TLHH DC Project: The Great Eye - Wraith

[Thranduil]

Is this where the cards go?

WAC01
*The Witch-King, Leading Seeker
Str: 14
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion – Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
When you play the Witch-King, you may take a search card from your discard pile into hand.
While you can spot another tracker, search cards are twilight cost -1 and stealth cards are twilight cost +1.

WAC02
*Ulaire Lemenya, Fifth Seeker
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Tracker.
Response: If a stealth card is played during a skirmish involving Ulaire Lemenya, make him Fierce and Strength +1 until the regroup phase.

WAC03
*Ulaire Nelya, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 10
Vit: 3
Site: 2
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
While the ring-bearer is wearing the One Ring, Ulaire Nelya is Fierce and Strength +2.
Each time Ulaire Nelya wins a skirmish, you may exert him to have the ring-bearer put on the One Ring.  The Free Peoples player may add to prevent this.

WAC04
*Ulaire Nertea, Ninth Seeker
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Tracker.
When you play Ulaire Nertea, for each companion over 5, you may play 1 tracker minion from your discard pile.
Shadow: Discard a card from hand to take a search card from your discard pile into hand.

WAC05
Hunting Baggins
Condition - Support Area
Search.
All tracker minions are strength +1.
Response: If a stealth card is played, discard this condition to make each tracker minion currently skirmishing strength +4.

WAC06
*Relentless Beasts
Condition - Support Area
Spell.
search cards are twilight cost -1.
Skirmish: Discard this condition to do one of the following: Make a minion Fierce until the regroup phase; Make a tracker minion strength +2 (and exert each character skirmishing them if they are mounted); Play a mount from your discard pile.  Spot a character with resistance 2 or less to do all 3 in any order.

WAC07
All Veils Removed (reprint)
Event - Skirmish
Make a Nazgul strength +2 (or +5 if the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring).

WAU01
*Ulaire Otsea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight. Lurker.
Skirmish: Exert Ulaire Otsea to heal another twilight minion.

WAU02
*Ulaire Cantea, Fourth Seeker
Str: 10
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
Each time a search card is played during a skirmish involving a tracker, you may exert Ulaire Cantea to make the Free Peoples player discard a Free Peoples card borne by a companion currently skirmishing.

WAU03
*Ulaire Enquea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 11
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Skirmish: Spot another twilight minion and exert Ulaire Enquea to exert the ring-bearer (or wound the ring-bearer if you can spot 6 or more companions).

WAU04
*Ulaire Toldea, Eighth Seeker
Str: 12
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
Assignment: Discard a search card from hand and exert a tracker minion to assign Ulaire Toldea to a companion (except the Ring-Bearer).  The Free Peoples player may discard 2 cards from hand (or 1 stealth card from hand) to prevent this.

WAU05
Many Terrible Servants
Condition - Support Area
Response: If a twilight minion is about to take a wound, remove to prevent that wound.

WAU06
Twilight-World
Event - Skrimish
Exert a twilight minion to add a burden (or 2 burdens if the ring-bearer is wearing the one ring).

WAU07
Tireless Trackers
Event - Skirmish
Search
Make a tracker minion strength +2
If that minion is a Nazgul, you may also remove to make that minion strength +X.
If that minion is mounted, exert a companion it is skirmishing.

WAR01
*the Witch-King, Lord of Twilight
Str: 14
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Each other twilight minion is strength +1.
Response: If the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring at the end of a skirmish phase, cancel all remaining assignments and assign the Witch-King to skirmish the Ring-bearer.  The Free Peoples player may add a burden to prevent this.

WAR02
*Ulaire Attea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 12
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Each time Ulaire Attea wins a skirmish, the Free Peoples player must add a burden or heal a wounded twilight minion.

WAR03
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes
Str: 9
Vit: 5
Site: 4
Minion - Wraith
Twilight.
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes' twilight cost is -1 for each burden you can spot.
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes is strength +1 for each burden you can spot.
Each time Lost Army of the Dead Marshes wins a skirmish, wound the ring-bearer.

WAR04
*Ithil Stone, Far-seeing Eye
Artifact - Support Area
Search.
To play, exert a tracker minion (or spot a tracker).
Shadow: Stack a search card here from hand.
Skirmish: Exert a tracker minion currently skirmishing to take a card stacked here into hand.

WAR05
Clear Night
Condition - Support Area
Search. Weather.
When you play this card, add a token here for each tracker minion you can spot.
Skirmish: Remove 2 tokens or discard this condition to make a tracker minion strength +1 (or +2 if it is a tracker).

WAR06
Weight of the World
Event - Response
If a twilight minion just won a skirmish, wound the ring-bearer once (or twice if it was a twilight minion).



Nah, I don't love Nazgul ;-)

•Sauron, The Great Eye
Minion • Maia
Resistance: 9
Vitality: 5
Site Number: 2
Twilight. To play, spot a twilight card.
Response: If the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring, play this card from your hand to suspend the current phase and begin a skirmish phase involving Sauron and the Ring-bearer.
Skirmishes involving Sauron are resolved using resistance rather than strength; companions skirmishing Sauron (except the Ring-bearer) do not have their resistances reduced by burdens. The Free Peoples player cannot assign Sauron to skirmish the same character as another minion.
"'I see you!'"
G R

Hmm... That fix is wordy. I'd rather find an easier fix. Also, if it was just against printed resistance (which would perhaps be a succinct way to word it), then it would be useless as it always loses to Frodo (Res 10). Also, not sure you need the ending clause - I know what you mean, but by suspending the current phase, I kind of assumed that other minions would not be involved. Maybe it does need to be there but could be worded as: "If the Ring-bearer puts on The One Ring and is unassigned..." that might make it better anyway.

Hidden Paths[/b]
Event • Regroup
Stealth. Exert a ranger (or spot 3 rangers) to play the Fellowship's next site (except a dwelling or battleground site). If that site is a forest or river site, its shadow number is -2.
"'Strider will take them on paths seldom trodden.'"
GOU07

Couple of things: 1) in a culture matters set, I think we'd rather have it key off companions instead of rangers (it could be "Exert a companion (or spot a ranger)" for example). Then I'm not sure we need the parentheses. And you could even make it more explicit: "Then, if you can spot an companion, that site's Shadow number is -2 until the regroup phase."

Is this where the cards go?

Yes!

WAC01
The Witch-King, Leading Seeker
Str: 14
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion – Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
When you play the Witch-King, you may take a search card from your discard pile into hand.
While you can spot another tracker, search cards are twilight cost -1 and stealth cards are twilight cost +1.

Nazgûl tracker is great. And I like the first ability, but I'm not sure about the second. Perhaps try: "When you play The Witch-King, you may spot a companion with resistance 4 or less to take a Shadow search card into hand from your discard pile." I'm not sure you necessarily need anything else, or perhaps just "While you can spot another card, search cards you play are twilight cost -1". Though I wonder if that should be a effect...

WAC02
Ulaire Lemenya, Fifth Seeker
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Tracker.
Response: If a stealth card is played during a skirmish involving Ulaire Lemenya, make him Fierce and Strength +1 until the regroup phase.

Unfortunately limited utility. Also it can become strength infinite with that response action, but that would get fixed. I'd prefer to have these Nazgûl reward you for searching than punish your opponent's for hiding.

WAC03
Ulaire Nelya, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 10
Vit: 3
Site: 2
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
While the ring-bearer is wearing the One Ring, Ulaire Nelya is Fierce and Strength +2.
Each time Ulaire Nelya wins a skirmish, you may exert him to have the ring-bearer put on the One Ring.  The Free Peoples player may add to prevent this.

I love the first ability, but I'm not sure he needs the second. Also, given me an idea. What if WAC01 was glue between search & One Ring themes:

WAC01
•The Witch-King, Searching for the One
Minion • Nazgûl
Strength: 14
Vitality: 4
Site Number: 3
Tracker. Fierce.
When you play The Witch-King, you may spot a companion with resistance 4 or less to take a Shadow search card into hand from your discard pile.
Each time you play a search card, you may exert The Witch-King to exert the Ring-bearer. Then, if the Ring-bearer is exhausted, he or she puts on The One Ring until the regroup phase and each Nazgûl gains twilight.

You might not even need the first ability, but you see what I'm saying?

WAC04
Ulaire Nertea, Ninth Seeker
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Tracker.
When you play Ulaire Nertea, for each companion over 5, you may play 1 tracker minion from your discard pile.
Shadow: Discard a card from hand to take a search card from your discard pile into hand.

OUCH! I wouldn't rate so high on recursion - they definitely need more burden/resistance/Ring love at common.

WAC05
Hunting Baggins
Condition - Support Area
Search.
All tracker minions are strength +1.
Response: If a stealth card is played, discard this condition to make each tracker minion currently skirmishing strength +4.

We probably do need a search helper for this slot. But I'm not sure about the pump effect.

WAC06
Relentless Beasts
Condition - Support Area
Spell.
search cards are twilight cost -1.
Skirmish: Discard this condition to do one of the following: Make a minion Fierce until the regroup phase; Make a tracker minion strength +2 (and exert each character skirmishing them if they are mounted); Play a mount from your discard pile.  Spot a character with resistance 2 or less to do all 3 in any order.

A cool card, but it can't be common - it's too complicated. And I wouldn't rate so high on choke either. When I was talking about resistance, I meant more like:

WAC06
Mega Breath
Condition • Support Area
Resistance: -3
Spell. Limit 1 per bearer.
Skirmish: Transfer this condition from your support area to a companion skirmishing a Nazgûl.
While bearer has resistance 4 or less, bearer cannot heal.

WAC07
All Veils Removed (reprint)
Event - Skirmish
Make a Nazgul strength +2 (or +5 if the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring).

Yeah - a great idea for this slot! I might fill that in now actually...

WAU01
Ulaire Otsea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight. Lurker.
Skirmish: Exert Ulaire Otsea to heal another twilight minion.

I'm not excited about lurkers in this set, but twilight love fits this slot well.

WAU02
Ulaire Cantea, Fourth Seeker
Str: 10
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
Each time a search card is played during a skirmish involving a tracker, you may exert Ulaire Cantea to make the Free Peoples player discard a Free Peoples card borne by a companion currently skirmishing.

Good - condition discard. Though we currently don't have any allies/followers in the set, I would still be sure to include some follower hate (probably just in and , cards that do other things as well).

WAU03
Ulaire Enquea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 11
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Skirmish: Spot another twilight minion and exert Ulaire Enquea to exert the ring-bearer (or wound the ring-bearer if you can spot 6 or more companions).

A good take on Enquea, Ringwraith in Twilight. I wonder if the reprint would work just as well...

WAU04
Ulaire Toldea, Eighth Seeker
Str: 12
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
Assignment: Discard a search card from hand and exert a tracker minion to assign Ulaire Toldea to a companion (except the Ring-Bearer).  The Free Peoples player may discard 2 cards from hand (or 1 stealth card from hand) to prevent this.

I would prefer to have his ability only assign himself, but otherwise this looks good. A great stealth/search interaction.

WAU05
Many Terrible Servants
Condition - Support Area
Response: If a twilight minion is about to take a wound, remove to prevent that wound.

Another good reprint. Probably fits the rare slot better.

WAU06
Twilight-World
Event - Skrimish
Exert a twilight minion to add a burden (or 2 burdens if the ring-bearer is wearing the one ring).

Why not just reprint old twilight cards like It Wants to Be Found and Wraith-World? Or The Twilight World?

WAU07
Tireless Trackers
Event - Skirmish
Search
Make a tracker minion strength +2
If that minion is a Nazgul, you may also remove to make that minion strength +X.
If that minion is mounted, exert a companion it is skirmishing.

I like the mounted option. I should actually put a mount slot in the set...

WAR01
the Witch-King, Lord of Twilight
Str: 14
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Each other twilight minion is strength +1.
Response: If the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring at the end of a skirmish phase, cancel all remaining assignments and assign the Witch-King to skirmish the Ring-bearer.  The Free Peoples player may add a burden to prevent this.

Nice Return to its Master. I like that design.

WAR02
Ulaire Attea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 12
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Each time Ulaire Attea wins a skirmish, the Free Peoples player must add a burden or heal a wounded twilight minion.

Good thoughts here. This ability could be at lower rarity.

WAR03
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes
Str: 9
Vit: 5
Site: 4
Minion - Wraith
Twilight.
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes' twilight cost is -1 for each burden you can spot.
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes is strength +1 for each burden you can spot.
Each time Lost Army of the Dead Marshes wins a skirmish, wound the ring-bearer.

A big guy with the cost reduction is good stuff. We'll have to work on making him better mimicking the Wraith-Collection or the guys from Ents of Fangorn.

WAR04
Ithil Stone, Far-seeing Eye
Artifact - Support Area
Search.
To play, exert a tracker minion (or spot a tracker).
Shadow: Stack a search card here from hand.
Skirmish: Exert a tracker minion currently skirmishing to take a card stacked here into hand.

Searching is good. But what I want for the Palantírs is a common theme: the manipulation of information. Revealing hands, draw decks, etc.

WAR05
Clear Night
Condition - Support Area
Search. Weather.
When you play this card, add a token here for each tracker minion you can spot.
Skirmish: Remove 2 tokens or discard this condition to make a tracker minion strength +1 (or +2 if it is a tracker).

I'm not convinced by tracker tribal in (after all, they don't work with other minions except for spies or besiegers). I'm also not convinced by making a major point out of these tribal effects in a culture matters set.

WAR06
Weight of the World
Event - Response
If a twilight minion just won a skirmish, wound the ring-bearer once (or twice if it was a twilight minion).

Yeah not a bad job.






A great start overall. We need to consolidate some opinions about the cards so far. There are quite a lot. Any other opinions to go here?

[simplegarak]

Unfortunately limited utility. Also it can become strength infinite with that response action, but that would get fixed. I'd prefer to have these Nazgûl reward you for searching than punish your opponent's for hiding.

Ok, it'd be "each time" then.  I wasn't sure how much stealth you were planning on this set.  What if we made it both?  He gets bonuses from stealth and search cards?

I love the first ability, but I'm not sure he needs the second. Also, given me an idea. What if WAC01 was glue between search & One Ring themes:

I'm not sure on combining the two.  Usually with this kind of stuff you either need to focus your deck in order to make it work or it's an overpowered strategy.  I'll consider it but I kind of liked having Nazgul split.  :hey:

OUCH! I wouldn't rate so high on recursion - they definitely need more burden/resistance/Ring love at common.

I wanted it to sort of be a tribute to the first Nertea but more balanced.  The image I was thinking of was of the fellowship getting away from trackers (the trackers going to the discard pile) only to have Nertea suddenly scream that he's found them and the trackers turn around and come back on the fellowship's trail (recursion).

Also, what was the culture goal again?  I was thinking this was a rainbow focused set so I adjusted the cards here so they could work across cultures that had the right keywords.

We probably do need a search helper for this slot. But I'm not sure about the pump effect.

Some things I probably will change once it's been better shown what stealth cards are in this set.

A cool card, but it can't be common - it's too complicated. And I wouldn't rate so high on choke either. When I was talking about resistance, I meant more like:

Really?  The culture has always been pretty high on twilight reduction since Morgul Gates from set 1.  And I'll see what I can do to simplify it, I was trying to emulate a new cycle reminiscent of the cycle from Black Rider (i.e. His Father's Charge) which were all C cards I think.

I'm not excited about lurkers in this set, but twilight love fits this slot well.

I only put lurker on it because otherwise he's kind of useless, especially against Rohan with their darn exerting horses.

Good - condition discard. Though we currently don't have any allies/followers in the set, I would still be sure to include some follower hate (probably just in and , cards that do other things as well).

Cantea had possession hate for most of the movie block then from Shadows on D decided Nazgul had to hate conditions.  I tried to give him something that would call back to both of those while giving an answer for followers should he be dragged to other sets because I thought we wanted this set to be compatible with movie block and 11+ block.

A good take on Enquea, Ringwraith in Twilight. I wonder if the reprint would work just as well...

Heck yeah! (loved U. Enquea's twilight version)  I wasn't sure how much reprinting you wanted to do but by all means, bring the big guy back.

I would prefer to have his ability only assign himself, but otherwise this looks good. A great stealth/search interaction.

It could be himself, again wasn't sure how much rainbow love we were going for in this set.

Another good reprint. Probably fits the rare slot better.

FUNCTIONAL reprint - you notice it's tweaked for rainbow love as well.    Maybe exchange it WAR05.

 
Why not just reprint old twilight cards like It Wants to Be Found and Wraith-World? Or The Twilight World?

Yeah, this one was a functional reprint of Wraith-World adapted to expand it beyond the culture.  Also adjusted so it's not totally useless (how many times did you see Wraith-world?  really?)  Again, might be confusing about what the goal is for the set.

I like the mounted option. I should actually put a mount slot in the set...

How about 1 of each since while on the horse or fell beast the Nazgul were "tracking" the ring?  I can think of a few conditions that could be ditched for the mounts.

Nice Return to its Master. I like that design.

I drew a lot of inspiration from the original twilight minions.  

Good thoughts here. This ability could be at lower rarity.

Swap him with Nertea, I was just going by your skeleton list there.

A big guy with the cost reduction is good stuff. We'll have to work on making him better mimicking the Wraith-Collection or the guys from Ents of Fangorn.

Well, the wraith collection and the wraiths are the same guys, just the ones have twilight.  I thought the collection didn't really need much more love, and the 3 wraiths were all over the place.  Dead Ones was just a cheap guy.  Corpse Lights could pump - sort of.  Wisp of Pale Sheen added a burden if he survived.

Searching is good. But what I want for the Palantírs is a common theme: the manipulation of information. Revealing hands, draw decks, etc.

Does card stacking not count as "storing" information?  Hmmm... well unless you want to do a reprint... I'll think on it.

I'm not convinced by tracker tribal in (after all, they don't work with other minions except for spies or besiegers). I'm also not convinced by making a major point out of these tribal effects in a culture matters set.

My first draft was culture by itself, again, got some idea you wanted rainbow love from somewhere (maybe one of the voices told me  )  of course, Nazgul haven't had a search card since Fellowship set so it's not like there's a lot of precedent for them.

A great start overall. We need to consolidate some opinions about the cards so far. There are quite a lot. Any other opinions to go here?

At least consolidate the goals on here.  Any reprints or not?  How much rainbow love do we want?  I'm going to look at dwarves now if nobody else has called them.

[Thranduil]

He could be in the same skirmish as another minion if played as a normal card rather than with the response (if you play him and Corpse Lights, Aragorn, HoE can fight them both). Also, he can still beat Frodo because Frodo's resistance is still reduced by burdens (note the "except the Ring-bearer" phrase). If you wanted the resistance to be only when the response action is used, you could make it:

Yeah obviously! I'm not sure about whether he should always fight against resistance. It's probably easier to follow your fix.

You could make it "Exert a Man (or spot 3 rangers) to..." I'd rather have cultures support each other mechanically (i.e. by having it affect forest and river sites, which elves like) than explicitly, because it makes the decks feel smoother and more ingenious.

Yeah a legitimate point. I think we should do both, but you can't make a set culture matters without actually referencing card's cultures. That also answer's one of Nate's points: I'm not sure what I think of explicit tribal themes in this set (like tracker, ranger, knight). Obviously we should reference them, but I'm not convinced explicitly making strategies is the best play. Yes it's a rainbow strategy, but it's NOT culture matters, if you see what I'm saying.

The reprints thing is a point perhaps talking about in the other thread. But I think reprints would probably be fine.


Also, let's take this slowly. So Nate started on the culture. Let's now focus on that. We'll come back to other cultures (probably next given we have Nate's set of them as well as some other cards from chompers) but right now let's have a focus.


I think the coolest idea so far is the Return to Its Master On A Stick. Something like:

WAR01
•The Witch-King, Drawn to The Ring
Minion • Nazgûl
Strength: 14
Vitality: 4
Site Number: 3
Fierce. Twilight.
Response: If the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring at the end of a skirmish phase, exert The Witch-King twice to cancel all remaining assignments and assign The Witch-King to the Ring-bearer; he loses fierce until the regroup phase and The One Ring's game text does not apply. The Free Peoples player may add 2 burdens to prevent this.

I added the exertions in there otherwise the Shadow player could use the response infinitely. And also, I think any Nazgûl, regardless of being twilight or not, is dull if not fierce! And I've made him a little bit more nasty.


And I was wondering what people thought of my rejigged Black Breath:

WAC06
Mega Breath
Condition • Support Area
Resistance: -3
Spell. Limit 1 per bearer.
Skirmish: Transfer this condition from your support area to a companion skirmishing a Nazgûl.
While bearer has resistance 4 or less, burdens and wounds cannot be removed from bearer.

And some other cool ideas:

WAU04
•Úlairë Toldëa, Searching for The Ring
Minion • Nazgûl
Strength: 12
Vitality: 3
Site Number: 3
Fierce. Tracker.
Assignment: Discard a search card from hand and exert Úlairë Toldëa to assign him to a companion (except the Ring-Bearer). The Free Peoples player may discard 2 cards from hand (or 1 stealth card from hand) to prevent this.

WAC02
•Úlairë Lemenya, Drawn to the Ring
Minion • Nazgûl
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site Number: 3
Fierce. Twilight.
While The Ring-bearer wears The One Ring, ~ is strength +3.

This last guy could be made a strong theme among the Nazgûl.


Other great ideas were the pump card á la All Veils Removed, maybe a card like All Blades Perish or His Terrible Servants, or Not Easily Destroyed - basically some good healing/wound prevention. How about a token condition? WAU05?

[Sam, Great Elf Warrior]

Yeah a legitimate point. I think we should do both, but you can't make a set culture matters without actually referencing card's cultures. That also answer's one of Nate's points: I'm not sure what I think of explicit tribal themes in this set (like tracker, ranger, knight). Obviously we should reference them, but I'm not convinced explicitly making strategies is the best play. Yes it's a rainbow strategy, but it's NOT culture matters, if you see what I'm saying.

I guess you're right; maybe make it:
Stealth Exert a Man (or spot 3 rangers) to play the Fellowship's next site (except a dwelling or battleground site). If that site is a forest or river site, you may exert an companion to make its twilight number -3.
There are many hidden paths in Arda of which Sauron's servants are yet unaware.

I think the coolest idea so far is the Return to Its Master On A Stick. Something like:

WAR01
•The Witch-King, Drawn to The Ring
Minion • Nazgûl
Strength: 14
Vitality: 4
Site Number: 3
Fierce. Twilight.
Response: If the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring at the end of a skirmish phase, exert The Witch-King twice to cancel all remaining assignments and assign The Witch-King to the Ring-bearer; he loses fierce until the regroup phase and The One Ring's game text does not apply. The Free Peoples player may add 2 burdens to prevent this.

I added the exertions in there otherwise the Shadow player could use the response infinitely. And also, I think any Nazgûl, regardless of being twilight or not, is dull if not fierce! And I've made him a little bit more nasty.

Seems pretty balanced, since the FP player can use burdens as an out. I still wouldn't make it a response, though, due to Ring of Rancor and/or Shadowy Mount. I'd make it:
Fierce. Twilight.
Each time the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring at the end of the last non-fierce skirmish phase, you may suspend the current phase and begin a skirmish involving The Witch-King and the Ring-bearer; The Witch-king loses fierce and cannot gain fierce until the regroup phase and The One Ring's game text does not apply to this skirmish. The Free Peoples player may add 2 burdens to prevent this.

And I was wondering what people thought of my rejigged Black Breath:

WAC06
Mega Breath
Condition • Support Area
Resistance: -3
Spell. Limit 1 per bearer.
Skirmish: Transfer this condition from your support area to a companion skirmishing a Nazgûl.
While bearer has resistance 4 or less, burdens and wounds cannot be removed from bearer.

You might want to make it "except the Ring-bearer" or it will be too powerful in auto-corrupt, especially with the "burdens cannot be removed" text (which you can remove if you add the "except the Ring-bearer" text). It's unlikely a companion with this would have more than resistance 4, but I guess that's what makes it effective. But compare it to Wielding the Ring. A super Wielding the Ring + a Black Breath that works most of the time is too much for one card. Maybe make it:
Breath of Shadows
Condition • Support Area
Resistance: -1
Spell.
Skirmish: Transfer this condition from your support area to a companion skirmishing a Nazgûl (except the Ring-bearer) (or to any companion if the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring).
While bearer has resistance 3 or less, burdens and wounds cannot be removed from bearer.

WAU04
•Úlairë Toldëa, Searching for The Ring
Minion • Nazgûl
Strength: 12
Vitality: 3
Site Number: 3
Fierce. Tracker.
Assignment: Discard a search card from hand and exert Úlairë Toldëa to assign him to a companion (except the Ring-Bearer). The Free Peoples player may discard 2 cards from hand (or 1 stealth card from hand) to prevent this.

This seems okay, although I hope there aren't so many of these that they make search/stealth cards like Hunter.

WAC02
•Úlairë Lemenya, Drawn to the Ring
Minion • Nazgûl
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site Number: 3
Fierce. Twilight.
While The Ring-bearer wears The One Ring, ~ is strength +3.

This last guy could be made a strong theme among the Nazgûl.

I like this. I might actually make him damage +1 as well while the Ring is worn.

Other great ideas were the pump card á la All Veils Removed, maybe a card like All Blades Perish or His Terrible Servants, or Not Easily Destroyed - basically some good healing/wound prevention. How about a token condition? WAU05?

Those sound good. Maybe:
Seeking the One
Condition • Support Area
Search.
Each time a burden is added, you may spot a Nazgul (or a condition borne by a companion) to add a token here.
Shadow: Remove a token here to prevent a Nazgul from taking wounds until the regroup phase or to add .
The bearers of the Nine Rings were constantly drawn to the power of the One.
WAU05
This way, even if the FP player removes your burdens, they still make you stronger. And since it's non-unique, it can be pretty effective with multiple copies going; you could even have a "burden swarm" based around it.

[Thranduil]

I am struggling to keep up - either put each culture in its own thread or perhaps not make it all in on the whole set.

Perhaps we should talk or whatever first - discuss what we want to achieve as far as strengths, strategies, combos, culture links, culture sticks or whatever. Then throw out some card ideas. It is too much when someone posts 15 cards at once. And even harder when we hit three cultures (so far) at once.

Just my 2cents.

Yeah I agree. I was trying to deal with first. I don't mind moving the other cultures here into other threads, but then I'm worried about cluttering up the ENTIRE board!

But don't worry Nate and Sweed & Sour, because we'll definitely come back to those cards you just posted!

All your fixes Sam are great. I wanted to allow WAC06 Mega Breath (as I prefer to call it! ) to go the RB like Black Breath, but that could well be too good.

I would see WAU05 more like:

WAU05
Seeking The One
Condition • Support Area
Search.
Each time a burden is added, spot a minion to add a token here.
Response: If your minion is about to take a wound, remove a token from here to prevent that wound.

[chompers]

I like the following ideas:

Nazgul trackers that use search cards.
Nazgul that gain Twilight when the Ring-Bearer wears the One Ring.
Nazgul that trigger abilities or get better based on companions having lower resistance or RingBearer wears the One Ring.


But .... Nazgul on mounts seems to fit the tracker theme better than twilight nazgul ... they seem like to separtae deck concepts

Nazgul ... mounts ... trackers .... search .... cancel stealth .... forests ..... seems to go together AND

Nazgul .... twilight ..... One Ring ..... Burdens .... resistance ..... conditions on companions .... seem to go together

Are we contaminating two separate concepts or am i way off track?

[chompers]

I like the Witch King common that triggers of Search cards. There has never been a common WitchKing - seems about time

How about something simpler given he is common (along the lines of Witch King Lord Of Angmar)....

WCA01
* Witch King, ? Tracker ?
Strength 14
Vitality 4
Site Number 3
Fierce. Tracker.
The Witch King is strength +2 for each search card you can spot (limit +6).

Or this text:

While you can spot more search cards than stealth cards skirmishes involving the Witch King cannot be cancelled.

[Thranduil]

I like the following ideas:

Nazgul trackers that use search cards.
Nazgul that gain Twilight when the Ring-Bearer wears the One Ring.
Nazgul that trigger abilities or get better based on companions having lower resistance or RingBearer wears the One Ring.


But .... Nazgul on mounts seems to fit the tracker theme better than twilight nazgul ... they seem like to separtae deck concepts

Nazgul ... mounts ... trackers .... search .... cancel stealth .... forests ..... seems to go together AND

Nazgul .... twilight ..... One Ring ..... Burdens .... resistance ..... conditions on companions .... seem to go together

Are we contaminating two separate concepts or am i way off track?

Great thoughts. There are 2 themes here, but they can and should interlink.

Trackers - finding The Ring, mounts, search, forests, dwellings, spies (alliance with Breelanders ), tiredness also relates to resistance, assignment (tracking)

Twilight - wearing the Ring, preventing wounds, wounding the RB, conditions on companions (though again search cards work for this flavour like for trackers), burdens, resistance, assignment (by the twilight world).


So there are 2 subthemes. But they are in some way the same theme, I would argue as they have a lot in common. Hopefully you see what I mean.

[simplegarak]

I like the following ideas:

Nazgul trackers that use search cards.
Nazgul that gain Twilight when the Ring-Bearer wears the One Ring.
Nazgul that trigger abilities or get better based on companions having lower resistance or RingBearer wears the One Ring.


But .... Nazgul on mounts seems to fit the tracker theme better than twilight nazgul ... they seem like to separtae deck concepts

Nazgul ... mounts ... trackers .... search .... cancel stealth .... forests ..... seems to go together AND

Nazgul .... twilight ..... One Ring ..... Burdens .... resistance ..... conditions on companions .... seem to go together

Are we contaminating two separate concepts or am i way off track?

Great thoughts. There are 2 themes here, but they can and should interlink.

Trackers - finding The Ring, mounts, search, forests, dwellings, spies (alliance with Breelanders ), tiredness also relates to resistance, assignment (tracking)

Twilight - wearing the Ring, preventing wounds, wounding the RB, conditions on companions (though again search cards work for this flavour like for trackers), burdens, resistance, assignment (by the twilight world).


So there are 2 subthemes. But they are in some way the same theme, I would argue as they have a lot in common. Hopefully you see what I mean.

Ever since the fell beast and Shadowy Mount, twilight Nazgul haven't needed any more incentive to use mounts.   I was thinking about letting them just benefit from mounts as any other Nazgul would and maybe make the 'trackers' the heavy mount focus.

3 things I'd like confirmed:
1) Reprints: in or out?
2) Heavy culture focus or rainbow love?
3) Play focus (standard, specific blocks, etc)

I'm going to adjust some of the search cards so you won't have a bunch of binder fodder in case you face the wrong deck type.

[chompers]

There are 10 Nazgul in the set, and two WitchKings. Use of the Tracker keyword is new on Nazgul, so perhaps we should focus more on that - and then link this to Search cards and other related concepts. The rare WitchKing could focus on the Twlight keyword (allowing all Nazgul to gain the Twilight keyword when the RingBearer is wearing the One Ring - as already discussed.)

if we do this - then there will be a complete set of 9 Nazgul with the Tracker keyword. Seems like a deck concept?

Either way .... here are my attempts at the other 3 common Nazgul - borrowing ideas from others ...

WAC02
*Ulaire Lemenya, ? Tracker ?
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Tracker.
Response: If a search card is played during a skirmish involving Ulaire Lemenya, make him Fierce and Strength +1 until the regroup phase.

Changed stealth to search … Stealth cards often cancel the skirmish so the old text seemed off …

WAC03
*Ulaire Nelya, ? Tracker ?
Str: 10
Vit: 3
Site: 2
Minion - Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
While you can spot a companion with resistance less than 4, your tracker minions are not roaming.

Intended to promote cross culture decks – but I don't think it overcomes roaming penalties which was my intention. Also inhibits free people cards that trigger off roaming minions.

WAC04
*Ulaire Nertea, ? Tracker ?
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Tracker.
When you play Ulaire Nertea, for each companion over 4, you may play 1 tracker minion from your draw deck.

A variation of Nertea MODG with a different deck strategy. Promotes cross culture decks?

[MR. Lurtzy]

Nazgul as trackers is a brilliant idea. 

[simplegarak]

I did have the first post on here, what happened to it?

Anyway, updated.

WAC01
*The Witch-King, Seeking Ringwraith
Str: 14
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion – Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
When you play the Witch-King, you may take a search card from your discard pile into hand.
While you can spot another tracker, search cards are twilight cost -1 and stealth cards are twilight cost +1.

WAC02
*Ulaire Lemenya, Seeking Ringwraith
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Tracker.
Each time a stealth or search card is played, you may make Ulaire Lemenya, Fierce and Strength +1 until the regroup phase.

WAC03
*Ulaire Nelya, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 10
Vit: 3
Site: 2
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
While the ring-bearer is wearing the One Ring, Ulaire Nelya is Fierce and Strength +2.
Each time Ulaire Nelya wins a skirmish, you may exert him to have the ring-bearer put on the One Ring.  The Free Peoples player may add to prevent this.

WAC04
*Ulaire Nertea, Seeking Ringwraith
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Tracker.
When you play Ulaire Nertea, for each companion over 5, you may play 1 tracker minion from your discard pile (or you may play 1 from your draw deck if you can spot a companion with resistance 4 or less).

WAC05
Steed of Shadow
Str: +2
Possession - Mount
Bearer must be a tracker or minion.
Search cards are twilight cost -1.
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, companions skirmishing bearer with a resistance of 4 or less must exert.

WAC06
Relentless Beasts
Condition - Support Area
Spell.
search cards are twilight cost -1.
Shadow: Discard this condition to play a mount from your discard pile (or spot a companion with resistance 2 or less to play it from your draw deck instead).


WAC07
Found him!
Event - Skirmish
Search. Make a tracker minion strength +2 for each of the following that is true: it is a Nazgul, it is mounted, the ring-bearer is wearing the one ring.

WAU01
*Ulaire Otsea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight. Lurker.
Skirmish: Exert Ulaire Otsea to heal another twilight minion.


WAU02
*Ulaire Cantea, Seeking Ringwraith
Str: 10
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
Each time a search or stealth card is played during a skirmish involving a tracker, you may exert Ulaire Cantea to make the Free Peoples player discard a Free Peoples card borne by a companion currently skirmishing.

WAU03
*Ulaire Enquea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 11
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Skirmish: If Ulaire Enquea is currently skirmishing, spot another twilight minion and exert Ulaire Enquea to exert the ring-bearer (or wound the ring-bearer if you can spot 6 or more companions).

WAU04
*Ulaire Toldea, Seeking Ringwraith
Str: 12
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Fierce. Tracker.
Assignment: Discard a search card from hand and exert a tracker minion to assign Ulaire Toldea to a companion (except the Ring-Bearer).  The Free Peoples player may discard 2 cards (or 1 stealth card) from hand to prevent this.

WAU05
Many Terrible Servants
Condition - Support Area
Response: If a twilight minion is about to take a wound, remove to prevent that wound.

WAU06
Weight of the World
Event - Response
If a twilight minion just won a skirmish, wound the ring-bearer once (or twice if it was a twilight minion).

WAU07
Tireless Trackers
Event - Skirmish
Search. Spell.
Make a tracker minion strength +2
If that minion is a Nazgul, you may also remove to make that minion strength +X.
If that minion is mounted, exert a companion it is skirmishing.

WAR01
*the Witch-King, Lord of Twilight
Str: 14
Vit: 4
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Each other twilight minion is strength +1.
Response: If the Ring-bearer wears The One Ring at the end of a skirmish phase, cancel all remaining assignments and assign the Witch-King to skirmish the Ring-bearer.  The Free Peoples player may add a burden to prevent this.

WAR02
*Ulaire Attea, Trapped in the Twilight
Str: 12
Vit: 3
Site: 3
Minion - Nazgul
Twilight.
Response: If Ulaire Attea just won a skirmish, you may exert him to make a twilight minion fierce until the regroup phase.  The Free Peoples player may add a burden to prevent this.

WAR03
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Site: 4
Minion - Wraith
Twilight.
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes' twilight cost is -1 for each burden you can spot.
Lost Army of the Dead Marshes is strength +1 for each burden you can spot.
Each time Lost Army of the Dead Marshes wins a skirmish, wound the ring-bearer.

WAR04
*Ithil Stone, Far-seeing Eye
Artifact - Support Area
Search.
To play, exert a tracker minion (or spot a tracker).
Shadow: Exert a tracker minion to reveal the top card of your draw deck.  If it is a shadow card, you may stack it here, otherwise place it on the bottom of your draw deck.
Skirmish: Exert a tracker minion to play a card stacked here as if from hand.  If the minion you exerted was not a minion, you must discard a card from hand or the top of your draw deck.

WAR05
Clear Night
Condition - Support Area
Search. Weather.
When you play this card, add a token here for each tracker minion you can spot.
Each time a stealth card is played, you may reinforce a token on this card.
Skirmish: Remove 2 tokens or discard this condition to make a tracker minion strength +1 (or +2 if it is a tracker).

WAR06
Fell Beast, Winged Shadow
Site: -2
Possession - Mount
Bearer must be a minion.
Bearer is strength +1 for each tracker you can spot (or strength +2 if that tracker is a minion).
Skirmish: If bearer is currently skirmishing, exert bearer and discard 3 cards from hand to have the skirmish be determined by bearer's strength compared to the currently skirmishing companion's resistance.

[Thranduil]

This is a long post with a lot of information in it. But you should not lose the text at the end, which is probably the most important thing I'm saying!

I did have the first post on here, what happened to it?

Your original cards are still there (quoted in my post), but for some reason when I split the thread your post didn't move with it.

3 things I'd like confirmed:
1) Reprints: in or out?

I think I'm going to say: OUT. I don't see the need. But, if we feel that one of our card slots could be perfectly replaced with a reprint, then fine.

2) Heavy culture focus or rainbow love?

BOTH! Here's the deal: it's a CULTURE MATTERS set. That means, in my view, that cards should mostly reference culture symbols, not tribal keywords (tracker, ranger...) or races. BUT, the set has a RAINBOW focus, so I expect cards to reference other cultures in their texts. I hope that makes sense.

3) Play focus (standard, specific blocks, etc)

One of the goals here is a glue between Movie & Standard. This led us to the culture matters idea in the first place, mainly for guys who are and , for example.

I'm going to repost the part of the design skeleton we're interested in here:

Card ID	Notes #1			Notes #2			Notes #3
WAC01	Minion			Witch-King			tracker/search lord
WAC02	Minion			Lemenya			tracker, Ring/burdens?
WAC03	Minion			Nelya			tracker, site number
WAC04	Minion			Nertëa			tracker, fixed MODG
WAC05	Possession			Mount			search cards
WAC06	Condition			spell			resistance, Breath of Shadow
WAC07	Event			search			pump
WAU01	Minion			Otsëa			twilight+tracker? burdens
WAU02	Minion			Cantëa			tracker, possessions
WAU03	Minion			Enquëa			tracker, RB wounding?
WAU04	Minion			Toldëa			assignment
WAU05	Condition						search/His Terrible Servants? culture tokens
WAU06	Event			twilight			Ring
WAU07	Event			search
WAR01	Minion			Witch-King, Lord of the Twilight			Return to Its Master on a stick
WAR02	Minion			Attëa			alliance?
WAR03	Possession			Mount
WAR04	Artifact			Ithil Stone
WAR05	Condition			weather?			culture tokens
WAR06	Event

And the culture's strengths (I've made some bold things which are particularly relevant to us right now):


1) forest, conditions, burdens, sites, fierce, search, stealth, twilight, The Ring, resistance, follower discard
2) *marsh*, threats, recursion, healing, spell, Ring-bound, assignment, possession discard
3) artifacts, Shadow draw, *weather*, foresight




Let's NOW focus first on The Witch-King (WAC01 and WAR01). WAC01 is the tracker lord, while WAR01 is the twilight lord. You should also remember the themes above.

Thranduil

[simplegarak]

BOTH! Here's the deal: it's a CULTURE MATTERS set. That means, in my view, that cards should mostly reference culture symbols, not tribal keywords (tracker, ranger...) or races. BUT, the set has a RAINBOW focus, so I expect cards to reference other cultures in their texts. I hope that makes sense.

The problem is that without limiting keywords, a lot of culture love gets out of hand (hence why so many gondor cards cared about race, keywords, etc - can you imagine playing an Armor on say... King of the Dead?)  The "tribal" words are a way to boost rainbow shadows without letting things spiral out of control.

i.e. Nazgul should have tracker (excellent idea)
Who else had tracker?  Why Isengard!  Sauron!
What do all the trackers have in common?
Well I & N are fierce, Sauron just kind of reduces site numbers.
So let's give trackers damage bonuses!
Oh, but we want to avoid keywords, so let's just make a card that give , and damage +1.

Player: Great!  I'm throwing this on Sauron or Lurtz or a Troll to kill even a major health companion in 1 skirmish!

Designers: Hmmm... didn't quite work out like we wanted.

If anything, smooth it out so common themes (yes, the "tribal" words) can be brought tighter together but also adjust cards so they get stronger or whatever with specific cultures, spots etc.

And believe me, you do not want twilight and tracker bleeding into each other.  The twilight N theme was pretty well perfected between Moria, Reflections and Shadows+Black Rider so I'm willing to lose most of them for more tracker stuff, the only ones I'll fight for are Attea (whose twilight version was largely useless) and Otsea or Nelya (both ok Twilight versions but... not great).

[Thranduil]

I'm not saying we should throw tribal keywords and races out the window - we should clearly make use of the design space we have. What I'm saying is that in order for this to be a "culture matters" set, the cultures of cards has to matter! So we have to emphasise culture's strengths, and mention them on cards. Each culture likes to work with other cultures and hates others, and so this should also be reflected in the card design. Tribal keywords are great - they allow you to build great cross-culture decks - but they should not be our primary focus.

Also, I'd like to question the flavour reason for Nazgûl working with or trackers, for example. There basically isn't one. The keyword Nazgûl have the most to do with in other cultures is besieger because they led the assault on Minas-Tirith. So by all means have tracker tribal that works with or or Dunland trackers, but Nazgûl are a bit off there I feel.

I hope you are getting what I'm trying to say.

Thranduil