More Virtual Cards (Cruel Caradhras, take II)

[Thranduil]

Ugh. Just not a big fan of the idea of strength and pipeweeds (despite your comments...sorry!).

I can see where your coming from, but I think abilities like that one have to be here or it makes pipeweeds strategies totally unviable. And it made most sense to be on Gandalf's.

Well let's have another card from the culture supporting pipes (and I think the last).

• Gandalf, The Grey Wizard (V)
Companion • Wizard
Str: 7
Vit: 4
Res: 7
Fellowship.
At the start of the fellowship phase, you may add to take into hand a Free Peoples spell, tale or pipeweed card from your discard pile.
"… his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend."
1 V 364

[DáinIronfoot]

Ugh. Just not a big fan of the idea of strength and pipeweeds (despite your comments...sorry!).

I can see where your coming from, but I think abilities like that one have to be here or it makes pipeweeds strategies totally unviable. And it made most sense to be on Gandalf's.

I concede that point, so long as YOU concede that Uncle Dáin don't like it.

• Gandalf, The Grey Wizard (V)
Companion • Wizard
Str: 7
Vit: 4
Res: 7
Fellowship.
At the start of the fellowship phase, you may add to take into hand a Free Peoples spell, tale or pipeweed card from your discard pile.
"… his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend."
1 V 364

Interesting. Very different from the original (I expected a rewrite more similiar to your Nine Walkers rewrite), but certainly useful and neat. This is actually more like The Grey Pilgrim...if you haven't rewritten that one already (can't remember if you have), perhaps do this text with that card instead. But that's a minor point, as the card is fine as is. It's one I would definately use, as I LOVE spells, tales, AND pipeweed!

[Thranduil]

Grey Pilgrim is the follower version, which works very nicely with the subtitle. He replaces sites, if memory serves.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Ah, yes. Okay then...nevermind!

[lem0nhead]

I like this guy hes fun!

[Thranduil]

Okay, I'm into right now, so let's have some support for him. Now the first card is inspired by Dáin's Sting contest entry as they make a lot of sense being thematically linked. Thanks DI!

• Glamdring (V)
Artifact • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Bearer must be Gandalf.
At the start of each skirmish involving Gandalf, you may exert him (or add if he is skirmishing an Orc) to take into hand a skirmish event from your draw deck.
"… in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white."
1 V 75

And let's also have his staff for good measure.

• Gandalf's Staff (V)
Artifact • Staff
Vit: +1
Bearer must be Gandalf.
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may exert Gandalf to take a event into hand from your or discard pile.
"As the wizard passed on ahead up the great steps, he held his staff aloft, and from its tip there came a faint radiance."
2 V 22

Thranduil

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Okay, I'm into right now, so let's have some support for him. Now the first card is inspired by Dáin's Sting contest entry as they make a lot of sense being thematically linked. Thanks DI!

• Glamdring (V)
Artifact • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Bearer must be Gandalf.
At the start of each skirmish involving Gandalf, you may exert him (or add if he is skirmishing an Orc) to take into hand a skirmish event from your draw deck.
"… in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white."
1 V 75

Ooh, that's cool, and it's got a great advantage against Orcs. Hmm...maybe too good? I'm trying to think of how many Orc strategies actually use post-Shadow twilight.

And let's also have his staff for good measure.

• Gandalf's Staff (V)
Artifact • Staff
Vit: +1
Bearer must be Gandalf.
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may exert Gandalf to take a event into hand from your or discard pile.
"As the wizard passed on ahead up the great steps, he held his staff aloft, and from its tip there came a faint radiance."
2 V 22

I don't really count that as synergy. It's two cards doing the same sort of thing, not working together. Synergy would be his staff perhaps having an action triggered each time you play a event or something. But this way, they kinda work against each other.

It's an okay card, IMO.

[Thranduil]

Yeah, sorry I thought the staff did skirmish events for some reason... [Imagine here's an appropriate smiley - i can't find one].

Thranduil

PS Oh wait, here it is! 

[lem0nhead]

• Glamdring (V)
Artifact • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Bearer must be Gandalf.
At the start of each skirmish involving Gandalf, you may exert him (or add if he is skirmishing an Orc) to take into hand a skirmish event from your draw deck.
"… in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white."
1 V 75

Very cool.

• Gandalf's Staff (V)
Artifact • Staff
Vit: +1
Bearer must be Gandalf.
At the start of the maneuver phase, you may exert Gandalf to take a event into hand from your or discard pile.
"As the wizard passed on ahead up the great steps, he held his staff aloft, and from its tip there came a faint radiance."
2 V 22

Not sure that there should be 2 of these type of artifacts, might make him TOO powerful. The idea is great but having it twice is strong but it helps you have to use an exertion. You not fancy making it a bit more unique?

Thranduil

[Thranduil]

Yeah, I know what you're saying. But I wasn't quite sure how to approach the staff in another way. And also Gandalf has always loved his events, more than really any other culture, so it certainly makes an amount of sense. I'll think on it and probably post a new version of it somewhere along the line.

Let's have some followers for now, though, especially while on the subject of events.

• Albert Dreary, Entertainer from Bree (V)
Follower
Aid - .
Each time a event is played, you may heal bearer.
1 V 69

• Barliman Butterbur, Prancing Pony Proprietor (V)
Follower
Aid - discard a card from hand.
Skirmish: Exert bearer to take into hand a event from your discard pile.
"'You don't know much even about them, if you think old Barliman is stupid,' said Gandalf. ‘He is wise enough on his own ground.'"
1 V 70

• Ottar, Man of Laketown (V)
Follower
Str: +1
Aid - .
To play, spot Gandalf (or a Man).
Bearer gains muster.
1 V 80

[lem0nhead]

Sound, only 1 comment to make, Barliman seems a bit powerful.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I would suggest switching Albert Dreary and Barliman Butterbur, as far as titles go. Because the new Barliman would then hearken back to the old one. Maybe then Albert could deal with condition-discarding for a cost. Like..."Each time a event is played, you may add a threat to discard a Shadow condition."

[Thranduil]

That's fair enough, and so I have switched their abilities. And I think it might also solve the Barliman problem lem0n raised.

Since we started, we may as well finish:

• Erland, Advisor to Brand (V)
Follower
Vit: +1
Aid - .
To play, spot a companion.
At the start of the regroup phase, you may heal bearer to transfer Erland to your support area.
Regroup: Exert bearer to play a follower from your discard pile.
"'They are good folk the Bardings. The grandson of Bard the Bowman rules them, Brand son of Bain son of Bard.'"
2 V 21

• Hugin, Emissary From Laketown (V)
Follower
Str: +1
Aid - .
Each time a event is played during a skirmish involving bearer, you may make a minion he or she is skirmishing strength -2.
2 V 24

• Járnsmid, Merchant From Dale (V)
Follower
Str: +1
Aid - .
To play, spot Gandalf (or a Man).
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, you may remove for each possession and artifact borne by each character in that skirmish.
2 V 25

[DáinIronfoot]

• Erland, Advisor to Brand (V)
Follower
Vit: +1
Aid - exert a character.
Regroup: Heal bearer to transfer Erland to your support area.
Regroup: Exert bearer to play a follower from your discard pile.
"'They are good folk the Bardings. The grandson of Bard the Bowman rules them, Brand son of Bain son of Bard.'"
2 V 21

I think the order of his first ability should be switched, meaning "Transfer Erland to your support area to heal bearer." I'm worried about having both of those abilities in the same phase, too, as it essentially makes the second regroup ability free. I'd switch that one to a different phase.

• Hugin, Emissary From Laketown (V)
Follower
Str: +1
Aid - .
To play, spot Gandalf (or a Man).
Each time a skirmish event is played in a skirmish involving bearer, you may make a minion they are skirmishing strength -2.
2 V 24

"played during" instead of "played in", and "he or she" (or maybe just "bearer" again) instead of "they". I might also limit it to events and simply drop the spotting requirement.

• Járnsmid, Merchant From Dale (V)
Follower
Str: +1
Aid - .
To play, spot Gandalf (or a Man).
At the start of each skirmish involving bearer, you may remove for each possession and artifact borne by characters in that skirmish.
2 V 25

"borne by each character" would more accurate to LOTR TCG, I believe.

[lem0nhead]

Dain, Thran has phrased Erland like that because of a discussion on timing we had. Believe me this way it stop you from dying if youre exhausted. So i also see exactly why he's done it like he has as that appears to be the whole point in the follower, to get others out, which aint that good. My review of this card Thran is its way UP. Exert for aid cancel the vitality bonus overall within the fellowship and why use this guy to fetch another follower? Just put the other follower in your deck in place of this guy!

I agree with everything else dain has said though except id make it remove 1 not 2 on jarnsmid.