V1: Alive and Unspoiled

[macheteman]

i really think that this card is being over thought.

lets try to make something people would add to their decks.

[FM]

How about...:

Alive and Unspoiled
Event
Response: If a companion loses a skirmish to an Uruk-hai, prevent all wounds to that companion and discard a possession or artifact he or she bears.

The idea is simple enough, it shows Saruman ordering the Hobbits alive because he wants something one of them have, and teh uruks taking it to them. Sure, the card would be TOO narrow if it ONLY dealt with Hobbits, which is why I worded it this way, so the order still applies even if they get a different person. They beat them senseless, DON'T kill them and take their stuff. Simple. Not to mention, it has synergy with Saruman's Power (I know the original is a condition, but we are not bound by that part of the card, as far as I know), and, if you DO want to play conditions of your own, has synergy with Saruman's Ambition in the deck (both for the bonus and for the cost-reducing ability). Last, it also adresses a problem I personally have with the game: lack of interaction, provided basically by response actions that are simply nowhere to be found, they are severely underused.

[macheteman]

i actually think it would make it BETTER if it was a condition.

Alive and Unspoiled
Condition • Support Area
To play exert an Uruk-hai.
Response: If a companion loses a skirmish to an Uruk-hai,
prevent all wounds to that companion to discard a
possession or artifact he or she bears.

that way, it stays as a threat. so the free peoples won't want their possessioned comps losing skirmishes.

not to mention there is some good flavor there. the freeps can't take a frodo with sting and ATAR assign to skirmish an uruk and just absorb all the wounds as burdens. if they do, sting will hit the discard pile.

i know it isn't common, but frodo with sting and atar and a couple bounder in play you can survive a balrog, cave troll, and most importantly: Uruk Vanguard, to save other comps from dying. with this card in play, there is a serious risk in assigning frodo to absorb wounds.

[FM]

But then the card becomes SO powerful (as in, no drawback whatsoever) that EVERY deck will play it. Even if we make it unique, EVERY deck will simply pack 1, if not more. By making it an event, we still give them a great tool, but at a great cost, thus balancing it in a sense that not all decks will want it (I, for one, wouldn't play it unless I was going to a huge tournament and the meta was really favorable, as to avoid risking clogging my hand).

[macheteman]

but conversely, thats my point. if it was an event that said: if your uruk-hai wins a skirmish, discard a possession born by the character it was skirmishing, ok, fine. but as it stands, the planets would have to align for your version to be useful.

1. its an event, so you have to have it in hand.
2. an uruk has to win a skirmish, not SO hard, but if you are actually playing a decent opponent, there is no guarantee that you will win a skirmish during the turn you draw the card. thus, we have the hand clog problem you mentioned.
3. now that we have won the skirmish, we actually have to WANT to not assign wounds during said skirmish. with most uruks being damage +1, and the trackers who DON'T have d+1 actually like the possessions on the comps, there is no sure bet that you'll want to dis a possession instead of dishing out the wounds.
4. There actually has to be a possession or artifact on said companion. which is hit or miss depending on format, and meta.

so all in all i'm betting that version would never see playtime. perhaps it would if it read: discard all free peoples cards born by the character it is skirmishing. which would have more flavor actually, and give it a chance to see some play.

[Tbiesty]

Keep in mind that we are not planning to change the "card type" of any of the V cards, so this one would remain a condition.

Tip:  If you want a condition to act more like an event, you can add "Discard this condition." to the end of its action.

[Elessar's Socks]

On the subject of flavor, I think the Hobbit-avoiding idea can work. The Uruk-hai are intent on killing the rest of the fellowship first, and it fits the lore: "'Bring them to me.... Kill the others....'" Conversely, text that discards possessions would contradict the "unspoiled" part.

[Tbiesty]

On the subject of flavor, I think the Hobbit-avoiding idea can work. The Uruk-hai are intent on killing the rest of the fellowship first, and it fits the lore: "'Bring them to me.... Kill the others....'" Conversely, text that discards possessions would contradict the "unspoiled" part.

I agree.   Does someone have a variation that you would prefer to this:

Alive and Unspoiled
Condition 
Search. To play, exert Saruman or an Uruk-hai.
Plays to your support area.
Uruk-hai may not be assigned to skirmish Hobbit companions.
Discard this condition at the end of the turn.

[Jerba]

Alive and Unspoiled
Condition
Search. To play, exert an Saruman twice. Plays to your support area.
Shadow conditions played on companions cannot be discarded.

It works better with the trackers in Towers Block, but can also be nice for decks featuring cards like Black Breath, Blade Tip, You Bring Great Evil, or Men conditions, amongst others.

I made the cost specific to exerting Saruman twice so that you wouldn't just splash an Uruk Savage or something like that in your Blade Tip decks. It probably is best in Towers Standard (Saruman, Black Traitor is pretty splash-able) but could still be pretty fun in some News of Mordor deck or something.
-wtk

Ket, I like this one a lot. Trackers and Isengard men would greatly benefit from this card. However, I think that without cultural enforcement it gets too powerful. Using this in conjunction with Wraith conditions would get out of control imo. Even the splash Saruman isn't enough to keep it in line, imo. Isengard conditions aren't over the top when you protect them from being discarded but Wraith conditions are varied and strong.

[Tbiesty]

Trackers and Isengard men would greatly benefit from this card.

Keep in mind that those are Towers block cards.   I agree that something like this would be great for Virtual Set #2, which will be "virtualizing" Towers block cards.

[FM]

On the subject of flavor, I think the Hobbit-avoiding idea can work. The Uruk-hai are intent on killing the rest of the fellowship first, and it fits the lore: "'Bring them to me.... Kill the others....'" Conversely, text that discards possessions would contradict the "unspoiled" part.

I agree.   Does someone have a variation that you would prefer to this:

Alive and Unspoiled
Condition  
Search. To play, exert Saruman or an Uruk-hai.
Plays to your support area.
Uruk-hai may not be assigned to skirmish Hobbit companions.
Discard this condition at the end of the turn.

Quite frankly, I can't see a lot of uses for this before Towers, where we have Vanguard, but I have to admit it still has SOME use, which is cool, I like cards that you only "get" later their true purpose.

[Hobbiton Lad]

Another attempt:

Alive and Unspoiled
Condition
Search.
To play, spot Saruman or exert an Uruk-hai. Plays to your support area.
While you can spot two Hobbit companions, Uruk-hai take no more than 1 wound during each skirmish phase.
Response: If an Uruk-hai is assigned to a skirmish with a Hobbit companion, discard this condition to replace that companion with a companion of another race.

[Thranduil]

I'm going to post a fairly crazy card first

So this is a world-changing card—a card that you put down and it changes the way a turn plays out. I tinkered with versions like "Bearer must be a companion. Bearer cannot take wounds. Assignment: Assign an minion to bearer" and a condition with "You choose the order of skirmishes". But I think this version represents well the title and the feeling that you're just there to loot and gather information, not to kill anyone. (Of course that comes against the "kill the others!" line, but there you go).

Alive and Unspoiled (V)
Condition • Support Area
Search.
To play, exert an minion.
Each time a companion is about to take any number of wounds in a skirmish, prevent those wounds and draw that many cards.
Discard this condition at the start of the regroup phase.


Can anyone list any strategies in FotR and Movie (and, to a lesser extent, Extended) that need some help/some work? Let's try and focus on making our card fit both the flavour and that strategy.

Thran

[ket_the_jet]

Why not something similar to The Board Is Set?

Alive and Unspoiled
Response: If an event is played, exert an minion to make that opponent exert a companion or cancel that event.

That might be fun...might not be as helpful as Wariness for Hobbit Stealth, but it can still be a nice way to avoid Deep in Thought or Servant of the Secret Fire or something along those lines.
-wtk

[Kralik]

Why not something similar to The Board Is Set?

Alive and Unspoiled
Response: If an event is played, exert an minion to make that opponent exert a companion or cancel that event.

That might be fun...might not be as helpful as Wariness for Hobbit Stealth, but it can still be a nice way to avoid Deep in Thought or Servant of the Secret Fire or something along those lines.
-wtk

This effectively shuts down events in general, which doesn't appear to be a good think. Plus, since it's not unique...

*After three exerts* "FINE, I'll cancel my strength pump!"