eregion's trails

[jdizzy001]

So, if I's playing a ranger deck with ancients roads, can I play eregion's trails during the manuver phase and make each roaming minion str -3 till the regroup phase even though they won't be roaming till the skirmish phase?

[Elessar's Socks]

Interestingly the rulebook uses Eregion's Trails as its "snapshot" example:

Some event cards affect only cards that are currently in play, even though their effects might seem to apply to cards played later in the same turn. These events take a "snapshot" of the current game state, and only those cards are affected.
Eregion's Trails ("Maneuver: Exert a ranger to make each roaming minion strength –3 until the regroup phase.") affects only minions that are roaming when that event is played.

[Thranduil]

Exactly what I would have said, except that I can't be bothered to look up the rulebook!

No you can't, because of the snapshot rule (refer to ES )

Thranduil

[jdizzy001]

that's what I thought as well, but I thought I would double check.  It just gives me another reason to play madril defender of osgiliath

[Gil-Estel]

Then play IB, and there you have it, no-one willing to play against you anymore...

[ket_the_jet]

Then play IB, and there you have it, no-one willing to play against you anymore...

Why is Ithilien Blade so strong?
-wtk

[macheteman]

2 exertions to discard a souron/balrog/shelob/cave troll/etc...

a little on the op side if minions are always roaming during the maneuver with madril

[ket_the_jet]

2 exertions to discard a souron/balrog/shelob/cave troll/etc...

a little on the op side if minions are always roaming during the maneuver with madril

Oh, I know why it is strong. I meant why was it created to be so strong. I understand the mechanics. I meant why is it so horribly over-powered?!

I guess italicizing the verb doesn't display sarcasm very well at all.
-wtk

[Thranduil]

Ithilien Blade is not really overpowered - the overpowered card was Madril, which is why he's on the X-list and IB is not. For TCGs to work, cards have to have varying power level: there have to be good cards and bad cards, for 2 main reasons. 1) Without bad cards, you have nothing to compare the good cards to and 2) to differentiate good players and bad players (good players obviously would not play with bad cards!). And so, IB is just one of those very strong strategy-making cards that the game has to have. Objectively, it's on par with say Goblin Hordes or Dark Approach or Captured By the Ring - they're really powerful cards, but they make strategies and they're really fun to play with, and so they are in the game.

Thranduil

[jdizzy001]

So, with that in mind, why would madril be x-listed?  He only works with a specific deck type, threats.  If you play a deck that doesn't use threats he's worthless, so why x him?  It would be like x-ing defender of free peoples because he is token crazy.  You can play a lot of agility and other token cards and overwhelm every minion you face.

[macheteman]

So, with that in mind, why would madril be x-listed?  He only works with a specific deck type, threats.  If you play a deck that doesn't use threats he's worthless, so why x him?  It would be like x-ing defender of free peoples because he is token crazy.  You can play a lot of agility and other token cards and overwhelm every minion you face.

or if you are in expanded, you can play she-elf, defender of free peoples, faithful stone, elven supplies. i love that.

[ket_the_jet]

See, I have to agree with jdizzy. I don't think Madril is the problem. I think the problem is the sword. As a companion, Madril can be killed a number of ways and would definitely be targeted during the maneuver, archery, etc. phase. Furthermore, with all those threats lying around...it's certainly risky.

But the sword discarding a minion? That is more powerful than Sting or Glamdring from set one. Put four of those in the deck and you effectively don't have to see minions at sites 5 or seven (considering the sanctuary at six) and Gondor is already built in with mega-Healing.

I don't play past Mount Doom because it seems like all of the new sets have just completely overpowered weapons and conditions.
-wtk

[Gerontius]

But Madril is really the only consistent way to make minions roaming in the maneuver phase, isn't he?
Take out IB and you can still make a deck with What Are They?, Eregoin's Trails, etc.
X-list the sword and you're left with a companion broken in expanded, and powerful in standard.
X-list Madril and you're left with  a card that will be a nuisance for a couple sites.
I really wouldn't be happy facing either one, but I don't know if we could x both...

[daisukeman]

You can still play Gondorian Merchant if you're going for that maneuver event, although that may mean some hand cards

[Thranduil]

But adding threats is not hard. What about cards that you'd want to play anyway in an IB deck, things like Ranger's Cloak or Seeing-Stone of Minas Anor or Thorongil, Ranger's Longbow, Bearer of Quality, Nimble Attack. Most of these cards, you'd be playing anyway in any sort of IB deck, so why are threats a problem? The Old Took is right - Madril is the easiest way to consistently make minions roaming, no matter how late in the game. Once you've removed him, you have to work harder, like using the other Madril, Loyal Lieutenant. It's still a powerful and fun deck to play, but it no longer dominates the format.

[jdizzy001]

I'm still against x-ing cards.  there is always a way to beat a strategy... except maybe a gandy fruitloop... then again you could just discard the conditions.