The Way Into Mordor - Moria (8/15: "Far, far below the deepest delving....")

[Thranduil]

Through Fire and Water
Event • Response
If The Balrog is played, make its twilight cost -1 for each mountain and underground site on the adventure path.
"‘From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth.'"

I think this is fine because it's a response event.

Burst Into New Flame
Event • Skirmish
Make a unique minion strength +1 for each twilight token you can spot (limit +6).
"‘A great smoke rose about us, vapour and steam.'"

I would prefer this to cost with a limit of +5 to mimic the event with the same ability.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Burst Into New Flame
Event • Skirmish
Make a unique minion strength +1 for each twilight token you can spot (limit +6).
"‘A great smoke rose about us, vapour and steam.'"

I would prefer this to cost with a limit of +5 to mimic the event with the same ability.

You know I'm a sucker for thematic stuff like that. Consider it done.

[lem0nhead]

Thran has it covered.

[Elf_Lvr]

Through Fire and Water
Event • Response
If The Balrog is played, make its twilight cost -1 for each mountain and underground site on the adventure path.
"‘From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth.'"

The only bad thing is it combos with Power and Terror for a really easy free Balrog.

If you think that's a little too good, I could give it a low twilight cost, cap the reduction, and/or change it to a simple Shadow event that simply plays Ol' Balgy at the reduced cost (rather than pairing with any other cards that plays him). Your call, reviewers!

If the Power and Terror thing seems OP to you, then you might change it to a Shadow event that plays the Balrog from a specific location, and give it a small twilight cost. I'm not sure if it's SO bad that it warrants changing, though. Up to you.

Burst Into New Flame
Event • Skirmish
Make a unique minion strength +1 for each twilight token you can spot (limit +5).
"‘A great smoke rose about us, vapour and steam.'"

Awesome. Although having it work for only the Balrog would increase the tie-in to that event, since it only works for Gandalf himself.

Personally, I'd be a big fan of some cards that played the Balrog, maybe not at a reduction (like the condition you posted earlier) paired with a condition that decreases his twilight cost under certain circumstances (low resistance, # of companions, certain site, certain TYPE of site, etc.)

[DáinIronfoot]

I'll play with the last batch a bit, but for now let's get to what will probably be our last cards for this set. Hopefully you'll find them fun. Enjoy!

Foundations of Stone
Event • Response
If The Balrog is about to be discarded or killed, place it beneath your draw deck instead.
"‘Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of Khazad-dûm....'"

The advantage of trimming down the lore I initially used for Secret Ways is that I get to reuse the trimmed-out portion here. It's the simple things in DC-making life.

Darken the Light of Day
Event • Shadow
Reveal the bottom card of your draw deck. If that card is a minion, take it into hand and add a burden. Otherwise, discard it or discard a card from hand or from play.
"‘Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things.'"

And this one completes the mini-cycle. Yes, there are other ways to get Ol' Balgy back after he's killed/discarded, but this one comes with a burden on the side, hopefully making the extra time and effort worth it.

•Without Escape
Condition • Support Area
Skirmishes involving The Balrog cannot be cancelled.
Assignment: Discard this condition to assign The Balrog to a companion with strength 7 or more. The Free Peoples player may add 2 burdens to prevent this.
"‘The tower behind was crumbled into dust, the window gone; the ruined stair was choked with burned and broken stone.'"

And now you see we have an actual burden threat going with our Balrog. Let a companion potentially be killed, or add a couple more burdens and risk more later from cards like Must Do Without Hope and a handful of Balrog-burden-adders from my last set, The Road Ahead?

[sickofpalantirs]

I'll play with the last batch a bit, but for now let's get to what will probably be our last cards for this set. Hopefully you'll find them fun. Enjoy!

Foundations of Stone
Event • Response
If The Balrog is about to be discarded or killed, place it beneath your draw deck instead.
"‘Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of Khazad-dûm....'"
evil ...very evil...

Darken the Light of Day
Event • Shadow
Reveal the bottom card of your draw deck. If that card is a minion, take it into hand and add a burden. Otherwise, discard it or discard a card from hand or from play.
"‘Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things.'"
fine

•Without Escape
Condition • Support Area
Skirmishes involving The Balrog cannot be cancelled.
Assignment: Discard this condition to assign The Balrog to a companion with strength 7 or more. The Free Peoples player may add 2 burdens to prevent this.
"‘The tower behind was crumbled into dust, the window gone; the ruined stair was choked with burned and broken stone.'"

canceled....fine

[Thranduil]

Foundations of Stone should probably be - you're paying a lot for the Balrog in itself so i don't think you need to pay extra for hand clog.

Thranduil

[Elf_Lvr]

All good, Dain!

[menace64]

I've only seen the one Balrog so far in this thread (Slime 'Rog). Is there a burden-centric version too? I think one is warranted.

[lem0nhead]

Foundations of Stone
Event • Response
If The Balrog is about to be discarded or killed, place it beneath your draw deck instead.
"‘Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of Khazad-dûm....'"

A lot to expect you to keep this in your hand but its ok.

Darken the Light of Day
Event • Shadow
Reveal the bottom card of your draw deck. If that card is a minion, take it into hand and add a burden. Otherwise, discard it or discard a card from hand or from play.
"‘Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things.'"

Sound.

•Without Escape
Condition • Support Area
Skirmishes involving The Balrog cannot be cancelled.
Assignment: Discard this condition to assign The Balrog to a companion with strength 7 or more. The Free Peoples player may add 2 burdens to prevent this.
"‘The tower behind was crumbled into dust, the window gone; the ruined stair was choked with burned and broken stone.'"

Wow that first line should make this cost 3 for sure.

[DáinIronfoot]

I've only seen the one Balrog so far in this thread (Slime 'Rog). Is there a burden-centric version too? I think one is warranted.

Not exactly, but I do have plenty of Balrog burdening stuff from my previous set, The Road Ahead. A refresher:

(Keep in mind these are all old, already-reviewed cards, so I'm not necessarily looking for comments unless you really want to.) 

•Shadow and Flame
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot a card.
Each time the Free Peoples player draws a card (except during the fellowship or regroup phase), you may reveal The Balrog from your hand to make the Free Peoples player add or a burden. Limit once per phase.
"‘You fear to go into those mines. The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dûm....'"

Our Grief Is Great
Event • Regroup
Exert The Balrog twice (or spot 4 minions) to add a burden for each unique companion you can spot in the dead pile.
"Frodo heard Sam at his side weeping, and then he found that he himself was weeping as he ran. Doom, doom, doom the drum-beats rolled behind, mournful now and slow; doom!"

Weight of the Dead
Event • Regroup
You may discard a minion to play this event during your Shadow phase.
Spot a minion and a companion in the dead pile to add X burdens, where X is that companion's twilight cost. The Free Peoples player may add to prevent that.
"‘You carry a heavy burden, Frodo....'"

I also "reprinted" Must Do Without Hope, so between all those, you have a decent shot at all-out Balrog corruption.

And WITH those burdens....

•The Balrog's Sword, Stabbing Tongue of Fire
Artifact • Hand Weapon
Strength +3
Bearer must be The Balrog.
This weapon may be borne in addition to 1 other hand weapon and may be played any time you could play a skirmish event.
At the start of each skirmish involving The Balrog, you may remove a burden or discard this weapon to wound each companion in that skirmish.
"From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming."

Dark As A Cloud
Event • Skirmish
Spot The Balrog to remove X burdens (limit 3). For each burden removed in this way, add and make The Balrog strength +3.
"...it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and terror seemed to be in it and to go before it."

[lem0nhead]

•The Balrog's Sword, Stabbing Tongue of Fire
Artifact • Hand Weapon
Strength +3
Bearer must be The Balrog.
This weapon may be borne in addition to 1 other hand weapon and may be played any time you could play a skirmish event.
At the start of each skirmish involving The Balrog, you may remove a burden or discard this weapon to wound each companion in that skirmish.
"From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming."

Pretty sure that lore has been used.  Cool.

Dark As A Cloud
Event • Skirmish
Spot The Balrog to remove X burdens (limit 3). For each burden removed in this way, add and make The Balrog strength +3.
"...it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and terror seemed to be in it and to go before it."

Wow thats an insane pump. Fine though.

[DáinIronfoot]

ALL those cards were from The Road Ahead...should have been more specific. Thanks for the comments anyway!

[lem0nhead]

Ooooh sorry lol.

Good job i didnt complain about them then isnt it!