some alternate versions of Far Seeing Eyes

[azogsbane]

Before I begin, I want to tip my hat to ket_the_jet whose topic format I am blatantly copying. It's been many months since he last posted a topic like this though, so I consider his idea to now be in the public domain. javascript:void(0);

I don't know if anyone uses Far Seeing Eyes, but it seems like a terribly weak card to me. It was originally printed non-unique (which would have been totally broken!) but then it was errated to make it unique (I have copies of it both ways). Now the card just sucks, so here I to pose to you some hopefully more useful versions of what this card could have been.

Just looking at the title makes me think it sounds like a telepathy card. However, since Elven telepathy didn't exist in FotR block I'm going to avoid that route. The original card messed with your opponent's cards (rather than your own), so that's what I've tried to do with some of these:

#1
• Far Seeing Eyes
Condition • Support Area
Each time you play an Elf, choose an opponent who must place a card from hand on top of his or her draw deck.

#2
Far Seeing Eyes
Event
Fellowship: Exert an Elf to look at the top five cards of an opponent's drawdeck. You may then exert an Elf X times to discard a shadow card revealed, where X is twilight cost of that card. Return the rest in any order.

#3
Far Seeing Eyes
Event
Fellowship or Regroup: Spot 3 elves to look at an opponent's adventure deck. Exert an Elf for each card that is not a sanctuary, forest, or river.

Note: I was originally going to make this "Exert an Elf for each battleground," which I think had better flavor, but then I remembered that there are no battlegrounds in FotR.

#4
Far Seeing Eyes
Condition • Support Area
Response: If a shadow event is played, discard an card from hand to cancel that event. Discard this condition.

#5
Far Seeing Eyes
Condition
Bearer must be an Elf.
Archery: If bearer is an archer and you cannot spot a wounded minion, exert bearer to exhaust a minion. No player may play events or use special abilities until the end of the phase.

Note: It seems to me that eyes that could see far would be helpful for an archer to have, hence this version that is completely different from the others. I've made it so that it can't be used with greenleaf, aragorns bow, etc. It works as an alternative to those cards, but does not in combination with them (which I think would be too powerful).

[Ringbearer]

Some feedback:
1. Too Overpowered. a 6 card hand is a huge disatvantage.
2. Again too strong. To eliminate key cards is not fun.
3. I am not a fan of scouting adventure decks, but seeing as this is FOTR you acn predict most sites even without looking.
4. Ridiulously strong.
5. One exertion to exhaust is too powerful. Even without the archery special abilities, its one exertion for 2-3 wounds.

[azogsbane]

Thanks for the feedback! You're right, 1,2, and 4 are too powerful (I disagree with you about 5). I'm going to tone them down.

[azogsbane]

There. I've changed 1 and 2 quite a lot, and tweaked 4 slightly.

[Ringbearer]

The problen I have with 5 is that someone can play 4 double shots, THEN use the ability. It should read more like:
At the start of the archery phase you may exert bearer. If you do, exhaust a minion and you may not play any archery event or use any archery special ability.

[azogsbane]

Ah, now I see your point. I was only thinking of direct wounding cards, I forgot about the cards that add to the archery total. Well, I'm not going to change these any more, but you're right, it would be too powerful.

[ket_the_jet]

I'm glad you took the idea and ran with it. Post a few more at your leisure. Keep the dream alive.
-wtk

[azogsbane]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm about to do another one. Hopefully, I'll get more discussion this time. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like things are slower around here than they were a month ago.