I could see a (strange) deck trying to use this.
It would absolutely be a strange deck, but I see
and
as cultures that deserve a share of overlap. They're neighbors, after all!
I like it, though probably could use weather cards, rather than conditions. That way you might actually consider using Cruel Charadras.
Good catch! I've changed it to target weather cards.
While my mind is on the subject of
/
working together...
•Unferth, Worm's Lackey Minion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 2
Site Number: 3
Unferth is strength +1 for each other Shadow Man you can spot (limit +3).
At the start of each assignment phase, you may spot 3
Men to kill an ally.
"'Let others deal with these irksome guests.'"1V? (
4C178)
This new
Unferth gels with
and
, and can kill allies if left unchecked.
Unferth's Bodyguards Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site Number: 3
Damage +1.At the start of each assignment phase, you may spot 3
Men to wound an ally (or kill a villager).
"Wonder was in their eyes but little friendliness; and they looked darkly upon Gandalf."1V? (
6R57)
The bodyguard's bodyguards! This minion doesn't relate to other cultures, but it's hard to avoid writing cards for
Men when given an opportunity to do so, neglected subculture that it is.
Down From the Foothills Event • Maneuver
Spell.Exert Saruman thrice and spot 3
Men to spot an unbound companion's signet. Until the regroup phase, each unbound companion with that signet is strength -5, loses all
defender bonuses, and must exert each time he or she takes a wound during a skirmish.
"...Saruman had told them that the men of Rohan were cruel and burned their captives alive."1V? (
13C87)
Here's a nod to
Down From the Hills except it's a toy of Saruman's: goading an entire population to sudden and brutal war!
Rabble-rouser is great and all but now
has a reason to try out other personas of Saruman, or they now have access to a second way of burning through
Rabble-rouser's vitality.
And one more:
•Seat of Orthanc Artifact • Support Area
To play, spot Saruman.
At the end of each phase, you may exert Saruman to stack your
or
minion here.
Shadow: Remove
to take a card stacked here into hand.
"'I have not brought you hither to be instructed by you, but to give you a choice.'"1V? (
17R39)
I figure what
/
needs is a way to fix its minion drops. Of course you still need Saruman to make this work, but fortunately once he's out he can stack himself!
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Is there a rule that ring bearers cannot be removed from the game like how they can't be discarded or returned to hand? If not, my Bilbo RB is unkillable, I play 4 Riding Like the Wind and win. It probably should spot an elf, or even 'spot two elves (or Cirdan)', anyway.
I left a bunch of text out that would have covered that base, but I figured if you put your Ring-bearer out of play you automatically lose. As for a To Play requirement, I agree completely. I've gone with "To play, exert 2 Elves" since that includes allies.
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I would never use this card. Even if I knew I'd be able to play it, I still wouldn't. I could have drawn that card by not having this one in my deck.
Haha fair point! I couldn't tell you what my starting intentions were when I wrote the card. What about this:
Whispers of a Nameless Fear Event • Response
Spell.If a Shadow artifact or Shadow search card is played, spot Gandalf to draw a card, then each companion gains
muster until the end of the turn.
"'The Enemy is fast becoming very strong. His plans are far from ripe, I think, but they are ripening. We shall be hard put to it.'"1V? (
3C36)
Now the only limiting factor is having to react to something the Shadow does, but it's totally free minus a card slot. Muster is extended to every companion.
---
Perhaps it should only work for a ring bound hobbit ringbearer, but this seems so whacky! Release Them x4 and voila! You can now use Unbound Companions and a Smeagol RB.
Thank you x2 for pointing out the synergy with
Release Them - I love it so much I've given Smeagol a new subtitle and picture since it's clear to me that this Smeagol is the "cute" Smeagol. Docile. Wouldn't hurt a fly, this one!
•Sméagol, Nice Sméagol Companion
Strength: 3
Vitality: 4
Signet: Frodo
Ring-bound. To play, add a burden.
Unless Sméagol is the Ring-bearer, the Ring-bearer is strength +2 and may not put on The One Ring.
Response: If the Ring-bearer is killed and no player can spot a Ring-bound Hobbit, make Sméagol the
Ring-bearer (
resistance 4 minus the current region number).
"'But there's two of them. They'll wake too quick and kill us,' whined Sméagol in a last effort. 'Not now. Not yet.'"1V? (
18U37)
I prevented the first effect from applying to Smeagol if/whenever he gets the Ring, since putting it back on his finger would be the only thing on his mind.
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I doubt I'd use this: only works in region 3 (so max on 2 turns), and if it's drawing 4+ cards, your deck has Chief Counsellor problems. But it seems fine balance-wise
Yup. It's tricky. Ooh what if:
Coronation of the King Event • Fellowship
Tale. To play, spot the fellowship in region 3.
Exert Aragorn twice to draw a card for each culture you can spot in the fellowship, then reinforce up to 3 culture tokens, each of a different culture.
You may remove from the game 4 other
cards in your discard pile to play this event from your discard pile. Then remove this event from the game.
"'The King of Gondor and Lord of the Western Lands... and he has taken back all his ancient realm. He will ride soon to his crowning, but he waits for you.'"1V? (
12R124)
It's a mouthful now but at least you wouldn't have to bother holding onto it? Just cycle through it and play it when you want to.
---
Condition recursion (above Host of Moria) is a minimum of what they require to be playable.
So maybe something like...
Dark Domain Condition • Support Area
When you play this condition, you may place 3
Orcs from your discard pile beneath your draw deck to play a
condition from your discard pile.
Regroup: Remove
to play a
condition from your discard pile. Discard this condition.
"Away beyond the shadows at the western end of the hall there came cries and horn-calls."1V? (
11S112)
It's expensive but get a few of them rotating each other in-and-out of play and you might just stand a chance against
Secret Sentinels or
Sleep, Caradhras. Maybe?
---
Southrons are viable in Expanded. But they have enough ways of getting their mounts already that are far easier to play.
So what you're saying is I need to make this crazier.
Many Forces Marshalled Event • Response
If a besieger or a Nazgûl is killed during a skirmish, play a
mount from your draw deck or discard pile on each of your Southrons; each mount's twilight cost is -2.
"...fortune had betrayed him for the moment, and the world had turned against him; victory was slipping from his grasp even as he stretched out his hand to seize it. But his arm was long. He was still in command, wielding great powers."1V? (
8C63)
You're right on the money that this card needs the payoff to be larger than the cost, which in this case is diluting your Shadow side by mixing cultures.
Now every Southron gets a mumak! (I did also add "during a skirmish" which might kill the card again; lemme know what you think.)
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Seems appropriately costed due to difficulty to play. I'm sure you have some way in mind outside of These are my People
I didn't have anything in mind when I wrote the card but here's a few options for how relics might come into play:
•Troll's Hoard (Mountain)
Condition • Support Area
Each time an artifact or possession is discarded from play, spot your
Troll to add a
token here.
Skirmish: Make your
Troll strength +1 for each
token here. If that Troll loses the skirmish, discard this condition.
When this condition is discarded, the Free Peoples player may play a relic from his or her discard pile.
1V? (
1R189)
I see the
Trolls as being almost-exclusively good at strength, but somewhat-easily avoidable.
Trollshaw Vagrant (Mountain)
Minion • Troll
Strength: 12
Vitality: 2
Site Number: 2 (Or Cunning: 2)*
Damage +1. Lurker.Each time the fellowship moves, discard this minion.
"But they were trolls. Obviously trolls. Even Bilbo, in spite of his sheltered life, could see that: from the great heavy faces of them, and their size, and the shape of their legs, not to mention their language, which was not drawing-room fashion at all, at all."1V? (
19P22)
*In my imaginary "Second Edition"/"Fourth Age" version of the game, the adventure path has yet again been completely overhauled, melding the best of everything and opening games up to the fabled 27-site adventure (if that's the sort of game you want). In this format each site now carries culture icons on it, designating what sorts of characters are roaming there. Anything that matches is native to that site and pays no roaming penalty. (There are also strategies for "diverting" an opponent's fellowship down a non-ideal path, sometimes even breaking the fellowship.) With the jettison of Resistance as a global Free Peoples character, now every character has Cunning (and sometimes a Signet as well). ...or not. It's all just a playground of intermittent game-design-fancy.
In either case, Trollshaw Vagrant's third stat would be 2.
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•Mithril-coat, Gift of Thorin Artifact • Armor
Vitality +1
Relic. (This card may only be played from your discard pile.) Bearer must be a Ring-bound Hobbit.
Each minion skirmishing bearer loses all
damage bonuses.
Response: If you have initiative and a Ring-bound Hobbit is about to take a wound, discard 3 cards from hand and play this artifact from your discard pile onto that Hobbit to prevent that wound.
"'A corslet of Moria-silver? That was a kingly gift!'"1V? (
3C112)
It doesn't factor-away strength bonuses as
Mithril-coat does, but like
Dwarf-mail it catches
damage bonuses. Gift of Thorin comes with a Vitality bonus but you can only get to by way of the discard pile.
---
Gift of Parting Event • Response
If the fellowship moves from a river dwelling site, discard an Elf ally with vitality X to play up to X
artifacts or possessions from your discard pile.
"'We have drunk the cup of parting,' she said, 'and the shadows fall between us. But before you go, I have brought in my ship gifts which the Lord and the Lady of the Galadhrim now offer you in memory of Lothlórien.'"1V? (
1R253)
Of course there's easier ways:
Treasure Chest Possession •
Dwelling
At the start of your turn, you may exert a
ally to play a
artifact or weapon from your discard pile.
Shadow: Discard this possession to add
.
"The legend of Bilbo's gold excited both
curiosity and hope; for legendary gold (mysteriously obtained, if not positively ill-gotten), is, as every one knows, any one's for the finding - unless the search is interrupted."1V? (
1R318)
I couldn't find a picture of a box. Which gives me an idea...
Box Possession • Mount
Strength +1
To play, spot a
Man and an Elf companion. Bearer must be a Dwarf.
If bearer is Gimli, after all skirmishes and fierce skirmishes have been resolved, you may exert him to make him participate in one additional assignment and skirmish phase.
"'But I am content. Till now I have hewn naught but wood since I left Moria.'"1V? (
5U9)
And finally:
Who Shall Guide Them? Event • Fellowship
Exert Théoden and spot any number of mounted
companions to make each of those companions
defender +1 until the regroup phase.
"Suddenly he lifted the blade and swung it shimmering and whistling in the air. Then he gave a great cry. His voice rang clear as he chanted in the tongue of Rohan a call to arms."1V? (
4R284)
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Great cards! I really enjoyed reviewing these.
Thank you
it's always fun to let my mind wander into this gamespace.