Set 3.5 Legions and Legends

[Durin's Heir]

I like your Gimli. Protecting your weapons gives him a real chance against Cantea and Nazguls, and protecting your Endurances gives your Dwarves much better chances against Uruks. But I think it should work more like Feared Axeman does with conditions, as a response action with a cost.

•Gimli, Master Dwarf
Companion • Dwarf
Strength 6  Vitality 3
Damage +1.
Gimli may bear up to 2 hand weapons.
Response: If a card borne by a Dwarf is about to be discarded by an opponent, exert that Dwarf or discard a card from hand to prevent that.

Unlike Feared Axeman, you can't exert any Dwarf but only bearer (or discard a card from hand). As a compensation, added another skill: Gimli can bear 2 axes. 2x Dwarven Axe for discarding, 1 Gimli's Battle Axe and 1 Dwarven Axe (or Axe of Erebor in later sets) to clear the board. 11 strength (2 axes + bracers) is much less than Supergorn (strength 14, or 16 to Nazgul), I don't believe he'll be overpowered.

[ramolnar]

About Goblin Blademaster, I think the idea is good but requires some refinement (and yes, there were some "masters of combat" amongst them, like Azog himself). Moria Beatdown is totally possible in FOTR block, high vitality goblins are really mighty with a Moria Axe due to their high tolerance to arrow wounds and the Axe's text. But this guy will die easily unless you make another goblin that takes his wounds, or unless you increase his vitality. Here I make both:

Goblin Rager
Minion • Orc
Strength 5  Vitality 2  Site number 4
Response: If another Orc is about to take a wound, exert or discard this minion to prevent that wound.

So this front-line madman immolates himself in the first assault, protecting those fighters in the 2nd row. This will make the Goblin Blademaster and axe-wielding goblins more viable, even the Goblin Spearman (though you'll still need some pumping method on that guy).

Goblin Blademaster
Minion • Orc
Strength 6  Vitality 2  Site number 4
While this minion bears a hand weapon, it is strength +2 (and damage +1 if that weapon is Goblin Scimitar).

I took Dictionary's idea about the scimitar. 10 strength and damage +1 for a 2 twilight minion plus a 0 or 1 twilight weapon (he's str 10 dmg +1 with both scimitar or axe, thus you can save the Moria Axe for vitality 3 goblins). The clear advantages of the Scimitar over the Axe are cost and drawing (which fuel the They Are Coming / Goblin Armory / Relics of Moria machine much better).

Now, the main problem with Moria Beatdown is the lack of fierce keyword (axe-wielding Goblinses are real beasts at Emyn Muil*). So an event like this might be very welcome:

Breaking Their Ranks
Event • Response
If a Orc wins a skirmish, make that Orc (or a Orc not assigned to skirmish) fierce and strength +2 until the regroup phase.

Event, yes. Situational and hand-clogging in theory ( Beatdown Orcs win their skirmishes with ease), but being an event protects it from predictability and mass condition discarding.

Hope this helps. Keep on posting Legion, your ideas are good.

Well, these three cards make things more interesting. Goblin Rager is powerful. Really powerful - because it will stop PATHS and Aragorn's Bow and Greenleaf. Does it replace Moria Scout in the standard swarm build? I'd want to test it. It might be overpowered. I'd probably make it exert-only.

[Durin's Heir]

Well, these three cards make things more interesting. Goblin Rager is powerful. Really powerful - because it will stop PATHS and Aragorn's Bow and Greenleaf. Does it replace Moria Scout in the standard swarm build? I'd want to test it. It might be overpowered. I'd probably make it exert-only.

I think you are right about Goblin Rager, exert only will be more balanced. It was meant to help Moria Beatdown, but exerting or discarding will help too much the usual Swarm build. Besides, discarding a Goblin Rager bearing a weapon allows to replay that weapon with Plundered Armories, on any Orc which needs it and during any skirmish, that combo might be too much for a mere pin-cushion.

Another option for Goblin Blademaster is to make him a unique minion, which enhances the strength of any Goblin wielding a hand weapon (like Archer Commander does with archers):

•Goblin Blademaster
Minion • Orc
Strength 7  Vitality 3  Site number 4
Each Orc bearing a hand weapon is strength +2.

This version can help both Swarm and Beatdown builds, but works much better with axe-wielding beatdown Goblins, and even gives that much needed strength bonus to Goblin Spearman. Then, the role of the scimitar swordsman would be carried by another Goblin, non-unique:

Goblin Swordsman
Minion • Orc
Strength 5  Vitality 2  Site number 4
While this minion bears a hand weapon, it is strength +2 (and damage +1 if that weapon is Goblin Scimitar).

A bit weaker, but the new Goblin Blademaster explains that difference.