Return to the Paths of the Dead - Abandoning All Reason

[lem0nhead]

Evermind
Event • Fellowship
Spot 2 men to take into hand a companion from your draw deck, or spot a man in the dead pile to take into hand a companion and a possession from your draw deck.
"'Ever has it grown on the tomb of my forebears - now it shall cover the grave of my son.'"

Fair enough.

•Snowmane, Master's Bane
Possession • Mount
Bearer must be a Man.
Strength: +1
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, each minion skirmishing bearer must exert.
Desperation - If you have no cards in your draw deck, each time bearer takes a wound he must exert. If bearer is Theoden, he gains enduring 2.
"'Faithful servant yet master's bane / Lightfoot's foal, swift Snowmane.'"

Really dont see the advantage to this.

•Snowmane's Howe
Condition • Support Area
Tomb. (Cards stacked here count as being in the dead pile. If discarded, place all stacked cards in the dead pile).
When you play this condition, stack a mount here from your discard pile.
While a unique mount is stacked here, each mounted Man gains enduring 1.
"Green and long grew the grass on Snowmane's Howe, but ever black and bare was the ground where the beast was burned."

Ok.

[Thranduil]

Evermind
Event • Fellowship
Spot 2 men to take into hand a companion from your draw deck, or spot a man in the dead pile to take into hand a companion and a possession from your draw deck.
"'Ever has it grown on the tomb of my forebears - now it shall cover the grave of my son.'"

Need some capitals on "Man". Perhaps would be enough; it's not as good as Simbelmyne or Last Days of My House.

•Snowmane, Master's Bane
Possession • Mount
Bearer must be a Man.
Strength: +1
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, each minion skirmishing bearer must exert.
Desperation - If you have no cards in your draw deck, each time bearer takes a wound he must exert. If bearer is Theoden, he gains enduring 2.
"'Faithful servant yet master's bane / Lightfoot's foal, swift Snowmane.'"

The first part of the text is weird, and though I understand the principle, perhaps the card would be fine with just enduring.

•Snowmane's Howe
Condition • Support Area
Tomb. (Cards stacked here count as being in the dead pile. If discarded, place all stacked cards in the dead pile).
When you play this condition, stack a mount here from your discard pile.
While a unique mount is stacked here, each mounted Man gains enduring 1.
"Green and long grew the grass on Snowmane's Howe, but ever black and bare was the ground where the beast was burned."

Fun stuff! It presumably does not count to the rule of 9 though.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Evermind
Event • Fellowship
Spot 2 men to take into hand a companion from your draw deck, or spot a man in the dead pile to take into hand a companion and a possession from your draw deck.
"'Ever has it grown on the tomb of my forebears - now it shall cover the grave of my son.'"

Same note as Thran on capitalization and cost.

•Snowmane, Master's Bane
Possession • Mount
Bearer must be a Man.
Strength: +1
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, each minion skirmishing bearer must exert.
Desperation - If you have no cards in your draw deck, each time bearer takes a wound he must exert. If bearer is Theoden, he gains enduring 2.
"'Faithful servant yet master's bane / Lightfoot's foal, swift Snowmane.'"

The desperation text is useless without Theoden bearing. Perhaps just make it "Desperation - Bearer gains enduring 1 (or enduring 2 if bearer is Theoden)." After all, desperation implies the "If you have no cards in your draw deck", so you don't need that part, right?

•Snowmane's Howe
Condition • Support Area
Tomb. (Cards stacked here count as being in the dead pile. If discarded, place all stacked cards in the dead pile).
When you play this condition, stack a mount here from your discard pile.
While a unique mount is stacked here, each mounted Man gains enduring 1.
"Green and long grew the grass on Snowmane's Howe, but ever black and bare was the ground where the beast was burned."

Yep, looks good. Perhaps allows stacking the mount from your discard pile OR hand. I understand the discard pile connection, but allowing from hand as well would make it a little easier to implement.

[Anvar]

Evermind now costs 1.

The idea with Snowmane is that it has a disadvantage in Desperate situations. The Desperation bit was supposed to be a penalty, representing the fact that it is 'Master's Bane'. However, when Theoden is riding Snowmane, this penalty at least comes with a slight advantage of enduring. Notice also that Snowmane gives a strength bonus. At the moment, I have upped the strength bonus to 2 and kept the drawback.

Let me know what you think

[Thranduil]

Evermind now costs 1.

The idea with Snowmane is that it has a disadvantage in Desperate situations. The Desperation bit was supposed to be a penalty, representing the fact that it is 'Master's Bane'. However, when Theoden is riding Snowmane, this penalty at least comes with a slight advantage of enduring. Notice also that Snowmane gives a strength bonus. At the moment, I have upped the strength bonus to 2 and kept the drawback.

Let me know what you think

That does seem better.

Thranduil

[Anvar]

Okay, thanks for all the comments. I should have made clear that Desperation can sometimes act as a drawback as well as an advantage. Anyway, enjoy today's offerings:

•Burial Mound
Condition • Support Area
Tomb. (Cards stacked here count as being in the dead pile. If discarded, place all stacked cards in the dead pile).
When you play this condition, stack a Man here from your discard or dead pile.
Maneuver: Spot a card stacked here and exert a Man to discard a possession from play. The first Shadow player may remove a threat to prevent this.
"'Behold! we are come to the great barrows where the sires of Theoden sleep.'"

•Eomer, Called to War
Companion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
While you can spot a Man, Eomer's twilight cost is -1.
Eomer gains enduring 1 for each of the following in your dead pile: Theoden, Theodred, Eowyn.
Desperation - Eomer is damage +1 for each Free Peoples card in your dead pile.
"‘What madness or devilry is this? Death, death, death!  Death take us all!'"

[DáinIronfoot]

•Burial Mound
Condition • Support Area
Tomb. (Cards stacked here count as being in the dead pile. If discarded, place all stacked cards in the dead pile).
When you play this condition, stack a Man here from your discard or dead pile.
Maneuver: Spot a card stacked here and exert a Man to discard a possession from play. The first Shadow player may remove a threat to prevent this.
"'Behold! we are come to the great barrows where the sires of Theoden sleep.'"

Seems okay. Not outstanding, but okay.

•Eomer, Called to War
Companion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
While you can spot a Man, Eomer's twilight cost is -1.
Eomer gains enduring 1 for each of the following in your dead pile: Theoden, Theodred, Eowyn.
Desperation - Eomer is damage +1 for each free peoples card in your dead pile.
"‘What madness or devilry is this? Death, death, death!  Death take us all!'"

Don't recall that lore...where and when is it from? Eowyn's seeming death after taking down Wikkie?

"Free Peoples" should always be capitalized, and damage +1 should be bolded. I'd make him valiant as well, but other than that, looks good.

[Anvar]

Stupid capital letters, mutter, mutter....

And yes, you do know the lore - it's from the scene you describe in which Eomer thinks Eowyn has been killed.

[lem0nhead]

Okay, thanks for all the comments. I should have made clear that Desperation can sometimes act as a drawback as well as an advantage.

And so it should you have no deck left!

•Burial Mound
Condition • Support Area
Tomb. (Cards stacked here count as being in the dead pile. If discarded, place all stacked cards in the dead pile).
When you play this condition, stack a Man here from your discard or dead pile.
Maneuver: Spot a card stacked here and exert a Man to discard a possession from play. The first Shadow player may remove a threat to prevent this.
"'Behold! we are come to the great barrows where the sires of Theoden sleep.'"

Seems ok.

•Eomer, Called to War
Companion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
While you can spot a Man, Eomer's twilight cost is -1.
Eomer gains enduring 1 for each of the following in your dead pile: Theoden, Theodred, Eowyn.
Desperation - Eomer is damage +1 for each Free Peoples card in your dead pile.
"‘What madness or devilry is this? Death, death, death!  Death take us all!'"

Sheesh. Well. Really useless card until youre near to losing the game because three of your main fighters are dead and you have no cards left in your deck.

[Thranduil]

•Burial Mound
Condition • Support Area
Tomb. (Cards stacked here count as being in the dead pile. If discarded, place all stacked cards in the dead pile).
When you play this condition, stack a Man here from your discard or dead pile.
Maneuver: Spot a card stacked here and exert a Man to discard a possession from play. The first Shadow player may remove a threat to prevent this.
"'Behold! we are come to the great barrows where the sires of Theoden sleep.'"

Are you going to put Théoden's original return text somewhere (about returning possessions)? I might suggest here.

•Eomer, Called to War
Companion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
While you can spot a Man, Eomer's twilight cost is -1.
Eomer gains enduring 1 for each of the following in your dead pile: Theoden, Theodred, Eowyn.
Desperation - Eomer is damage +1 for each Free Peoples card in your dead pile.
"‘What madness or devilry is this? Death, death, death!  Death take us all!'"

This guy is awesome! When you're enduring 3 damage +3, who cares how many companions are dead! Put Coif on him and Firefoot then I'll care even less! :hey:

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

This guy is awesome! When you're enduring 3 damage +3, who cares how many companions are dead! Put Coif on him and Firefoot then I'll care even less! :hey:

So youre suggesting you would build a deck around a tactic that requires you to kill 3 of your best companions off JUST to make 1 more companion tough? Thus losing (minus your compulsary RB) 45% of your available companions. AND on top the that you then have to discard your ENTIRE deck? Have you thought this through? 

[Thranduil]

This guy is awesome! When you're enduring 3 damage +3, who cares how many companions are dead! Put Coif on him and Firefoot then I'll care even less! :hey:

So youre suggesting you would build a deck around a tactic that requires you to kill 3 of your best companions off JUST to make 1 more companion tough? Thus losing (minus your compulsary RB) 45% of your available companions. AND on top the that you then have to discard your ENTIRE deck? Have you thought this through? 

Yes I have.

Éomer, Called to War
Eomer's Spear
Riddermark Javelin
Firefoot
Coif
Ent Draught

running SftF, for example, to burn those companions you need to grab the support one of the In the Bloom of Health Hobbits, an exhausted Eomer, and you have a strength 22 defender +1 damage +4 companion.

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

Yes but its one guy and youd have no deck.... All this setup for one very hard guy, wont save your RB if he gets a minion on him whereas another 3 companions might. Durin 3rd can get that good and you dont see him needing dead unique dwarves and to have discarded youre entire deck.

[sickofpalantirs]

•Burial Mound
Condition • Support Area
Tomb. (Cards stacked here count as being in the dead pile. If discarded, place all stacked cards in the dead pile).
When you play this condition, stack a Man here from your discard or dead pile.
Maneuver: Spot a card stacked here and exert a Man to discard a possession from play. The first Shadow player may remove a threat to prevent this.
"'Behold! we are come to the great barrows where the sires of Theoden sleep.'"
fine

•Eomer, Called to War
Companion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
While you can spot a Man, Eomer's twilight cost is -1.
Eomer gains enduring 1 for each of the following in your dead pile: Theoden, Theodred, Eowyn.
Desperation - Eomer is damage +1 for each Free Peoples card in your dead pile.
"‘What madness or devilry is this? Death, death, death!  Death take us all!'"

I likey

[Anvar]

Thanks for reviews. Some more traditional cards today:

•Eowyn, No Living Man
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
Valiant.
While skirmishing an enduring minion, Eowyn is strength +2 for each wound on that minion.
While skirmishing a twilight or minion, Eowyn gains enduring 1.
"'I am no man!'"

•Windfola, Swift Steed
Possession • Mount
Bearer must be a Man.
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, each minion skirmishing bearer must exert.
Desperation - If bearer is Eowyn each minion skirmishing bearer and Merry lose fierce and cannot gain fierce until the regroup phase.