The Way Into Mordor - Gollum (5/12: "...he had bowed and worshipped her....")

[DáinIronfoot]

The FP side of the culture is (back) underway, so let's finally get to the Shadow side as well.

As I mentioned in the Sméagol thread, in this set, the FP side of the culture will be larger than the Shadow side (reflecting how Sméagol is more helpful than hurtful for much of The Two Towers), but that doesn't mean the Shadow side will be wimpy by any means. There's plenty of the "old villain" in the storyline of TTT, especially the novel version, which takes us all the way up to Shelob and Gollum's ultimate act of villainy in leading poor Frodo to near-certain doom in the spider's den.

Anyway, let's get started with the little gangrel creature himself, shall we? :hey:

•Gollum, Brings Nice Food
Minion
Strength: 5
Vitality: 4
Site: 3
When you play Gollum, you may remove X threats (limit 2) to make his twilight cost -X.
Skirmish: Exert Gollum to make a minion strength +1 (or +2 if skirmishing a Ring-bound companion).
"Gollum withdrew himself, and a green glint flickered under his heavy lids. Almost spider-like he looked now, crouched back on his bent limbs, with his protruding eyes."

Not too sure about the first part...is it too weak to really make a difference? I considered just removing a threat to make him free, but I thought that would probably be over the top. I'm happy with how the skirmish ability turned out, though. Sort of like Old Villain reimagined...and a little more useful, methinks. Remember, it works for ANY minion....

•Gollum, Hungry Villain
Minion
Strength: 5
Vitality: 4
Site: 3
When you play Gollum, you may wound a Ring-bound companion (or exhaust Sméagol). The Free Peoples player may add a burden or 2 threats to prevent this.
While you can spot 2 burdens or 2 threats, Gollum is strength +1 for each Ring-bound companion you can spot.
"‘Sméagol or Gollum, he won't change his habits in a hurry, I'll warrant.'"

Plain and simple Ring-bound hate, which will be a fun little contrast to Sméagol's Ring-bound boosting. This is especially mean to Sméagol himself, too. So yes, kind of specialized, but at worst at least you can beat up the Ring-bearer a bit.

[lem0nhead]

•Gollum, Brings Nice Food
Minion
Strength: 5
Vitality: 4
Site: 3
When you play Gollum, you may remove X threats (limit 2) to make his twilight cost -X.
Skirmish: Exert Gollum to make a minion strength +1 (or +2 if skirmishing a Ring-bound companion).
"Gollum withdrew himself, and a green glint flickered under his heavy lids. Almost spider-like he looked now, crouched back on his bent limbs, with his protruding eyes."

lem0nhead, Brings Nice Reviews. Why would you not let the shadow remove more than 2 threats even if they wanted to waste them. Just as a matter of interest. Id put the parenthesis after -X and say (minimum 0). His skirmish ability isnt amazing. Is he the rare?

•Gollum, Hungry Villain
Minion
Strength: 4
Vitality: 4
Site: 3
When you play Gollum, you may wound a Ring-bound companion (or exhaust Sméagol). The Free Peoples player may add a burden or 2 threats to prevent this.
While you can spot 2 burdens or 2 threats, Gollum is strength +1 for each Ring-bound companion you can spot.
"‘Sméagol or Gollum, he won't change his habits in a hurry, I'll warrant.'"

Fair enough.

[Thranduil]

•Gollum, Brings Nice Food
Minion
Strength: 5
Vitality: 4
Site: 3
When you play Gollum, you may remove X threats (limit 2) to make his twilight cost -X.
Skirmish: Exert Gollum to make a minion strength +1 (or +2 if skirmishing a Ring-bound companion).
"Gollum withdrew himself, and a green glint flickered under his heavy lids. Almost spider-like he looked now, crouched back on his bent limbs, with his protruding eyes."

I think I'd rather go for something like "When you play Gollum, you may remove 2 threats to make his twilight cost -2." Or perhaps a simple reduction when you can spot a certain number of threats. Not the most powerful Gollum, but he seems fair enough.

•Gollum, Hungry Villain
Minion
Strength: 4
Vitality: 4
Site: 3
When you play Gollum, you may wound a Ring-bound companion (or exhaust Sméagol). The Free Peoples player may add a burden or 2 threats to prevent this.
While you can spot 2 burdens or 2 threats, Gollum is strength +1 for each Ring-bound companion you can spot.
"‘Sméagol or Gollum, he won't change his habits in a hurry, I'll warrant.'"

I think I'd still keep him at strength 5. This guys seems powerful if only because he comes into play and wounds the Ring-bearer, which seems fair enough to me. He might be especially good against Bearer of Secrets, though...

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

I like em both.

[Gerontius]

Brings Nice Food would seem to me to be more fitting on Smeagol, but it's probably okay. Besides that, I'll echo SoP.

[DáinIronfoot]

Just some nasty little events for today. I don't think it will take too long for you smart reviewers to figure out Gollum's overall theme in this set. I guess the overall question is whether any of these are TOO mean....

More Than Bargained For
Event • Skirmish
Spot Gollum (or exert Sméagol) and remove a threat to make a minion strength +3.
"‘He's much more dangerous than he looks.'"

Filthy Little Thieves
Event • Skirmish
Cancel a skirmish involving Gollum to wound the Ring-bearer. The Free Peoples player may make Gollum strength +3 and fierce until the regroup phase to prevent this.
"‘Where are they with my Precious? Curse them! We hates them.'"

More Haste Less Speed
Event • Maneuver
Search.
Discard Gollum to exert each unbound companion. The Free Peoples player may add 2 threats to prevent this.
"‘We musstn't rissk our neck, musst we, precious?'"

[Thranduil]

More Than Bargained For
Event • Skirmish
Remove a threat to make a minion strength +3.
"‘He's much more dangerous than he looks.'"

On the contrary, I think this is underpowered. For removing a threat, I could see this spotting Gollum to pump any minion. Doesn't have to, of course, but it could.

Filthy Little Thieves
Event • Skirmish
Cancel a skirmish involving Gollum to wound the Ring-bearer. The Free Peoples player may make Gollum strength +3 and fierce until the regroup phase to prevent this.
"‘Where are they with my Precious? Curse them! We hates them.'"

I love this card, very funny.

More Haste Less Speed
Event • Maneuver
Search.
Discard Gollum to exert each unbound companion. The Free Peoples player may add 2 threats to prevent this.
"‘We musstn't rissk our neck, musst we, precious?'"

I feel like this could cost less as it's fairly easy to prevent. Then again with Threatening Guide, Plotting... Not sure.

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

ok, I can't remember the canceling rules, in the second card gollums skirmish would be canceled but he'd be 8 and fierce correct? and in the second one, he'd be discarded but would add 2 threats?

and I agree with thran on the first one.

[DáinIronfoot]

Tweaked MTBF...still too weak? Should I go +3/+4?

[lem0nhead]

More Than Bargained For
Event • Skirmish
Spot Gollum and remove a threat to make a minion strength +2 (or +3 if that minion is a minion).
"‘He's much more dangerous than he looks.'"

I think it would be ok as a flat +3.

Filthy Little Thieves
Event • Skirmish
Cancel a skirmish involving Gollum to wound the Ring-bearer. The Free Peoples player may make Gollum strength +3 and fierce until the regroup phase to prevent this.
"‘Where are they with my Precious? Curse them! We hates them.'"

Niiiiice, very cool.

More Haste Less Speed
Event • Maneuver
Search.
Discard Gollum to exert each unbound companion. The Free Peoples player may add 2 threats to prevent this.
"‘We musstn't rissk our neck, musst we, precious?'"

Sweet as well.

[Smeagollum]

Why don't you give the first Gollum the hunter-keyword... After all he's hunting to get the ring back and to get some fish, rabbits, hobitsses.....

Like the cards... Maybe some extra creatures to? Some giant spiders?

[DáinIronfoot]

More Than Bargained For
Event • Skirmish
Spot Gollum and remove a threat to make a minion strength +2 (or +3 if that minion is a minion).
"‘He's much more dangerous than he looks.'"

I think it would be ok as a flat +3.

I'm reluctant to do that, lest I overshadow cards like No End of Wickedness, Cunningly Hidden, and Hobbitses Are Dead. If you think it would be okay at a flat +3 when stacked up against those (I'm iffy, personally), then consider it done. Just lemme know....

Hunter is actually not a bad idea, Smeagollum, since this is my set that probably features it the most. I'll have to think more on that. I may go back and tweak one of the Gollums (and probably a Sméagol, too) to include a little of that. Good thought!

Anyway, new cards! Enjoy!

•Evil Marshes
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot Gollum (or Sméagol).
Each time the fellowship moves to a marsh, add a burden (or 2 burdens if you can spot Gollum or Sméagol). The Free Peoples player may add 2 threats to prevent this.
"‘Careful now, or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own....'" Yet another way to pile on the burdens and/or threats and set up cards like More Than Bargained For and both versions of Gollum himself (especially Hungry Villain). Of course, you need a little sitepath control, which Gollum can already do but which this set will reinforce a bit soon.

•Black Crawling Shape
Condition • Support Area
Each time the fellowship moves to the next site, you may remove a threat to return a minion to its owner's hand.
At the end of each of your Shadow phases, if you cannot spot a minion, discard this condition.
"‘Look at him! Like a nasty crawling spider on a wall.'"

...oh, and to set the table for this card as well. Yes, it might pale a bit in comparison to the awesomeness that is Captured By The Ring, but keep two things in mind: 1.) this doesn't require multiple slots in your precious deck size to work again and again like CbtR does, and 2.) this allows replaying Gollum after a double-move...fully healed, which is just evil when paired with versions like Skulker, Vile Creature, and especially Dark As Darkness. Yowch!

[sickofpalantirs]

More Than Bargained For
Event • Skirmish
Spot Gollum and remove a threat to make a minion strength +2 (or +3 if that minion is a minion).
"‘He's much more dangerous than he looks.'"

I think it would be ok as a flat +3.

I'm reluctant to do that, lest I overshadow cards like No End of Wickedness, Cunningly Hidden, and Hobbitses Are Dead. If you think it would be okay at a flat +3 when stacked up against those (I'm iffy, personally), then consider it done. Just lemme know....


•Evil Marshes
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot Gollum (or Sméagol).
Each time the fellowship moves to a marsh, add a burden (or 2 burdens if you can spot Gollum or Sméagol). The Free Peoples player may add 2 threats to prevent this.
"‘Careful now, or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own....'"
I'm thinking just a flat burden, no option to make it 2.

•Black Crawling Shape
Condition • Support Area
At the end of the regroup phase, you may remove a threat to return a minion to its owner's hand.
At the end of each of your Shadow phases, if you cannot spot a minion, discard this condition.
"‘Look at him! Like a nasty crawling spider on a wall.'"

fine.

[Thranduil]

I'm reluctant to do that, lest I overshadow cards like No End of Wickedness, Cunningly Hidden, and Hobbitses Are Dead. If you think it would be okay at a flat +3 when stacked up against those (I'm iffy, personally), then consider it done. Just lemme know....

To be honest, I think those are all bad cards that I would not consider using in a deck. +3 on yours seems like I might, but a threat is still a steep cost.

•Evil Marshes
Condition • Support Area
To play, spot Gollum (or Sméagol).
Each time the fellowship moves to a marsh, add a burden (or 2 burdens if you can spot Gollum or Sméagol). The Free Peoples player may add 2 threats to prevent this.
"‘Careful now, or hobbits go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own....'"

Fair enough. SoP may have a point, I could see it more easily at 1 burden and cost .

•Black Crawling Shape
Condition • Support Area
At the end of the regroup phase, you may remove a threat to return a minion to its owner's hand.
At the end of each of your Shadow phases, if you cannot spot a minion, discard this condition.
"‘Look at him! Like a nasty crawling spider on a wall.'"

I think you might as well phrase the first line "Each time the fellowship moves to the next site...", but otherwise, a fine card. Perhaps could cost .

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Going back two updates ago, I went back and tweaked More Than Bargained For. It is now a flat +3 booster, with something completely different thrown in for minions....