The Assailants Pack:I must say that I like these cards very much. There are some points I'd change, but they are very well designed and the changes I'd add are relatively just details.
- 3x • Azog, Commander of the Wolves Army : Cost (4). minion. Orc. Site 4. Strength 9, Vitality 3. Damage +1. While you can spot 3 minions, the twilight cost of your minions is -1. Maneuver: If the fellowship's current site is a battleground, exert Azog to play a minion from your discard pile.
This version of Azog is great. The gametext, the subtitle, the picture, the lore... everything exhales destruction.
Nonetheless, there is an idea that may be considered: I believe this Azog should be
"the Head of the Snake" that Thorin tries to cut off to scatter the Goblin Army. But the first line "While you can spot... the twilight cost of your
minions is -1" doesn't need Azog alive when his Army fights, and cost reduction is also present in the Dark Bats and the Wolves Army (great cards too). I'd change it to "While you can spot 3
minions,
each [Gundabad] and minion is strength +2", that way the Horde would be
much stronger with his Commander present in the battle, Azog would be a really fearsome foe with strength 11 dmg +1 (being only strength 9 is very easy to beat), and the FP player would have
a strong need to kill him as soon as it's possible.
By the way, the Piked Mace I suggested is designed to protect Azog (or any key minion) from being killed in skirmishes by either making Azog stronger, or by forcing the FP player to fight its bearer before Azog can fight (taking profit of Azog's text). I mean this: 3 or more
minions + Azog + a Demolition Troll with a Piked Mace. The Troll would be a strength 14, dmg +1 minion and would fight before Azog, and later at Azog's skirmish the Demolition Troll would be able to trigger Azog's text for his own strength gain. Give it a try
.
A last point. Gandalf names Azog a "Commander of Legions" when talking to
Radagast at the High Fells. That's a good subtitle I think.
Gandalf:
"He is summoning his servants. Azog the Defiler is no ordinary hunter. He is a commander. A commander of legions."- 3x The Wolves Army : Cost (6). minion. Orc. Site 4. Strength 11, Vitality 4. Fierce. When you play this minion, add (1) for each wounded companion (or (2) if the fellowship's current site is a battleground).
Just like the Fifth Army in Bolg's Pack, this one should be either an unique "Army" or a non-unique "Legion".
It honours me that you have taken my "wound tracker" idea to depict Wargs
. This Wolves Army shouldn't be an Orc but a
Warg. I know Wargs can't bear Orkish possessions and are more limited in interaction (can't use Hatred Rekindled/Host of Thousands), but that can be compensated. Add this: "While at a battleground, this minion is strength +1 for each wounded companion". That way only Azog or Dark Bats would be able to recover them from discard, but against a fellowship of 5 or 6 wounded comps this
Warg would be strength 16/17 (or 18/19 with Azog and 3
minions), fierce, costing only
or even
. That's a good reason to make it unique
.
•The Wolves Army
Minion •
WargStrength 11 Vitality 4 Site 4
Fierce.
When you play this minion, add (1) for each wounded companion
(or if the fellowship's current site is a battleground).
While at a battleground, The Wolves Army is strength +1 for each wounded companion.
Perhaps the strength bonus should have a limit. And adding
at a battleground, plus Dark Bats' cost reduction, is too much in my opinion.
The picture hasn't a single
Warg. There is a good picture with a bunch of Wargs at
Dol Guldur Army in the Desolation of Smaug, at 02:10:07 in the Extended Edition.
- 4x Goblin Vanguard : Cost (3). minion. Orc. Site 4. Strength 7, Vitality 2. Assailant. When you play this minion, you may play a condition from your draw deck or discard pile.
The
Orkish Smith, but a bit stronger and more expensive. This one will keep the engine of this culture running: Azog replaying minions and Dark Bats making them very cheap. The gametext has my total approval.
But I don't like the picture for that gametext. That Orc of the picture isn't part of the Vanguard or even of the Rear Guard (he's left behind to kill Gandalf). And has a great potential to be a strong "Dimrill Veteran" Orc in a Pack depicting the Battle of Azanulbizar (he was beaten by Dwalin in Azanulbizar but survived), probably an unique chieftain.
Use instead a close up to some few front liners of Azog's marching army. There is a good pic to use around 0:25:42.
-2x Demolition Troll : Cost (5). minion. Troll. Site 4. Strength 10, Vitality 3. Damage +1. When you play this minion, you may spot 2 other minions to discard a possession.
Quite good sir! Strong, cheap, disruptive and simple... this guy impels me to make Dale fortifications in an Extension. There must be a way of making fierce this strong, damage +1 minion (and Azog too), that's why I proposed the
Piked Mace.The lore text of this Troll doesn't fit. It's borrowed from
Troll of the Deep, but the Demolition Troll should destroy walls and bridges instead of repairing/replacing them.
- 3x Vicious Warg : Cost (1). Possession • Mount. Strength +1. Vitality +1. Bearer must be a Orc. At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, each character skirmishing bearer must exert.
This one MUST make bearer fierce (the wild nature or wolves), but restraining the exertion to only 1 skirmish to avoid abuse: "
Bearer is fierce. At the start of each
non-fierce skirmish involving bearer...". And a last point: the limitation to only
Orcs is both excessive and unnecessary: the Gundabad version of Azog (and [Gundabad] orcs of the Main Deck) should be able to ride this wolf...
Vicious Warg Possession • Mount
Strength +1 Vitality +1
Bearer must be
an Orc.
Bearer is fierce.At the start of each
non-fierce skirmish involving bearer, each character skirmishing bearer must exert.
With my version of Azog, this mount + 2
minios will make Azog a very hard foe: strength 12, vitality 4, fierce, damage +1. And exerting his opponent at the first skirmish.
- 3x Dark Bats : Cost (1). Condition • Support area. To play, exert a Orc. The twilight cost of your minions is -1. At the start of the regroup phase, you may take into hand a minion from your discard pile.
This condition shares the exact same lore text as Legolas
. But the condition itself is pretty neat. The core of the whole culture.
"At the start of
your regroup phase" is a bit wrong, use "
the regroup phase" instead.
- 2x • Stone Giants : Cost (2). Condition • Support area. Each time the fellowship moves to site 4, the Free Peoples player must exert 3 companions. Maneuver: If the fellowship is at a mountain site, discard this condition and remove to add a doubt.
The Stone Giants must be present in another pack. Replace them here with the Piked Mace, or with another minion to do the swarm (a cheap goblin skirmisher, or a Troll bearing a
catapult, or the Goblin Mercenaries).
Although it doesn't belong here, I like the concept. "Each time the fellowship moves to site 4" can be changed to "When the fellowship moves to site 4" (see
The Long Dark). Perhaps should need "to play, exert a
minion" or "spot 2
minions", to prevent other cultures (like Bolg's Pack) from using it. You may look at this condition by Elf_Lvr (albeit he depicts the Stone Giants as minions):
•Hindering Storm
Condition • Support Area
Toil 1. Weather.To play, spot an
minion.
Each Giant at a mountain is strength +2.
Regroup: Remove 2 burdens to make the move limit for this turn -1. Discard this condition.
The wind was howling and the thunder still growling, and they had a business getting themselves and their ponies along.http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,494.msg11721.html#msg11721Elf_Lvr's idea there is to make Company stop the journey to
take cover and get some relief.
His other 4 cards for the Stone Giants:
http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,494.msg11567.html#msg11567I'd mix your exertion part with his regroup part:
•Stone Giants
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot 2
minions.
When the fellowship moves to site 4, the Free Peoples player must exert 3
companions.
Regroup: Remove 2 doubts to make the move limit this turn -1. Discard this condition.
After all... great Swarm Pack my fellow. Please take into account my ideas, but even if not this Pack rocks anyway.