New Ringer bearer?

[Fantasy Man]

What are the "new" rules regarding the ring-bearer? I have the rulebook that says Frodo is the ring bearer and Sam takes the ring if Frodo dies. I have some new ring bearers from Reflections, can they start alongside Frodo while not bearing the ring? If Frodo dies, can a ring bearer from Reflections take the ring instead? Or can Isildur start as the ring bearer, and Frodo take over the ring if he dies or is corrupted?

[thetimewarptrio]

You can use alternate ring bearers as regular companions if you really want, but that really isn't their intended purpose. Just look at Boromir, Bearer of Council. He has no signet, and only one real ability. The idea is that you make sacrifices (risky abilities, low resistance) for a better fighter, and the ability to start another big companion. For example, Isildur is a must-have in a Gondor Knight deck. As is Boromir, in a Noble Leaders deck (start with him and Aragorn, or him, Faramir, and Denethor).

However, you can't have one ringbearer take over for another. In the case of Sam, it was always "if Frodo dies, make Sam the ringbearer." A wise person once told me "always do exactly what the card says", and no version of Frodo or any other ring-bearer says to take over when another ring-bearer dies. In fact, if a ring-bearer is corrupted, (including Frodo) not even Sam can take over for him. That's game, no matter what.

[dmaz]

The only case in which you don't do "exactly what the card says" here is when Frodo, Frenzied Fighter dies, and you have RB Response Sam in play Technically if Frodo died, Sam should take the ring from whoever is current Ringbearer if you did exactly what the card said.

I think Decipher made a special ruling surrounding that though to avoid confusion

[Durin's Heir]

Another important point: the only Frodo you can play if he's not the Ringbearer is Frenzied Fighter.

Such a pity , it would be awesome to start Bilbo as RB with 4 hobbits at Movie Block to get another defender, get a great skill of your choice like Courteous Halfling or Old Bilbo's Heir, put Held on him and make Sam Great Elf Warrior base strength 8...

[dmaz]

I did a test game with Held on Frenzied Fighter and see what he does at site 9...nothing happens it appears. At the very least I figured his resistance should drop to 0.
Would have been more fun if he turned into a minion that you had to skirmish

[Durin's Heir]

A minion Frodo, that would be cool! Self-assignable to the RB...

The problem in respect of Held bringing his resistance to 0, is that it says "When the fellowship moves to site 9" so it would last a mere instant, after the fellowship has moved it hasn't any effect.

By the way, I always wanted a condition transferrable to a companion with resistance 0 that turns that companion into a minion. To load a tank Durin III, Elendil, Aragorn, Eomer... with resistance modifiers and turn him against his owner!

[Fantasy Man]

Just to clear some confusion regarding ring-bound companions... why do the rules say that all versions of Frodo and Sam are ring-bound, when only some versions have the keyword on the actual card?

I have Bilbo, Bearer of things Burgled in my starting fellowship, alongside Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer, and Frodo is the ring bearer. Is this against the rules as long as only Sam take the ring if Frodo dies? Is it against the rules to play Frodo if he is not the ring bearer?
I know that version of Bilbo sucks btw, I just use him because it's the only companion version I have of Bilbo, and I need to use Consorting with Wizards.

[Durin's Heir]

Just to clear some confusion regarding ring-bound companions... why do the rules say that all versions of Frodo and Sam are ring-bound, when only some versions have the keyword on the actual card?

Because that word was introduced in Set 4 (The Two Towers), so previous versions got no chance of having it printed.

I have Bilbo, Bearer of things Burgled in my starting fellowship, alongside Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer, and Frodo is the ring bearer. Is this against the rules as long as only Sam take the ring if Frodo dies? Is it against the rules to play Frodo if he is not the ring bearer?

1. Nope, it's not against the rules to play Bilbo not as RB, and to make Sam get the Ring if a ringbearer Frodo is killed.
2. Is against the rules to play a version of Frodo with the "ringbearer" keyword, if you have an alternative ringbearer in play. And the only version of Frodo which can't be the Ringbearer is Frenzied Fighter (he costs ), you can play that Frodo if (and only if) Bilbo, Sam Bearer of Great Need, Isildur... is your RB.

I know that version of Bilbo sucks btw, I just use him because it's the only companion version I have of Bilbo, and I need to use Consorting with Wizards.

Not at all! That Bilbo is almost immortal as ringbearer, using Such a Weight to Carry, Consorting with Wizards, O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!, The Tale of the Great Ring and a Hobbit Sword, and you can protect those tales with Pippin Friend to Frodo or Scouring of the Shire. And draw LOTS of cards with Red Book of Westmarch. And abuse the healing machine of The Shire Countryside with A Light in His Mind and initiative loss-recovery (you have 4 cards in hand and play a tale, so you lose initiative, remove a burden which triggers TSC, and trigger the Red Book to draw a card and regain initiative)...

[Fantasy Man]

I'd much rather have Bilbo, Aged Ring-Bearer! He can remove burdens, while Bilbo, Bearer of things Burgled just adds tons of burdens. I've never used his game text even once (add a burden to play a tale in regroup) because I already get so many burdens just by moving... Bilbo, Melancholy Hobbit seems a lot better too, as he actually has a useful game text. In my opinion, Bilbo, Aged Ring Bearer is one of the worst cards ever