A few cards that need help!

[menace64]

These ideas have been on my mind for a few days now, but I want your ideas as to how the gaps should be filled in.

*Saruman,
Wizard Minion
Strength 8
Vitality 4
Site Number 4
Saruman may not take wounds during the archery phase and may not be assigned to a skirmish.

This Saruman needs a good subtitle, a -esque ability of some kind, and a wicked lore that ties it all together.

*The Witch-king,
Nazgul Minion
Strength 14
Vitality 4
Site Number 5
Fierce.
While you can spot a besieger, The Witch-king gains besieger.

And this Witch-king needs just about the same thing as Saruman above, except I've already concluded that this is his persona as the leader of Sauron's force against Minas Tirith, so I tied him in with besiegers. What else should he have?

*Merry,
Hobbit Companion
Strength 5
Vitality 4
Resistance 8
While you can spot Theoden, Merry's twilight cost is -1.

*Pippin,
Hobbit Companion
Strength 5
Vitality 4
Resistance 8
While you can spot Denethor, Pippin's twilight cost is -1.

These two were long-awaited by fans, and they never came (and, no, the SoG starters don't count!). Their twilight costs are at 3 because I want both Merry and Pippin to bring an ability or power to their new cultures that the cultures themselves wouldn't normally have; but nothing too insane.

And why not:

*Gandalf, Tharkun
Wizard Companion
Strength 7
Vitality 4
Resistance 7
Muster.
Each time Gandalf wins a skirmish involving a minion, that minion's owner discards the top card of his or her draw deck.

[Kev-La]

*Saruman,
Wizard Minion
Strength 8
Vitality 4
Site Number 4
Saruman may not take wounds during the archery phase and may not be assigned to a skirmish.

This Saruman needs a good subtitle, a -esque ability of some kind, and a wicked lore that ties it all together.

Saruman ~ Ring-maker "'White!' he sneered. 'It serves as a beginning. White cloth may be dyed. The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken.'"

*The Witch-king,
Nazgul Minion
Strength 14
Vitality 4
Site Number 5
Fierce.
While you can spot a besieger, The Witch-king gains besieger.

And this Witch-king needs just about the same thing as Saruman above, except I've already concluded that this is his persona as the leader of Sauron's force against Minas Tirith, so I tied him in with besiegers. What else should he have?

The Witch-king ~ Spear of Terror "'King of Angmar long ago, Sorcerer, Ringwraith, Lord of the Nazgûl, a spear of terror in the hand of Sauron, shadow of despair.'"

[Thranduil]

*Saruman,
Wizard Minion
Strength 8
Vitality 4
Site Number 4
Saruman may not take wounds during the archery phase and may not be assigned to a skirmish.

Obviously Servant of Sauron is taken, as is Servant of the Eye. As for a good ability, something that and had in common in Fellowship block: how about milling, or discard?

*The Witch-king,
Nazgul Minion
Strength 14
Vitality 4
Site Number 5
Fierce.
While you can spot a besieger, The Witch-king gains besieger.

I'm a bit annoyed he doesn't cost . I also think you could save time and give him besieger straight off. How about something that works with engines? "When you play The Witch-King, you may spot another besieger minion to play an engine from your draw deck; its twilight cost is -3." (exactly right for Grond! Grond! Grond! Grond!).

*Merry,
Hobbit Companion
Strength 5
Vitality 4
Resistance 8
While you can spot Theoden, Merry's twilight cost is -1.

*Pippin,
Hobbit Companion
Strength 5
Vitality 4
Resistance 8
While you can spot Denethor, Pippin's twilight cost is -1.

Nice. I would make sure they have some impressive abilities for cost, or bring them down to and make the impressive thing about them their ability to be put in starting fellowships very easily. How about "Squire of Rohan" and "Knight of Gondor"?

*Gandalf, Tharkun
Wizard Companion
Strength 7
Vitality 4
Resistance 7
Muster.
Each time Gandalf wins a skirmish involving a minion, that minion's owner discards the top card of his or her draw deck.

I think Gandalf's influence is so strong that he shouldn't lose his culture and become something else. If he's , he should also be . And his ability is currently not very impressive, and not something that Dwarves and Gandalf has in common.

Thranduil

[gk1964]

I like the idea of Tharkun in the dwarf culture.

You could take a leap here and make him a follower.

Something like when transferred to a dwarf companion, play a dwarf condition or artifact from your draw deck.

Stats could be +1 all round and he could play for 4 twilight. His aid could also be 4 twilight.

just a thought.

gk

[MR. Lurtzy]

Gandalf is not a follower.

[ket_the_jet]

I kind of like him as a follower, in the sense of The Hobbit. Playing off of the fact that he kind of goes in and out and shows up at just the right time...

[Unique Dot] Gandalf, Day-Saver
Follower
+1
+1
+1
Aid -
Each time you transfer Gandalf to a companion, at the start of the regroup phase, discard Gandalf.
At the start of a skirmish involving a companion bearing this card, you may wound a minion three times.

Or something like that. Near-guaranteed kill of a minion, in exchange for and then Gandalf disappears. He beat the Trolls and peaced, right? He shows up at the right time for anything.
-wtk

[MR. Lurtzy]

The problem that I have is that, even in The Hobbit, he wasn't a follower, but more of an overseer so to speak. I think it would make more sense to put him as an ally.

[ket_the_jet]

Well, the ally reflects permanence. I want to see him help a brother out and then bail.
-wtk

[gk1964]

The other way to look at this is that while he leads the fellowship, he dipped in and out of other races and cultures without a permanent presence.

As mentioned in TTT book he was known by different names within the different races he visited.

I appreciate that Gandalf as a follower is not to everyone's taste but you could create one for each of the other FP cultures with aid and text reflecting that cultures style.
Gondor could be to help with playing fortifications and defending Minas Tirith. Aid cost could be threats.

Its less of a leap than having Elendil and Aragorn in the same fellowship given the how far apart the actually were meant to have existed.

gk

[Gerontius]

Why not something simpler, like "Discard Gandalf or 2 cards from play to cancel a skirmish involving a dwarf."