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

[DáinIronfoot]

Well, since it looks like it's going to be at least a few days until CC and these forums merge, and I am just ITCHING to get back to full-time DCing, let's go back to the rather random DC method that made me famous (or was it infamous?) at Decipher's forums and my early Cobra Cards history. None of this rigid sticking with one culture from start to finish, but somewhat random DCs!

Still, since I'm such a creature of habit, I have to have SOME theme in what I do. So while these cards will branch across many cultures (and even multiple sets), they're all themed around Helm's Deep.

Let's kick it off with its non-Rohirrim defenders. Enjoy!

•Gimli, Defender of Helm's Deep
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Berethor
Damage +1.
While at a battleground or mountain site, Gimli is strength +1.
Assignment: Exert Gimli and add a threat to make a minion lose or gain fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘It does my heart good to be so close to the mountains...this is good quality rock.'"

•Legolas, Defender of Helm's Deep
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Berethor
While Legolas bears a unique hand weapon, he is damage +1.
Each time you play a or skirmish event, you may make exert Legolas to make him strength +1. Then, if Legolas is at a battleground, you may heal him.
"‘This is a fight we cannot win. It will become a massacre.'"

Okay, I cheated a little: the second of these is NOT all-new, it's just been a good long while since I posted it. As you can likely tell by the signet, these are both from my The Third Age game-centered set, Ages of Middle-earth. Oh, and the culture is a close-to-but-not-quite- culture called "Mirkwood" that appears throughout my sets.

Anyway, these two both like battlegrounds, using them to get stronger. And to my knowledge, this is the first Elf yet with a built-in damage bonus, making this the first pure fighting version of what is usually everyone's favorite archer.

Now, some more "conventional" versions of the same pair, these from my Two Towers-centered set, The Way Into Mordor. The first of these is actually one of the set's two starters (Sméagol being the other).

•Gimli, Stout and Strong
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Thorin
Valiant. Damage +1.
Skirmish: If Gimli is not assigned to a skirmish, exert him to have him replace a companion (except the Ring-bearer) in a skirmish. Gimli gains hunter 3 until the end of that skirmish.
"‘Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!'"

•Legolas, Sharp and Hopeful
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Théoden
Valiant. Hunter 1.
At the start of each archery phase, you may remove an or token to make Legolas an archer until the regroup phase.
Each time Legolas wins a fierce skirmish, you may remove or reinforce a culture token.
"‘It is not mist or cloud that defeats my eyes: there is a veiling shadow that some power lays upon the land, and it marches slowly down stream.'"

Note the valiant keyword, in use outside of ! There are only a VERY small handful of non-Rohirrim that will get it, like Aragorn, and only when it really makes sense. For this pair, I figured it made a LOT of sense, tying them solidly to without them necessarily having to have the Théoden signet.

More later!

[Kralik]

•Gimli, Stout and Strong
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Thorin
Valiant. Damage +1.
Assignment: Spot a wounded companion assigned to a skirmish and exert Gimli to make him strength +1 and defender +1 until the regroup phase.
"‘Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!'"

I don't have a rulebook in front of me to check, but don't the actual assignments come after all assignment events and special abilities? If so, then Gimli's text would be difficult to pull off, unless you used something like Crashing Calvary.

[Thranduil]

•Gimli, Defender of Helm's Deep
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Berethor
Damage +1.
While at a mountain site, Gimli is strength +1.
While at a battleground, Gimli is strength +1.
Assignment: Exert Gimli to make a minion lose or gain fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘It does my heart good to be so close to the mountains...this is good quality rock.'"

Does he not seem significantly better than say Faithful Companion or Eager Hunter? If you took out the ability, I would say he was just about OK. Or, if you took out the base damage bonus and replace one of the strength +1 with damage +1.

•Legolas, Defender of Helm's Deep [MtGGreen]
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Berethor
While Legolas bears a unique hand weapon, he is damage +1.
Each time you play a [MtGGreen] or skirmish event, you may make Legolas strength +1. Then, if Legolas is at a battleground, you may exert him to make him strength +1 again.
"‘This is a fight we cannot win. It will become a massacre.'"

I think it should probably apply only to events played during Legolas' skirmish (especially as damage bonus is so rare for Elves), but otherwise fine.

•Gimli, Stout and Strong
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Thorin
Valiant. Damage +1.
Assignment: Spot a wounded companion assigned to a skirmish and exert Gimli to make him strength +1 and defender +1 until the regroup phase.
"‘Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!'"

Kralik's right, you assign companions to minions only after all assignment events and special abilities have been played. This would only trigger if the wounded companion was assigned by an event or special ability. I suggest taking out the defender bonus, making it skirmish and making him like Gandalf, White Rider.

•Legolas, Hopeful and Fair
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Théoden
Valiant. Hunter 2.
At the start of each archery phase, you may remove an or [MtGGreen] token to make Legolas an archer until the regroup phase.
Each time Legolas wins a skirmish, you may remove or reinforce a culture token.
"‘It is not mist or cloud that defeats my eyes: there is a veiling shadow that some power lays upon the land, and it marches slowly down stream.'"

Far too versatile, and with a strong hunter bonus? Take it down to 1 at least, then make it so that he can reinforce only an or [MtGGreen] token and cannot remove and he'd probably be fine. Powerful, but fine. How about, 'Sharp and Fair'?

Oh, note the valiant keyword, in use outside of ! There are only a VERY small handful of non-Rohirrim that will get it, like Aragorn, and only when it really makes sense. For this pair, I figured it made a LOT of sense, tying them solidly to without them necessarily having to have the Théoden signet.

Except they don't because I can't think of any cards that reference anything other than Valiant Men.

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

•Gimli, Defender of Helm's Deep
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Berethor
Damage +1.
While at a mountain site, Gimli is strength +1.
While at a battleground, Gimli is strength +1.
Assignment: Exert Gimli to make a minion lose or gain fierce until the regroup phase.
"‘It does my heart good to be so close to the mountains...this is good quality rock.'"

Hmm maybe and add a threat or something, seems a bit good. But perhaps its ok.

•Legolas, Defender of Helm's Deep
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Berethor
While Legolas bears a unique hand weapon, he is damage +1.
Each time you play a or skirmish event, you may make Legolas strength +1. Then, if Legolas is at a battleground, you may exert him to make him strength +1 again.
"‘This is a fight we cannot win. It will become a massacre.'"

Seems quite good, not sure about legy being d+1 but ok.

•Gimli, Stout and Strong
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Thorin
Valiant. Damage +1.
Assignment: Spot a wounded companion assigned to a skirmish and exert Gimli to make him strength +1 and defender +1 until the regroup phase.
"‘Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!'"

Assignments are done all at once. So this doesnt work.

•Legolas, Hopeful and Fair
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Théoden
Valiant. Hunter 2.
At the start of each archery phase, you may remove an or token to make Legolas an archer until the regroup phase.
Each time Legolas wins a skirmish, you may remove or reinforce a culture token.
"‘It is not mist or cloud that defeats my eyes: there is a veiling shadow that some power lays upon the land, and it marches slowly down stream.'"

Hopeful is ok fair is a bit dull. Meh hes ok.

[DáinIronfoot]

Tweaked the cards, the most radical changes coming on Gimli, Stout and Strong, as I pretty much rewrote the card as Thran suggested. I added a small hunter bonus to make up for the lack of defender...too much?

Here are two more non-Rohirrim valiant companions. Again, I cheated a bit...the first of these you've seen before. But he was plenty controversial then, so I figured a rehash certainly couldn't hurt. Enjoy!

•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 races you can spot: Man, Elf, Dwarf.
"‘They fight beside you because they would not be parted from you.'"

A multipurpose Aragorn. He's probably best in a rainbow fellowship, since he can get up to 10 strength (11 if you count the hunter), but he's also mucho useful with lots of Rohirrim thanks to the fact that he shares his signet with them (and remember...signets are big again in my sets). Still, as I recall, there were people that thought he was just too much, so I tweaked the signet thing (used to be for any unique companion) and lowered his initial strength to 7. I think that, considering his resistance is lower than newer Aragorns, and that it's hard to get full use out of all of his text in the same deck (chances are you have to go one route or the other), that he's alright. But that may just be me.

•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.'"

I know the subtitle is technically already taken, but it was by one of those funky customized online cards Big D made, so I don't think it really counts. If you think I should come up with something else, though, I had considered Herald of Strange Events.

Anyway, this is the fourth of our mini-theme of valiant companions outside of the culture, and probably the last (for this set, at least). Interestingly, he's best not with companions who have the Théoden signet, but those with HIS signet. There will be several conditions he can slap on folks in the set, though, so the healing can be spread around to those with all manner of signets (or none at all!) with a little effort. I really think his text makes a LOT of sense in the context of how he's such an inspiration to everyone around him in The Two Towers...freeing Théoden, encouraging the Three Hunters, saving Rohan during the charge he leads at Helm's Deep, etc. I think a "healer" type like this is long overdue. But it's not TOO easy, since he has to win his skirmishes (and the text provides no help in doing so). Balanced well enough, do you think?

[lem0nhead]

•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, he 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.'"

Here we go again, new board but nothing has changed lol! Must he be 2 cultures? Anyway he's ok beyond that.

•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.'"

Sounds good to me.

[DáinIronfoot]

•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, he 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.'"

Here we go again, new board but nothing has changed lol! Must he be 2 cultures?

Yes, sorry. I'm going to be rather insistent on that. I have a handful of characters that will have two cultures. I think it's fun and interesting and doesn't break anything, so that's why I'm doing it.

[lem0nhead]

What about cards that say spot a companion of X culture and one of X culture. This sort of thing buggers it lol. He can use hidan on himself!

[DáinIronfoot]

What about cards that say spot a companion of X culture and one of X culture. This sort of thing buggers it lol. He can use hidan on himself!

Sure. I don't see the problem with that.

However, perhaps a LITTLE more cultural enforcement would be good. Check it again in a second.

[lem0nhead]

Ahhh much better

[Thranduil]

Tweaked the cards, the most radical changes coming on Gimli, Stout and Strong, as I pretty much rewrote the card as Thran suggested. I added a small hunter bonus to make up for the lack of defender...too much?

I think all of those above cards are actually far too good.

•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.'"

He's fine, I just think his last ability is boring for such an interesting card. In fact, I think he'd more than good enough as he is, so I would remove the last line altogether (and if you're really worried, put his strength back up to 8, though with the Hunter bonus that makes him perhaps too good).

•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.'"

This guy I like and is the first of these valiant companions for me not to think is OP.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Tweaked the cards, the most radical changes coming on Gimli, Stout and Strong, as I pretty much rewrote the card as Thran suggested. I added a small hunter bonus to make up for the lack of defender...too much?

I think all of those above cards are actually far too good.

Well I am a man...er, dwarf of the people, Thran, so I tweaked all of them further. More to your liking now?

Remember that for Legolas, DoHD, the ability is useless outside of his own skirmish, since the strength would only last until the end of that skirmish anyway. I wanted to save on text, since it's not really necessary.

[lem0nhead]

As you say it only last for that skirmish so i believe that clarification was unnecessary.

I also agree with thran that the first lot were a bit too good.

[DáinIronfoot]

I also agree with thran that the first lot were a bit too good.

Again, they're changed now. Better? Worse? Pretty much the same?

[Thranduil]

•Gimli, Stout and Strong
Companion • Dwarf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Thorin
Valiant. Damage +1. Hunter 1.
Skirmish: If Gimli is not assigned to a skirmish, exert him to have him replace a companion (except the Ring-bearer) in a skirmish. Gimli gains hunter 2 (or hunter 3 if replacing a Man, Elf, or Dwarf) until the end of that skirmish.
"‘Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!'"

•Legolas, Sharp and Hopeful
Companion • Elf
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Signet: Théoden
Valiant. Hunter 1.
While you can spot a Dwarf or Man companion, Legolas gains hunter 1.
At the start of each archery phase, you may remove an or token to make Legolas an archer until the regroup phase.
Each time Legolas wins a fierce skirmish, you may remove or reinforce a culture token.
"‘It is not mist or cloud that defeats my eyes: there is a veiling shadow that some power lays upon the land, and it marches slowly down stream.'"

For the Gimli: I would replace the hunter bonus in the ability with the original strength boost, take out the parentheses and probably take out his given hunter bonus as well, because the ability to swap out companions is amazing.

For the Legolas: I would remove the first line as it seems too much text and he's still awesome without it.

First lot are fine, though and yes, I forgot that skirmish thing about your [MtGGreen] Legolas... he's fine.

Still think that the Aragorn is too good. Partly because having too cultures is such a rare and #$&*@! useful ability (especially for Men), he really doesn't need to hit strength 11 from his game text - it's just overkill.

Thranduil