Back to the Light - Review

[Not a Zombie]

GOLLUM - 7 (3/2/2) (4SH/3FP)
•Covert Deeds (FP)
Condition • Support Area
Stealth.
To play, spot Sméagol.
Each Shadow player plays with the top card of their draw deck faceup.
Regroup: Discard this condition to discard a minion with the same twilight cost as the top card of a Shadow player's draw deck.
B R 34

Brings up the potential problem of what happens when you reconcile, but otherwise cool.

A Difficult Burden (SH)
Event • Maneuver
Toil 2.
Spot a card to make the Free Peoples player choose to add 2 burdens or discard 3 cards from their hand.
B U 35

Cool.

Secret Plots (SH)
Condition • Support Area
Shadow: Exert Gollum and either a or minion to add a token here.
Regroup: Remove a token here to foresee 2. (To foresee 2, look at the top 2 cards of your draw deck; place any number of those cards on the bottom of your draw deck in any order and the rest on the top of your draw deck in any order).
B C 36

With enduring nazzies this is very powerful

Secret Ways (FP)
Condition • Support Area
Fellowship: Exert Sméagol and either a or companion to add a token here.
Regroup: Remove a token here to play the fellowship's next site.
B C 37

fine.

Share the Load (FP)
Event • Regroup
Toil 2.
Spot a companion to remove 2 burdens.
B U 38

fine.

Shelob's Web (SH)
Possession • Support Area
Response: If your minion is discarded and you cannot spot 3 cards stacked here, exert a minion to stack that minion here.
Skirmish: Discard a minion stacked here to make a minion strength +2 or play a minion from your discard pile as if from hand.
B C 39

enduring shelob exerting in the skirmish phase to boost her strength... crazy good.

•Treacherous Deeds (SH)
Condition • Support Area
Search.
To play, spot Gollum.
The Free Peoples player plays with the top card of his or her draw deck faceup.
Skirmish: Discard this condition to wound a companion skirmishing Gollum with the same twilight cost as the top card of the Free Peoples player's draw deck.
B R 40

Same issue as above, but good otherwise.

[Thranduil]

Brings up the potential problem of what happens when you reconcile, but otherwise cool.

Each other player sees every card they draw.

for Shelob's Web maybe make it so if a minion is killed or discarded stack it here.

I see the point. Both of the Shelobs from the previous set have a thing for discarding minions which is why it's the way it is and I thought you should at least have to work on getting the web working rather than having it work for you. But I see your point.

GONDOR - 10 (4/3/3)
•Arwen, Queen of Gondor
Companion • Elf
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 7
Ranger.
Each time you play an event during a skirmish involving Arwen, you may make an or companion resistance +2 until the regroup phase.
B U 41

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

Defended Barricade
Condition • Support Area
Str: -1
Fortification.
Bearer's game text may not be used.
Maneuver: Exert a knight companion with resistance 5 or more to transfer this condition to a minion.
B R 43

•Elessar
Artifact
Res: +1
To play, spot an card. Bearer must be Aragorn.
At the start of the fellowship phase, you may exert a companion of one culture to heal a companion of a different culture.
"In this hour take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the house of Elendil!"
B R 44

•Éowyn, Lady of Gondor
Companion • Man
Str: 6
Vit: 3
Res: 6
Knight.
Maneuver: Play a possession on Éowyn from your hand (that she can bear) to heal her.
B C 45

Hands of the King
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 heal a companion.
B C 46

It is Not This Day!
Condition • Companion
Res: +1
Tale.
To play, spot a companion.
Each time bearer wins a skirmish, you may reinforce a Free Peoples culture token or remove a Shadow culture token.
B U 47

Kingsfoil (reprint)
Possession
Bearer must be a Man.
Fellowship: Discard this possession from play to heal a companion and, if that companion is a companion, you may discard a condition he or she bears.
B C 48

•Pippin, Knight of Gondor
Companion • Hobbit
Str: 5
Vit: 4
Res: 8
Knight.
Skirmish: Exert Pippin twice to make him strength +1 for each companion you can spot.
B R 49

Scouting Ahead
Event • Regroup
Stealth.
Exert a companion to foresee 2. Then reveal the top card of your draw deck; if that card is an event, you may remove . (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 C 50

[legolas3333]

for it is not this day i think the wording is off, remove not discard a shadow token and for ewoyn, i think the "(that she can bear)" is unnecessary.

[Thranduil]

Discard has been used in the past (see Fereveldir). But you are right that it hasn't been used in a while.

[Thranduil]

One of the cards in this culture only makes sense with a card from the previous set:

•Curunír, The White Wizard (FP)
Companion • Wizard
Str: 8
Vit: 4
Res: 5
Traitor. Unyielding. (Curunír's resistance is not reduced by the number of burdens).
Play with the top card of your draw deck revealed. Curunír is resistance -X, where X is the twilight cost of the revealed card.
Each time a spell is played, unless Curunír is corrupted, you may add a burden to discard a condition.
T R 45

ISENGARD - 5 (1/1/3) (1FP/4SH)
•Curunír's Staff (FP)
Artifact • Staff
Vit: +1
Bearer must be Curunír.
Spells are twilight cost -2.
B R 51

•Lotho Sackville-Baggins, Chief Shirriff
Minion • Hobbit
Str: 3
Vit: 4
Sit: 2
Traitor. (Traitor is unloaded).
When you play Lotho Sackville-Baggins, you may take a traitor minion into hand from your draw deck.
Assignment: Assign Lotho Sackville-Baggins to a companion. The Free Peoples player may add a burden to prevent this and assign Lotho Sackville-Baggins.
B R 52

Mark of the White Hand
Condition • Support Area
To play, exert a minion or spot an traitor character.
Each minion gains the culture (and strength +1 if at a battleground site).
Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
B U 53

Sharkey's Men
Minion • Man
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 2
Traitor.
When you play this minion, you may foresee 2. If you foresee a traitor minion, you may reveal it and take it into hand. (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 C 54

Uniting the Two Towers
Event • Maneuver
Toil 2.
, , , and minions may exert for this card's toil.
Spot a unique minion to allow you to decide the order of skirmishes until the regroup phase.
B R 55

[Thranduil]

MEN - 10 (4/3/3)
Betrayed
Condition • Unbound Companion
Res: -2
To play, spot a or traitor minion.
B C 56

Collusion with the Shadow
Event • Skirmish
Toil 2.
Spot a minion to make the Ring-bearer wear The One Ring until the regroup phase. The Free Peoples player may add a burden to prevent this.
B U 57

Death From Above
Event • Archery
Spot a card to reveal the top X cards of your draw deck where X is the number of companions with resistance 5 or less. Make the minion archery total +1 for each Shadow card revealed.
B R 58

Informers of the Enemy
Condition • Support Area
When you play this condition, you may foresee 2. (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).
Maneuver: Spot a traitor character and discard this condition to reveal the top card of your draw deck. If that card is a Shadow card, reveal the Free Peoples player's hand and discard a revealed Free Peoples card.
B R 59

Planned Ambush
Condition • Support Area
Shadow: Exert a minion and either an or minion to add a token here.
Skirmish: Remove a token here to add .
B C 60

Southron Ambusher
Minion • Man
Str: 5
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Aggressor. Ambush . (For each aggressor minion assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card you play is twilight cost -1).
B C 61

Southron Assaulter
Minion • Man
Str: 5
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Aggressor. Besieger.
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

•Southron Champion
Minion • Man
Str: 7
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Aggressor. Ambush . Besieger.
While there is a card in your discard pile, Southron Champion is strength +1 for each twilight token.
B R 63

Traitor of Edoras
Minion • Man
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 3
Traitor. (Traitor is unloaded).
When you play this minion, you may foresee 2.
B C 64

•Úlairë Attëa, Khamûl
Minion • Nazgûl
Str: 12
Vit: 3
Sit: 3
Fierce. Traitor.
At the start of each skirmish involving Úlairë Attëa, you may remove to add a burden.
B U 65

[FM]

MEN - 10 (4/3/3)
Betrayed
Condition • Unbound Companion
Res: -2
To play, spot a or traitor minion.
B C 56

Love the flavor, on how you can be betrayed more than once.

Death From Above
Event • Archery
Spot a card to reveal the top X cards of your draw deck where X is the number of companions with resistance 5 or less. Make the minion archery total +1 for each Shadow card revealed.
B R 58

This card makes absolutely no sense at all. It's an archery event, involving archery, which doesn't even mention an archer anywhere! I mean, why not make it maneuver and make the FP player exert companions instead? Or count archers, I don't know.

Informers of the Enemy
Condition • Support Area
When you play this condition, you may foresee 2. (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).
Maneuver: Spot a traitor character and discard this condition to reveal the top card of your draw deck. If that card is a Shadow card, reveal the Free Peoples player's hand and discard a revealed Free Peoples card.
B R 59

I'd make this at least unique, limiting the usage per turn, otherwise it might be quite a killer. However, thinking game-wise, I don't see it being THAT killer, maybe disruptive to some combos, which is quite fine.

[Thranduil]

This card makes absolutely no sense at all. It's an archery event, involving archery, which doesn't even mention an archer anywhere! I mean, why not make it maneuver and make the FP player exert companions instead? Or count archers, I don't know.

Obviously I'm missing flavour text and picture, but imagine the image of a guy like Desert Runner to make the card make a bit more sense! But yeah, I take your point. The titles are bad - I just wanted an archery event, as I had not done very much with archery in this block.

Thranduil

[ket_the_jet]

Thranduil: I think I have delved quite deeply into these cards already, but I was just thinking...are you comfortable with your Merry and Pippin not having spotting requirements?
-wtk

[Thranduil]

Thranduil: I think I have delved quite deeply into these cards already, but I was just thinking...are you comfortable with your Merry and Pippin not having spotting requirements?
-wtk

I'm not sure I understand what your problem is - Merry and Pippin don't usually have spotting requirements, and they're limited to / decks to have any use. I can think of a lot more cards of mine that might need spotting requirements more that I've been resisting because I honestly believe there's too much cultural enforcement in the game!

[ket_the_jet]

Sure Merry and Pippin as 3/4 companions don't. But so far, the 5/4 companions did!

Spot something else...like a fortification or possession or something. I just am not sure about a Hobbit deck that could possibly start those two guys and a Ring-Bearer.
-wtk

[Thranduil]

Sure Merry and Pippin as 3/4 companions don't. But so far, the 5/4 companions did!

Spot something else...like a fortification or possession or something. I just am not sure about a Hobbit deck that could possibly start those two guys and a Ring-Bearer.
-wtk

Sorry - completely misunderstood which Merry and Pippin you were talking about!

I'm still not that bothered, however. You only get the most out of them in dedicated or decks, and starting them with Frodo is not as good as say Faramir and Éowyn, or something, and for Hobbit decks they stop you being able to start Sam or Bilbo as well, so all in all it doesn't seem like an issue to me. I'm willing to be proved wrong though.

In the meantime:

MORIA - 1 (0/0/1)
•The Mines of Moria
Condition • Support Area
Toil 4.
While the fellowship is at an underground site, each of your cards in play, in hand, in your draw deck or in your discard pile gain the culture, and vice versa.
B R 66

[ket_the_jet]

You used to be able to start Frodo (strength X with Ring), Merry/Pippin 3/4 each, and Sam, Great Elf Warrior who was 7/4.

Now you could spread out the love with Frodo and two 5/4 companions and stack Great Elf Warrior in your deck.

I know this was supposed to cycle out King, but...
-wtk

[TelTura]

hmmm...interesting.  I had wondered how someone might put in extra loaded keywords, but it seems you've done so with "foresee" and "unyielding"(which may be volatile if used one doesn't watch oneself).  congrats, you've broken my game already...time to recode!  dang it.

[Thranduil]

hmmm...interesting.  I had wondered how someone might put in extra loaded keywords, but it seems you've done so with "foresee" and "unyielding"(which may be volatile if used one doesn't watch oneself).  congrats, you've broken my game already...time to recode!  dang it.

This is always going to happen! You can't prepare for every eventuality. Most keywords are normally summaries or special cases of others anyway, or just a way of saving text, so that should be built in already.

ORC - 10 (4/3/3)
Armies of Mordor
Event • Skirmish
Toil 2.
Play a minion from your hand; it is strength +3 and fierce until the regroup phase.
B U 67

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 . (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 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

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

Morgul Garrison
Minion • Orc
Str: 6
Vit: 2
Sit: 6
Ambush . Traitor. (Traitor is unloaded).
Skirmish: Exert this minion to play a minion from your hand. If that minion is a minion, you may add a burden.
B U 71

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

Orkish 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

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; their twilight costs are each -1.
B R 75

•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