The Twilight World - COMPLETE LIST

[Thranduil]

Well... I was very bored, and I very much wanted to make a DC set again. And there was this one block that I was working on before life caught up with me, beginning with Light & Shadow. The 2nd set was going to be called, as you may have guessed from this thread's title, The Twilight World, and, even though I'm not going to be around really next week, I thought I'd have another stab at it. Any set keywords/themes/mechanics I'll explain when we get there.

First, let's just have a couple of eye-catching cards, some of which I may have posted before:

•Denethor, Son of Ecthelion
Companion • Man
Str: 8
Vit: 3
Res: 5
Unyielding (Denethor's resistance is not reduced by the number of burdens).
To play, spot a companion.
Denethor is resistance -2 for each companion in the dead pile (and is corrupted if Boromir is in the dead pile) (companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
At the start of the fellowship phase, you may add a burden to play a condition or possession from your draw deck.
T R

So this guy does something I've done before, and something I have not. What I've done before in unyielding with other ways to reduce your resistance, but I haven't made an unyielding guy with a burden adding ability - somehow I thought it fitted Denethor.

•The Palantír of Orthanc, Dangerous Tool
Artifact • Support Area
When you play The Palantír of Orthanc, each player may foresee 4 (look at the top 4 cards of your draw deck; place any number of them on top of or beneath your draw deck in any order).
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may spot Saruman to look at the top 2 cards of each draw deck. Replace them in any order.
"‘We do not know who else may be watching.'"
T R

•The Great Eye
Condition • Support Area
Twilight.
Each time the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring, this condition becomes a fierce, damage +1 Maia minion entitled "Sauron" until the start of the regroup phase that has 12 strength 5 vitality and cannot take wounds or bear cards. This card is still a condition.
"‘I see you!'"
T R

These pretty much sum up the themes of the set: resistance, corruption, foresight and wearing The One Ring.

So what do you think?

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Well... I was very bored, and I very much wanted to make a DC set again. And there was this one block that I was working on before life caught up with me, beginning with Light & Shadow. The 2nd set was going to be called, as you may have guessed from this thread's title, The Twilight World, and, even though I'm not going to be around really next week, I thought I'd have another stab at it. Any set keywords/themes/mechanics I'll explain when we get there.

It is so refreshing to see new DC sets popping up again. And even more excellent to have you throwing your hat back in the ring. w00t!

•Denethor, Son of Ecthelion
Companion • Man
Str: 8
Vit: 3
Res: 5
Unyielding (Denethor's resistance is not reduced by the number of burdens).
Denethor is resistance -2 for each companion in the dead pile (and is corrupted if Boromir is in the dead pile) (companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
At the start of the fellowship phase, you may add a burden to play a condition or possession from your draw deck.
T R

Minor detail first: you're missing a closed parenthesis. I'll let you find that.

He seems really, REALLY good. Perhaps prevent him from using that fellowship ability if you can spot X number of burdens, or perhaps if Denethor is corrupted?

•The Palantír of Orthanc, Dangerous Tool
Artifact • Support Area
When you play The Palantír of Orthanc, each player may foresee 4 (look at the top 4 cards of your draw deck; place any number of them on top of or beneath your draw deck in any order).
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may spot Saruman to look at the top 2 cards of each draw deck. Replace them in any order.
"‘We do not know who else may be watching.'"
T R

Yeah, I remember this one. Very cool.

•The Great Eye
Condition • Support Area
Twilight.
Each time the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring, this condition becomes a fierce, damage +1 Maia minion entitled "Sauron" until the start of the regroup phase that has strength 12 vitality 5 and cannot take wounds or bear cards. This card is still a condition.
"‘I see you!'"
T R

"...that has 12 strength and 5 vitality and cannot take wounds or bear cards." Other than that, this is also very cool.

[Thranduil]

He seems really, REALLY good. Perhaps prevent him from using that fellowship ability if you can spot X number of burdens, or perhaps if Denethor is corrupted?

Hmm... I quite like the idea that he is completely oblivious to the destruction his selfishness and arrogance is causing around him.

I think I will add a spotting requirement to him, though. Any more opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Thranduil

[menace64]

•Denethor, Son of Ecthelion
Companion • Man
Str: 8
Vit: 3
Res: 5
Unyielding (Denethor's resistance is not reduced by the number of burdens).
To play, spot a companion.
Denethor is resistance -2 for each companion in the dead pile (and is corrupted if Boromir is in the dead pile) (companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
At the start of the fellowship phase, you may add a burden to play a condition or possession from your draw deck.
T R

It's powerful. I assume there are cards that target corrupted companions for dastardly ends?

•The Palantír of Orthanc, Dangerous Tool
Artifact • Support Area
When you play The Palantír of Orthanc, each player may foresee 4 (look at the top 4 cards of your draw deck; place any number of them on top of or beneath your draw deck in any order).
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may spot Saruman to look at the top 2 cards of each draw deck. Replace them in any order.
"‘We do not know who else may be watching.'"
T R

Again, not a whole lot for me to say. I would prefer some non-splashing text though. No artifact should be this easy to spread around.

•The Great Eye
Condition • Support Area
Twilight.
Each time the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring, this condition becomes a fierce, damage +1 Maia minion entitled "Sauron" until the start of the regroup phase that has 12 strength 5 vitality and cannot take wounds or bear cards. This card is still a condition.
"‘I see you!'"
T R

I really like the twilight keyword popping up here.  Honestly, however, the Hey-Now-I'm-A-Minion conditions are bland and unintuitive. I don't care for them at all. I'd much rather see you write up a more inspired card showing Sauron's influence on poor Frodo while in the Wraith-world. After all, the disembodied Eye never physically attacks Frodo, and to think that some other companion could fight it seems a bit preposterous.

More!

[Thranduil]

It's powerful. I assume there are cards that target corrupted companions for dastardly ends?

Oh most certainly...

Again, not a whole lot for me to say. I would prefer some non-splashing text though. No artifact should be this easy to spread around.

Well, it's not exactly Saruman's palantir from the onset, and it's quite meh without the enforcement from Saruman... But I do see what you mean.

Honestly, however, the Hey-Now-I'm-A-Minion conditions are bland and unintuitive. I don't care for them at all. I'd much rather see you write up a more inspired card showing Sauron's influence on poor Frodo while in the Wraith-world. After all, the disembodied Eye never physically attacks Frodo, and to think that some other companion could fight it seems a bit preposterous.

Now those are some very interesting points. For me, the minion appearing is exactly what you said: Sauron's influence on poor Frodo while in the Wraith-world. He puts on the Ring, and then suddenly he has to contest with the will of Sauron. I don't think that all LotR skirmishes have to be interpreted literally as sword-fighting.

But the other point you raise is very important, as it does actually make no sense for the eye to affect anyone but the Ring-bearer... A couple of options: I could make the eye only able to skirmish twilight companions (in the last set there is a card which says "While the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring, the Ring-bearer and each Nazgul gain twilight" - so it's combo intensive, but it puts a big minion on the RB twice); or I could make the minion smaller (and more insidious?) and make it only fight the RB (with either of those 2 ways, it would probably have to lose one of its keywords as well), or I could lose the minion idea and bring up something else. Or obviously I could take some flavour liberties and leave it where it is. What are people's opinions on this?

Some more cards for the moment as well to sate your thirsts. I'm going to post the entire culture, given that it is very small.

Ancient Grudges
Event • Skirmish
Tale.
Make a companion strength +2 (or +3 and damage +1 if skirmishing a or minion).
T C 1

This is part of a complete cycle of culture-hate events (almost all of them strength pumps). One of the things I started doing in Light & Shadow and am continuing to do in The Twilight World is put an emphasis on culture - it's a culture-driven set, though it is also as multicultural as it can afford to be (I'm trying to make this DC block draftable, though I know LotR draft has its serious issues... This is why a very high percentage of the set is characters). Ah, and I apologise for the lack of lores but I actually don't have a copy of the Lord of the Rings with me at the moment.

Glory Reclaimed
Event • Fellowship
Tale.
To play, spot a companion.
Exert any number of companions with a total resistance of 9 or more to take the same number of Free Peoples cards into hand from your discard pile.
T R 2

Also part of a cycle, a la The Highest Quality.

•Grimir, Dwarven Delegate
Companion • Dwarf
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Res: 7
At the start of the fellowship phase, if Grimir has resistance 4 or more, you may play a Free Peoples condition from your discard pile.
T U 3

•Thorin III, Son of Dain
Companion • Dwarf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Damage +1. Valiant.
Each tale you play gains toil 1.
T C 4

Man is it tough to find cool companions to make cards of...

[Thranduil]

Where are my reviewers?

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Where are my reviewers?

Sorry, dude. Been busy waging war with my water heater and trying to get my feet back under me after being gone over the weekend and into Wednesday.

Ancient Grudges
Event • Skirmish
Tale.
Make a companion strength +2 (or +3 and damage +1 if skirmishing a or minion).
T C 1

No issues here, my friend. I'd probably use Axe Strike myself, but this certainly works.

Glory Reclaimed
Event • Fellowship
Tale.
To play, spot a companion.
Exert any number of companions with a total resistance of 9 or more to take the same number of Free Peoples cards into hand from your discard pile.
T R 2

Wow. That's...um...wow. Spot 2 Dwarves and I'll be happier, or raise the cost and slap some toil onto it.

•Grimir, Dwarven Delegate
Companion • Dwarf
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Res: 7
Unyielding. (Grimir's resistance is not reduced by the number of burdens).
At the start of the fellowship phase, if Grimir has resistance 4 or more, you may play a Free Peoples condition from your discard pile.
T U 3

I don't understand the need for the "resistance 4 or more" if his resistance is so hard to reduce. I'd make it 6 or more.

•Thorin III, Son of Dain
Companion • Dwarf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Damage +1. Valiant.
Each tale you play gains toil 1.
T C 4

No no no. I have a daughter, not a son.

Anyway, the valiant seems a little odd, but okay, I s'pose. I know how much you like spreading that keyword to other cultures. I think you can safely remove "you play" from the text, and it actually works better without it.

[Gerontius]

Glory Reclaimed and Grimir seem much to powerful to me.... I would be tempted to take unyielding off of Grimir, as it doesn't make total sense storywise anyway, as well as upping the requirement to 5-6 Resistance.

[Thranduil]

I'd probably use Axe Strike myself, but this certainly works.

Well, it's a draft card - I don't expect it to make constructed decks!

Wow. That's...um...wow. Spot 2 Dwarves and I'll be happier, or raise the cost and slap some toil onto it.

I'm not sure how good it is. 4 exertions and twilight for 4 cards? I suspect it probably has to be playtested, but I can see strong arguments for doing what you suggest.

Glory Reclaimed and Grimir seem much to powerful to me.... I would be tempted to take unyielding off of Grimir, as it doesn't make total sense storywise anyway, as well as upping the requirement to 5-6 Resistance.

Fair enough - I've removed unyielding.

valiant seems a little odd, but okay, I s'pose. I know how much you like spreading that keyword to other cultures.

To be fair, I do have a good reason. Thorin III did defend the Lonely Mountain after the death of his father... YOU, I suppose!

I think you can safely remove "you play" from the text, and it actually works better without it.

I'm probably being very tired and very slow, but what's the difference?

Now for some cards. First the component of the culture-hate event cycle.

Ancient Struggle
Event • Skirmish
Make a minion skirmishing an companion strength -2 (or -4 if it is a or minion).
T C 5

Just a standard common event here reinforcing the culture's strength in foresight and telepathy.

Power of Foresight
Event • Maneuver
Spell.
Spot an companion to foresee 3 (look at the top 3 cards of your draw deck; place any number of those cards on top of or beneath your draw deck in any order).
T C 13

This next one is also from a loose cycle - more like an idea that's been spread around: events with toil as their only cultural enforcement. This is very useful for draft, and I don't think too powerful for constructed decks. But, what do you think?

Faith in the Valar
Event • Skirmish
Spell. Tale.
Toil 2.
Reveal the top card of your draw deck. Prevent all wounds to a skirmishing companion if that card is a Free Peoples card.
T U 11

[eomund]

The Elven cards look good. Ancient Struggles is not too splashy, but looks like a solid common, and the other two look like they'll fill the roles you described. Why Spells, though? I always thought that was a thing.

[Thranduil]

Why Spells, though? I always thought that was a thing.

Previously yes, but there are strong flavour reasons for , and spells as well as and , and one of the things I've been doing with this block is putting unloaded keywords wherever the flavour allows (like that valiant Dwarf above or knights, besiegers and so forth).

Thranduil

[eomund]

Previously yes, but there are strong flavour reasons for , and spells as well as and , and one of the things I've been doing with this block is putting unloaded keywords wherever the flavour allows (like that valiant Dwarf above or knights, besiegers and so forth).

Makes sense. Would you add more cards that trigger off the new keywords, or is it purely a flavour decision?

[Thranduil]

In the case of spells, it was purely a flavour decision, but now that it has been made I'm sure that I will make more of it mechanically. On the other hand, spreading character keywords like ranger, knight, tracker and besieger around different cultures is both a flavour and mechanical decision because they become "tribal" themes (to use a Magic the Gathering term) for multicultural decks. In my opinion, when an unloaded keyword like these are tied to a single culture, they are useless, which is why things like Southron, Easterling and Corsair were scrapped and I am making no attempt to reintroduce them - they're too narrow for fun and creative deckbuilding. Whereas, making a besieger deck involving , , and minions is I'm sure going to be a lot of fun!

Thranduil

[Thranduil]

There does not appear to be much more to say on those fairly boring cards. So how about we move on into some characters? Any thoughts on the previous cards would obviously still be appreciated.

•Dínendal, Silent Sentinel
Companion • Elf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Ranger.
Each time you play an event, you may foresee 1 (look at the top 1 card of your draw deck; place it on top of or beneath your draw deck).
T C 8

•Calaglin, Silent Sentinel
Companion • Elf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Ranger.
Each time you play a event, you may reveal the top card of your draw deck. If it is a Free Peoples card, you may exert a minion.
T C 6

•Erestor, Wise Councillor
Companion • Elf
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Res: 7
Unyielding (Erestor's resistance is not reduced by the number of burdens).
At the start of the regroup phase, if Erestor has resistance 7 or more and is not exhausted, you may reconcile your hand.
T U 10

•Celeborn, Teleporno
Companion • Elf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 7
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may reveal the top card of your draw deck to discard a Shadow condition with twilight cost less than the twilight cost of the card revealed.
T R 7

[eomund]

Erestor = POWERFUL. I hope this set has some serious resistance reduction, otherwise Elf decks packing lots of events will be unstoppable. With the forsee cards, you can pack the top cards of your deck with elven events, use them all to cripple the Shadow player, and then (thanks to Erestor), pick up a new bunch of events when you move.

I think he would be far more reasonable without unyielding and a lower resistance threshold (I'd go with 3 or 4). Some neat effects based on an unyielding companion's resistance are a great idea, but I don't think they should be quite that powerful.

Speaking of great ideas, I really like your "tribal" themes. I hope it is a noticeable part of the set.

The others look good, though I would change Celeborn's ability to "... you may reveal the top card of your draw deck to discard a Shadow condition ..."

And I personally don't associate the word "teleporno" with anything LotR related.