Dáin's DCs - Mordor's Borders (5/29: End Of The Game...?)

[lem0nhead]

Well, I think three reviews is enough. If anyone else wants to review Shagrat, be my guest. But I'm going to go ahead and get to his "partner" now. Enjoy!

You have the IMPORTANT three

•Gorbag, Cautious Captain
Minion • Orc
Strength: 11
Vitality: 3
Site: 4
Hunter 1.
While you can spot a Uruk-hai or 2 other minions, Gorbag is strength +2 and fierce.
"‘Something nearly slipped you say. I say, something has slipped. And we've got to look out. Always the poor Uruks to put slips right, and small thanks.'"

Id make it wraith orcs not minions. Dont see why the nazgul would boost him.

•Gorbag, Lieutenant of the Dark Tower
Minion • Orc
Strength: 11
Vitality: 3
Site: 4
Skirmish: Exert Gorbag twice to make a minion strength +1 for each possession borne by a companion skirmishing that minion (and damage +1 if that companion bears an artifact).
"‘You're supposed to keep watch, aren't you, special orders or no? What are you for?'"

Sound. Possibly same comment as above.

•Going To The Great Eye
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot two Orcs (or Gorbag).
Each time a Free Peoples artifact is played, add a threat.
Shadow: Discard a Uruk-hai and spot X possessions to make a Orc strength +X until the regroup phase (limit +4).
"‘...along with everything else. You touch it, and I'll stick this blade in your gut.'"

Cool.

[DáinIronfoot]

Gorbag can work with Nazzies (rather than just Orcs) because he works closely with them (or has in the past) in the novels...just as Shagrat is clearly familiar with Shelob (and vice-versa, likely), which is why one of HIS versions has text referencing her.

Anyway, here are a couple big minions that work well with their captains. Enjoy!

Cirith Ungol Guard
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 14
Vitality: 4
Site: 6
Damage +1.
While the fellowship is in region 3 and you can spot 2 other Uruk-hai (or Shagrat), this minion is fierce.
"‘We were awake all right. We knew there were funny things going on.'"

Cirith Ungol Patrol
Minion • Orc
Strength: 13
Vitality: 4
Site: 5
If the fellowship is in region 3 and you can spot 2 Orcs (or Gorbag), this minion's twilight cost is -2.
"They were behind him and before him. A noise of tramping feet and harsh shouts...."

[Thranduil]

Apart from Cirith Ungol Guard linking to an existing card, I think I would put them into a cycle - I really like the region 3 thing for the minion, and I think the minion should have a similar focus.

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

I agree with thran, or you could take a different approach and make sauron work in region 2. what site is cirith ungol in king block anyway?

[lem0nhead]

Not much to add seem ok to me

#$&*@! it we need that stupid smily icon of thumbs up!

[DáinIronfoot]

what site is cirith ungol in king block anyway?

Site 7...I think.

Anyway, I tweaked the guy (though I still need to think up a new name...don't know how I missed that!), so let me know if he's good now.

Moving a bit further to the north we come to the Black Gate. So how about its' guardian?

•The Mouth of Sauron, Emissary of the Dark Lord
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Each time the Free Peoples player adds , you may exert The Mouth of Sauron and remove to discard a condition with a twilight cost of X or less.
Response: If The Mouth of Sauron is killed or discarded, each minion is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘I am the Mouth of Sauron, hear him speak.'"

This version of ol' Mouthy doesn't do much on his own. He sits back and lets the FP do their thing...then makes them pay for it. Try to add any twilight beyond the fellowship phase, and more than likely, he'll hit you hard. And you can't get rid of him very easily either...behead him, as Aragorn did, and Sauron's legions just get mad. Try and get rid of him in a more sneaky manner, such as with an Ithilien Blade, and...well, it won't make any difference. You have to either just let him be or face the wrath of other minions. Hear him speak...or else. It's a lose-lose, really.

And it only gets worse....

•Messenger's Mount, Huge and Hideous
Possession • Mount
Strength +3
Bearer must be a Man (or The Mouth of Sauron). Bearer is fierce.
Skirmish: If bearer is The Mouth of Sauron, exert him to cancel a skirmish he is involved in.
"...and in the sockets of its eyes and in its nostrils there burned a flame."

Now, not only is Mouthy annoying as Hades, but with his Hades-bred horse, he's a force to be reckoned with in battle, too! And even if you somehow muster up the strength to defeat him, he can just cancel that skirmish and ride off, laughing all the way. Nice guy, huh?

[Thranduil]

•The Mouth of Sauron, Emissary of the Dark Lord
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Each time the Free Peoples player adds , you may exert The Mouth of Sauron and remove to discard a condition with a twilight cost of X.
Response: If The Mouth of Sauron is killed or discarded, each minion is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘I am the Mouth of Sauron, hear him speak.'"

I really like his ability! So presumably that would include playing an event with twilight cost like Counts But One? Not sure if he even needs his second ability. Perhaps you could streamline and make him more interesting by removing the response action and making his first ability exert any minion?

•Messenger's Mount, Huge and Hideous
Possession • Mount
Strength +3
Bearer must be a Man (or The Mouth of Sauron). Bearer is fierce.
Skirmish: If bearer is The Mouth of Sauron, exert him to cancel a skirmish he is involved in.
"...and in the sockets of its eyes and in its nostrils there burned a flame."

I'd want to reduce the strength bonus and give the Mouth vitality instead!

Uruk's good as well! GP for an awesome Mouth!

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

•The Mouth of Sauron, Emissary of the Dark Lord
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Each time the Free Peoples player adds , you may exert The Mouth of Sauron and remove to discard a condition with a twilight cost of X.
Response: If The Mouth of Sauron is killed or discarded, each minion is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘I am the Mouth of Sauron, hear him speak.'"
snazzy...

And it only gets worse....

•Messenger's Mount, Huge and Hideous
Possession • Mount
Strength +3
Bearer must be a Man (or The Mouth of Sauron). Bearer is fierce.
Skirmish: If bearer is The Mouth of Sauron, exert him to cancel a skirmish he is involved in.
"...and in the sockets of its eyes and in its nostrils there burned a flame."

exert him twice IMSO.

[Anvar]

Bearer must be a Man (or The Mouth of Sauron).

Why not just say bearer must be the mouth of Sauron? Are there other men, and if so does it really matter if they can't bear the horse?

I agree with SoP that it should be exert twice to cancel the skirmish.

Other than that I love both these cards. Some great ideas.

Anvar

[DáinIronfoot]

Bearer must be a Man (or The Mouth of Sauron).

Why not just say bearer must be the mouth of Sauron? Are there other men, and if so does it really matter if they can't bear the horse?

There is at least one other rather important Man, and he could use the strength boost to survive, so I decided to allow it to be borne by any Man.

I agree with SoP that it should be exert twice to cancel the skirmish.

Alright, alright. I am a Man Dwarf of the people, after all.

[lem0nhead]

•The Mouth of Sauron, Emissary of the Dark Lord
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Each time the Free Peoples player adds , you may exert The Mouth of Sauron and remove to discard a condition with a twilight cost of X.
Response: If The Mouth of Sauron is killed or discarded, each minion is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘I am the Mouth of Sauron, hear him speak.'"

Think the ability is a bit unbalanced, so if the freeps adds 5 then you have to remove 5 and can only discard a condition with cost 5?? Makes no sense. Nice idea but feel it needs tweaking. You dont need that as a response. You can say Each time the mouth is killed/discarded each minion is fierce.... etc...

•Messenger's Mount, Huge and Hideous
Possession • Mount
Strength +3
Bearer must be a Man (or The Mouth of Sauron). Bearer is fierce.
Skirmish: If bearer is The Mouth of Sauron, exert him twice to cancel a skirmish he is involved in.
"...and in the sockets of its eyes and in its nostrils there burned a flame."

Why would you want to do the ability?

[DáinIronfoot]

•The Mouth of Sauron, Emissary of the Dark Lord
Minion • Man
Strength: 9
Vitality: 3
Site: 5
Each time the Free Peoples player adds , you may exert The Mouth of Sauron and remove to discard a condition with a twilight cost of X.
Response: If The Mouth of Sauron is killed or discarded, each minion is fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘I am the Mouth of Sauron, hear him speak.'"

Think the ability is a bit unbalanced, so if the freeps adds 5 then you have to remove 5 and can only discard a condition with cost 5?? Makes no sense. Nice idea but feel it needs tweaking.

How about if the condition discarded costs X or less? Much more flexible that way.

•Messenger's Mount, Huge and Hideous
Possession • Mount
Strength +3
Bearer must be a Man (or The Mouth of Sauron). Bearer is fierce.
Skirmish: If bearer is The Mouth of Sauron, exert him twice to cancel a skirmish he is involved in.
"...and in the sockets of its eyes and in its nostrils there burned a flame."

Why would you want to do the ability?

In case you're about to lose. Personally, I think it's a better option with just one exertion, but reviewers seemed to think it should be two, so....

[lem0nhead]

Yes its better if you say x or less, but its still limited to removing exactly the amount they added which is a double edged sword in the first place.

And i think one exertion is best. Wouldnt use it at 2 as its unlikely youll ever get the combo going anyway. I dislike minion specific weapons.

[DáinIronfoot]

Done and done. Thanks, juicy fruit!

Here's another big baggie seen just outside Mordor's gates: the troll that battles (and nearly kills) Aragorn. Enjoy!

•Troll of Morannon
Minion • Troll
Strength: 16
Vitality: 5
Site: 8
Lurker. Fierce. Troll of Morannon is twilight cost -1 for each Troll and threat you can spot.
Each time a companion or ally takes a wound in a skirmish involving Troll of Morannon, you may exert it twice to discard a possession or artifact borne by that companion or ally.

•Troll's Sword
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be a Troll.
If bearer is the Troll of Morannon, it is damage +1.

[lem0nhead]

Done and done. Thanks, juicy fruit!

As you would say "just doing my civic duty!"

•Troll of Morannon
Minion • Troll
Strength: 16
Vitality: 5
Site: 8
Lurker. Fierce. Troll of Morannon is twilight cost -1 for each Troll and threat you can spot.
Each time Troll of Morannon wounds a character in a skirmish, you may exert Troll of Morannon twice to discard a possession or artifact borne by that character.

Lower his health and change it to one exertion. 5 health is sauron territory.

•Troll's Sword
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be a Troll.
If bearer is the Troll of Morannon, it is damage +1.

Drop to 1 cost.