Light & Shadow Block Review

[Cw0rk]

Wow, nobody answered your post yet, I'll give you my thoughts about these DCs in a few days.

[Cw0rk]

Here are my comments:

I like the cards you made wit ha twilight cost of . Breeland Spy is fun.

I like Savage Strength, its a cool adaptation of Red Wrath.

Spies Everywhere has some interesting potential.

The Wrong Attention is cool, it looks like a card you could base your entire deck on.

A reprint of the Castamir? It's the first time a see a Rare card being reprinted. I'm not sure it is a good idea.

Desert Lord, should it be 'gains archer'? 'Is an archer' is fine, just asking...

Freca looks like it shouldn't be a common card.

Siege Engines is too close to Siege Engine. What about War Engines, or Siege Towers? But the Siege Towers belongs to the Orcs. Anyway, this card is epic. Adding 9 threats sounds awesome.

I realized that you have a bunch of minions named 'Southron ....', why not give them the Southron keyword as well?

Southron Assaulter, Southron Champion and Ulaire Attea are very cool minions. Can you explain me why Attea is a ?

[legolas3333]

Rare cards have been reprinted before, see, nobody tosses a dwarf* and nobody tosses a dwarf

for siege tower why not make it Mumakil tower?

[Thranduil]

A reprint of the Castamir? It's the first time a see a Rare card being reprinted. I'm not sure it is a good idea.

Not convinced by it either. I don't think reprinting rares is necessarily a bad idea. There's another reprint in the set that I can think of off the top of my head: Cantea, Black Assassin, because it's one of the most famous cards to use corrupted without actually saying it, so I wanted to emphasise that. I reprinted Castamir because I wanted to emphasise the role of toil in the set, and I was feeling a bit lazy. I always think that you should always reprint a card that does the same job as a card you could design - it just is using up design space you don't need do. But on Castamir you could be right.

Freca looks like it shouldn't be a common card.

I think I've mentioned this before, but maybe not recently enough. I basically approach character design from the attitude that non-unique characters are really dull and so I try and make as many unique minions and companions at low rarities all the time (I don't think there's actually a single non-unique companion in the block). He also emphasises the aggressor theme which I'm sometimes a bit low on, and given should be one of the best at aggressor, I didn't mind his power so prominently in the set. He's good, but he's simple and he stresses the set's themes, which is why I think I stand by him as common.

Siege Engines is too close to Siege Engine. What about War Engines, or Siege Towers? But the Siege Towers belongs to the Orcs. Anyway, this card is epic. Adding 9 threats sounds awesome.

Good point. I like L3333's title. I will change it.

I realized that you have a bunch of minions named 'Southron ....', why not give them the Southron keyword as well?

Thought about that. It is out of continuity with all of the minions from War of the Ring and Hunters block, but I can see the arguments both ways. I don't like the Southron, Corsair, Easterling keywords on principle, which is another one of my rants which I've had several times. Basically as long as those "tribal" (to borrow an MTG term) keywords remain tied to a single culture (ie. in this case ) they act to limit deck design. You can't have a straight deck, you have to choose your tribe. This is my problem with knight and valiant, which as you can see on principle I put wherever the flavour makes sense. Once they are spread across different cultures, then they serve as deck-building catalysts and increase deck creativity - you can build a tracker tribal deck and so on. The problem with Southron et al is that they can by flavour only appear in (or ) and so they cannot increase deck building potential. You can argue thaat havign them on both and cards is enough, but I'm not convinced.

Southron Assaulter, Southron Champion and Ulaire Attea are very cool minions. Can you explain me why Attea is a ?

Because he was once a Man, and more specifically, he was identified in Mines of Moria as The Easterling. Also, remember that Back to the Light is all about culture and culture bleeding.

Wow that was rant of a post...

Thranduil

[Cw0rk]

You are right, Freca's gametext is simple. It can be a common then.

For the Rare reprints, I didn't remember Nobody tosses a dwarf so I guess it is fine.

Thanx for the info about Attea. I wasn't 100% sure.

[Thranduil]

I really wish I had my computer so that I could post more cards. Really irritating.

I was going to go into culture, but I only remember half of the L&S cards, so we'll start with them, and when I get my computer fixed, we'll sort that lot out.


SEE BELOW....

[Sam, Great Elf Warrior]

•Saruman, [Can't remember subtitle]
Minion • Wizard
Str: 8
Vit: 4
Sit: 4
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.
L R

Maybe:
•Saruman, Duplicitous Councilor

[Cw0rk]

Both are pretty neat and pretty balanced.

One typing mistake here...

While skirmishing a companion with resistannce 6 or more...

[Thranduil]

Fixed typo. And I think I've remembered the rare one's subtitle.

What I've give to have my computer back...

Thranduil

[Thranduil]

FINALLY I HAVE MY COMPUTER! Several of my threads will be updated in celebration. First:

L&S (2, 1/0/1)
•Saruman, Blinded by Greed
Minion • Wizard
Str: 8
Vit: 4
Sit: 4
Traitor. (Traitor is unloaded).
While you can spot 2 Shadow cultures, Saruman's twilight cost is -2.
When you play Saruman, you may foresee 3. If you foresee a Shadow artifact, you may reveal it and take it into hand. (To foresee 3, look at the top 3 cards of your draw deck; place any number of those cards on top of your draw deck in any order and the rest on the bottom of your draw deck in any order).
"‘Saruman is coming for the Ring.'"
L C 79

•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


TW (6, 2/2/2)
Agent of Saruman
Minion • Man
Str: 6
Vit: 2
Sit: 3
Traitor.
Response: If the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring, exert this minion to reveal the top 3 cards of your draw deck (or 5 cards if you can spot a corrupted companion). The Free Peoples player must exert a companion for each Shadow card revealed. Place the revealed cards on the bottom of your deck in any order. (Companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
T U 44

•Gríma, Treacherous Servant
Minion • Man
Str: 4
Vit: 3
Sit: 3
Traitor.
Shadow: Exert Gríma to foresee 2. If you foresee a Shadow condition, you may reveal it to make each unbound companion resistance -2 until the regroup phase; take that condition into your hand. (To foresee 2, look at the top 2 cards of your draw deck; place any number of those cards on top of your draw deck in any order, and the rest beneath your draw deck in any order).
T C 46

•The Palantír of Orthanc, Dangerous Tool
Artifact • Support Area
When you play The Palantír of Orthanc, each player may foresee 4. (To foresee 4, look at the top 4 cards of your draw deck; place any number of those cards on top of your draw deck in any order, and the rest beneath your draw deck in any order).
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may spot Saruman to look at the top 2 cards of a player's draw deck; replace them in any order.
"‘We do not know who else may be watching.'"
T R 47

Saruman's Craft
Event • Shadow
Engine. Toil 3.
Take a Shadow artifact, Shadow engine or Shadow spell into hand from your draw deck. Shuffle your draw deck.
T U 48

Sorcery of Orthanc
Event • Shadow
(You choose the value of . Except when you play this card, its twilight cost is ).
Spell.
To play, spot an card.
Discard conditions with total twilight costs equal to the value of .
T R 49

Spy of Saruman
Minion • Man
Str: 6
Vit: 2
Sit: 3
Traitor.
While this minion is assigned to a skirmish, each Free Peoples event is twilight cost +1 (or +2 if assigned to a corrupted companion). (Companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
T C 50


BL (4, 1/1/2)
•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 is strength +1 if the fellowship is 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 on top of your draw deck in any order, and the rest beneath 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

[Cw0rk]

Agent of Saruman: How are you planning to make the RB wear the ring?

Saruman's Craft ---> pretty cool. You said shadow artifact but not shadow spell, does it mean I can grab my spells?. I know you like to make things clear... so maybe you could specify shadow spell.

Sorcery of Orthanc is pretty fun.

Mark of the White Hand looks pretty epic haha. It should be "(and is strength +1 if at a battleground site").

[Thranduil]

Agent of Saruman: How are you planning to make the RB wear the ring?

In the culture, not particularly at all. The block is geared towards multiculture, especially multiculture Shadow (you'll notice the cultural specifications of most of these cards is essentially none) and so if you were building a strategy around him, you'd probably be using and/or as well.

Saruman's Craft ---> pretty cool. You said shadow artifact but not shadow spell, does it mean I can grab my spells?. I know you like to make things clear... so maybe you could specify shadow spell.

Yeah... Probably should say that.

Mark of the White Hand looks pretty epic haha. It should be "(and is strength +1 if at a battleground site").

Done.

Thranduil

[Thranduil]

L&S (22, 10/6/6)
Abandon Hope
Event • Skirmish
Spot an minion to add a burden.
L C 106

•Ancient Chieftain, Goblin of Moria
Minion • Orc
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
While you can spot another card, Ancient Chieftain is fierce.
Each time Ancient Chieftain wins a skirmish, you may place a Shadow card from your discard pile on top of your draw deck.
L R 107

Cruel Scimitar
Possession • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Bearer must be an minion.
When you play this possession, you may spot a companion with resistance 4 or less to draw a card.
L U 108

The Darkness of Moria
Event • Skirmish
This event's twilight cost is -1 for each burden.
Exert an minion to exert each companion.
L R 109

Endless Host
Event • Shadow
Spot an minion to play a minion with strength 9 or less from your discard pile.
L U 110

Filled with Malice
Condition • Support Area
When you play this condition, you may foresee 1. (To foresee 1, look at the top 1 card of your draw deck; you may place that card on top of or beneath your draw deck).
Skirmish: Discard this condition to make a companion skirmishing an minion strength -2 (and add a burden if you can spot 6 companions).
L C 111

Goblin Mail
Possession • Armor
Bearer must be an minion.
Each time bearer loses a skirmish, you may make the Free Peoples player add or a burden.
Skirmish: Exert bearer to make him strength -2.
L R 112

•Gorbag, Quarrelsome Captain
Minion • Orc
Str: 11
Vit: 3
Sit: 6
Traitor. (Traitor is unloaded).
Skirmish: Exert Gorbag to play a minion from your hand; that minion comes into play exhausted and is fierce until the regroup phase.
L C 113

Hopeless Dark
Event • Shadow
Spot an card and remove a burden to make each companion (except the Ring-bearer) resistance -2 until the regroup phase.
L U 114

•Muzgash, Orc of Cirith Ungol
Minion • Orc
Str: 7
Vit: 2
Sit: 6
Aggressor. Traitor. (For each of your aggressor minions assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card you play is twilight cost -1).
Muzgash is strength +2 for each wounded minion you can spot.
L R 115

Orkish Assailant
Minion • Orc
Str: 5
Vit: 1
Sit: 4
While you can spot a companion with resistance 4 or less, this minion is an aggressor. (For each of your aggressor minions assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card you play is twilight cost -1).
L C 116

Orkish Chaser
Minion • Orc
Str: 10
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Tracker.
While skirmishing a companion with resistance 4 or less, this minion is strength +2 and damage +1.
L C 117

Orkish Domain
Condition • Support Area
Shadow: Discard an minion from play to skip the maneuver and archery phases. The Free Peoples player may add a burden to prevent this. Discard this condition.
L R 118

Orkish Herald
Minion • Orc
Str: 7
Vit: 1
Sit: 4
At the start of each skirmish involving this minion, you may reveal the top card of your draw deck. If it is an card card, add a burden and place that card beneath your draw deck.
L U 119

Orkish Hunter
Minion • Orc
Str: 13
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Tracker.
Skirmish: Exert a minion to play this minion to play this minion from your hand; it is fierce until the regroup phase.
While you can spot an minion and a companion with resistance 4 or less, this minion's twilight cost is -2.
L C 120

Orkish Mining
Condition • Support Area
Engine.
Each time you play an possession, foresee 1. (To foresee 1, look at the top 1 card of your draw deck; you may place that card on top of or beneath your draw deck).
Response: If an possession is about to be discarded from play, discard this condition to prevent it.
L U 121

Orkish Pursuer
Minion • Orc
Str: 5
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Tracker.
When you play this minion, you may add for each companion with resistance 4 or less.
L U 122

Orkish Stalker
Minion • Orc
Str: 8
Vit: 1
Sit: 4
Aggressor. Tracker.(For each of your aggressor minions assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card you play is twilight cost -1).
L C 123

Orkish Tracker
Minion • Orc
Str: 6
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Tracker.
The roaming penalty for each other tracker you play is -1.
L C 124

Quarrelsome Orc
Minion • Orc
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 6
Traitor.
Shadow: Exert this minion to stack a minion from your discard pile face up beneath it.
This minion gains all the gametext keywords of minions stacked beneath it.
L R 125

Sentry of Cirith Ungol
Minion • Orc
Str: 8
Vit: 3
Sit: 6
Traitor.
This minion's twilight cost is -1 for each Shadow culture you can spot.
L C 126

Torment
Condition • Companion
To play, spot an minion.
Bearer is resistance -1 for each Free Peoples card he or she bears.
Skirmish: Play this condition on a companion skirmishing an minion.
L C 127



TW (10, 4/3/3)
Assembling the Host
Event • Shadow
(You choose the value of X. Except when you play this card, its twilight cost is 0).
Search.
Take an minion with twilight cost X or less into hand from your discard pile.
T U 61

•Gothmog, General of Mordor
Minion • Orc
Str: 13
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Aggressor. Besieger. (For each of your aggressor minions assigned to a skirmish, each Shadow card you play is twilight cost -1).
Skirmish: Exert Gothmog to take an or besieger minion into hand from your discard pile.
T C 62

Mordor Catapult
Possession • Support Area
Engine. Toil 1.
Maneuver: Discard a besieger minion (or this condition) from play to reveal the top card of your draw deck. Discard a Free Peoples card (except a companion) with the same twilight cost as the revealed card.
T R 63

Morgul Assailer
Minion • Orc
Str: 3
Vit: 1
Sit: 4
Besieger.
While the Ring-bearer is wounded, this minion is strength +6 (and fierce if you can spot a corrupted companion). (Companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
T R 64

Morgul Assaulter
Minion • Orc
Str: 11
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Besieger.
While there are 2 wounds on the Ring-bearer, this minion is fierce (and damage +1 if you can spot a corrupted companion). (Companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
T C 65

Morgul Harrier
Minion • Orc
Str: 7
Vit: 2
Sit: 4
Besieger.
When you play this minion, you may reveal the top card of your draw deck. If it is an or card, you may exert the Ring-bearer.
T U 66

•Orc Overseer, Lieutenant of Isengard
Minion • Orc
Str: 10
Vit: 4
Sit: 4
Toil 1 (or toil 2 if you can spot a corrupted companion). (Companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
Each condition gains toil 1.
T C 67

Shadow Returns
Event • Shadow
Toil 2.
Play a Shadow condition from your discard pile (or 2 Shadow conditions if you can spot a corrupted companion). (Companions with resistance 0 are corrupted).
T U 68

•Siege Commander, Lieutenant of Mordor
Minion • Orc
Str: 12
Vit: 3
Sit: 4
Besieger.
When you play Siege Commander, you may take into hand an engine card from your discard pile.
While you can spot 3 engine cards, each besieger minion is strength +2.
While you can spot 5 engine cards, each besieger minion is fierce.
T R 69

War in the Deep
Event • Skirmish
Make an minion strength +2 (or +4 if skirmishing a companion).
T C 70


BL (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 on top of your draw deck in any order and the rest beneath 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.
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 from 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

[legolas3333]

on ancient chieftan i think you chould make it (or two cards)

[Cw0rk]

Cruel Scimitar and Endless Host are basically two toned down reprints of cards. The problem I have with them is that Post-Shadows cards are much stronger than Pre-Shadows cards and if they are weaker than the card, they won't used a lot.

Gorbag is cool, he will be useful in decks as well.

Quarrelsome Orc: This sound like a weird action 'to stack a minion from your discard pile face up beneath it'. Shuffling the draw deck after having played a few of these would be funny.

Assembling the Host is pretty weak compared to Endless Host.

I like Mordor Catapult. Very nice shadow version of the Catapult.

March of Despair: Why did you choose [Uruk-Hai] and ?

Orkish Footpad: It should probably be 'minion from your discard pile to the bottom of your draw deck.