The Way Into Mordor - Dunland (12/2: A Conscript and More Plunder)

[DáinIronfoot]

As promised with the new Saruman at the bottom of this page, today we kick off a culture I probably should have done much closer to the beginning of this set: Dunland! These wild men lasted only one block in LOTR TCG, much like the ill-fated goblins of the culture. But like those goblin swarms we all know and love, continues to be a culture that holds up surprisingly well even against cards from the most powerful latter sets of the game. They have their flaws, to be sure, including pitifully low vitality; only 8 of the 29 Dunland minions has more than 1 vitality, and all but one of THOSE has only 2...the lone exception being a Wizard! But the Dunlendings are brutal when it comes to site control, and then swarming with powerful minions that just get tougher as they control those sites. Cards like Dunlending Elder, Hillman Horde, No Retreat, Over the Isen, Ready To Fall, and Burn Every Village are stapes that turn controlled sites into serious pain for the FP player.

Today we begin a quest to bring this long-lost culture back to glory, starting with a new minion and a new version of one of the staples. Enjoy!

•Squint-eyed Southerner, Tall and Leering
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 2
While you can spot Saruman or an minion, Squint-eyed Southerner gains the culture.
Response: If a or Man is about to take any number of wounds, exert Squint-eyed Southerner or Saruman to prevent that.
"‘Do you know, they reminded me at once of that Southerner at Bree....'"

The Southerner is new to this culture, but not new to my sets. In fact, there exist already TWO versions of him, one from this very set and one from the previous set The Road Ahead. I'll re-post them real quick-like....

•Squint-eyed Southerner, Agent of the White Hand (re-post)
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 2
When you play Squint-eyed Southerner, the Free Peoples player must discard a card from hand (or 2 cards if you can spot Saruman).
Each time you play or transfer an condition onto a companion, you may exert an Man to make that companion strength -1 until the regroup phase.
"‘It seems plain now that that Southerner was a spy of Saruman's....'"

•Squint-eyed Southerner, Ill-Favoured Fellow (re-post)
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 2
When you play Squint-eyed Southerner, you may name one: , , ; he gains that culture until the end of the turn.
Each Man of Squint-eyed Southerner's culture is strength +1.
Shadow: Exert Squint-eyed Southerner to reveal X cards from the top of the Free Peoples player's draw deck, where X is the number of , , and minions you can spot.
"‘If room isn't found for them, they'll find it for themselves. They've a right to live, same as other folk.'"

Obviously, both Ill-Favoured Fellow and Tall and Leering are quite good when splashed into a deck. Not only do they provide a rare 2-vitality minion (and one that's relatively strong, to boot), but they also provide either a universal strength boost or excellent wound prevention for your other weak Dunlendings, either of which could prove very, very useful.

•Freca, Leader of the Wild Men
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
When you play Freca, you may draw a card for each other minion you can spot.
Regroup: Spot 2 other minions (or Saruman) and discard Freca to take control of a site.
"‘We will fight for you.'"

Rather than just reprint the original Hungry Savage (which is a great card), I opted to take on the task of making a new Freca that stood toe to toe with the original in terms of usefulness. I THINK I did alright, but that's for you to judge.

[Thranduil]

•Squint-eyed Southerner, Tall and Leering
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 2
While you can spot Saruman or an minion, Squint-eyed Southerner gains the culture.
Response: If a minion is about to take any number of wounds, exert Squint-eyed Southerner or Saruman to prevent that.
"‘Do you know, they reminded me at once of that Southerner at Bree....'"

Nothing awe-inspiring, but he seems fair enough. Not sure why his ability doesn't apply to minions, though. Maybe it should be " or Man".

•Freca, Leader of the Wild Men
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
When you play Freca, you may draw a card for each other minion you can spot.
Regroup: Spot 2 other minions (or Saruman) and discard Freca to take control of a site.
"‘We will fight for you.'"

Yeah fair enough. Seems perfectly reasonable.

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

both are fine, though I would go with thrans suggestion on the first.

[Gate Troll]

•Squint-eyed Southerner, Tall and Leering
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 2
While you can spot Saruman or an minion, Squint-eyed Southerner gains the culture.
Response: If a or Man is about to take any number of wounds, exert Squint-eyed Southerner or Saruman to prevent that.
"‘Do you know, they reminded me at once of that Southerner at Bree....'"

Nice. Hides, on the go. Personally I'd prefer him 7/3/2 though.

•Freca, Leader of the Wild Men
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
When you play Freca, you may draw a card for each other minion you can spot.
Regroup: Spot 2 other minions (or Saruman) and discard Freca to take control of a site.
"‘We will fight for you.'"

I'd use that.

This reminds me of a game I played with my sister recently. I was at site 6, she at site 4, and I hadn't gotten very many minions into play thanks to her elf choke but I finally managed to get a playable group of minions in hand. I slapped down Freca to control a site, played Hillman Horde and used Hides to ride out the archery phase. During the skirmish phase I played three copies of Burn every Village, two on the Horde and one on Hungry Savage. Her deck was built mostly out of scraps of an old Bearer of Wisdom elf deck and the only event strength pump she had was Valor. Most of my minions were vitality one (except Rabble-rouser and Hillman Horde) so Valor was pretty much useless. I exhausted Legolas with Freca and overwhelmed Haldir with a strength 22 Horde. Once we reached the Regroup phase my sister decided not to move and lick her wounds instead when I suddenly discarded No Retreat and forced her to move again. My sister promptly resigned. 

[lem0nhead]

•Squint-eyed Southerner, Tall and Leering
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 2
While you can spot Saruman or an minion, Squint-eyed Southerner gains the culture.
Response: If a or Man is about to take any number of wounds, exert Squint-eyed Southerner or Saruman to prevent that.
"‘Do you know, they reminded me at once of that Southerner at Bree....'"

Bah stupid cross culturing. Besides my well known feelings about this, he seems ok.

•Freca, Leader of the Wild Men
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
When you play Freca, you may draw a card for each other minion you can spot.
Regroup: Spot 2 other minions (or Saruman) and discard Freca to take control of a site.
"‘We will fight for you.'"

Yeah i like him he is cool.

[DáinIronfoot]

A successful start! Yippee.

Now to get into the meat of Dunlendings with some cheap site-controlling types. Enjoy!

Dunlending Ravisher
Minion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
This minion is strength +2 for each site you control.
"‘Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go....'"

Really, how does not already have a minion like this? 'Tis a crime, I say.

Dunlending Rover
Minion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Regroup: Spot another or minion and discard this minion to take control of a site.
"‘This was a rich vale and had many homesteads....'"

Simple as they come, eh? Just keep him alive, of course.

[Gate Troll]

Dunlending Ravisher
Minion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
This minion is strength +2 for each site you control.
"‘Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go....'"

The title is just wrong. The card is cool. 

Dunlending Rover
Minion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Regroup: Spot another minion and discard this minion to take control of a site.
"‘This was a rich vale and had many homesteads....'"

Another could-have-been. I'd probably change it to Regroup: Spot another minion or a minion and discard this minion to take control of a site though.

More! More! More! 

[sickofpalantirs]

fine by me

yeah that title is wrong

[Thranduil]

These get the "Thranduil seal of approval"!

(I need a stamp or something... )

Thranduil

[Elf_Lvr]

I like GT's idea on the Rover. Making it splashable is pretty neat. Otherwise, solid.

[lem0nhead]

Both fine. It can have a lemony stamp as well.

[DáinIronfoot]

Ewwwww...my Thranduil Seal™ has lemon juice all over it!

isn't ALL about site control (though it's a theme we are far from done with, believe me). They can do other things too. One of those was teased by Big D with cards like Dunlending Pillager, War Club, Ravage the Defeated and a couple others, and that particular theme comes back into the light today. I bet you can figure it out pretty quickly...you're pretty intelligent folks, even those of you with lemons for brains!

Dunlending Plunderer
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Each time this minion wins a skirmish, you may discard a Free Peoples possession for each site you control.
"‘Not in half a thousand years have they forgotten their grievance that the lords of Gondor gave the Mark to Eorl the Young and made alliance with him.'"

Dunlending Spoiler
Minion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
At the start of each skirmish involving this minion, you may discard a weapon borne by a companion or ally in that skirmish. That character may exert to prevent this.
"‘They had no warning. They were unarmed....'"

Dunlending Thief
Minion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Each time this minion wins a skirmish, you may discard a possession borne by a character in that skirmish.
The rampaging wild men destroyed only what they could not first pillage.

[Gate Troll]

Dunlending Plunderer
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Each time this minion wins a skirmish, you may discard a Free Peoples possession for each site you control.
"‘Not in half a thousand years have they forgotten their grievance that the lords of Gondor gave the Mark to Eorl the Young and made alliance with him.'"

Pretty good. I love possession discarding!

Dunlending Spoiler
Minion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
At the start of each skirmish involving this minion, you may discard a weapon borne by a companion or ally in that skirmish. That character may exert to prevent this.
"‘They had no warning. They were unarmed....'"

I'd make him 7/1/3.

Dunlending Thief
Minion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Each time this minion wins a skirmish, you may discard a possession borne by a character in that skirmish.
The rampaging wild men destroyed only what they could not first pillage.

I think I saw that lore somewhere... ...and I'd prefer if he were 8/1/3.

[menace64]

If you want to keep the Thief at those stats, I'd say drop him to .

[Thranduil]

Dunlending Plunderer
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Each time this minion wins a skirmish, you may discard a Free Peoples possession for each site you control.
"‘Not in half a thousand years have they forgotten their grievance that the lords of Gondor gave the Mark to Eorl the Young and made alliance with him.'"

Meh. Fair enough.

Dunlending Spoiler
Minion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
At the start of each skirmish involving this minion, you may discard a weapon borne by a companion or ally in that skirmish. That character may exert to prevent this.
"‘They had no warning. They were unarmed....'"

Very odd stats for a Dunlending, but fair enough.

Dunlending Thief
Minion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Each time this minion wins a skirmish, you may discard a possession borne by a character in that skirmish.
The rampaging wild men destroyed only what they could not first pillage.

Yep, seems like strength 8/9 or cost .

Thranduil