*Mirkwood Elves ShadowI'll start with the Mirkwood Elves. I've been really busy, and by now I have time for only 1 card. It caught my attention because has a problem very tough to solve by thinking
inside of the box only.
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Elven Jails: The idea of stacking is very good, but unlike the
Jail, if this condition is discarded there's no way to replay the stacked Dwarf companions (no difference from "removed from the game"). So the Elven Jail kills the Dwarf, more or less. There's still not a single way to return any FP card (or "a
companion" for the matter) into the draw deck. And we just cannot solve it by adding a text like "when this condition is discarded, shuffle each card stacked here into its owner's draw deck". When you proposed "discard 2 companions" as the alternative cost of
Rise of the Necromancer, it had the exact same problem...
It's a design fault to not provide a recycling tool. Which limits the design of new cards, like this. The
Dwarven Shovel was meant to do that. But since the flaw is universal, the solution must be universally accesible. So this should solve the general design failure: in
The Clouds Burst Extension you added 5 Shadow cards to the Main deck;
in this new Extension, you can add 2 or 3 new FP designed to correct the gerenal design flaws. Besides recycling, the Shovel would also provide a
small weapon, reducing the power gap between Packs with weapons and those without. The old "Boxing Dwarves" problem. As a mere reminder:
Dwarven Shovel
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +1
Bearer must be a
companion.
This weapon may be borne in addition to 1 other hand weapon.
Fellowship: Exert bearer to place 2 Free Peoples card from your discard pile beneath your draw deck.
"We're making a long-term deposit!"You mentioned another design flaw, which is
the superiority of Leader of the Company over the discardable Gandalfs. Either a tool to prevent discarding him, or a tool that gives benefits when he's discarded (or can't be spotted), would help to balance things. I got this for the first option:
Wizard's Mount
Possession • Mount
Strength +1
Bearer must be a Wizard.
Each time the fellowship moves during the regroup phase, heal bearer.
Response: If bearer is about to be discarded, discard this mount instead.
"...a trumpet-voice, a burning brand, a weary pilgrim on the road."Narya, Beorn's House and Friend of Thorin would still give benefits (by preserving the mount, you keep the healing and strength). Since Gandalf the Grey has nothing to prevent discard or be replayed, he'd be the most benefited. It requires to be drawn, which may make its effect unstable, so a card to play possessions from deck might be good there... something like an ally perhaps (
Albert Dreary, Enduring Entretainer?).
Another possible flaw is the lack of twilight remotion cards, and move limit addition is also very scarce; a
event called "The Road Goes Ever On" can solve both problems. Triple moving would make games more intense and interesting...
The Road Goes Ever On
Event • Fellowship or Regroup
Exert Bilbo to remove
and to make the move limit +1 for this turn.
I'm merely throwing ideas on the board. But I'm really serious about the Dwarven Shovel.
So what do you think?