Fill in the Blank Season 1: Lairs #14

[menace64]

Welcome to Fill in the Blank Season 1: Lairs!

Each week I'll post the collector's information for one of the cards in the set's card-list.

Contestants are free to create whatever card they see fit for that slot in the card-list, keeping in mind the surrounding cards. As the contest progresses, the card-list will become more and more defined, guiding the contestants' choices.

The theme of our set is Lairs! You're free to interpret this however you want.

Not every card has to fit the theme, of course, but it's something to keep in mind when coming up with entries.

Each week a poll will go up for the previous week's entries. Simply vote for one you like the most. In the event of a tie, I'll let a random result generator make the decision - but each of the tied cards will appear in the final set card list.


On to Stuff!


Last week's winner...
Dictionary scores Card #1 with Burned Village! 


Last week's entries to pick from for Card #11...

•Pallando Deceived, Betrayer to the Free Peoples
Minion • Wizard
Strength 10  Vitality 4  Site 5
To play, spot a Wizard or discard an condition.
Each Wizard is strength +2 and fierce.
Skirmish: Discard an condition to heal a Wizard or make him strength +2.
"Of the Blue little was known in the West... for they passed into the East with Curunír."

Designer's Notes: A minion version of the condition-that-turns-into-minion. The playing cost allows him to discard the condition version just before entering the game in order to avoid the uniqueness exclusion (like the Palantir of Orthanc does). The bonus stacks with the Throne of Isengard (and like it, pumps Gandalf and Radagast too). The skirmish skill can turn your conditions into ammo for Wizards (allowing Saruman's Ambition to finally pump Saruman) or into vitality for exertion-fueled skills (or to avoid death).

•Cannot Get Out
Condition • Support Area
When you play this condition, you may discard another condition to make the move limit for this turn -1.
While at an underground site, the Free Peoples player must exert a companion or discard 2 cards from hand to assign a minion to a skirmish. Discard this condition during the regroup phase.
"'They have taken the bridge and the Second Hall...We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark.'"

•Isengard Warden
Minion • Orc
Strength: 10
Vitality: 4
Site: 4
Skirmish: Exert an Orc to cancel a skirmish involving that Orc. The Free Peoples player may exert a companion to prevent this.
"Some time ago I began to wonder how Orcs dared to pass through my woods so freely..."

Smoke From Isengard
Condition • Site
Weather. To play, exert an minion. Plays on a site you control. Limit 1 per site.
For each forest site in the fellowship's current region, each unbound companion is strength -1 (-2 if an Ent). Discard this condition if this site is liberated.
"'He and his foul folk are making havoc now.'"

Designer's Notes: This week really got away from me, but here's my entry. There's some synergy between this card and No Ordinary Storm, but really I just wrote this to feel like a Fellowship block weather card but for the Towers environment since it relies on site control to work. Since that requires an extra step before it becomes useful, I've tried to give it a bit more "oomph" than many of the weather conditions already out there.

Isengard Warrens
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot 3 Orcs (or Saruman).
Each time a companion is wounded, you may exert or discard an Orc to add an token here.
Assignment: Remove 3 tokens here to play an Orc from your discard pile and assign it to a companion (except the Ring-bearer).
"Beyond the fire he saw swarming black figures; there seemed to be hundreds of orcs."

Designer's notes: Something quick that has to do with orcs, not just those from Isengard, tho it requires those from Isengard to have much use. 

This week's contest is...
Card #22!

Our little set is half way completed! It's all down hill from here!

• A card (after Merry, Conspirator)
• An card
• A Site card (before The Black Gate)

Closing date: August 1st! Good luck!


Lairs Card List 
Number - Name - (Culture • Type) - Contestant - Week it won
1. Burned Village ( • Condition] - Dictionary - 12
2. •Stronghold of the Adorn River ( • Possession) - Durin's Heir - 3
3. •Balin, Lord of Moria ( • Ally) - menace64 - 8
4.
5. Sméagol Lied ( • Event) - SGollum - 4
6. Worse Than Orcs ( • Event) - menace64 - 9
7.
8. Sheltered Hollow ( • Condition) - TelTura - 6
9.
10.
11. SUBJECT OF THIS WEEK'S VOTE
12.
13.
14. •Wrested Kingdom ( • Condition) - menace64 - 1
15.
16. •Úlairë Attëa, Khamûl ( • Minion) - SGollum - 7
17.
18. Southern Stranger ( • Minion) - Inspire - 10
19.
20. •Bag End Hearth ( • Condition) - Inspire - 2
21. •Merry, Conspirator ( • Companion) - Inspire - 5
22. IN CREATION THIS WEEK
23. The Black Gate (Site) - SGollum - 11
24.
25.


The Misadventure Deck (cards that lost due to tied-decision but will appear in final cardlist! Maybe?)
26. •Durin's Axe, Omen of Fortune
27. From Lowest Dungeon to Highest Peak
28. Orkish Whip
29. •Mountains of Shadow[/list]

[Durin's Heir]

It's important to point out that "the" and "a" were ommited by Decipher when sorting alphabetically (see 11S256 The Prancing Pony, before 11S257 Rohan Uplands, or 2R52 The Balrog, Flame of Udun before 2R53 Cave Troll's Chain), so it's really "A Site card (before "Black Gate")." Which shrinks the options a lot.

Truth! 

Aaahhh I accidentally edited your post, DH instead of replying to it.  What have I done?!?!?

[menace64]

I didn't even realize I could edit someone else's post. This is a power best left unused 

[Durin's Heir]

Wow! ROFLMAO! Leave it that way.

It's something that Kralik might find very interesting, if not a bit worrisome.


EDIT: Just realized, you can because you're a Mod. I tried to do the same in threads I started but cannot, since I don't have a mountain, and I'm not a king, which makes me nobody really. So Kralik will probably find it's ok.

[Legion]

I was surprised my Pippin got no votes last time, but here we go again:

•Pippin, Co-Conspirator
Companion • Hobbit
Each time you shuffle your hand into your deck you may draw 3 cards.

[menace64]

Shirriff
Ally • Home 1 • Hobbit
Strength: 2
Vitality: 2
While any Shadow player controls a site, add each time a minion is played.
Response: If a Hobbit ally whose home site is 1 is about to exert, exert this ally to place no token for that exertion.
"'What can I do? You know how I went for a Shirriff seven years ago, before any of this began.'"

[azogsbane]

Though Here at Journey's End I Lie
Event • Response
If Sam wins a skirmish at any site 7 or higher, spot X burdens to take up to X events into hand from your discard pile. Until the end of the turn, burdens, threats, and cards in the dead pile may not be spotted and special abilities of Shadow conditions may not be used.
"...In darkness buried deep,...Above all shadows rides the Sun / And Stars forever dwell."

[Inspire]

•Pippin, Out of the Bog and Briar
Companion • Hobbit
Strength: 3
Vitality: 4
Signet: Frodo
Fellowship: Draw a card. Each opponent may add or draw a card.
"‘Short cuts make delays, but inns make longer ones. At all costs we must keep you away from the Golden Perch.'"

[Durin's Heir]

The Fires of Industry
Possession • Support Area
and minions may bear any weapon for which their race or card type is eligible (regardless of culture).
Shadow: Spot your Wizard, Orc or Man and remove to play a weapon from your draw deck or discard pile.
"'Forests will fall. A new order will rise.'"

Did you ever wish to play those fancy weapons Decipher made after Set 10 on your classic Uruks? Or have your Men wield, well, something to help them in skirmish (apart from Banner of Isengard)? Saruman's weapon industry can supply for that demand, and use that technology to turn Orthanc into the dominating power.

Some interesting combos: Mordor Scimitar on Unferth & Co (for +3 str and twice the exertions); Isengard Siege Bow (any minion) / Spear of the White Hand (Uruks only) for exertion-fueled skills (Saruman SotE, Uruk Crossbowman et al, Orthanc Champion...); Saruman BT + Staff with Orc Spear for / Mordor Scimitar for from deck/discard; Uruk Axe on any Uruk for +3 str; Berserker Torch on Berserk Slayer (though very expensive); Isengard Axe on Orcs (or Orc Spear on + minions) for free from deck/discard every turn; Moria Axe on Orcs for big skirmish power (but much less regroup wounding).