Twilight Minions

[Creator]

I've always wanted to see the twilight keyword used more extensively in the game. I always thought it was really cool.

Unfortunately, it ended up being more of a flavor keyword than anything and was pretty much ignored for the first 10 sets. Understandably, Decipher didn't make too many twilight minions simply because there weren't that many shots of them in the movies that they could draw upon. I was hoping they'd make some more in Shadows, considering the name and all, but no dice...

Twilight minions are also only really useful for corruption, and twilight nazzie corruption decks are notorious for clogging so they aren't used much. I decided to make a series of cards that focus on the twilight keyword not so much for corruption (although it could be used for that) but for making twilight minions stronger as the Ring-bearer's resistance decreases, kind of like how Frodo is more vulnerable to the nazgul when he enters the twilight world.

I decided to write up some cards for this idea.

Hidden To All But Him
Condition • Support Area
Twilight minions are strength +1.
Response: If the ring-bearer puts on the One Ring, make each Nazgul lose fierce and gain twilight until the end of the regroup phase.
U

This is mainly for the strength bonus. The response ability is more of a punishment for using the Ring, kind of the idea that Nazgul exist in both worlds and are kind of always in twilight.

Cannot Be Killed
Condition • Support Area
Response: if one of your twilight minions is about to be discarded, stack that minion here. (limit 1)
Shadow: play a minion stacked here as if played from hand. Its twilight cost is -1 and it comes into play exhausted.
U

Mainly for unclogging your hand and making more nazgul available each turn. Also fits the flavor of twilight minions being almost indestructible.

• Ulairë Toldea, Corrupted King
Minion • Nazgul
Str. 12
Vit. 4
Site 3
Fierce. Each time Ulairë Toldea wins a skirmish, the ring-bearer is resistance -1 until the end of the regroup phase.
R

• Ulairë Cantea, Servant of Shadow
Minion • Nazgul
Str. 10
Vit. 3
Site 3
Fierce. At the start of each skirmish involving Ulairë Cantea, you may spot a possession borne by a companion Ulairë Cantea is skirmishing to make the Ring-bearer resistance -2 until the end of the regroup phase. The Free Peoples player may discard that possession to prevent this.
R

• Ulairë Nelya, Servant of Shadow
Str. 10
Vit. 3
Site 3
Fierce. While the Ring-bearer is resistance 6 or less, Ulairë Nelya is twilight and damage +1.
R

• The Witch-King, Twilight Lord
Minion • Nazgul
Str. 14
Vit. 4
Site 3
Twilight. Exert the Witch-King twice to make the Ring-bearer resistance -2 until the end of the regroup phase. The Free Peoples player may wound the Ring-bearer to prevent this.
R

• Ulairë Nertea, Messenger of Darkness
Minion • Nazgul
Str. 9
Vit. 2
Site 3
When you play Ulairë Nertea, declare twilight or fierce. Ulairë Nertea gains that keyword until the end of the turn.
Shadow: Exert Ulairë Nertea and spot two twilight nazgul to make the Ring-bearer resistance -1 until the end of the regroup phase.
U

 • Ulairë Enquea, Servant of Shadow
Str. 12
Vit. 4
Site 3
Fierce. Exert Ulairë Enquea to make a twilight minion strength +1.
U

• Ulairë Attea, Servant of Shadow
Str. 12
Vit. 3
Site 3
When you play Ulairë Attea, declare twilight or fierce. Ulairë Attea gains that keyword until the end of the turn.
While the Ring-bearer is resistance 6 or less, Ulairë Attea is strength +2.
U

• Ulairë Ostea, Servant of Shadow
Str. 9
Vit. 3
Site 3
Fierce. While the Ring-bearer is resistance 5 or less, Ulairë Ostea is strength +2.
Skirmish: exert Ulairë Ostea twice to make a twilight minion damage +1 until the end of the turn.
R

• Ulairë Lemenya, Servant of Shadow
Str. 9
Vit. 2
Site 3
Fierce. While the Ring-bearer is resistance 6 or less, twilight minions may not take archery wounds.
Maneuver: exert Ulairë Lemenya to make the Ring-bearer resistance -1. The Ring-bearer may exert to prevent this.
R

Terrible To Behold
Event • Skirmish
Spot a twilight minion in a skirmish to make the Ring-bearer resistance -1 until the end of the regroup phase. The Free Peoples player may exert an unbound companion to prevent this.
U

• Untiring
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot the Witch-King. If an exhausted nazgul is about to take a wound, discard this condition to prevent that.
U

Panic
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot a twilight minion.
Skirmish: transfer this condition to a companion skirmishing your twilight minion. That companion is strength -1 for each twilight minion you can spot. The companion bearing this condition may exert to discard this condition.
U

Shadow Realm
Condition • Support Area
Remove to make a twilight minion strength +2. Discard this condition.
C

Please let me know your thoughts.

[SomeRandomDude]

These are really cool. I like them all for the most part, but a couple points...

• Ulairë Ostea, Servant of Shadow
Str. 9
Vit. 3
Site 3
Fierce. While the Ring-bearer is resistance 5 or less, Ulairë Ostea is strength +2.
Regroup: exert Ulairë Ostea twice make a twilight minion damage +1 until the end of the turn.
R

Not sure you meant this to be regroup.

Shadow Realm
Condition • Support Area
Remove to make a twilight minion strength +2. Discard this condition.
C

Seems not terribly useful. A strength 2 pump- that costs 3 ultimately...not that great.

[Creator]

I fixed Ostea's text; it's now a skirmish action.

Shadow Realm's ability cost has been reduced to one. That makes it a little more useful because it operates like a basic skirmish event but is a condition so it won't clog your hand.

These cards would also be very effective with Dead Ones and Corpse Lights. Dead Ones is pretty cheap and helps boost the number of twilight minions you can spot. This could work really well with multiple copies of Cannot Be Destroyed just to guarantee that you have a cheap twilight minion in play every turn.

Wisp of Pale Sheen could help keep the Ring-bearer's resistance down as well so your Nazgul don't have to work as hard.

[Creator]

I'm planning on photoshopping these into "real" cards so that people may print them and play with them in their decks for fun. I also have a large number of other card ideas I'm working on. I'm considering making my own set.

I have blank LOTR:TCG templates for most of the cultures and someone is working on getting me the rest (via photoshop). I realize there are copyright issues with this so I will obey the rules and not host the images here, but will link to them on an outside page.

Before I create any of these cards, I'd like some more feedback on them. Anyone?