The Road Ahead: New Set from Thranduil!

[FM]

UHR02
Isengard Commander
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 13
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Besieger. Damage +1. Fierce.
Assignment: If the fellowship is ahead of you on the adventure path, exert this minion to assign it to an unbound companion. The Free Peoples player may kill this minion and a companion to prevent this.
A R 186

This might be a bit harsh. You get a huge minion, unless the Free People has MASSIVE archery or wounding abilities he's gonna make it unscathed enough to pull his ability off and if they DON'T have it, you ALSO get to abuse his vitality a bit first. I'd either make him 1 vitality and simply vie him an assign action at no exertion cost (don't like it) or make you exert him twice (a single wound stops the ability, although you still get a large minion with enough spare vitality to use for other purposes).

[Thranduil]

It's a fair point. He might be okay as he only punishes players who are doing better than you, but I could see it either way.

Thran

[ket_the_jet]

Discard this minion and place a companion on the dead pile seems more correct.
-wtk

[Not a Zombie]

If there are no comments on those Cirith Ungol minions, I will move onto some of the hordes of Isengard.

UHU02
Isengard Archer
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 10
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Archer. Tracker. Lookout – Archery. (You may play this minion any time you could play an archery event; if you do, discard it from play).
When you play this minion during the archery phase, you may make the fellowship archery total -6.

Needs some cultural enforcement I think.

[FM]

I don't know. I actually like the idea of raining #$&*@! out of the blue to punish heavy archery decks with, say, Moria shadow sides.

[Not a Zombie]

Then I would make him cost 5, ala Goblin Archer.

[Thranduil]

Good discussion. Of course, Isengard Archer is also site 5 as opposed to Goblin Archer's site 4, but I can see the case for and/or cultural enforcement.

@ket: I'd rather keep Isengard Commander as "kill" for reasons that might become apparent a (long time) later. Also a good point, though.

I have made no changes so far. I will probably come back tomorrow or Sunday and change what I'm going to change and post the next batch.

I'm glad we can keep this board going, even a little! And I appreciate everyone who comments. all round!

Thran

[Thranduil]

One of the things this set is doing is making followers more a core part of the game, which includes more Shadow followers. Some of them are below (followers having races was something I added in Reflections II).

But first, we'll have a sort-of-reprint:

UHU07
Saruman's Craft
Condition • Support Area
Engine.
While the fellowship is at a battleground site, each or spell event you play is twilight cost -1.
Shadow: Discard this condition to make the fellowship's current site a battleground until the regroup phase.
A U 199

UHC06
Orthanc Worker
Follower • Orc
Strength: +1
Aid – exert your minion.
When you transfer this follower to an minion, you may discard up to 2 cards from your hand to draw the same number of cards.
A C 197

UHR04
Orthanc Mechanic
Follower • Orc
Aid – exert your minion.
Bearer is strength +1 for each engine you can spot.
When this follower is transferred from your support area to your minion, you may play an engine condition or engine possession from your draw deck. If you do, shuffle your draw deck.
A R 196

[Not a Zombie]

One of the things this set is doing is making followers more a core part of the game, which includes more Shadow followers. Some of them are below (followers having races was something I added in Reflections II).

But first, we'll have a sort-of-reprint:

UHU07
Saruman's Craft
Condition • Support Area
Engine. Spell.
Each or spell event that you play while the fellowship is at a battleground site is twilight cost -1.
Shadow: Discard this condition to make the fellowship's current site a battleground until the regroup phase.
A U 199

Nice, but how is something both an engine and a spell?

UHC06
Orthanc Worker
Follower • Orc
Vitality: +1
Aid – exert your minion.
When you transfer this follower to an minion, you may discard up to 2 cards from your hand to draw the same number of cards.
A C 197

The only problem i have is now those nasty warg riders have yet another vitality (or 4) to work with. I'd say exert your  minion. I know you don't like cultural support, but I think its needed. Heck, even could abuse the extra vitality without much trouble

UHR04
Orthanc Mechanic
Follower • Orc
Aid – exert your minion.
To play, spot an card.
Bearer is strength +2 for each possession it bears.
Shadow: Exert bearer twice to search your draw deck for an engine card; reveal it and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your draw deck.
A R 196

The only way he gets to use his second ability is on a double move, which is probably fine.

Not quite as thrilled with these, but maybe that's cause I'm not a huge fan of followers

[ket_the_jet]

I don't know too much about the post-Shadows mechanics (i.e., followers), but for Orthanc Mechanic, wouldn't he only be able to be used if the fellowship moved twice (and you happened to use his aid the previous site)? How many characters will be able to exert twice at that point?
-wtk

[FM]

Yes, the Mechanic seems terrible, I agree. He costs a lot to come down, costs a lot to have close to no impact on the board a lot of times, and costs a lot for a search ability which might never be used or be underwhelming. And he's a rare! I'd simply let him fetch an engine when he comes down, at that cost, and maybe allow you to exert a minion twice during the regroup to return it to your hand. Sure, it still costs an awful lot, but now, you can get mileage out of it (and even consider building around it), and if you DO have a minion with vitality to spare and needs an engine, you can return it to your hand to get a new one next turn.

[FM]

Saruman's Craft
Condition • Support Area
Engine. Spell.
Each or spell event that you play while the fellowship is at a battleground site is twilight cost -1.
Shadow: Discard this condition to make the fellowship's current site a battleground until the regroup phase.
A U 199

Come to think of it, I rather like the veiled lack of cultural enforcement on this one, might be useful to push up other strategies that lack Battlegrounds, or even to allow some weird splashes! Uruk Vanguard as Balrogs 5-8, for Moria Balrog decks? Might be worth taking a look at.

[Thranduil]

Made a couple of key changes, especially to the Mechanics. Let me know what you think, and thanks for the comments!

A couple of possessions for now:

UHU05
Isengard Siege Bow (reprint)
Possession • Ranged Weapon
Vitality: +1
Bearer must be an minion.
While the fellowship is at a battleground site, bearer is an archer.
A U 189

UHC07
Shield of Isengard
Possession • Shield
Vitality: +1
Bearer must be an or besieger minion.
This possession's twilight cost is -1 for each battleground site on the adventure path.
Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, remove to prevent that wound.
A C 200

UHR05
Piercing Phalanx
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength: +2
Bearer must be an or besieger minion.
While the fellowship is at a plains site, bearer is damage +1.
Mounts borne by companions assigned to bearer lose their game text.
A R 198

[Not a Zombie]

All the changes are great 

Made a couple of key changes, especially to the Mechanics. Let me know what you think, and thanks for the comments!

A couple of possessions for now:

UHU05
Isengard Siege Bow (reprint)
Possession • Ranged Weapon
Vitality: +1
Bearer must be an minion.
While the fellowship is at a battleground site, bearer is an archer.
A U 189

UHC07
Shield of Isengard
Possession • Shield
Vitality: +1
Bearer must be an minion.
This possession's twilight cost is -1 for each battleground site on the adventure path.
Response: If bearer is a besieger minion and is about to take a wound, remove to prevent that wound.
A C 200

Good, but seems a little steep for his ability.

UHR05
Piercing Phalanx
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength: +2
Bearer must be an or besieger minion.
While the fellowship is at a plains site, bearer is damage +1.
Each mount borne by a companion assigned to bearer loses its game text.
A R 198

Very powerful, I'd make it cost . Otherwise nice

[FM]

UHC06
Orthanc Worker
Follower • Orc
Aid – exert your minion.
When you transfer this follower to an minion, you may discard up to 2 cards from your hand to draw the same number of cards.
A C 197

UHR04

I still don't get this one. Is he supposed to do only that? Cycle? I do believe it's useful, but it just sound so... meh... even for a common. It could give a strength boost and have the cycling as an aid cost, I think. Encourgaes thinking. Some might look at it and go "discarding stuff for strength? bleh!", whicle other might realize it can be used for cycling. This makes it too straightforward ofr a part of the game that is not THAT straightforward anyway.