Back to the Light - Review

[Thranduil]

Does it need to cost six? Sure Rapid Fire and others cost similarly...but I don't think that is worth getting, at tops, 9 archery. You are more likely going to get two or three...Then again, I am not as familiar with Shadows and beyond...

You're probably right - it's not very good. Took out the toil and brought it down to .

I love this card! Kicks some serious #$&*@!! It is and non-unique and has no spotting requirements!

Well it does need a traitor to foresee... In fact, I will actually invert those two so that it always foresees but needs a traitor to reveal their hand - more flavourful that way anyway.

Thranduil

[legolas3333]

ok this is kinda a mior thing but me being a perfectionist must say...
the format of betrayed is wrong, the format should be

Betrayed
Condition
Res: -2
To play, spot a or traitor minion. Bearer must be an unbound companion.
B C 56

see Our Foes Are Weak and Wielding The Ring for precedents

[ket_the_jet]

L3333: There is no reason that it has to be like that except that it always has been.
-wtk

[Thranduil]

That is my feeling L333. I think the "Condition • Support Area" sets a precedent for slightly redefining the sub-type to include location, which is why I've used notation like "Condition • Unbound Companion" or "Condition • Minion" etc.

We're now onto the multi-cultural part of the culture. So why don't you take a look!

March of Despair
Condition • Support Area
Shadow: Exert an minion and either an or minion to add an token here.
Skirmish: Remove an token here to make an unbound companion strength -1.
B C 70

Southron Assaulter
Minion • Man
Str: 5
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Aggressor. Besieger. (For each aggressor minion assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card is twilight cost -1).
Skirmish: Exert this minion to play a minion from your hand. If that minion is an minion, you may discard a condition.
B U 62

Tear Them All Down!
Event • Skirmish
Toil 2.
Spot an minion to discard a condition. The Free Peoples player may discard the top 5 cards of his or her draw deck to prevent this.
B U 105

•Ufthak, Tasty Snack
Minion • Orc
Str: 5
Vit: 1
Sit: 6
Traitor.
While a card with the title Ufthak is in your discard pile or stacked on a possession, Shelob is strength +2 and damage +1.
B R 76

[ket_the_jet]

March of Despair
Condition • Support Area
Shadow: Exert an minion and either an or minion to add an token here.
Skirmish: Remove an token here to make an unbound companion strength -1.
B C 70

Seems fair enough. I don't know that two exertions is worth -1 strength, but fair enough.

Southron Assaulter
Minion • Man
Str: 5
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Aggressor. Besieger. (For each aggressor minion assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card is twilight cost -1).
Skirmish: Exert this minion to play a minion from your hand. If that minion is an minion, you may discard a condition.
B U 62

Wow...very cool! I would think he would be a rare just for the sake of the ability to discard conditions.

Tear Them All Down!
Event • Skirmish
Toil 2.
Spot an minion to discard a condition. The Free Peoples player may discard the top 5 cards of his or her draw deck to prevent this.
B U 105

That's a neat concept. I would probably let them discard the condition. What if there was something to allow the free peoples to foresee five and discard the top three or something?

•Ufthak, Tasty Snack
Minion • Orc
Str: 5
Vit: 1
Sit: 6
Traitor.
While Ufthak is in your discard pile or stacked on a possession, Shelob is strength +2 and damage +1.
B R 76

Seen this guy. He's neat...but I don't see why he is a traitor.
-wtk

[legolas3333]

That is my feeling L333. I think the "Condition • Support Area" sets a precedent for slightly redefining the sub-type to include location, which is why I've used notation like "Condition • Unbound Companion" or "Condition • Minion" etc.

ok I just have way more shadows commons than anything else so that's how I'd make it but hey, your call

We're now onto the multi-cultural part of the culture. So why don't you take a look!

March of Despair
Condition • Support Area
Shadow: Exert an minion and either an or minion to add an token here.
Skirmish: Remove an token here to make an unbound companion strength -1.
B C 70

ok, i just think that always threatening is more useful

Southron Assaulter
Minion • Man
Str: 5
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Aggressor. Besieger. (For each aggressor minion assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card is twilight cost -1).
Skirmish: Exert this minion to play a minion from your hand. If that minion is an minion, you may discard a condition.
B U 62

seems a little too much like Treebeard, KotW for it to be balanced, maybe exert twice

Tear Them All Down!
Event • Skirmish
Toil 2.
Spot an minion to discard a condition. The Free Peoples player may discard the top 5 cards of his or her draw deck to prevent this.
B U 105

um dread and despair is much better, i would make it

•Ufthak, Tasty Snack
Minion • Orc
Str: 5
Vit: 1
Sit: 6
Traitor.
While Ufthak is in your discard pile or stacked on a possession, Shelob is strength +2 and damage +1.
B R 76

ok in relation to how cards like this usually work and that 4x of him in the discard pile would make shelob ridiculous, , I would say that you should make it Skirmish: If Ufthak is in you discard pile or stacked on a possession remove him from the game to make Shelob strength +4 and Damage +2. so it's more powerful but a one time use.

[Thranduil]

Seen this guy. He's neat...but I don't see why he is a traitor.

Because the Orcs and Uruks of Cirith Ungol got the tribal keyword traitor in Light & Shadow because they start fighting, against the will of Sauron.

ok, i just think that always threatening is more useful

Yep, you're almost certainly right! Also about Dread and Despair below, but I'm happy for these to be simply less powerful cards.

seems a little too much like Treebeard, KotW for it to be balanced, maybe exert twice

I also thought he was probably too powerful. I will lower his vitality to 2.

ok in relation to how cards like this usually work and that 4x of him in the discard pile would make shelob ridiculous, , I would say that you should make it Skirmish: If Ufthak is in you discard pile or stacked on a possession remove him from the game to make Shelob strength +4 and Damage +2. so it's more powerful but a one time use.

You could well be right, in which case your wording is the one I will go with, but I'm not sure if that is the ruling or not. I will check. I might go with "While there is a card named "Ufthak" in your discard pile..." if it is.

Thranduil

[legolas3333]

ok in relation to how cards like this usually work and that 4x of him in the discard pile would make shelob ridiculous, , I would say that you should make it Skirmish: If Ufthak is in you discard pile or stacked on a possession remove him from the game to make Shelob strength +4 and Damage +2. so it's more powerful but a one time use.

You could well be right, in which case your wording is the one I will go with, but I'm not sure if that is the ruling or not. I will check. I might go with "While there is a card named "Ufthak" in your discard pile..." if it is.

Thranduil

yeah in hindsight my wording is strange but the point is just toss 4x of him in any Ninja gollum deck and shelob is strength +8 damage +4 which seems way to powerful, honestly i was thinking of the smeagol, simple stoor/ gollum, her sneak combined with deagol for reference.

[Thranduil]

Okay some more cards for now. Some splashable ideas I think. Let me know what you think.

Gathering to His Call
Event • Shadow or Skirmish
Exert an minion to foresee 2, then reveal the top card of your draw deck. If it is a search card, you may add .
B C 68

Hidden in the Depths
Condition • Support Area
When you play this condition, you may spot another card to search your draw deck for a minion and place it in your discard pile.
Skirmish: Discard this condition and an minion to play a minion from your discard pile; its twilight cost is -8.
B R 69

Time of the Orc
Event • Skirmish
Spot an card to reveal the top X cards of your draw deck, where X is the number of companions with resistance 4 or less. Play any number of or besieger minions revealed as if from hand.
B R 75

[ket_the_jet]

Gathering to His Call
Event • Shadow or Skirmish
Exert an minion to foresee 2. Then reveal the top card of your draw deck. If it is a search card, you may add .
B C 68

Sweet! Search card support! Trackers rock!

Hidden in the Depths
Condition • Support Area
When you play this condition, you may spot another card to search your draw deck for a minion and place it in your discard pile.
Skirmish: Discard this condition and an minion to play a minion from your discard pile.
B R 69

That's kind of a neat card. I would think there is a deck that can be built around it.

Time of the Orc
Event • Skirmish
Spot an card to reveal the top X cards of your draw deck, where X is the number of companions with resistance 4 or less. Play any number of or besieger minions revealed as if from hand.
B R 75

Time of the Orc...for ...how many Besiegers do you expect to be able to play?
-wtk

[Thranduil]

Time of the Orc...for ...how many Besiegers do you expect to be able to play?

I never said it was particularly good! But do remember ambush and aggressor.

Thranduil

[Thranduil]

Meh - I'm unbothered at only having 1 review for that lot. Unless you think I should reduce the cost of Time of the Orc, I think I'll now leave them.

So this time we have a pile of semi-reprints. You'll see what I mean:

Orkish Footpad (Goblin Sneak)
Minion • Orc
Str: 8
Vit: 1
Sit: 4
Ambush . Tracker.
When you play this minion, you may place an or tracker minion in your discard pile on the bottom of your draw deck.
B C 72

Orkish Officer (Orc Officer)
Minion • Orc
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Besieger.
Each time a companion is overwhelmed in a skirmish involving an or besieger minion, you may add 3 burdens.
B U 73

Orkish Underling (Isengard Underling)
Minion • Orc
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Ambush . Tracker.
When you play this minion, you may spot a companion with resistance 4 or less to take into hand a Shadow event from your discard pile.
B C 74

And let's top it off with a cross-culture minion:

•Uglúk, Minion of Isengard
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
Aggressor. Fierce. Tracker. (For each aggressor minion assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card is twilight cost -1).
The roaming penalty for each tracker minion you play is -2.
While you can spot an minion in your discard pile, each other tracker minion is strength +2.
B R 106

[Not a Zombie]

Meh - I'm unbothered at only having 1 review for that lot. Unless you think I should reduce the cost of Time of the Orc, I think I'll now leave them.

So this time we have a pile of semi-reprints. You'll see what I mean:

Orkish Footpad (Goblin Sneak)
Minion • Orc
Str: 8
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Tracker.
When you play this minion, you may place a minion in your discard pile on the bottom of your draw deck.
B C 72

Make it a tracker minion, or an minion.

Orkish Officer (Orc Officer)
Minion • Orc
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Besieger.
Each time a companion is overwhelmed, you may add 3 burdens.
B U 73

Same as above, specify a bit.

Orkish Underling (Isengard Underling)
Minion • Orc
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Ambush . Tracker.
When you play this minion, you may spot a companion with resistance 4 or less to take into hand a Shadow event from your discard pile.
B C 74

hmm... I don't like the idea of having him and underling in the same deck.

And let's top it off with a cross-culture minion:

•Uglúk, Minion of Isengard
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
Aggressor. Tracker. (For each aggressor minion assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card is twilight cost -1).
The roaming penalty for each tracker minion you play is -2.
While you can spot an minion in your discard pile, each tracker minion is strength +2.
B R 106

I like it!

[ket_the_jet]

Orkish Footpad (Goblin Sneak)
Minion • Orc
Str: 8
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Tracker.
When you play this minion, you may place a minion in your discard pile on the bottom of your draw deck.
B C 72

You don't specify what kind of minion I can put under my deck.

Orkish Officer (Orc Officer)
Minion • Orc
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Besieger.
Each time a companion is overwhelmed, you may add 3 burdens.
B U 73

Does this mean in any skirmish? Or just besiegers?

Orkish Underling (Isengard Underling)
Minion • Orc
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Ambush . Tracker.
When you play this minion, you may spot a companion with resistance 4 or less to take into hand a Shadow event from your discard pile.
B C 74

This guy is really strong. If he can recycle any event that is probably overpowered. I don't know the events from Shadows and beyond well enough to comment though.

•Uglúk, Minion of Isengard
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
Aggressor. Tracker. (For each aggressor minion assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card is twilight cost -1).
The roaming penalty for each tracker minion you play is -2.
While you can spot an minion in your discard pile, each tracker minion is strength +2.
B R 106

It is pretty easy to dump an Orc in the discard pile...so I would consider that strength +2 bonus nearly permanent. Also, this guy is different from Grishnakh, Orc Captain and those trackers in that he doesn't decrease the site number (they can still be made roaming easily). Is that a problem to you?
-wtk

[Thranduil]

It is pretty easy to dump an Orc in the discard pile...so I would consider that strength +2 bonus nearly permanent.

I'm not sure it is that easy - you have to build a dual-culture deck, which in the current format is very difficult and very rare. Obviously this block changes that, but I still think it's enough to completely define what deck you play.

Also, this guy is different from Grishnakh, Orc Captain and those trackers in that he doesn't decrease the site number (they can still be made roaming easily). Is that a problem to you?

He's different from Grishnákh, but he is keeping with Uglúk, Servant of Saruman.

Changed the other cards. I'm also not sure the underling is that powerful - he does cost (okay, essentially I suppose...). I was thinking I might instead make a guy to take the place of Orkish Smith but obviously much less good instead. Good idea?

Thranduil