you can make Dwalin defender +1 and recycle a FP event for totally free!
- Fili & Kili: it comes too soon for their skills to be used for free, but makes them much better fighters while Fili's protection makes self-exhausting a Dwarf (like his brother Kili) much less perilous. (To make Kili's skill free, it should be at "Maneuver or Archery" or so.)


Elrond Pack: What do you think about this card?

Hold Ranks!
Event • Fellowship or Regroup
Exert a companion to take into hand an or [Mirkwood] card from your draw deck or discard pile.
"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thráin... I knew Thrór when he ruled Under the Mountain."

(Yes, evil Elves too!) It kinda replaces the current "Unveiling Moon Runes Secrets." But Elrond's interpretation of the map is important for the story, so I'd remove instead "A Wise Advice"(superfluous to my taste) and keep "Unveiling Moon Runes Secrets" with another effect. Also, I'd rename it to simply "Cirth Ithil!".

[-Enola-]

Mirkwood Shadow:

- Borders of the Forest: Sure, but the first effect will be still very useful. Moreover, the condition The Elvenking will be stronger with one more [Mirkwood] condition in game.

- Ancient Grudge: Great . Thanks for the lore text.

- Elf-Guards: Sure, but I want simple cards. The lore behind this card is still here.

I'm not sure that we will find a pack to put this weapon in .


Balin Pack:

- Brothers in Arms: Ok the event is better now. But an event based on possessions (as the whole pack) would be great. And a simple event! .




Elrond Pack:

- Hold Ranks!: Great! I don't like an event with different phases, so fellowship phase would be enough. Maybe an event? Like the whole pack? The pack needs then a [Mirkwood] card.

I have no idea at the moment for a new text for Unveiling Moon Runes Secrets.

[Durin's Heir]

Mirkwood Shadow:

- Borders of the Forest: True and true. Besides, if the game is ending and you still don't draw your other [Mirkwood] conditions, then something must be wrong with your deck (too large probably); at site 9 you can still get 1 condition, and maybe wound an ally twice by the way.

- Ancient Grudge: I'm glad you liked it. I'm impatient to see the new version with the new pic.

- Elf-Guards: Alright. Main deck provides 1x weapon + 6x followers, + 1x TMOMK. The Supplementary packs only add to that pile.


Balin Pack:

- Brothers in Arms: I'd prefer possessions that interact with events like this one. I mean, Balin was more a wise and experienced leader/councellor than a resourceful trader/smith . Still, the card uses only 4 lines by now (3 for gametext +1 for lore), so there's good room for a small addition that interacts with possessions... something like this (2 lines merely): 

Brothers In Arms
Event • Maneuver
Spot Balin and Dwalin (or Fili and Kili) to heal them once and make them strength +2 until the regroup phase.
You may discard 2 possessions to play this event from your discard pile.
"I will carry him, if I must!

Or even "to return this event to your hand." But the idea is that they can ditch the treasure and their equipment and run to help their brothers.


Elrond Pack:

- Hold Ranks!: Fellowship phase is enough. I prefer , but will still do the trick. The idea of being a card was to show the Dwarves' distrust for Elves (every other "distrust" card is a [Mirkwood] card showing Elves distrusting Dwarves).

About the [Mirkwood] card, I don't think it's necessary to include one to keep Hold Ranks' interaction with that culture; the Thorin pack has Goblin Song (which can be replayed by the Great Goblin) but no Great Goblin. Also, there's already a lot of [Mirkwood] support area cards showing "Elf distrusts Dwarf." If I were to include a [Mirkwood] card in the Elrond pack, I'd try instead with a "plays on a Dwarf" condition, to try a different approach...

Secretive People [Mirkwood]
Condition
Plays on a companion.
Bearer may not be healed by cards.
Each time an ally is assigned to a skirmish, exert bearer. The Free Peoples player may add a doubt to prevent this.
"It is the legacy of my people; it is mine to protect, as are its secrets."


But Sauron will be important in this Extension, to interact with the Swarm pack. Just like the Catapult and Bridging Trolls interacting with Boulder Rock. Then there's 3 cards for 2 slots only, so I'd remove the Scouting Warg, but that's merely my opinion.


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- Beorning Bow: I know, it was a mere example. There's a lack of room for this kind of cards in the limited current card pool. And I believe it happens because almost all Sup packs (except Travellers only, and perhaps the White Council and Dáin) are designed around specific characters and cultures, but not around important stages and events of the story. Then most card slots are used for representative characters and items, and very few is left for events and less important people and tools.

For instance, the Thorin Pack compiles things from Azanulbizar (the Oakenshield), the Unexpected Party (Dwarven Song), the Goblin Town escape (Goblin Song), the Siege of Erebor (Mithril Coat, Great Barricade, both Arkenstones)... all concern Thorin, it's ok. But there's no "Battle of Azanulbizar Pack" to develop furtherly the ideas about it (like the Burned Dwarves, Thrór, Nár, Azog as "King of Moria"...); Du Bekar is about Azanulbizar too, but comes in another pack, so the theme is scattered and loses depth in development. There's no "Reclaiming Erebor pack" showing the Company vs Smaug (improvised "fortifications," Bilbo and Smaug's mind games, Thorin's thirst of revenge, Smaug's Fire Breath...), nor a "Battle of the Five Armies pack" with interactions between the 3 Good cultures vs the 2 bad ones (with some smaller characters like the brave Hilda Bianca leading the weary and elderly "Esgaroth Refugees"). So all those tasty details have no room, and must be placed in the trash can. Or perhaps in new packs in this (or another) Extension?


So this Beorning Bow would fit well in the Wizard pack (or a "Beorn pack") if we talk about "character packs." About "Situation packs," it'd be well in a "Flies and Spiders pack" (or even in the Travellers pack). But there's no room now.


EDIT: Made some changes, which are written in blue.

[-Enola-]

Thanks, for your answer. I will think about the text of Brothers in Arms.

Sure, The Great Goblin isn't in the Thorin Pack, but he is now in 2/3 Swarm Packs. In the Elrond Pack, a card would be great, and also a Warg. Elrond doesn't cause so much troubles to the Dwarves.

The Blue Mountains pack could be rethematized in something else. But I want something around followers. It will be the last Supplementary Pack.


Any thoughts about the Shadow?

[-Enola-]

All the current version of the cards. I didn't update the first post yet.

http://hobbitdraftgame.free.fr/ShadowPack3.html

And probably a new Gandalf : http://hobbitdraftgame.free.fr/Cards_Good_def/NewGandalf2.png

[Dictionary]

Hi there,

Since the cards are now visible on Gemp, I've been reading through some that pop up in the deck builder. Not sure if this is the right thread to post this in, but I noticed a typo in one of the cards: Gloin, Father of Gimli says "Skimirsh" instead of "Skirmish". I don't know if you have plans to change things at this point, but I thought I would let you know.

Looking forward to playing the game on Gemp. Fingers crossed on the fixes this week.

[-Enola-]

Thanks, I will change it soon.

I also hope we will play the Hobbit on gemp soon.

[Zacharr]

Hi Enola/ Durin's Heir,

I just wanted to post that (a) I've been using the idea of a Dale culture in my own personal rendition of a hobbit set (for me and my brother and friends), and that while I was at it I managed what I think to be an improvement on the blanks for the Dale culture

I'm attaching them to this post in case you want to use them, though I don't know if it's more of a pain to use than they are worth. In any case, I love what you're doing and here are some Dale-culture blanks!

[-Enola-]

Thanks a lot for your work Zacharr, these Dale-culture blanks are beautiful. I want to replace my Dale blanks with yours, but I need a better definition for them.
In order to avoid too much pixels, my image dimensions are 1495x2078. I can give you the blanks I used to make my Dale cards, can you transform them?

[Zacharr]

I absolutely can transform them!
If you noticed, I kept your Dale symbol in there. My test dummy card was your copy of Bain in fact 

All I would need is a blank Dale "other" card, and a blank Dale "character" card. I can make artifact from the other easily

[-Enola-]

PM sent .