The Way Into Mordor - Elves (1/16: "Fæste, stille nú." / "A red sun rises....")

[DáinIronfoot]

Hey, blame Tolkien, not me.

     At the bottom they came with a strange suddenness on the grass of Rohan. It swelled like a green sea up to the very foot of the Emyn Muil. The falling stream vanished into a deep growth of cresses and water-plants, and they could hear it tinkling away in green tunnels, down long gentle slopes towards the fens of Entwash Vale far away. They seemed to have left winter clinging to the hills behind. Here the air was softer and warmer, and faintly scented, as if spring was already stirring and the sap was flowing again in herb and leaf. Legolas took a deep breath, like one that drinks a great draught after long thirst in barren places.
     'Ah! the green smell!' he said. 'It is better than much sleep. Let us run!'

[Thranduil]

I like the new bow.

Light Feet Run Swiftly
Event • Response
If the fellowship moves during the regroup phase, spot an Elf hunter to heal each hunter.
"They went in single file, running like hounds on a strong scent, and an eager light was in their eyes."

Maybe heal each hunter companion? And yes, this I think should cost minimum.

The Green Smell
Event • Fellowship
If the fellowship is at a forest, river, or plains site, heal an Elf hunter. Then you may add to place this event on top of your draw deck.
"Legolas took a deep breath, like one that drinks a great draught after long thirst in barren places."

It's alright. I would say it was a balanced card. Title is pretty bad, though to be honest I didn't notice it until GT just pointed it out!

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Light Feet Run Swiftly
Event • Response
If the fellowship moves during the regroup phase, spot an Elf hunter to heal each hunter.
"They went in single file, running like hounds on a strong scent, and an eager light was in their eyes."

Maybe heal each hunter companion? And yes, this I think should cost minimum.

You know, I had it at "each hunter companion" and changed it last minute, thinking that the potential for inadvertently healing hunter minions might help balance it a bit more. But I like /hunter companions better.

[lem0nhead]

Light Feet Run Swiftly
Event • Response
If the fellowship moves during the regroup phase, spot an Elf hunter to heal each hunter companion.
"They went in single file, running like hounds on a strong scent, and an eager light was in their eyes."

Too good?

Possibly, but its costly and hand cloggy so might be ok.

The Green Smell
Event • Fellowship
If the fellowship is at a forest, river, or plains site, heal an Elf hunter. Then you may add to place this event on top of your draw deck.
"Legolas took a deep breath, like one that drinks a great draught after long thirst in barren places."

Cool i like it, though id remove plains.

[DáinIronfoot]

Today we've got a couple cards to help splash Elf hunters in with other hunters (like a certain THREE Hunters, perhaps? ). Enjoy!

Tireless and Swift
Event • Maneuver
Spot a hunter Elf companion and a hunter Man companion to return a wounded minion to its owner's hand.
"‘Light feet may run swiftly here. More swiftly, maybe, than iron-shod Orcs. Now we have a chance to lessen their lead!'"

A cousin to cards like Quick As May Be (tying together Elves and Dwarves) and my own No Vain Pursuit (tying together Dwarves and rangers). This one is slightly more specific, since it's limited to hunters rather than any ol' Elf and Man, but I figured that with and already having several cards that link them, this one should be a bit more specialized. It IS pretty darn powerful, after all....

•Silent Ones
Condition • Support Area
Stealth. To play, spot an Elf.
While you can spot more hunter companions than minions, the twilight cost of each Shadow event is +1.
Skirmish: Discard this condition and exert an Elf hunter companion to cancel a skirmish involving that companion.
"‘Have you sprung out of the grass? How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?'"

Elves like making Shadow stuff cost more, and this in particular recaptures a little of the flavor lost when Dauntless Hunter was X-ed. It also does something the stealth of The Road Ahead did: cancel skirmishes.

[Gate Troll]

Tireless and Swift
Event • Maneuver
Spot an Elf companion and a hunter Man companion to make a Shadow player return a wounded minion to its owner's hand.
"‘Light feet may run swiftly here. More swiftly, maybe, than iron-shod Orcs. Now we have a chance to lessen their lead!'"

Seems a little too complicated. Cards like that never make the final cut for any good deck- they are doomed to rest forever at the bottom of collections, dusty and unused. Its not so much about its UP-ness or OP-ness, its just about its general usefulness.

•Silent Ones
Condition • Support Area
Stealth. To play, spot an Elf hunter.
While you can spot more hunter companions than minions, the twilight cost of each Shadow event is +1.
Skirmish: Discard this condition and exert an Elf hunter to cancel a skirmish involving a hunter companion.
"‘Have you sprung out of the grass? How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?'"

Now that is good. I could easily seeing that being used. Looks like fun

Don't make them too complicated... 

[FM]

Tireless and Swift
Event • Maneuver
Spot an Elf companion and a hunter Man companion to make a Shadow player return a wounded minion to its owner's hand.
"‘Light feet may run swiftly here. More swiftly, maybe, than iron-shod Orcs. Now we have a chance to lessen their lead!'"

I think it's not THAT powerful, it's actually fairly ok. Sure, it helps a double hugely by dodging a huge minion AND clogging their hand, but let's face it, you have to jump through SOME hoops to make it work, specially if they see it coming.

•Silent Ones
Condition • Support Area
Stealth. To play, spot an Elf hunter.
While you can spot more hunter companions than minions, the twilight cost of each Shadow event is +1.
Skirmish: Discard this condition and exert an Elf hunter to cancel a skirmish involving a hunter companion.
"‘Have you sprung out of the grass? How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?'"

I'm not really fond of this one, I have to say. I think it'd be more than enough to cancel the skirmish involving THAT companion (after all the ELVES are the silent ones, not anyone around them). I like the flavor of the first ability, though. Sure, they can play strength bonuses at no increased cost most of the times, but that's because the minions already FOUND the hunters. Events to lower costs, otoh, will cost more, since that depicts the elves stealthing by. Loved it. However, I think the spotting requirement is overkill, it takes unnecessary space on the card, after all, WHY ON EARTH would you play this with no hunters in sight? Sure, you could use the first line in a non-elf deck, but seriously, that wouldn't be very good now would it?

[Elf_Lvr]

I agree with FM on Silent Ones. At least when it comes to the second ability - I think it should only work for the exerted companion.

[sickofpalantirs]

Today we've got a couple cards to help splash Elf hunters in with other hunters (like a certain THREE Hunters, perhaps? ). Enjoy!

Tireless and Swift
Event • Maneuver
Spot an Elf companion and a hunter Man companion to make a Shadow player return a wounded minion to its owner's hand.
"‘Light feet may run swiftly here. More swiftly, maybe, than iron-shod Orcs. Now we have a chance to lessen their lead!'"
maybe or wound a minion to prevent it?

•Silent Ones
Condition • Support Area
Stealth. To play, spot an Elf hunter.
While you can spot more hunter companions than minions, the twilight cost of each Shadow event is +1.
Skirmish: Discard this condition and exert an Elf hunter to cancel a skirmish involving a hunter companion.
"‘Have you sprung out of the grass? How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?'"

well, hunters are generally quiet...except for gimli

[DáinIronfoot]

Fun...four reviews and Thran and lem0n are not part of them! I love when reviewers come out of the woodwork. Gold for all!

I tweaked Silent Ones a bit. Better?

[sickofpalantirs]

Q, is it more hunter companions than hunter minions, or more hunter companions than minions? the grammar is fuzzy

[FM]

It's not, actually, since it's a keyword, it would have to be repeated, so it's more hunter companions than MINIONS, as it is at least. But that IS a good question, was this the intention?
Also, I missed a bit of the first card, and NOW I think it sucks. You should allow the Free Peoples player to choose WHICH minion gets returned.

[lem0nhead]

Tireless and Swift
Event • Maneuver
Spot an Elf companion and a hunter Man companion to make a Shadow player return a wounded minion to its owner's hand.
"‘Light feet may run swiftly here. More swiftly, maybe, than iron-shod Orcs. Now we have a chance to lessen their lead!'"

I like it.

•Silent Ones
Condition • Support Area
Stealth. To play, spot an Elf hunter.
While you can spot more hunter companions than minions, the twilight cost of each Shadow event is +1.
Skirmish: Discard this condition and exert a hunter companion to cancel a skirmish involving that companion.
"‘Have you sprung out of the grass? How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?'"

Really awesome card, id expect it to be rare in which case its fine.

[Thranduil]

Tireless and Swift
Event • Maneuver
Spot an Elf companion and a hunter Man companion to make a Shadow player return a wounded minion to its owner's hand.
"‘Light feet may run swiftly here. More swiftly, maybe, than iron-shod Orcs. Now we have a chance to lessen their lead!'"

Tis fair enough. There isn't enough bounce in this game.

•Silent Ones
Condition • Support Area
Stealth. To play, spot an Elf hunter.
While you can spot more hunter companions than minions, the twilight cost of each Shadow event is +1.
Skirmish: Discard this condition and exert a hunter companion to cancel a skirmish involving that companion.
"‘Have you sprung out of the grass? How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?'"

I agree with FM, I think the second ability should exert an Elf hunter to cancel a skirmish involving that companion.

Thranduil

[FM]

But don't you think it should be targeted? I mean, you have to go through SOME hoops to even target what you want, having to make it wounded either before the next maneuver (and surviving) or wounding it with maneuver cards.