More Virtual Cards (Cruel Caradhras, take II)

[Anvar]

Hmm, I know that I (possibly) suggested making Cruel Caradhras into a minion, but thinking about it I'm not sure any more.

Caradhras is a big mountain - not something that can be taken on and beaten in a fight. I like the idea that it is a condition that makes it possible to play weather cards.

Weather cards seem to me to make the most sense as exerting, adding threats, adding burdens, messing with the move limit and driving the Fellowship into situations they don't want to be in. To that end they could mess around with assignment actions and wounds, punishing companions for doing what they want to do rather than what you want them to do. In general, they could be LotR's answer to a control deck from magic the gathering - driving the Fellowship into making bad choices.

[Thranduil]

Hmmm.... I will come back to weather cards I think. In the mean time, I just realised that I missed a crucial card in all those conditions that played on companions before. Remember all those conditions that couldn't play on the Ring-bearer and reduced their resistance for not much gain? Well:

• Worry (V)
Condition
To play, exert 2 minions.
Bearer must be the Ring-bearer.
Each time bearer is assigned to skirmish an minion, the Free Peoples player must either exert him or her twice or exert each other companion with resistance 4 or less.
"'One by one, regardless of their strength to good or evil... they fell.'"
1 V 162

[DáinIronfoot]

• Worry (V)
Condition
To play, exert 2 minions.
Bearer must be the Ring-bearer.
Each time bearer is assigned to a skirmish, the Free Peoples player must either exert him or her twice or exert each other companion with resistance 4 or less.
"'One by one, regardless of their strength to good or evil... they fell.'"
1 V 162

Perhaps limit it to "each time the Free Peoples player assigns bearer to a skirmish...". Otherwise this seems a little unfair with minions like Swarthy Sneering Fellow, Agent of Saruman, Dark Horseman, and others like them.

[Anvar]

I think I would be tempted to make it "Each time bearer is assigned to skirmish an Uruk-hai or Isengard minion." Again, removes Bill Ferny stuff while still keeping the spirit of the card.

[sickofpalantirs]

• Worry (V)
Condition
To play, exert 2 minions.
Bearer must be the Ring-bearer.
Each time bearer is assigned to a skirmish, the Free Peoples player must either exert him or her twice or exert each other companion with resistance 4 or less.
"'One by one, regardless of their strength to good or evil... they fell.'"
1 V 162

Perhaps limit it to "each time the Free Peoples player assigns bearer to a skirmish...". Otherwise this seems a little unfair with minions like Swarthy Sneering Fellow, Agent of Saruman, Dark Horseman, and others like them.

actually dark horseman wouldn't change that as the freeps can still assign them to frodo, unless they leave him unassigned so I guess it does work

[Elf_Lvr]

Agree with Anvar.

[Thranduil]

Sorry I haven't updated this thread in quite a while - I've been rather busy at various points.

It occurred to me that while I was thinking about weather cards, there were a few holes to be filled in the culture and to this end are some cards to fit in with the evil assignment theme!

• Orthanc Assassin (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 11
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
Damage +1. Tracker.
Assignment: Assign Orthanc Assassin to a companion (except the Ring-bearer) bearing an condition. The Free Peoples player may allow you to decide the order of skirmishes until the regroup phase to prevent this and assign Orthanc Assassin.
1 V 131

Uruk Bloodlust (V)
Event • Assignment
. Toil 1.
Assign an Uruk-hai to a companion with strength 7 or more (except the Ring-bearer).
"'Take them alive!'"
1 V 144

Hunt Them Down! (V)
Event • Assignment
This event's twilight cost is -1 for each minion assigned to a skirmish.
Assign a tracker to a companion (except the Ring-bearer); that companion loses all gametext keywords and cannot gain gametext keywords until the regroup phase. That companion may exert to prevent this.
"'Do not stop until they are found!'"
1 V 126

[Elf_Lvr]

• Orthanc Assassin (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 11
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
Damage +1. Tracker.
Assignment: Assign Orthanc Assassin to a companion bearing an condition.
1 V 131

Awesome.

Uruk Bloodlust (V)
Event • Assignment
. Toil 1.
Assign an Uruk-hai to a companion with strength 7 or more (except the Ring-bearer).
"'Take them alive!'"
1 V 144

It's fine. Maybe add a get-out clause or limit it to guys bearing conditions.

Hunt Them Down (V)
Event • Assignment
This event's twilight cost is -1 for each minion assigned to a skirmish.
Assign a tracker to a companion (except the Ring-bearer); that companion loses all gametext keywords and cannot gain gametext keywords until the regroup phase. The Free Peoples player may make that tracker fierce until the regroup phase to prevent this.
"'Do not stop until they are found!'"
1 V 126

It's alright, but not fantastic. Fierce doesn't seem like it's a good downside, because the point of these self assigning cards is probably to pick off weaker companions, right? Unless of course you can weaken a big guy a lot. Unless a lot of your other self-assigning trackers are fierce (which they're probably not or the get-out of this event is too easy to choose) they could just let the minion go to a strong guy in the fierce skirmish that was tied up when you tried to assign with this card. Or just kill him first skirmish after he becomes fierce.

I'd change it to a strength bonus (so it's harder to assign him even if he goes where they want) or exerting the companion.

[Thranduil]

It's alright, but not fantastic. Fierce doesn't seem like it's a good downside, because the point of these self assigning cards is probably to pick off weaker companions, right? Unless of course you can weaken a big guy a lot. Unless a lot of your other self-assigning trackers are fierce (which they're probably not or the get-out of this event is too easy to choose) they could just let the minion go to a strong guy in the fierce skirmish that was tied up when you tried to assign with this card. Or just kill him first skirmish after he becomes fierce.

I'd change it to a strength bonus (so it's harder to assign him even if he goes where they want) or exerting the companion.

Okay, fair enough. I was trying to avoid straight exertions because I had other cards that did that, but now those cards have changed so I will change this one.

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

Sorry I haven't updated this thread in quite a while - I've been rather busy at various points.

It occurred to me that while I was thinking about weather cards, there were a few holes to be filled in the culture and to this end are some cards to fit in with the evil assignment theme!

• Orthanc Assassin (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 11
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
Damage +1. Tracker.
Assignment: Assign Orthanc Assassin to a companion (except the Ring-bearer) bearing an condition.
1 V 131
give the freeps a way to prevent. and make it at the start of the assignment phase or something

Uruk Bloodlust (V)
Event • Assignment
. Toil 1.
Assign an Uruk-hai to a companion with strength 7 or more (except the Ring-bearer).
"'Take them alive!'"
1 V 144
fine but should be toil 2 IMHO, and cost 4

Hunt Them Down! (V)
Event • Assignment
This event's twilight cost is -1 for each minion assigned to a skirmish.
Assign a tracker to a companion (except the Ring-bearer); that companion loses all gametext keywords and cannot gain gametext keywords until the regroup phase. That companion may exert to prevent this.
"'Do not stop until they are found!'"
1 V 126

fine by me...

[DáinIronfoot]

• Orthanc Assassin (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 11
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
Damage +1. Tracker.
Assignment: Assign Orthanc Assassin to a companion (except the Ring-bearer) bearing an condition.
1 V 131

Yeah, give the FP player a get-out clause.

Uruk Bloodlust (V)
Event • Assignment
. Toil 1.
Assign an Uruk-hai to a companion with strength 7 or more (except the Ring-bearer).
"'Take them alive!'"
1 V 144

Seems alright to me.

Hunt Them Down! (V)
Event • Assignment
This event's twilight cost is -1 for each minion assigned to a skirmish.
Assign a tracker to a companion (except the Ring-bearer); that companion loses all gametext keywords and cannot gain gametext keywords until the regroup phase. That companion may exert to prevent this.
"'Do not stop until they are found!'"
1 V 126

Exerting is a rather ho-hum get-out clause. I like boosting that tracker's strength more.

[Thranduil]

I've added a slightly weird and off-beat get-out clause on the Assassin. Does it work? Is it too powerful?

And here are some miscellaneous cards.

Their Arrows Enrage (V)
Event • Archery
.
Spot 2 Uruk-hai (or an Uruk-hai archer) at a battleground to make the minion archery total +1 and the fellowship archery total -1.
1 V 141

Uruk-hai Rampage (V)
Event • Skirmish
Exert 2 Uruk-hai to exert a companion skirmishing one of those Uruk-hai.
1 V 159

Wariness (V)
Event • Response
Stealth.
If a special ability is used, exert an minion to cancel its effects.
1 V 161

Parry (V)
Event • Response
Stealth
If an event is played, spot an minion to cancel that event.
1 V 132

[DáinIronfoot]

• Orthanc Assassin (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 11
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
Damage +1. Tracker.
Assignment: Assign Orthanc Assassin to a companion (except the Ring-bearer) bearing an condition. The Free Peoples player may allow you to decide the order of skirmishes until the regroup phase to prevent this and assign Orthanc Assassin.
1 V 131

Hmmmm.

Limit it to "...allow you to decide the order of skirmishes involving minions..." and I think it's okay.

Parry (V)
Event • Skirmish
.
Discard a weapon borne by a companion skirmishing an Uruk-hai.
1 V 132

Probably a little too good since it can target artifacts. Make it a weapon possession and it's fine.

Their Arrows Enrage (V)
Event • Archery
.
Spot 2 Uruk-hai at a battleground to make the minion archery total +1 and the fellowship archery total -1.
1 V 141

I'd prefer it be tied in with archers or ranged weapons somehow. Perhaps give it a higher cost that is reduced for each Uruk archer or and/or ranged weapon you can spot?

Uruk-hai Rampage (V)
Event • Skirmish
Exert an Uruk-hai to exert a companion skirmishing that Uruk-hai.
1 V 159

EVIL with the damage Uruks typically have. Maybe change it to exerting the Uruk twice for a wound instead.

Wariness (V)
Event • Response
Stealth.
If a special ability on a companion is used, exert an minion to cancel its effects.
At the start of the regroup phase, you may exert an minion to take this card into hand from your discard pile.
1 V 161

Stealth is not a Shadow keyword...search would be better. Seems fine other than that.

[Anvar]

I've added a slightly weird and off-beat get-out clause on the Assassin. Does it work? Is it too powerful?

I really like it. It's something that has never been done before on a Shadow card and it could work. Dain's suggestion might confuse the issue however. What if there are mixed cultures? Who decides the order if FP do most, but Shadow player does the Isengard ones? You could make it "while you cannot spot a non-[Isengard] minion" but this might be over complicated.

And here are some miscellaneous cards.

Parry (V)
Event • Skirmish
.
Discard a weapon borne by a companion skirmishing an Uruk-hai.
1 V 132

Agree with Dain that this shouldn't work on artifacts.

Their Arrows Enrage (V)
Event • Archery
.
Spot 2 Uruk-hai at a battleground to make the minion archery total +1 and the fellowship archery total -1.
1 V 141

Perhaps an alternative spotting requirement of "(or spot an Uruk-hai archer)" might be flavourful.

Uruk-hai Rampage (V)
Event • Skirmish
Exert an Uruk-hai to exert a companion skirmishing that Uruk-hai.
1 V 159

If damage bonuses are a theme of the Uruks, as I seem to recall they are, couldn't this make an Uruk damage +1? How about exert and Uruk-hai to make him damage +1?

Wariness (V)
Event • Response
Stealth.
If a special ability on a companion is used, exert an minion to cancel its effects.
At the start of the regroup phase, you may exert an minion to take this card into hand from your discard pile.
1 V 161
Stealth here is a bit odd, but actually makes sense given the title. My inclination is to remove the second part of the text and just have it as a special ability cancelling card. An alternative is to allow it to cancel events as well.

Great ideas here,
Anvar

[sickofpalantirs]

I've added a slightly weird and off-beat get-out clause on the Assassin. Does it work? Is it too powerful?

And here are some miscellaneous cards.

Parry (V)
Event • Skirmish
.
Discard a weapon borne by a companion skirmishing an Uruk-hai.
1 V 132
how is this any better? I mean seriously, you can play several pumps for this cost...its always struck me as a worthless card...

Their Arrows Enrage (V)
Event • Archery
.
Spot 2 Uruk-hai at a battleground to make the minion archery total +1 and the fellowship archery total -1.
1 V 141
fine

Uruk-hai Rampage (V)
Event • Skirmish
Exert an Uruk-hai to exert a companion skirmishing that Uruk-hai.
1 V 159
fine, especially good considering uruk-hai damage...bye bye 3 vitality companion...

Wariness (V)
Event • Response
Stealth.
If a special ability on a companion is used, exert an minion to cancel its effects.
At the start of the regroup phase, you may exert an minion to take this card into hand from your discard pile.
1 V 161

fine by me