Back to the Light - Review

[ket_the_jet]

I like the spotting requirements now.
-wtk

[legolas3333]

they're all good except for Ugluk, i would make it strength +1

[ket_the_jet]

they're all good except for Ugluk, i would make it strength +1

Well, from some sort of consistency standpoint, I would like to see Ugluk get some sort of conditional strength +3 bonus. But I like the card as it stands as well.
-wtk

[FM]

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

I love the flavor of it having Tracker and Ambush, but whiel you're at that, he SHOULD cost less and be a really small guy. Scouts ARE small and expendable, after all... (side note: don't EVER serve the boy scouts alongside myself, I WILL leave you to your death in the woods... )

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

I'd make it rare, lower its vitality by 1 and give it lurker.

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

I would make it vitality 1 (thus making ambush less useful) and lose the resistance requirement, or lower the minion's cost by 1 to keep the requirement (and STILL keep ambush).

•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'd cap it, and let you spot X minions to give them strength +X. Seriously. He's not even fierce, after all.

[FM]

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

Really cool, I have always loved foresee anyway.

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

Graveyard fodder? really? Well, most reanimation decks let you "cheat" the mana cost, which is what makes them appealing in the first place, so I'd let it play a minion for FREE, as long as it's twilight cost was close to the one discarded (maybe cost of discarded minion + 2-3)

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

Make it spot corrupted companions instead (if you're using the concept on the set), and let the cards be played FOR FREE - like, they're corrupted, so they betrayed the party and sold them out to the orcs.

[Thranduil]

Thanks for some great thoughts FM!

Graveyard fodder? really? Well, most reanimation decks let you "cheat" the mana cost, which is what makes them appealing in the first place, so I'd let it play a minion for FREE, as long as it's twilight cost was close to the one discarded (maybe cost of discarded minion + 2-3)

Good point - I had forgotten that this game wasn't Magic!

Make it spot corrupted companions instead (if you're using the concept on the set), and let the cards be played FOR FREE - like, they're corrupted, so they betrayed the party and sold them out to the orcs.

I think I'd rather add a corrupted clause, like "Play any number of or besieger minions revealed as if from hand (and those minion's are each twilight cost -2 if you can spot a corrupted companion)." What do you think of that?

I would make it vitality 1 (thus making ambush less useful) and lose the resistance requirement, or lower the minion's cost by 1 to keep the requirement (and STILL keep ambush).

The way I generally look at minions with ambush is I see their twilight cost as essentially -1. So I think I would pay for his other abilities, and so I'm not sure about reducing his cost. I want to keep the requirement (because almost by definition, cards in this block have to care about resistance).

I'd cap it, and let you spot X minions to give them strength +X. Seriously. He's not even fierce, after all.

That's a good point, he should be fierce (or at least damage +1). And I'm not sure about reducing his pump to 1 - he doesn't seem that good to me, even if he's fierce. I could change it to other trackers? In fact, I might do that.

Thranduil

[Thranduil]

Now we leave the Shadow for a while and return to the light (Back to the Light! See what I did there? ).

Let's start with some multiculture :

Muster the Host
Condition • Support Area
Fellowship: Exert a companion and either a companion or a companion to add a token here.
Regroup: Remove a token here to draw a card.
B C 81

Unstoppable Charge
Event • Regroup
Toil 3.
Spot 2 companions with resistance 3 or more to discard each minion.
B C 33

Dauntless Protectors
Event • Skirmish
Toil 2.
Prevent all wounds to a or valiant companion with resistance 3 or more.
B U 42

•Théoden, Returned
Companion • Man
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Valiant.
While you can spot a or companion, Théoden's twilight cost is -1.
Each time you play a or event, you may exert Théoden to exert a minion.
B U 31

[ket_the_jet]

Muster the Host
Condition • Support Area
Fellowship: Exert a companion and either a companion or a companion to add a token here.
Regroup: Remove a token here to draw a card.
B C 81

Regroup drawing for is something I always thought would make them better. They are already great at expanding the move limit!

Unstoppable Charge
Event • Regroup
Toil 3.
Spot 2 companions with resistance 3 or more to discard each minion.
B C 33

I guess resistance is not very important in the Westfold, is it?

Dauntless Protectors
Event • Skirmish
Toil 2.
Prevent all wounds to a or valiant companion with resistance 3 or more.
B U 42

This card is pretty cool. You have expanded valiant to make this a lot more universal as well. I like this one a lot.

•Théoden, Returned
Companion • Man
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Valiant.
While you can spot a or companion, Théoden's twilight cost is -1.
Each time you play a or event, you may exert Théoden to exert a minion.
B U 31

Hmm...this guy is a little curious. I am not 100% sure that I like Theoden as a culture companion...I mean, he is the King of Rohan and all. But I don't mind him being similar to Dain where he gets bonuses from his culture and .

I like the exerting minions bit. He is like an even better version of Leader of Spears. On record, Theoden, Leader of Spears is probably the coolest foil card ever.
-wtk

[legolas3333]

Now we leave the Shadow for a while and return to the light (Back to the Light! See what I did there? ).

Let's start with some multiculture :

Muster the Host
Condition • Support Area
Fellowship: Exert a companion and either a companion or a companion to add a token here.
Regroup: Remove a token here to draw a card.
B C 81

Make it remove 2 tokens

Unstoppable Charge
Event • Regroup
Toil 3.
Spot 2 companions with resistance 3 or more to discard each minion.
B C 33

ok, it seems a little like Guarded,but i like it

Dauntless Protectors
Event • Skirmish
Toil 2.
Prevent all wounds to a or valiant companion with resistance 3 or more.
B U 42

it just seems a little... boring? I don't know maybe it's the title, it's ok for cost and ability though

•Théoden, Returned
Companion • Man
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Valiant.
While you can spot a or companion, Théoden's twilight cost is -1.
Each time you play a or event, you may exert Théoden to exert a minion.
B U 31

hmm i see a Powerful Guide combo here, i think it should be stylized like Aragorn, Guide and Protector, so make it a "exert a minion he is skirmishing.

[menace64]

I think that Theoden was written to start with Gandalf, Leader of Men. And that's cool.

[Thranduil]

Okay, apart from my substandard titles, I'm ready to move on. This is the last of the culture.

Rohirrim Armory
Event • Maneuver or Skirmish
Spot a companion with resistance 3 or more to foresee 2. Then reveal the top card of your draw deck. If it is a possession or artifact, you may play it. (To foresee 2, look at the top 2 cards of your draw deck; place any number of those cards beneath your draw deck in any order, and the rest on top of your draw deck in any order).
B U 83

•Herugrim (reprint)
Possession • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Vit: +1
Bearer must be Théoden.
He is damage +1.
B U 79

•Éomer, Saviour of Helm's Deep
Companion • Man
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Res: 5
Knight. Valiant.
Regroup: Exert Éomer to play a companion from your hand. If that companion is a knight or valiant companion, you may discard a minion.
B U 77

•Merry, Rider of Rohan
Companion • Hobbit
Str: 5
Vit: 4
Res: 8
Valiant.
Maneuver: Exert Merry twice to exert a minion once for each companion you can spot.
B R 80

Notice Merry's Sword. I know, I'm so sneaky!

[ket_the_jet]

Rohirrim Armory
Event • Maneuver or Skirmish
Spot a companion with resistance 3 or more to foresee 2. Then reveal the top card of your draw deck. If it is a possession or artifact, you may play it. (To foresee 2, look at the top 2 cards of your draw deck; place any number of those cards beneath your draw deck in any order, and the rest on top of your draw deck in any order).
B U 83

This is a very helpful card. I like this one quite a bit and is flavorful to the culture.

•Herugrim (reprint)
Possession • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Vit: +1
Bearer must be Théoden.
He is damage +1.
B U 79

Reprint Sword of the Mark. They set the precedent by creating a newer, stronger sword for Theoden. It would be non-sense for you to revert to a weaker one. Or, have a little fun and bump the twilight cost up and give it extra text.

•Erkenbrand, Saviour of Helm's Deep
Companion • Man
Str: 7
Vit: 3
Res: 5
Knight. Valiant.
Regroup: Exert Erkenbrand to play a companion from your hand. If that companion is a knight or valiant companion, you may discard a minion.
"Down from the hills leaped Erkenbrand, lord of Westfold."
B U 77

This guy seems really really good. I am not sure what brokenness potential there is, but I can't wait to find out!

•Merry, Rider of Rohan
Companion • Hobbit
Str: 5
Vit: 4
Res: 8
Valiant.
Maneuver: Exert Merry twice to exert a minion once for each companion you can spot.
B R 80

This guy is pretty nice. I always thought that the Siege of Gondor Pippin and Merry should have Knight and Valiant, respectively.
-wtk

[legolas3333]

they're all good

[Thranduil]

Reprint Sword of the Mark. They set the precedent by creating a newer, stronger sword for Theoden. It would be non-sense for you to revert to a weaker one. Or, have a little fun and bump the twilight cost up and give it extra text.

I can justify this. Firstly, I needed a common/uncommon possession for , and making it rare like Sword of the Mark wouldn't have helped me. Secondly, all versions of Herugrim have just rotated out so I was already in favour of having a replacement. Thirdly, I very much liked the idea of juxtaposing a card with text like "Bearer must be Théoden" when there is a Théoden in the set - just mixing up the cultures a little bit. Fourthly, with all these things in mind I looked back at some older expanded cards (which is what I normally do when there's a whole I need filled) and reminded myself of this card. It ticked all the boxes, so it was better to reprint it than make a new card.

Thranduil

[ket_the_jet]

Sword of the Mark has to be borne by Theoden as well. Reprint that card as an uncommon (see Nobody Tosses a Dwarf versus Nobody Tosses a Dwarf*).

Personally, I think it is in poor form to revert to a less powerful version of the same card because then more people are just going to want to play expanded.
-wtk