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

[Thranduil]

I know I'm being difficult, but it seems a bit much to me now! I think flat +3 with no icing would make a pretty decent card (perhaps you could make it: "Spot Gollum (or exert Sméagol)..." then it could have the chance to do a little bit more).

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

I know I'm being difficult, but it seems a bit much to me now! I think flat +3 with no icing would make a pretty decent card (perhaps you could make it: "Spot Gollum (or exert Sméagol)..." then it could have the chance to do a little bit more).

Yeah, that works. Done!

[Gerontius]

I'm not sure about evil marshes- would this dc set be used in the same format as evil smelling fens? Besides that, looks good as marshes are uncommon.

[lem0nhead]

•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.

Id say 2 burdens if you spot both, or just gollum.

•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.'"

Sound by me, very well thought out.

[Not a Zombie]

to second what old took said, evil smelling fens plus evil marshes would be a bit much I think.

[DáinIronfoot]

Ah, how could I forget Evil-smelling Fens?! :doh: Blast. I'll have to tinker with it a bit, then. Perhaps "moves to a marsh site from a non-marsh site" or something? Or "moves to a site with marsh in its gametext?" What do you think?

While I ponder that, here are some cards for YOU to further ponder. Enjoy!

Our Preciousss
Condition • Support Area
Each time a burden is added, you may exert Gollum twice to add another burden.
Response: If the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring, spot Gollum and discard this condition to heal Gollum and, if you cannot spot 5 burdens, add a burden.
"‘Sooo bright. Sooo beautiful....'"

Not so much in the culture about making the Ring be worn, but there WAS some back in my The Hobbit-based set Lasting Alliances and will be at least one more such card in my next set The End Of All Things. A good burden adder even outside of that though, don't you think?

A Dark Way
Event • Shadow
Spot Gollum (or Sméagol) to add for each character you can spot and replace a site in the fellowship's current region with a mountain or underground site from your adventure deck.
"‘There's a path, and some stairs, and then...a tunnel.'"

Sort of a mesh between There's Another Way and Led Astray. Limited to mountains and underground sites, yes, but considering the many cards that key off those sites in Decipher's set and my own, I think that's alright. How about you?

[Thranduil]

Our Preciousss
Condition • Support Area
Each time a burden is added, you may exert Gollum twice to add another burden.
Response: If the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring, spot Gollum and discard this condition to heal Gollum and add a burden.
"‘Sooo bright. Sooo beautiful....'"

Interesting. I think this needs to be unique for the response action (you could have 4 of them, with a total of, I think, 8 burdens from wearing the ring once due to healing Gollum making the "each time" ability possible again), but other than that is very awesome.

A Dark Way
Event • Shadow
Spot Gollum (or Sméagol) to add for each character you can spot and replace a site in the fellowship's current region with a mountain or underground site from your adventure deck.
"‘There's a path, and some stairs, and then...a tunnel.'"

Yeah, seems fine. My only issue is that once you're making a card that is very similar to Led Astray, it might as well be Led Astray.

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

Our Preciousss
Condition • Support Area
Each time a burden is added, you may exert Gollum twice to add another burden.
Response: If the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring, spot Gollum and discard this condition to heal Gollum and, if you cannot spot 5 burdens, add a burden.
"‘Sooo bright. Sooo beautiful....'"

Niceness, well balanced.

A Dark Way
Event • Shadow
Spot Gollum (or Sméagol) to add for each character you can spot and replace a site in the fellowship's current region with a mountain or underground site from your adventure deck.
"‘There's a path, and some stairs, and then...a tunnel.'"

Fine by me.

[sickofpalantirs]

kewlio.

[DáinIronfoot]

No issues? Wow. Hey, I ain't complaining.

Time for a little LOTR TCG trivia. How many Shadow cards did Decipher make that can hold tokens? The answer is below...










...give up?

I'll tell you then. The answer is: one. Yes, really. Larder is the ONLY one. Interestingly, Decipher took the time to make a Shadow card ten sets later that reinforces tokens (Enemy In Your Midst), and those two cards have the distinction of being the only Shadow token cards in LOTR TCG.

Surprised? I certainly was. But I bet you will NOT be surprised that I decided to do something about this. And it starts below. Enjoy!

•A Wicked Creature
Condition • Support Area
Each time the fellowship moves, spot 4 cards to add X tokens here, where X is the current region number.
Shadow: Exert Gollum and remove a token from here to add a threat.
Regroup: Exert Gollum and remove a token from here to make the Free Peoples player choose to either add a burden or wound a Ring-bound companion.
"‘Not wholly, perhaps, but malice eats it like a canker, and the evil is growing. He will lead you to no good.'"

Now THAT is a worthy token card, eh? Super-versatile as a burden adder, threat adder, wounder, and double-move discourager...er. Er?

•Wicked, Tricksy, False
Condition • Support Area
Each time a minion wins a skirmish, add a token here.
Skirmish: Remove a token from here to heal a minion. Limit once per skirmish.
Skirmish: Exert a minion and remove a token from here to exert a companion skirmishing Gollum (or wound that companion if he or she is Ring-bound).
"‘Kill him! Kill him! Kill them both. And then we take the precious and we be the master.'"

Here, however, things are a little more clear-cut. Skirmish exerting/wounding is a Gollum staple, and the healing can really make other such cards (or other nasties like Dark As Darkness) REALLY hum along.

I guess I'm in an evil mood today.... Are these TOO good, or just the right blend of balance and viciousness?

[Thranduil]

•A Wicked Creature
Condition • Support Area
Each time the fellowship moves, if you can spot a character or 4 Shadow cards, add X tokens here, where X is the current region number.
Shadow: Exert Gollum and remove a token from here to add a threat.
Regroup: Exert Gollum and remove a token from here to make the Free Peoples player choose to either add a burden or wound a Ring-bound companion.
"‘Not wholly, perhaps, but malice eats it like a canker, and the evil is growing. He will lead you to no good.'"

Not bad. I like the versatility, but I don't like the complicated token adding clause - I'd love it to be simpler.

•Wicked, Tricksy, False
Condition • Support Area
Each time a minion wins a skirmish, add a token here.
Skirmish: Remove a token from here to heal a minion. Limit once per skirmish.
Skirmish: Exert a minion and remove a token from here to exert a minion skirmishing Gollum (or wound that companion if he or she is Ring-bound).
"‘Kill him! Kill him! Kill them both. And then we take the precious and we be the master.'"

I don't think it needs the parentheses - I think it's much clearer and perfectly fine without it.

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

Thrans all over them, IS there anyway to simplify the token adding? I'd make it one requirement or the other.

[DáinIronfoot]

Simplified A Wicked Creature's token adding a bit. Still too much? I wanted it to be tied to moving down the sitepath, signifying how Gollum becomes more and more Gollum-like as the journey goes on....

[sickofpalantirs]

much better./

[lem0nhead]

•A Wicked Creature
Condition • Support Area
Each time the fellowship moves, spot 4 cards to add X tokens here, where X is the current region number.
Shadow: Exert Gollum and remove a token from here to add a threat.
Regroup: Exert Gollum and remove a token from here to make the Free Peoples player choose to either add a burden or wound a Ring-bound companion.
"‘Not wholly, perhaps, but malice eats it like a canker, and the evil is growing. He will lead you to no good.'"

Sound enough.

•Wicked, Tricksy, False
Condition • Support Area
Each time a minion wins a skirmish, add a token here.
Skirmish: Remove a token from here to heal a minion. Limit once per skirmish.
Skirmish: Exert a minion and remove a token from here to exert a minion skirmishing Gollum (or wound that companion if he or she is Ring-bound).
"‘Kill him! Kill him! Kill them both. And then we take the precious and we be the master.'"

You got the word minion instad of companion.