Basic questions.

[Tharkun]

Just started playing with family/friends. Usually in multi-player games of (3) min.

We are using only the Fellowship Block.

1. Archery. In the multi-player format, there are often minions from more then one shadow player in play. Our debate is with the following (from the rules)

"..... (FREEP) then chooses one Shadow player who must assign a number of wounds equal to the fellowship archery total to his minions, in any way he wishes.

What is the definition of "his"?. Does the selected shadow player assign wounds to only the minions he owns or may he assign them to ANY minion in play, regardless of who played it out/"owns" it?

2. Multiple Conditions. Is there a limit to how many of a specific condition one player may have in play?

Example: (1U198) "Through the Misty Mountains" http://lotrtcgwiki.com/pages/LOTR01198.html

Requires the FREEP to discard (2) cards at random from hand when moving to sites 4, 5 and 6 if an Elf or Dwarf is in the fellowship.

However, according to the rules, one could have (4) of these cards in their deck and, potentially have all (4) of them in play? Thereby forcing the FREEP to discard his entire hand every time he moves through sites 4, 5 and 6? That would be devastating and make game playing kind of pointless. 

The debate continues: How many "Blade Tips" and "Black Breaths" may one have in play awaiting assignment? (4) of each?

3. Playing Conditions. The rule states that all conditions must be played in the fellowship phase, however…..(2U107) "Not Feared In Sunlight"
http://lotrtcgwiki.com/pages/LOTR02107.html

If it can only be played in the Fellowship Phase, it's fairly useless since it must be discarded at the end of the regroup phase. As a shadow player, I'd just wait until next turn to play out my Nazgul.

My argument is that this condition should be played as a Maneuver Action. I think I know how you folks are going to answer this one….but I gotta have some fun. 

4. Site Text. (1C326) "Westfarthing"
http://lotrtcgwiki.com/pages/LOTR01326.html

"….to play a companion or ally…….etc"

Does that companion or ally come from hand, or may it come from the draw deck? It doesn't specifically say.
Again, it seems to me that there is little value in exerting to save one lousy twilight to play someone you can play anyway.  Plus, there is the reasonable chance that you will not have ANY companion in hand at the beginning. Makes ‘Westfarthing' mostly useless. UNLESS, one can pull the companion/ally from the draw deck.

 (And yes, I do understand the strategy tree of the exerting/healing loop that COULD be set up at game start, but again, a lot of hoop jumping for one twilight)

Thanks for your time assisting us newbies.

Tharkun

[Air Power]

Welcome to the game (and the last homely house)!  We're a fairly friendly lot.  You'll notice that card titles in posts link to the database automatically by title.  Occasionally that doesn't work, and posting the card number generally works (e.g. 1R1).  Basically, you don't need to find URLs for all the cards if you don't want to.

1. Archery. In the multi-player format, there are often minions from more then one shadow player in play. Our debate is with the following (from the rules)

"..... (FREEP) then chooses one Shadow player who must assign a number of wounds equal to the fellowship archery total to his minions, in any way he wishes.

What is the definition of "his"?. Does the selected shadow player assign wounds to only the minions he owns or may he assign them to ANY minion in play, regardless of who played it out/"owns" it?

The minions played by a shadow player are "his", whether he played them from hand, deck, or discard pile or put it into play by another means.

2. Multiple Conditions. Is there a limit to how many of a specific condition one player may have in play?

If the condition is unique, then only one may be in play at a time.  Otherwise, one player may have all 4 in play at once.  In the example you chose, the FP better hope that they have a condition-discarding fellowship action, such as the event Sleep, Caradhras

3. Playing Conditions. The rule states that all conditions must be played in the fellowship phase, however…..(2U107) "Not Feared In Sunlight"

If it can only be played in the Fellowship Phase, it's fairly useless since it must be discarded at the end of the regroup phase. As a shadow player, I'd just wait until next turn to play out my Nazgul.

Still fellowship only.  If I'm a nazgul-only player and you play that, you more-or-less get a free move (little/no opposition) and than can either move again (facing whatever I have) or stay and hope to play another NFiS next turn.

4. Site Text. (1C326) "Westfarthing"


"….to play a companion or ally…….etc"

Does that companion or ally come from hand, or may it come from the draw deck? It doesn't specifically say.
Again, it seems to me that there is little value in exerting to save one lousy twilight to play someone you can play anyway.  Plus, there is the reasonable chance that you will not have ANY companion in hand at the beginning. Makes ‘Westfarthing' mostly useless. UNLESS, one can pull the companion/ally from the draw deck.

 (And yes, I do understand the strategy tree of the exerting/healing loop that COULD be set up at game start, but again, a lot of hoop jumping for one twilight)

From hand only, and (as a bonus) this offer cannot be combined with any other action of playing a character (so you can't exert four hobbits to play gandalf for free).  You're right, this does limit the usefulness of the site.  But you can also exert hobbit allies, so you could, in theory, have a start like this:

Exert Frodo to play Rosie Cotton Hobbiton Lass from hand.  Exert Rosie to play HPG from hand.  Exert HPG to play another HPG from hand.  ... until you run out of hobbit allies to play.  Rare to pull off/draw the right hand, but possible.

[Yrael]

The debate continues: How many "Blade Tips" and "Black Breaths" may one have in play awaiting assignment? (4) of each?

As many as you have. You can have as many of a given card on the field (up to the 4 card-per-deck limit) as you want provided it is not unique, which is indicated by a small black dot next to the name of the card (for example: Gimli, Son of Gloin) In addition, you can replay a unique card even if it is in your discard pile, so you can play multiple copies of a minion like thee balrog on different turns. You cannot, however, play multiple copies of a unique card in the dead pile, except in some very specific circumstances (which are all post-fellowship block I believe).

[hsiale]

However, according to the rules, one could have (4) of these cards in their deck and, potentially have all (4) of them in play? Thereby forcing the FREEP to discard his entire hand every time he moves through sites 4, 5 and 6? That would be devastating and make game playing kind of pointless.

Theoretically this could happen. But you need, first, play 4 of them (wasting 4 card slots in your deck if your opponent has no Dwarf or Elf), draw them early enough (as they do nothing at all at last 3 sites) and additionally playing each of them requires you to exert a minion, which isn't an easy thing as most of those minions have only one vitality and can't exert at all. I guess this card is a bit more viable in multiplayer (where you cycle through your deck faster and chances are bigger that at least some of the opponents will have a Dwarf or Elf), but still I don't think it is widely played. And if some of your regular opponents uses it, just add Old Noakes to your deck and you are completely safe from this card

[Tharkun]

Thanks very much for the clarifications. Unfortunately, I'm still not cleared up on the archery deal.  I'll try an example:

Let's assume a (4) player game, D_ic, Jane, Spot and Sauron (‘cause I couldn't remember a 4th character from first grade).

Sauron is the FREEP.

At the start of shadow, D_ic plays out a Nazgul, Jane plays out an Uruk Rager, and Spot plays out a Tower Assassin.


Sauron's FREEP archery total is (4) and he picks D_ic to assign the wounds. Now, is D_ic limited to assigning the wounds to the Nazgul (HIS minion) only or can he assign some of (or all of) the wounds to Jane's Uruk and Spot's Assassin?

This is where we are trying to understand the definition of ‘his' in this context. HIS meaning the minions that specific shadow player played, or HIS as in the collective shadow players minions.

Thanks again,

Tharkun

 PS You gys have a real tight profanity filter.

[hsiale]

In this situation only the Nazgul can take archery wounds. When it's killed, remaining archery total (if any) is wasted. Because of this heavy archery decks are not good for multiplayer games.

Card is yours if it belongs to your deck.

[Tharkun]

In this situation only the Nazgul can take archery wounds. When it's killed, remaining archery total (if any) is wasted. Because of this heavy archery decks are not good for multiplayer games.

Card is yours if it belongs to your deck.

On the contrary, IMO, it gives the FREEP a nice advantage. He can now DIRECT his archery fire. As opposed to spreading the pain around, as the FREEP is allowed to do.

But doing it this way also, IMO, defeats the intent and spirit of the rules. The shadow player can't direct his archery fire, otherwise, he'd just shoot the ring bearer and be done. I would assume that the reverse would also be true.

The rules state that the FREEP picks a shadow player. Doesn't say that the FREEP has to pick a shadow player with minions IN PLAY.

I don't agree with this interpretation, but I also admit to not playing the game a lot yet, so will wait and see if anyone else weighs in before making a final decision.

Tharkun

[Yrael]

The shadow player can't direct his archery fire

Actually, in the later sets there are some cards that offer the shadow player a method of focusing the archery fire. Most notably, most of the raider archers from Two Towers have a text that allows directed archery fire in the form of exertions. See Desert Lord as the most powerful example.

[TheJord]

In the case of multiple conditions, only the first 4 non-unique are considered active. Only the first unique condition is active.