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.