Minions that are not discarded

[Cw0rk]

Here is a new idea I've had for a keyword. I'm not sure about the name I wanna give to it so you can suggest some. At the moment, I chose 'Abiding'.

Abiding: Minions with the Abiding keyword are not discarded at the end of the turn.

Between turns, you move it back to your support area and keep all the wounds and cards that it bears on it. Then, at the start of the next shadow phase you move it back into play.

I think that this keyword would fit very well for minions that appears to be immortal such as The Nazgul or Sauron, and even for minions that keeps comming back, no matter what you do such as Gollum.

Here is a quick look at what it could look like:

•Sauron, The Immortal
Minion • Maia
Strength: 24
Vitality: 5
Site: 6
Abiding.
While you can spot a artifact, Sauron is fierce.

Basically, once you play him, which is hard at , he will stay there until he is killed.

[Thranduil]

I feel like I'd rather conceptualise this as condition, like:

Immortal Servants
Condition • Support Area
Regroup: If no card is stacked here, stack your Nazgûl from play here. Note the number of wounds that Nazgûl had.
Shadow: Put a Nazgûl stacked here into play (without paying its costs). It comes into play with the number of wounds noted.

Or as an event maybe:

You Cannot Kill Them
Event • Regroup
Remove your Nazgûl minion and all cards it bears from the game, noting the number of wounds on that minion. At the start of your next Shadow phase, put that Nazgûl and all cards it bears into play (without paying their costs). It comes into play with the number of wounds noted.

[ket_the_jet]

Maybe you could call it 'Lurker?'
-wtk

[MR. Lurtzy]

That sounds familiar.

[chompers]

I am not so sure this is the best for gameplay as it has the potential to rip many fellowships apart. They will be forced to take appropriate measures to counter it and this will reduce the scope of fellowship decks IMO.

The fellowship relies heavily on stopping to clear the table of minions they can't beat. If they hang around for the rest of the game, every fellowship will have to have a way to kill that minion, or avoid facing him repeatedly for the remainder of the game.

A Sauron with abiding played at site 2 would need to cost alot of shadow to even the playing field because you are potentially paying the cost up front to have that minion in play for the remainder of the game.

Either way .. it seems way over-powered to me.

The closest thing I can think of that reminds me of this concept is those conditions that turn into wizards .... but they still have a cost associated with them. Minions stacked on conditions or sites and deploy from them is also similar ... but again they attract a cost to redeploy.

[MR. Lurtzy]

While the idea is very powerful, I don't see why it shouldn't be used, for a higher cost. There are a couple of ways this could be handled,

As a keyward (used in extreme limitedness)

As a special ability for a high cost

As a condition (with a high cost)

I think it would be best as a special ability, with each Nazgul having a different way for it to trigger.

[Cw0rk]

Indeed the idea is very powerful... but as Lurzty said, it can be used with a higher cost.

Even if the concept of The Irresistible Shadow is powerful, it's cost makes it alright.

[Gerontius]

Even if the concept of The Irresistible Shadow is powerful, it's cost makes it alright.

Similarly, it will be very difficult to make this idea playable while not making it overpowered. It should apply only to unique characters, and you should have to pay some cost to make them fight. It would be kind of cool to have them work as the shadow equivalent of allies.

[Cw0rk]

Can anyone here make a un-overpowered version of Sauron with this keyword? To be honest, I feel like the version I first posted is alright, instead of making him fierce, I could make him damage +1 instead.

It is much weaker for his 18 cost than the Castamir of Umbar.

[MR. Lurtzy]

I think the Sauron is actually quite balanced.

[Cw0rk]

Which minions would deserve such a keyword?

Sauron
The Witch-King
Ulaire Enquea
Ulaire Toldea
Ulaire Attea
Ulaire Cantea
Ulaire Nerta
Ulaire Nelya
Ulaire Otsea
Ulaire Lemenya
Gollum
Wraiths?

[chompers]

Shelob, The Balrog

Perhaps you could restrict where or how the ability becomes active ...

Where ... Shelob for example might have abiding at site 8 (or perhaps invent a LAIR site keyword that he can trigger off, The Balrog could be site 5 or perhaps underground sites. Essentially give them a home site.
Regroup: While Shelob is at site 8 or a Lair location, she gains Abiding
Regroup: While The Balrog is at site 5 or an Underground location, he gains Abiding

How ... Sauron could have game text such as ...
Regroup: While you can spot another  minion, Sauron gains Abiding

This way you have to work a little harder to get it to work rather than rely on a heap of shadow from your opponent. It may enable the shadow cost to be reduced, because whilst they have Abiding at one site, they may not at the next. Just my 2 cents ....

Also ... What will happen to possessions and artifacts deployed on these minions ... i assume they will also stay until they are killed or discarded?

[MR. Lurtzy]

Shelob, The Balrog

Besides Sauron, I would say these are the most important.

[Cw0rk]

I like the idea of a Balrog that is abiding at underground sites.

Why would you give Abiding to Shelob?

[MR. Lurtzy]

Based on her role in the books and movie.