• Oin, Son of Groin
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1. Hunter 1.
When you play Oin (except in your starting fellowship), you may spot another Dwarf to draw a card for each burden you can spot.
”’Well, of course you haven’t seen Oin and Gloin yet.’”
U1

Cool.

• Gloin, Elder Dwarf
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
Maneuver: Exert Gloin to heal a companion bearing a follower.
”Gloin lit several more torches....”
R2

I feel there isn’t much of an ability here, it’s just replacing one wound with another (and then only if they have a follower on them). Maybe he should be hunter 1 as well.

• Dori, Decent Fellow
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
While you can spot a companion, Dori can take only 1 wound per skirmish phase.
”’Dori at your service!’”
U3

By far the best subtitle for any dwarf in the book - i know because i used it! Nice way of working with Bilbo.

• Nori, Dwarven Adventurer
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
While Nori is in your starting fellowship, his twilight cost is -1.
”...Nori and Ori were there almost before he had stopped....”
U4

Simple and useful. Use Dain Ironfoot, King Under the Mountain and he’s free!

• Ori, Of the House of Durin
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
Skirmish: Exert Ori and add 1 to take a skirmish event from your discard pile into hand (limit once per turn).
”...Ori, Oin, and Gloin were waterlogged and seemed only half alive....”
U5

That’s some more honed for me, then...

• Dwalin, Companion of Thrain
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
Each time a Shadow card exerts a companion, you may draw a card.
”...Dwalin and Balin were two of the most unhappy....”
R6

Was he a companion of Thrain? I’d never heard it. Balin might have been, but he’s older than his brother. It seems to be a theme with the dwarves taking advantage of a shadow player’s strategy. Interesting. Determined Uruk, but the other way.

• Fili, Dwarven Adventurer
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1. Hunter 1.
Regroup: Exert Fili to remove [X], where X is the number of minions you can spot.
”’…Fili is the youngest and has the best sight….’”
U7

Cool.

• Kili, Dwarven Adventurer
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1. Hunter 1.
Fellowship: Exert Kili and add X threats to draw X cards (limit 3).
”Fili and Kili, however, who were young (for dwarves) and had also been packed more neatly with plenty of straw into smaller casks, came out more or less smiling, with only a bruise or two and a stiffness that soon wore off.”
U8

With such a high limit, it might as well not be there. I’d make the limit 2, otherwise it might be too powerful an ability to put on a companion.

• Bifur, Dwarf of Erebor
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
Each time Bifur wins a skirmish, you may remove .
”Bifur and Bofur were less knocked about and drier….”
C9

Dwarven choke, now there’s an idea.Could he remove , he’s not that good in a fight?

• Bofur, Dwarf of Khazad-dum
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
Each time you play a possession on Bofur, you may add to heal him.
”Up came Bofur, and still all was safe.”
C10

Is he a Dwarf of Khazad-dum? Certainly not till after The Hobbit. Nice ability though.

• Bombur, Fattest and Last
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 5
Vitality: 4
Resistance: 6
Muster.
Fellowship: Exert Bombur twice to heal a companion and draw 2 cards.
”’And me!’ gasped Bombur pulling up behind. He was fat, and also angry at being left till last. He refused to wait five minutes, and followed immediately after the other two.”
U11

Currently, he can heal himself and use his ability twice. Is that your intention? Also, it’s a bit of a shame that he’s the only one so far without a damage bonus.

• Balin, Look-out Man
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
Each time a minion is played, you may exert Balin twice to return that minion to its owner’s hand.
”He crept still nearer, and suddenly he saw peering between two big boulders a head with a red hood on: it was Balin doing look-out.”
R12

That’s a powerful ability on a companion. Should there be more cultural enforcement on him?

• Thorin II, Oakenshield
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
Damage +1.
To play, spot a Dwarf.
While Thorin II is in your starting fellowship, his twilight cost is -1.
Each time Thorin II wins a skirmish, you may reinforce a token.
While Thorin II bears an artifact, he gains muster.
”Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain!" said the dwarf in a loud voice, and he looked it, in spite of his torn clothes and draggled hood. The gold gleamed on his neck and waist: his eyes were dark and deep.”
R13

Love the artifact thing, obviously, but do you think tokens is actually a viable strategy? Unless you’ve got some DCs in mind, I haven’t seen any evidence that it is.

• Thorin’s Harp
Artifact
Resistance +1
Bearer must be Thorin.
Maneuver: Exert Thorin to draw a card for each roaming minion you can spot (limit 3).
Regroup: Discard this artifact to heal Thorin.
”It was a beautiful golden harp, and when Thorin struck it the music began all at once, so sudden and sweet that Bilbo forgot everything else, and was swept away into dark lands under strange moons, far over The Water and very far from his hobbit-hole under The Hill.”
R14

This needs a subtitle now (stupid Decipher for stealing our card titles). Nice.

Dwarf Pony
Possession • Mount
Resistance +1
Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Maneuver: Discard this possession to draw a card.
”They were on ponies, and each pony was slung about with all kinds of baggages, packages, parcels, and paraphernalia.”
C15

Why would you draw cards in the maneuver phase? Would you just hope it’s an event that you can use?

At Your Service!
Event • Maneuver
Spot 3 Dwarves and exert a Dwarf to make another Dwarf defender +1 until the regroup phase.
”They thanked him, of course, with many bows and sweepings of their hoods and with many an ‘at your service….’”
U16

The cost is complicated. Should be, ’To play, spot 3 Dwarves.’ Then, ’Exert a dwarf...’

• Dain Ironfoot, Lord of the Iron Hills
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
Regroup: Exert Dain Ironfoot X times to place X wounds on minions.
”With cries of ‘Moria!’ and ‘Dain, Dain!’ the dwarves of the Iron Hills plunged in, wielding their mattocks, upon the other side….”
R17

I feel like I’d rather kill the minions with damage bonuses, or discard them with blood runs chill. The ability needs more for me.

Dwarf of the Iron Hills
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Damage +1.
Skirmish: Exert this companion to make another Dwarf strength +2 (or +3 and damage +1 if skirmishing an Orc).
”...the ravens brought news that Dain and more than five hundred dwarves, hurrying from the Iron Hills….”
U18

Let’s slay some orcs! Yeah!

Silver-hafted Axe
Artifact • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Each time bearer wins a skirmish, you may add to heal a companion bearing an artifact (or if the fellowship has moved more than once this turn).
”Royal indeed did Thorin look, clad in a coat of gold-plated rings, with a silver hafted axe in a belt crusted with scarlet stones.”
U19

Cool card. Interesting with the one that removes twilight (I’ve seen so many cards, I don’t remember them any more).

Dwarven Cloak
Possession • Cloak
Resistance +1
Bearer must be a Dwarf or Bilbo.
When you play this possession, you may add to draw a card.
”...and Bilbo was wearing a dark-green hood (a little weather-stained) and a dark-green cloak borrowed from Dwalin.”
C20

Do Dwarves particularly need resistance, or is it just for the hell of it or for Gimli, bearer of grudges?

• Two-handed Mattock
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Maneuver: Exert bearer twice and add to make each minion lose its special abilities until the regroup phase.
”In battle they wielded heavy two-handed mattocks….”
R21

Powerful.

Dwarven Helm
Possession • Helm
Bearer must be a Dwarf.
Skirmish: If bearer is about to take a wound, discard this possession and add to prevent that.
”Their caps were of iron….”
C22

Not as good as Gimli’s helm or dwarven bracers. Does it need to add twilight?

Wielding Their Mattocks
Event • Skirmish
Make a Dwarf bearing a hand weapon strength +2 (or +5 if you can spot more minions than companions).
”…the dwarves of the Iron Hills plunged in, wielding their mattocks….”
C23

Come Swiftly To Us
Event • Skirmish
Exert a Dwarf to make another companion strength +1 for each minion you can spot (limit +5).
”’Let Dain son of Nain come swiftly to us!’”
C24

I’ve talked about those two already. Interesting how they take advantage of what the shadow player does (which I’ve noted already).

• Orcrist, Orc-biter
Artifact • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be Thorin. He is damage +1.
Each time an Orc is played, you may discard a tale to make that Orc strength -2 until the regroup phase.
”’This, Thorin, the runes name Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver in the ancient tongue of Gondolin; it was a famous blade.’”
R25

Gotta love slaying Orcs. And an artifact, very important. It’s always bothered me that Glamdring and Sting are possessions when they’re blades from the first age.