V1: The One Ring (alpha playtests)

[Tbiesty]

I think we should leave until the end of the week (Sunday 20th Feb) to receive any further suggestions or comments. Then we will pick out the suggestions we like the most, vote, and move into playtesting phase. Sound good?

Sounds fair to me.

[Kralik]

I like Tbiesty's idea as well, but it just occurred to me that it's almost obsoletes Such A Weight to Carry. If you use Such A Weight to Carry even once, it's like the -1 vitality bonus. Twice and the new ring is better. On the other hand, the new right would be very painful to run with an ARB vs. Twilight Nazgul...

EDIT: I wonder if +1/-1 would be a more balanced alternative.

[Kralik]

Basically the Rong of Rings with stength Bonus instead of Resistance. I'd found interesting to have a line like: "Exert the Ring-Bearer twice to take off the One Ring", but that would pretty much destroy some of those "Force to put on the One Ring" strategies.

I don't think so. I'm not sure if it would be useful, since the most common way to FORCE putting on the ring (Resistance Becomes Unbearable) would overcome the ability.

[Witchkingx5]

Well, I was never a huge fan of those -1 Vitality abilities, but what can you do...

Basically, creating a new Ring is like creating new Duals in MtG. You try to tweak, it, but not too much, as it could become more powerful that the standard one. I also would never, ever risk having a 2-vitality RB in my starting fellowship, as any good wounding Deck would kill him during the first two sites.

Actually, I had another idea. It seems pretty weird, and I'm not sure if I like it by myself, but I'll post it anyway:

  .The One Ring, The Ruling Ring (V)
Strength: +1
Game Text: Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, you may discard a card to make him wear The One Ring until the regroup phase. While wearing The One Ring, each time the Ring-bearer is about to take a wound, add a burden instead.

I thought like: What kinda resources could we use? Threats? Nah, that doesn't really fit. Extra Burdens? Has been done before. So I came up with discarding cards, which can be both a negative and positive effect. Still has to be tweaked a bit, but the more I think of it, the more I start to like it. And discarding cards from hand was a pretty common theme in FotR Block.

So?


EDIT:

Basically the Rong of Rings with stength Bonus instead of Resistance. I'd found interesting to have a line like: "Exert the Ring-Bearer twice to take off the One Ring", but that would pretty much destroy some of those "Force to put on the One Ring" strategies.

I don't think so. I'm not sure if it would be useful, since the most common way to FORCE putting on the ring (Resistance Becomes Unbearable) would overcome the ability.

I was thinking of annuling effects à la Return to Its Master, but anyway...

[Kralik]

Of course, then you run the risk (benefit to Shadow) of not being able to put it on as well...

[jdizzy001]

Careful Ket, your being sucked in I really like the idea of adding threats to wear the 1 ring

[Jerba]

I don't really want to get too involved, but what about the impending danger aspect of putting on the Ring?

Response: Add two threats to put on the One Ring. Each time...

It's dangerous territory and it always means that the Ring needs to be protected by having companions around.
-wtk

I second this. Its a great limiter and has a great thematic element.

[Witchkingx5]

Bit I still think adding one two threats is a bot too much, especially when playing against Southrons or so, where your Ring would be like pretty much useless. One threat really should be enough, and the Ring should also provide a nice bonus, when you compair it to The Ring of Rings, which has no drawback and gives you +2 resistance straight away.

[Kralik]

It's OK for the ring to be "useless" as a trade-off. Take The Binding Ring, for example. You run the risk of not being to exert to put it on when you need to (or certainly, not being able to put it on in Skirmish if you didn't plan ahead), but that's part of the price you pay.

[Thranduil]

So I think we need to collect the various incarnations we've talked about in this thread. How about from now on (until the end of the week) we only post suggestions that we've made (updated by people's earlier comments when necessary).

I was also thinking that given how this is our first card, and The One Ring no less, that we should move into phase 1 playtesting with a handful of different versions. We can divvy them up among the designers, and get going. Sound good?

For the playtesting, we may need some "Alpha"-slips so that we can put the new versions into sleeves and play in real life. Anyone can do that? (Really basic stuff, we don't need anything fancy). And what about online? Does any one have a good idea about how we could easily playtest the cards on GCCG or something?

Thran

[Tbiesty]

For the playtesting, we may need some "Alpha"-slips so that we can put the new versions into sleeves and play in real life. Anyone can do that? (Really basic stuff, we don't need anything fancy).

Sure, I can do that.

[Tbiesty]

Here's a submission for the Sunday 20th deadline:

The One Ring, The Ruling Ring (V)
Strength: +2
Vitality: -1
Game Text: Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, he wears The One Ring until the regroup phase. While wearing The One Ring, each time bearer is about to take a wound, add a burden instead.

[hyvee_doughboy]

Here's a submission for the Sunday 20th deadline:

The One Ring, The Ruling Ring (V)
Strength: +2
Vitality: -1
Game Text: Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, he wears The One Ring until the regroup phase. While wearing The One Ring, each time bearer is about to take a wound, add a burden instead.

I really like this one!  B but I agree with Kralik that +1/-1 might be more balanced.  Otherwise, i think this would almost completely replace the green ring (which is +2, and put on during maneuver)

[Tbiesty]

In order to make sure we have at least two versions submitted for Sunday, here's two variations involving ideas discussed previously:

Version 1:

The One Ring, The Ruling Ring (V)
Strength: +1
Vitality: -1
Game Text: Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, bearer wears The One Ring until the regroup phase. While wearing The One Ring, each time bearer is about to take a wound, add a burden instead.

Version 2:

The One Ring, The Ruling Ring (V)
Strength: +1
Vitality: -1
Resistance: +1
Game Text: Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, bearer wears The One Ring until the regroup phase. While wearing The One Ring, each time bearer is about to take a wound, add a burden instead.

[Ringbearer]

Why both vitality -1? I thought the threat ring didnt have that?