Back to the Light - Review

[ket_the_jet]

•Legolas, Dwarf-friend
Companion • Elf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Archer.
Each time Legolas wins a skirmish, you may heal a or companion.
B U 6

Neat. I don't think that Legolas is winning too many skirmishes, but healing is what Elves do. I approve.

•Haldir, Naith Leader
Companion • Elf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Archer. Valiant.
While you can spot a valiant companion, Haldir's twilight cost is -1.
B C 77

I think it is known that I hate giving free archery to the Free Peoples...maybe not make him an archer? I don't remember him ever holding a bow at Helm's Deep in the movies.

Nimble Shot
Event • Archery
Toil 2.
Spot an companion with resistance 7 or more to wound a minion.
B C 7

That's cool but I don't like the title of the card. I think it needs to play off being a Dwarven and Elven deal...like Quick as May Be. Is there an example of Gimli saving Legolas' #$&*@! (or vice versa) that we could draw the title from? Also, why not resistance 6? Base Legolas resistance.

Treachery Exposed
Event • Maneuver
Spell. Toil 2.
Spot an companion with resistance 7 or more to reveal each Shadow player's hand.
B U 31

That's cool. I miss cards like Treachery Deeper Than You Know. Would you consider spot an companion with resistance 7 or more (or spot Elrond or Galadriel)?
-wtk

[Elrohir]

Your Legolas, Dwarf Friend is a copy of the one in EoF, I think. Except for his self healing possibiltiy...

EDIT: Legolas, Archer of Mirkwood... not from EoF 

[ket_the_jet]

Not quite, Elohir. If you look at the theme of the set, his card heals or companions, not Elves or Dwarves. That is, if there was an Aragorn, Shining Light companion, Legolas could heal him.
-wtk

[legolas3333]

Made some changes. I'm glad that the off-culture companions in general made a good impact, and thanks all!

Given we're about to go into the culture, we might as well start with Gimli, Elf-friend's companion:

•Legolas, Dwarf-friend
Companion • Elf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Archer.
Each time Legolas wins a skirmish, you may heal a or companion.
B U 6

um you could just make it and AoM reprint...

And another culture-shifted Elf - this time with some valiant tribal support.

•Haldir, Naith Leader
Companion • Elf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Archer. Valiant.
While you can spot a valiant companion, Haldir's twilight cost is -1.
B C 77

I like him

With these cross-culture events, I've tried to in general keep to territory that is approached by both cultures. So for example, pre-skirmish wounding is something that both and does (eg. QaMB, Baruk Khazad, Nocked, Weapons of Lothlorien etc.). The culture has an event for each other culture (except ) and so the rules are there a bit more flexible.

Nimble Shot
Event • Archery
Toil 2.
Spot an companion with resistance 7 or more to wound a minion.
B C 7

No toil

Treachery Exposed
Event • Maneuver
Spell. Toil 2.
Spot an companion with resistance 7 or more to reveal each Shadow player's hand.
B U 31

nice!

[Thranduil]

Yeah titles is not something I've really given much thought to - the titles I'm posting are more prototypes than finished products, so I will look at Nimble Shot, for example.

Good job you guys pointing out Archer of Mirkwood, though you may notice the two subtle differences: 1) as ket said, he deals with cultures not races, and 2) he's a companion, not an companion.

These cards trigger off resistance 7 because each culture has a resistance number that it likes, and the one for is 7 (you may have noticed for example that the cards posted before like resistance 4). But good point on the flavour there ket (EDIT: and I've worked out the flavour, as you can now see from its lore text - but any better suggestions for the title? The scene I'm talking about is in the Two Towers when Gimli's about to kill a Warg and Legolas kills it first).

Thanks guys!

Thranduil

[ket_the_jet]

For "Nimble Shot" I like the idea of Toil or resistance 6. The thing about a card like Quick as May Be (one of my all-time favorites, by the way) is that if you aren't starting a Dwarf and Elf, it is nowhere near as good. What if you draw two, or three, early with no way of increasing your resistance?

As for the card title, is there a card in your previous sets called something like, "That One Counts As Mine"? That'd be neat and explain the competition between and culture.
-wtk

[Thranduil]

I'll definitely be looking at that Nimble Shot more as I overview the set, but I suspect that getting resistance 7 will not be that hard. Nevertheless, as much as I appreciate the aesthetics of attaching each culture to a particular resistance number as a designer (especially with regards to these culture-shifted cards), it may not always be appropriate.

So let's continue with the culture through some cycles, first the sister of NtfH and SotS (which I didn't reprint because I didn't want a card to spot races).

Resist the Shadow
Condition • Support Area
Fellowship: Exert an companion and either a companion or a companion to add an token here.
Maneuver: Remove an token here to make an unbound companion resistance +2 until the regroup phase.
B C 18

Next the any phase cycle:

Healing Draught
Event • Any phase
Spot an companion with resistance 7 or more to heal a companion.
B C 16

One of the things I've been doing is avoiding non-unique characters whenever I can, because, quite frankly, unique characters are much cooler! This means that players actually care about what they do and whether they die. And so one of the things I've been doing is making cool awesome characters very accessible in rarity (like a common Gríma, Saruman, Witch-King, Gorbag, Gothmog and many FP characters). These 2 both fall under this heading, and also are part of the "spellshapers". You may notice the similarities they have with the just rotated out Nenya, Ring of Adamant and Vilya, Ring of Air.

•Elrond, Ring-bearer
Companion • Elf
Str: 8
Vit: 4
Res: 7
Valiant.
At the start of each skirmish involving Elrond, you may exert him to discard the top card of your draw deck. Make a minion strength -X, where X is the twilight cost of the discarded card.
B C 12

•Galadriel, Ring-bearer
Companion • Elf
Str: 3
Vit: 3
Res: 7
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may place a card from your hand on top of your draw deck.
B C 14

[ket_the_jet]

Resist the Shadow
Condition • Support Area
Fellowship: Exert an companion and either a companion or a companion to add an token here.
Skirmish: Remove an token here to make an unbound companion resistance +2.
B C 18

Neat card. I personally never used Not the First Halfling so I couldn't tell you how it would work. But it seems fine. Wouldn't the resistance bonus be "until the regroup phase" or is it just for that single skirmish?

Healing Draught
Event • Any phase
Spot an companion with resistance 7 or more to heal a companion.
B C 16

I don't know what I think about the "any phase" stuff. I know Reflections is out, but as an example, someone uses Gollum, Dark as Darkness during the Shadow Phase. Should you be able to interrupt that to heal your Ring-Bearer?

•Elrond, Ring-bearer
Companion • Elf
Str: 8
Vit: 4
Res: 7
Valiant.
At the start of each skirmish involving Elrond, you may exert him to discard the top card of your draw deck. Make a minion strength -X, where X is the twilight cost of the discarded card.
B C 12
•Galadriel, Ring-bearer
Companion • Elf
Str: 3
Vit: 3
Res: 7
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may place a card from your hand on top of your draw deck.
B C 14

Can't complain about either of these guys.  I suppose my biggest qualm is that Galadriel isn't vastly overpowered. Like, on Lady Redeemed, Lady of Light, or Lady of the Golden Wood level. Just kidding of course...

My title, of course, would be "Galadriel, Bearer of a Perfect #$&*@!." But to each his or her own.
-wtk

[legolas3333]

I'll definitely be looking at that Nimble Shot more as I overview the set, but I suspect that getting resistance 7 will not be that hard. Nevertheless, as much as I appreciate the aesthetics of attaching each culture to a particular resistance number as a designer (especially with regards to these culture-shifted cards), it may not always be appropriate.

So let's continue with the culture through some cycles, first the sister of NtfH and SotS (which I didn't reprint because I didn't want a card to spot races).

Resist the Shadow
Condition • Support Area
Fellowship: Exert an companion and either a companion or a companion to add an token here.
Skirmish: Remove an token here to make an unbound companion resistance +2.
B C 18

ok... i would still use measure of comfort

Next the any phase cycle:

Healing Draught
Event • Any phase
Spot an companion with resistance 7 or more to heal a companion.
B C 16

no, definitely not, either fellowship or regroup

One of the things I've been doing is avoiding non-unique characters whenever I can, because, quite frankly, unique characters are much cooler! This means that players actually care about what they do and whether they die. And so one of the things I've been doing is making cool awesome characters very accessible in rarity (like a common Gríma, Saruman, Witch-King, Gorbag, Gothmog and many FP characters). These 2 both fall under this heading, and also are part of the "spellshapers". You may notice the similarities they have with the just rotated out Nenya, Ring of Adamant and Vilya, Ring of Air.

•Elrond, Ring-bearer
Companion • Elf
Str: 8
Vit: 4
Res: 7
Valiant.
At the start of each skirmish involving Elrond, you may exert him to discard the top card of your draw deck. Make a minion strength -X, where X is the twilight cost of the discarded card.
B C 12

like glorfindel eh?

•Galadriel, Ring-bearer
Companion • Elf
Str: 3
Vit: 3
Res: 7
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may place a card from your hand on top of your draw deck.
B C 14

ok, seems a little like uncertain future, but it;s ok, for a common

[lem0nhead]

Resist the Shadow
Condition • Support Area
Fellowship: Exert an companion and either a companion or a companion to add an token here.
Skirmish: Remove an token here to make an unbound companion resistance +2.
B C 18

Yeesh! 2 exertions for one +2 bonus? Aye carumba thats not worth it. Either drop the cost to 0 and even then I wouldnt use it or make it cost a bit more but say spot the other companion.

Healing Draught
Event • Any phase
Spot an companion with resistance 7 or more to heal a companion.
B C 16

Nice i like this.

•Elrond, Ring-bearer
Companion • Elf
Str: 8
Vit: 4
Res: 7
Valiant.
At the start of each skirmish involving Elrond, you may exert him to discard the top card of your draw deck. Make a minion strength -X, where X is the twilight cost of the discarded card.
B C 12

Nice enough.

•Galadriel, Ring-bearer
Companion • Elf
Str: 3
Vit: 3
Res: 7
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may place a card from your hand on top of your draw deck.
B C 14

Alright but I feel shes lacking something really considering shes a 3 strength companion. Maybe muster?

[Thranduil]

Changed Resist the Shadow to a maneuver action that lasts until the regroup. This cycle of cards is not supposed to be particularly good, just multicultural! I hardly ever used that cycle from Siege of Gondor, but I liked the idea.

About Galadriel, I kind of agree with you lem0n (and obviously she could stand to be more broken... ) but I'm not using muster. What do we feel about an unyielding Galadriel? Or perhaps a small cost reduction instead.

It seems like we need to talk a little about the any phase actions. I had actually never considered that these could be used in the Shadow/Fellowship phase for FP/Shadow players respectively until you guys pointed it out, and given that reaction to this idea is mixed, let me try and solve some problems. What would we think of this idea if I fixed the rules, so attached to "Any phase:" was that "FP cards can't use it during Shadow phases and Shadow cards can't use it during fellowship phases"? This is fairly intuitive anyway, and all it would need is a sentence in the rulebook.

I shall also try and post some other parts of this mechanic just to see if the idea itself is sound.

Scouting Ahead
Event • Any phase
Stealth.
Spot a companion with resistance 5 or more to foresee 1. (Look at the top card of your draw deck; place it on top of or beneath your draw deck).
B C 48

Gathering to His Call
Event • Any phase
Exert an minion to add .
B C 67

Brief Respite
Event • Any phase
Spot a companion to remove a burden.
B R 92

Browbeat
Event • Any phase
Spot an minion to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance -2.
B U 99

Hosts of Minas Morgul
Event • Any phase
Search.
Spot a minion to draw a card.
B C 112

There are also 2 cards from Light & Shadow:

•Saruman, Fallen Istar
Minion • Wizard
Str: 8
Vit: 4
SIt: 4
Traitor.
While skirmishing a companion with resistance 6 or more, Saruman is strength +3 and damage +1.
Any Phase: Exert Saruman to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance +2 or -2.
"‘Our list of allies grows thin.'"
L R 80

•Sceptre of the Dark Lord, Weapon of Despair
Artifact • Support Area
Each time you play a unique minion, you may add a token here.
Any phase: Remove X tokens from here to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance -X.
L R 142

[lem0nhead]

About Galadriel, I kind of agree with you lem0n (and obviously she could stand to be more broken... ) but I'm not using muster. What do we feel about an unyielding Galadriel? Or perhaps a small cost reduction instead.

Cant see unyielding would make much difference to her, but probably not good flavour as she clearly is very tempted by the ring and her resistance is quite easy to lower as she points out herself. She needs something though.

It seems like we need to talk a little about the any phase actions. I had actually never considered that these could be used in the Shadow/Fellowship phase for FP/Shadow players respectively until you guys pointed it out, and given that reaction to this idea is mixed, let me try and solve some problems. What would we think of this idea if I fixed the rules, so attached to "Any phase:" was that "FP cards can't use it during Shadow phases and Shadow cards can't use it during fellowship phases"? This is fairly intuitive anyway, and all it would need is a sentence in the rulebook.

Fine by me. I like the any phase shizzle.

I shall also try and post some other parts of this mechanic just to see if the idea itself is sound.

Scouting Ahead
Event • Any phase
Stealth.
Spot a companion with resistance 5 or more to foresee 1. (Look at the top card of your draw deck; place it on top of or beneath your draw deck).
B C 48

Yeah ok, not amazing or that useful but im sure you could get some leg work out of it if you tried to make a deck with it.

Gathering to His Call
Event • Any phase
Exert an minion to add .
B C 67

Powerful in the shadow phase though...

Brief Respite
Event • Any phase
Spot a companion to remove a burden.
B R 92

Should probably cost 2.

Browbeat
Event • Any phase
Spot an minion to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance -2.
B U 99

Fine.

Hosts of Minas Morgul
Event • Any phase
Search.
Spot a minion to draw a card.
B C 112

Coolio.

•Saruman, Fallen Istar
Minion • Wizard
Str: 8
Vit: 4
SIt: 4
Traitor.
While skirmishing a companion with resistance 6 or more, Saruman is strength +3 and damage +1.
Any Phase: Exert Saruman to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance +2 or -2.
"‘Our list of allies grows thin.'"
L R 80

Is traitor unloaded? I havent been following your DCs for ages sorry... Alright but 4 is a lot for a guy who does this sort of thing.

•Sceptre of the Dark Lord, Weapon of Despair
Artifact • Support Area
Each time you play a unique minion, you may add a token here.
Any phase: Remove X tokens from here to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance -X.
L R 142

Ok, but very odd flavour i dont get a feel for it at all. Possibly the consequence being despairing of seeing saurons mace but why do minions boost it?

[FM]

Why the heck MUST Galadriel have strength 3? Really, most versions of her suck as companions unless they have a really good ability... in which case they are too broken. Make a FIGHTING Galadriel, for God's sake! She's a ring-bearer! She is one of the strongest people in Middle-Earth, and she takes a beating from Orc Scout? Without doing nothing about it? Eeeessh. /endrant

[FM]

Ok, but very odd flavour i dont get a feel for it at all. Possibly the consequence being despairing of seeing saurons mace but why do minions boost it?

Unique minions. "Generals", per say. Each one of them shows how terrible Sauron is, for having that sort of power on his side. And then... you see the mace! o.O

[legolas3333]

Changed Resist the Shadow to a maneuver action that lasts until the regroup. This cycle of cards is not supposed to be particularly good, just multicultural! I hardly ever used that cycle from Siege of Gondor, but I liked the idea.

About Galadriel, I kind of agree with you lem0n (and obviously she could stand to be more broken... ) but I'm not using muster. What do we feel about an unyielding Galadriel? Or perhaps a small cost reduction instead.

Make her cost 0 at least

It seems like we need to talk a little about the any phase actions. I had actually never considered that these could be used in the Shadow/Fellowship phase for FP/Shadow players respectively until you guys pointed it out, and given that reaction to this idea is mixed, let me try and solve some problems. What would we think of this idea if I fixed the rules, so attached to "Any phase:" was that "FP cards can't use it during Shadow phases and Shadow cards can't use it during fellowship phases"? This is fairly intuitive anyway, and all it would need is a sentence in the rulebook.

I shall also try and post some other parts of this mechanic just to see if the idea itself is sound.

Scouting Ahead
Event • Any phase
Stealth.
Spot a companion with resistance 5 or more to foresee 1. (Look at the top card of your draw deck; place it on top of or beneath your draw deck).
B C 48

ok... i guess.

Gathering to His Call
Event • Any phase
Exert an minion to add .
B C 67

powerful in shadow, but ok i guess

Brief Respite
Event • Any phase
Spot a companion to remove a burden.
B R 92

raise the cost to or at the very least, cause cards like nffatrod cost an exert and the more the merrier cost 6 (granted it has toil)

Browbeat
Event • Any phase
Spot an minion to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance -2.
B U 99

ok, our foes are weak

Hosts of Minas Morgul
Event • Any phase
Search.
Spot a minion to draw a card.
B C 112

Nice!

There are also 2 cards from Light & Shadow:

•Saruman, Fallen Istar
Minion • Wizard
Str: 8
Vit: 4
SIt: 4
Traitor.
While skirmishing a companion with resistance 6 or more, Saruman is strength +3 and damage +1.
Any Phase: Exert Saruman to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance +2 or -2.
"‘Our list of allies grows thin.'"
L R 80

ok, i can't see how the -2 of the second ability would be helpful.

•Sceptre of the Dark Lord, Weapon of Despair
Artifact • Support Area
Each time you play a unique minion, you may add a token here.
Any phase: Remove X tokens from here to make a companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance -X.
L R 142

hmm, ok, i can't see how it could be useful but it is balanced.