The Road Ahead: New Set from Thranduil!

[Not a Zombie]

That library would be splashed into every deck in the game. I personally think its too powerful, but maybe I'm wrong.

[gk1964]

Just to clarify something, the hand size is not increasing to 10 but you can hold 10 cards if possible in your hand after regroup.

[FM]

Yes, that's true, I also didn't realize that. Kinda sucks now (not really, but compared to what I thought it did...), could be a straight up R.

[Thranduil]

Indeed: it doesn't allow you to draw up to 10 cards, only to discard down to it. I defend my choice as an R+ because it is a rule-changing card that is not immediately obvious.

Thran

[Thranduil]

Okay. I'm going to move onto the culture (for no particular reason). We'll start off with a couple of Gandalfs.

GAC01
•Gandalf, Excellent Guide
Companion • Wizard
Strength: 7
Vitality: 4
Resistance: 7
When you play Gandalf, you may play the fellowship's next site.
A C 41

GAR01
•Gandalf, Master Strategist
Companion • Wizard
Strength: 7
Vitality: 4
Resistance: 7
Valiant.
Each time you play a companion, you may add a burden to wound a minion (or wound that minion twice if the fellowship is at a battleground site).
A R 42

This rare Gandalf is a little bit of a "lookout lord", which I hope you can tell. I guess the problem with it is that it's not immediately obvious that the card does anything—if you saw it in a vacuum without knowing that lookout was one of the set keywords, it might be a bit strange to see.

GAR03
•Seeing Stone of Orthanc, Lost Palantír
Artifact • Palantír
Resistance: -2
Bearer must be Gandalf.
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may add a threat to reveal 3 cards at random from a Shadow player's adventure deck. For each site with Shadow number 2 or more revealed, you may add or remove .
A R 47

For a site block, the obvious way to make these sorts of cards different in this block is to make them reveal sites rather than cards from hand or on the top of draw decks. The "add or remove" clause is partly to do with stuff like The White Wizard and that subset of Towers cards, but it may be that it's not worth it.

GAC06
Speak "Friend" and Enter (reprint)
Event • Fellowship or Regroup
Spot Gandalf to play the fellowship's next site; if that site is an underground site, draw a card.
A C 49

An obvious reprint, I thought.

Let me know your thoughts!

Thran

[FM]

I think the lookout Gandalf could do with Uncommon. Also, he could be used with as well, which was my first thought beofre being reminded about lookout, so he's not completely devoid of use without lookout.

[Not a Zombie]

I think he qualifies nicely as a rare. I'm not a huge fan of their subtitles, and the first gandalf needs to say except in your starting fellowship. I don't think he'd ever see play though.

[FM]

I'd actually leave him at that. Why shouldn't you be able to play site 2?

[Thranduil]

I'd actually leave him at that. Why shouldn't you be able to play site 2?

The reason I didn't exempt the starting fellowship was because it felt weak, and also I wasn't sure why Gandalf should be worse than a random Ranger of Westernesse. But I can see arguments both ways.

Yes the subtitles aren't great, especially the second one. The titles I make for my sets are only final because I'm too lazy/busy to scour Lord of the Rings for good card names!

Thran

[FM]

Now that I think about it, Excellent Guide DOES suck a lot. I mean, wth? Can you say that outloud without AT LEAST smirking? It'd be almost like naming him "Gandalf, Finds the Path".

[Thranduil]

So if no one has any fantastic ideas for new subtitles, I will post some more cards. Some miscellaneous companions (mainly to fill out the companion slots for the culture). And a follower. The next post will be more followers.

GAU01
Watcher of Dale
Companion • Man
Strength: 6
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 5
Lookout – Maneuver. (You may play this card any time you could play a maneuver event; if you do, discard it from play).
When this companion is discarded from play or killed, discard a Shadow follower from play.
A U 52

GAU02
Radagast's Friend
Companion • Beast
Strength: 5
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 4
Valiant.
For each time the fellowship has moved more than once this turn, this companion is strength +2 and resistance +2.
A U 48

GAC02
Friendly Breelander
Companion • Man
Strength: 5
Vitality: 3
Resistance: 6
Lookout – Maneuver. (You may play this card any time you could play a maneuver event; if you do, discard it from play).
To play, spot a card.
When you play this companion, if the fellowship is at a dwelling site, you may remove a burden.
A C 40

GAC03
Great Eagle
Follower • Eagle
Strength: +2
Vitality: +1
Aid – add a burden.
To play, spot a card.
A C 43

[FM]

I'd change Radagast's Friend to a clunkier version of his test, but that allowed him to gain an extra +2 strength and resistance for each time they moved beyong once, to tie in better with Radagast's game text.

[Thranduil]

I like that idea. Nice.

Thran

[Thranduil]

As promised, some followers for today.

GAC04
•Barliman Butterbur, Friend to Gandalf
Follower • Man
Resistance: +1
Villager. Aid – .
Regroup: If the fellowship is at a dwelling site and bearer is a Wizard, exert him to take a event into hand from your discard pile.
A C 37

GAU03
•Járnsmid, Friend to Gandalf
Follower • Man
Strength: +1
Villager. Aid – (or spot your companion and add ).
While you can spot a mountain site on the adventure path, bearer may not take more than 1 wound during each skirmish.
A U 45

GAR02
•Erland, Friend to Gandalf
Follower • Man
Villager. Aid – .
To play, spot your card.
While there is a mountain site on the adventure path, bearer is strength +2.
When Erland is transferred from your support area to a companion, you may discard up to 3 cards from your hand to draw that many cards.
A R 39

[Not a Zombie]

I like them all, but maybe make the great eagle unique? Barliman is awesome with out of the high airs.