Dáin's DCs - Helm's Deep (5/14: Like Swarming Flies....)

[DáinIronfoot]

Tweaked Gimli and Legolas again. I'm leaving Aragorn, for now. I'd prefer perhaps one more reviewer on him...? Gold would be the reward for anyone willing. (I've already given you and lem0n gold, Thran.)

Alright, I've been itching to spoil this guy and his sword for a LONG time, so here goes. Enjoy!

•Haldir, Warrior of Lórien
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Aragorn
Archer. Hunter 1. To play, spot 2 companions.
While the Shadow has initiative, Haldir is strength -2.
Archery or Skirmish: Exert an Elf archer and discard 2 cards from hand (or one card if at a battleground) to wound an Orc or Uruk-hai.
Haldir rallied two hundred of the elves of Lothlórien to join him, and together they marched, bearing the banners of their Lady Galadriel.

Originally, his drawback text was "Haldir is strength -1 for each site an opponent controls (limit -3)", but I think the initiative thing keeps him MUCH more balanced, especially in light of his ability...don't you? Is he balanced enough, do you think?

•Blade of the Golden Wood
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be an Elf. When you play this weapon, exert bearer or add 2 threats.
If bearer is exhausted, he or she is damage +1.
If bearer is Haldir, he is enduring.

Perhaps the most interesting weapon I've made to date. A sword that gives damage AND enduring to Elves? Has Crazy Uncle Dáin truly lost his mind?! Probably, but I don't think this card is the cause or result. It's costly to play with the twilight AND an exertion or threats (though the exertion actually helps Haldir, of course). The damage is limited to exhausted Elves, which in most cases is not something you want to have.

Obviously, this sword is best on an exhausted Haldir, turning him into (at least!) a strength +6, damage +1 beast. Yes, this IS what I intended, because Haldir at Helm's Deep WAS a beast who kept fighting while all fell around him. But getting him to that point is very risky, because he's obviously then just a wound away from death, so you better hope he wins whatever skirmish you throw him into! Or that the opponent doesn't have a direct-wounding minion...like, say, an Uruk with a large sword he brings down on Haldir's head!

[Thranduil]

•Haldir, Warrior of Lórien
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Aragorn
Archer. Hunter 1. To play, spot 2 companions.
While the Shadow has initiative, Haldir is strength -2.
Archery or Skirmish: Exert an Elf companion or archer companion and discard 2 cards from hand (or one card if at a battleground) to wound an Orc or Uruk-hai.
Haldir rallied two hundred of the elves of Lothlórien to join him, and together they marched, bearing the banners of their Lady Galadriel.

Really interesting card, but his ability still seems too good and too versatile. I would actually say 'Exert an Elf archer companion...' and I think that would sort it out all round.

Originally, his drawback text was "Haldir is strength -1 for each site an opponent controls (limit -3)", but I think the initiative thing keeps him MUCH more balanced, especially in light of his ability...don't you? Is he balanced enough, do you think?

Good thing you changed it, otherwise I would have been screaming how broken he was!

•Blade of the Golden Wood
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be an Elf. When you play this weapon, exert bearer or add 2 threats.
If bearer is exhausted, he or she is damage +1.
If bearer is Haldir, he is enduring.

To be honest, even with its huge drawbacks and such, I would take the strength bonus down to +1 for 2 main reasons. 1) I think it balances better, and 2) because weapons almost never give a +2 bonus.

Interesting pair though - I like the concepts! I think you should probably stop giving Elves damage bonuses now, though...

Thranduil

[FingolfinFinwe]

I guess I'll chime in, though I'm not experienced with DC's.  (IE: I need the gold  )

•Aragorn, Man of the West
Companion • Man
Strength: 7
Vitality: 4
Signet: Théoden
Valiant. Hunter 1. Each companion with resistance 5 or more gains the Aragorn signet.
While Aragorn does not bear a artifact and you can spot another Man, Aragorn is also a Man.
Aragorn is strength +1 for each of the following you can spot: Man, Elf, Dwarf.
"‘They fight beside you because they would not be parted from you.'"

First off shouldn't it be "for each of the following races you can spot: Man, Elf, Dwarf."  Otherwise he could be 18 base with 9 companions.  otherwise it looks like alot of fun.  I actually like the Hidan idea. I don't think its too powerful.

•Gandalf, Stormcrow
Companion • Wizard
Strength: 7
Vitality: 4
Signet: Théoden
Valiant.
Each time Gandalf wins a skirmish, you may choose one: heal a companion with the Gandalf signet or bearing a condition; or discard a condition borne by a character.
"‘No counsel have I to give to those that despair. Yet counsel I could give, and words I could speak to you.'"

Love it!

Gimli, Legolas, and Haldir all seem balanced to me.  8)

Blade of the Golden Wood is an awesome idea!  The cost is tricky though...  For any regular ol elf the 1 cost is ok, but overall I think it should be 2, because it kicks major behind on Haldir.

[sickofpalantirs]

I'd cut the hunter on Aragorn

•Haldir, Warrior of Lórien
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Aragorn
Archer. Hunter 1. To play, spot 2 companions.
While the Shadow has initiative, Haldir is strength -2.
Archery or Skirmish: Exert an Elf companion or archer companion and discard 2 cards from hand (or one card if at a battleground) to wound an Orc or Uruk-hai.
Haldir rallied two hundred of the elves of Lothlórien to join him, and together they marched, bearing the banners of their Lady Galadriel.
Uh that archery ability has too many ors...make it archer companion, and one card IMSO

•Blade of the Golden Wood
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be an Elf. When you play this weapon, exert bearer or add 2 threats.
If bearer is exhausted, he or she is damage +1.
If bearer is Haldir, he is enduring.

works for me....yeah...I can't believe I just said that...

he brings it down on haldirs back methinks...

[lem0nhead]

•Haldir, Warrior of Lórien
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Aragorn
Archer. Hunter 1. To play, spot 2 companions.
While the Shadow has initiative, Haldir is strength -2.
Archery or Skirmish: Exert an Elf companion or archer companion and discard 2 cards from hand (or one card if at a battleground) to wound an Orc or Uruk-hai.
Haldir rallied two hundred of the elves of Lothlórien to join him, and together they marched, bearing the banners of their Lady Galadriel.

Think he's cool.

•Blade of the Golden Wood
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2
Bearer must be an Elf. When you play this weapon, exert bearer or add 2 threats.
If bearer is exhausted, he or she is damage +1.
If bearer is Haldir, he is enduring.


Fine.

[DáinIronfoot]

Alright...made a few tweaks. Hopefully they're good now. I'm surprised that there was so little controversy with Haldir's sword, but hey, I ain't complaining!

Here's another Elf and another possession. I could use some lore for the first one, if anyone has a good idea. Thanks, and enjoy!

•Belurion, Gallant Fighter
Companion • Elf
Strength: 5
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
To play, spot an Elf and a Man.
While Belurion bears a hand weapon, he is strength +1 and damage +1.

I swear, I'm almost done with damage. This guy is pretty representative of most of the warriors in this set, though. It's a nod to the old-school Elves of the Tower block that turned ranged weapons into bonuses (but lost archery)...several of these guys will turn HAND weapons into bonuses, encouraging their use in a culture that has decent ones, but doesn't feature them much in practice (at least from my gaming experience).

•Legolas' Pauldrons
Possession • Armor
To play, spot a Man. Bearer must be a Man or an Elf.
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, you may discard a card from hand to make bearer take no more than one wound until the end of that skirmish.
Response: If bearer is Legolas and he is about to take a wound in a skirmish, discard this possession to prevent all wounds to him until the regroup phase.

This is a just a fun little card that ties together two unusual cultures; there will be several cards that tie and in this set, thanks to them fighting side by side at Helm's Deep. This one specifically references the only armor we ever see on Legolas: the leather/steel shoulder pauldrons he wore while defending the Deeping Wall. It works perfectly well even if you're ONLY using Men, of course, but it's best on Legolas.

[Thranduil]

•Belurion, Gallant Fighter
Companion • Elf
Strength: 5
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
To play, spot an Elf and a unique Man.
While Belurion bears a hand weapon, he is strength +1 and damage +1.

Why the unique man? The difference between this guy and the Naith is obviously he still gets the bonuses from the weapon.

•Legolas' Pauldrons
Possession • Armor
To play, spot a Man. Bearer must be a Man or an Elf.
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, you may discard a card from hand to make bearer take no more than one wound until the end of that skirmish.
Response: If bearer is Legolas and he is about to take a wound in a skirmish, discard this possession to prevent all wounds to him until the regroup phase.

A bit wordy, but looks good otherwise.

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

Alright...made a few tweaks. Hopefully they're good now. I'm surprised that there was so little controversy with Haldir's sword, but hey, I ain't complaining!

Here's another Elf and another possession. I could use some lore for the first one, if anyone has a good idea. Thanks, and enjoy!

•Belurion, Gallant Fighter
Companion • Elf
Strength: 5
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
To play, spot an Elf and a Man.
While Belurion bears a hand weapon, he is strength +1 and damage +1.
why not?

•Legolas' Pauldrons
Possession • Armor
To play, spot a Man. Bearer must be a Man or an Elf.
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, you may discard a card from hand to make bearer take no more than one wound until the end of that skirmish.
Response: If bearer is Legolas and he is about to take a wound in a skirmish, discard this possession to prevent all wounds to him until the regroup phase.

This is a just a fun little card that ties together two unusual cultures; there will be several cards that tie and in this set, thanks to them fighting side by side at Helm's Deep.

fighting side by side? while there was legolas but show me a passage in TTT that has other elves 

as for the card FBM
and as for lore, in the first card
My name is made up by a crazy dwarf...I should n't have been in the movie... I wasn't in the book... I feel depressed...I need Grima, Grief Counselor

[lem0nhead]

•Belurion, Gallant Fighter
Companion • Elf
Strength: 5
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 7
To play, spot an Elf and a Man.
While Belurion bears a hand weapon, he is strength +1 and damage +1.

Meh this is like erethon, nout special.

•Legolas' Pauldrons
Possession • Armor
To play, spot a Man. Bearer must be a Man or an Elf.
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, you may discard a card from hand to make bearer take no more than one wound until the end of that skirmish.
Response: If bearer is Legolas and he is about to take a wound in a skirmish, discard this possession to prevent all wounds to him until the regroup phase.

Cool.

[DáinIronfoot]

Alrighty...let's switch to the OTHER side of the battlefield. These two were created for one of AC's contests way back, so you probably don't remember them. They're as good as new! Enjoy.

Berserk Brute
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1.
This minion is strength +1 for each wound on a character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, this minion is fierce.
Incited into a mad rage, berserkers are thrown at the enemy and carve a foothold for the army.

•Battle-Scarred Berserker
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 11
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1. Hunter 1.
Battle-Scarred Berserker is strength +1 for each wound on each character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, Battle-Scarred Berserker is fierce.
Regroup: Discard Battle-Scarred Berserker to wound X companions, where X is the number of Free Peoples cultures you spot over 1.
Few of Saruman's berserkers survive to become veterans. Those that do are extremely deadly warriors.

[Thranduil]

Berserk Brute
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1. Hunter 1.
This minion is strength +1 for each wound on a character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, this minion is fierce.
Incited into a mad rage, berserkers are thrown at the enemy and carve a foothold for the army.

Costed well thanks to his 2 vitality.

•Battle-Scarred Berserker
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 11
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1. Hunter 2.
Battle-Scarred Berserker is strength +1 for each wound on each character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, Battle-Scarred Berserker is fierce.
Regroup: Discard Battle-Scarred Berserker to wound X companions, where X is the number of Free Peoples cultures you spot over 2.
Few of Saruman's berserkers survive to become veterans. Those that do are incredibly deadly warriors.

I think hunter 2 is probably pushing it, 1 would be fine. And also I think I'd like his strength to be reduced in favour of some extra vitality - a cost vitality 2 minion often isn't a good way to spend your twilight.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

•Battle-Scarred Berserker
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 11
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1. Hunter 2.
Battle-Scarred Berserker is strength +1 for each wound on each character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, Battle-Scarred Berserker is fierce.
Regroup: Discard Battle-Scarred Berserker to wound X companions, where X is the number of Free Peoples cultures you spot over 2.
Few of Saruman's berserkers survive to become veterans. Those that do are incredibly deadly warriors.

I think hunter 2 is probably pushing it, 1 would be fine. And also I think I'd like his strength to be reduced in favour of some extra vitality - a cost vitality 2 minion often isn't a good way to spend your twilight.

Understood, but his strength is so high BECAUSE of his low vitality. I think Big D got ONE thing right in the change from to when they made the new berserkers have lower vitality. I envision all of mine having only 2, perhaps a couple with only 1, and MAYBE one or two with 3. I think this guy is pretty well costed for his strength, with the low vitality keeping it (and his regroup ability) in check.

[sickofpalantirs]

Berserk Brute
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1. Hunter 1.
This minion is strength +1 for each wound on a character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, this minion is fierce.
Incited into a mad rage, berserkers are thrown at the enemy and carve a foothold for the army.
with that lore you need to have berserk catapult cut the hunter

•Battle-Scarred Berserker
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 11
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1. Hunter 2.
Battle-Scarred Berserker is strength +1 for each wound on each character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, Battle-Scarred Berserker is fierce.
Regroup: Discard Battle-Scarred Berserker to wound X companions, where X is the number of Free Peoples cultures you spot over 2.
Few of Saruman's berserkers survive to become veterans. Those that do are incredibly deadly warriors.

get rid of the incredibly in the lore.  extremely would be better. cut the hunter by one, and add a vitality

[lem0nhead]

Berserk Brute
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1. Hunter 1.
This minion is strength +1 for each wound on a character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, this minion is fierce.
Incited into a mad rage, berserkers are thrown at the enemy and carve a foothold for the army.

Cut the hunter if u ask me.

•Battle-Scarred Berserker
Minion • Uruk-hai
Strength: 11
Vitality: 2
Site: 5
Damage +1. Hunter 2.
Battle-Scarred Berserker is strength +1 for each wound on each character in its skirmish.
While exhausted, Battle-Scarred Berserker is fierce.
Regroup: Discard Battle-Scarred Berserker to wound X companions, where X is the number of Free Peoples cultures you spot over 2.
Few of Saruman's berserkers survive to become veterans. Those that do are incredibly deadly warriors.

If you can get him to survive to the regroup i think it should be for each free peoples culture, or, "over 1". And drop hunter to 1.

[DáinIronfoot]

Alright, I reluctantly removed hunter from the first berserker and reduced it to 1 for the second.

Now, a couple somewhat complicated but cool cards from that same AC contest. Enjoy!

•Bloodlust
Condition • Support Area
Each time a Free Peoples character is killed or a follower is discarded, you may exert an Uruk-hai to place an token here.
Skirmish: Remove an token from here to make an Uruk-hai strength +2 for each character in the dead pile.
Skirmish: Spot X tokens here and discard this condition to exert X companions.
The more enemies that fell before the Berserkers, the fiercer they became.

•Wave Upon Wave
Condition • Support Area
Each time you play an Uruk-hai with Berserk or Berserker in its title, you may place an token here.
Maneuver: Remove X tokens from here to play an Uruk-hai from hand; that minion's twilight cost is -X.
Regroup: Discard an Uruk-hai to take control of a site (or 2 sites if you can spot at least 3 tokens here). Discard this condition.
For every assaulter struck down or thrown from the walls, it seemed two took its place.