Return to the Paths of the Dead - Abandoning All Reason

[Anvar]

A couple more possessions today, nearly wrapping up the Rohan culture.

Javelin of the Mark
Possession • Ranged Weapon
Strength: +1
Resistance: +1
Return - add a threat.
Bearer must be a Man.
Archery: Discard this possession to make the fellowship archery total +1.

•Herugrim, Ancestral Blade
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength: +2
Vitality: +1
Legendary -
Bearer must be Theoden.
Desperation - Response: If a skirmish event or ability makes a minion strength +X, discard a card from hand to make Theoden strength +X.

EDIT: Herugrim now works with all cards - if you have reached desperation, you aren't likely to have that many cards in hand anyway...

[DáinIronfoot]

Javelin of the Mark
Possession • Ranged Weapon
Strength: +1
Return - add a threat.
Bearer must be a Man.
Archery: Discard this possession to make the Fellowship archery total +1.

No capitalization necessary on "fellowship". Considering the additional cost, it'd probably be okay to give this a strength +2, or perhaps strength +1 and resistance +1, like Spear of the Mark.

•Herugrim, Ancestral Blade
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength: +2
Vitality: +1
Legendary -
Bearer must be Theoden.
Desperation - Response: If a skirmish event or ability makes a minion strength +X, discard a card from hand to make Theoden strength +X.

I'm sorry...I forgot what legendary does...a refresher? Love the rest, though.

[Anvar]

Legendary is one of Thranduil's keywords. Basically, in order for a Shadow player to discard it from play they must pay the additional cost listed. But if they do so, it goes to the dead pile instead of the discard pile.

[Elf_Lvr]

Both look fine to me.

[lem0nhead]

Javelin of the Mark
Possession • Ranged Weapon
Strength: +1
Resistance: +1
Return - add a threat.
Bearer must be a Man.
Archery: Discard this possession to make the fellowship archery total +1.

Hmmm ok.

•Herugrim, Ancestral Blade
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength: +2
Vitality: +1
Legendary -
Bearer must be Theoden.
Desperation - Response: If a skirmish event or ability makes a minion strength +X, discard a card from hand to make Theoden strength +X.

I dont think its that legendary it deserves 2, maybe just 1? Thats a cool ability.

[Anvar]

Okay, last two cards going up today. They're both companions based on Unfinished Tales (as was the lore from Theodred a few pages back):

•Elfhelm, Defender of the Fords
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Valiant.
Return - add a threat.
Desperation - each possession gains "Return - exert a valiant Man".
"Elfhelm had been riding in haste along the horse-road from Edoras... he was expecting battle, but not yet for some days."

•Grimbold, Defender of the Fords
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Valiant.
Return - add a threat.
Desperation - you may play a possession any time you could play a skirmish event.
"...and there he found Grimbold fighting two great axemen for possession of Theodred's body."

[DáinIronfoot]

•Elfhelm, Defender of the Fords
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Valiant.
Return - add a threat.
Desperation - each possession gains "Return - add a threat".
"Elfhelm had been riding in haste along the horse-road from Edoras... he was expecting battle, but not yet for some days."

I like him, though I'd prefer either his return or the return he gives to possessions do something other than threats. Exert a valiant Man, perhaps?

•Grimbold, Defender of the Fords
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Valiant.
Return - add a threat.
Desperation - you may play possessions any time you could play a skirmish event.
"...and there he found Grimbold fighting two great axemen for possession of Theodred's body.

Probably better worded "you may play each possession any time...". But it's nice.

[Anvar]

Great idea Dain.

Thanks.

[Thranduil]

Good stuff on Elfhelm but the wording on Grimbold is now a bit confusing - as if you have to play all possessions at once. I think I preferred it the way it was.

Thranduil

[Anvar]

Hmmm. I'll try to clear it up.

[Elf_Lvr]

•Elfhelm, Defender of the Fords
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Valiant.
Return - add a threat.
Desperation - each possession gains "Return - exert a valiant Man".
"Elfhelm had been riding in haste along the horse-road from Edoras... he was expecting battle, but not yet for some days."

Pretty cool. Neat Diadem opportunity, here.

•Grimbold, Defender of the Fords
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Valiant.
Return - add a threat.
Desperation - you may play a possession any time you could play a skirmish event.
"...and there he found Grimbold fighting two great axemen for possession of Theodred's body."

Especially nice with the above guy. Very neat.

[DáinIronfoot]

Good stuff on Elfhelm but the wording on Grimbold is now a bit confusing - as if you have to play all possessions at once. I think I preferred it the way it was.

Whoops...sorry about that!

[lem0nhead]

•Elfhelm, Defender of the Fords
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Valiant.
Return - add a threat.
Desperation - each possession gains "Return - exert a valiant Man".
"Elfhelm had been riding in haste along the horse-road from Edoras... he was expecting battle, but not yet for some days."

Hmmm my problem with desperation is until you have discarded your deck a lot of cards are useless, and this guy is the worst offender ive seen. You aint gonna get to desperation with companions like this cos hes gonna be dead way before you are at 0 deck. Having realised you can discard this guy and add a threat to play him when youre decked its an ingeniusly clever well thought out card. Smooth going Anvar.

•Grimbold, Defender of the Fords
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Valiant.
Return - add a threat.
Desperation - you may play a possession any time you could play a skirmish event.
"...and there he found Grimbold fighting two great axemen for possession of Theodred's body."

Seems a bit underpowered as you HAVE to combine him with elfhelm and is useless on his own as youre never gonna have possessions in your hand if youre decked.

[Anvar]

Okay, Rohan culture is done, so we're back to the Shadow cultures, and it's the turn of the Orcs to take centre stage.

All the Shadow cultures support themes in the Wraith culture, as well as having some of their own particular tricks. Men culture worked with burdens and resistance. Orcs work with Wraiths in a bit more of an obvious way (as you will see today), and also work with threats. They also have their own little subtheme.

Okay, so for today a vertical cycle of minions, based on a thesaurus reprint from Fellowship of the Ring:

Morgul Prowler
Minion • Orc
Strength: 6
Vitality: 2
Site: 4
When you play this minion you may shuffle up to 2 cards from your discard pile into your draw deck.

Morgul Sneak
Minion • Orc
Strength: 4
Vitality: 1
Site: 4
When you play this minion you may shuffle a non-minion card from your discard pile into your draw deck.

•Morgul Creep
Minion • Orc
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 4
When you play this minion you may shuffle 2 cards from your discard pile, or a card from your dead pile, into your draw deck.

[Thranduil]

•Morgul Creep
Minion • Orc
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 4
When you play this minion you may shuffe 2 cards from your discard pile, or a card from your dead pile, into your draw deck.

Remind me which cards can go to the dead pile?

Thranduil