More Virtual Cards (Cruel Caradhras, take II)

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Now for a random collection of slightly off-the-wall cards from the Mines of Moria.

Gandalf's Wisdom (V)
Event • Fellowship
Spot Gandalf to heal a companion.
At the start of the regroup phase, you may discard a card from hand to take this event into hand from your discard pile.
"Now as the companions sat or walked together they spoke of Gandalf, and all that each had known and seen of him came clear before their minds."
2 V 23

Far too easy. It's a free card, with very little cost to bring back. Oh, shoot. You've also got an evil infinite loop going on (I think). If you have five cards in hand, and discard Gandalf's Wisdom to fetch Gandalf's Wisdom, don't you lose and then immediately gain initiative?

Staff Asunder (V)
Event • Skirmish
Spell.
Reveal your hand to make a minion skirmishing Gandalf strength -2 for each spell revealed (or -3 if Gandalf bears a staff). Remove this event from the game.
"At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him."
2 V 27

SWEET! Although I'd consider maybe costing it a bit more. Servant of the Secret Fire has a cost attached to it, and is pretty much almost as good as this card at its most basic level.

You Cannot Pass! (V)
Event • Assignment
Assign a minion to Gandalf. At the end of Gandalf's skirmish, discard Gandalf and that minion. Remove this event from the game.
"The Balrog fell back and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still."
2 V 30

Cool. Although I might even go so far as to suggest to kill Gandalf. (Would make more story sense, and would help abuse of this card...replayable Gandalf?) Sent Back would combo easily with that.

[Thranduil]

Far too easy. It's a free card, with very little cost to bring back. Oh, shoot. You've also got an evil infinite loop going on (I think). If you have five cards in hand, and discard Gandalf's Wisdom to fetch Gandalf's Wisdom, don't you lose and then immediately gain initiative?

Good catch on the initiative thing. I've restricted both costs. Now, the more you bring it back, the less likely you are to be able to use it.

SWEET! Although I'd consider maybe costing it a bit more. Servant of the Secret Fire has a cost attached to it, and is pretty much almost as good as this card at its most basic level.

It's not quite. This one only works for a minion skirmishing Gandalf.

Cool. Although I might even go so far as to suggest to kill Gandalf. (Would make more story sense, and would help abuse of this card...replayable Gandalf?) Sent Back would combo easily with that.

I certainly understand what you're saying and so let's leave it out there for other reviewers to comment on.

Thanks!

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

Gandalf's Wisdom (V)
Event • Fellowship
Spot Gandalf to heal a companion with resistance 3 or more.
At the start of the regroup phase, you may add a burden to take this event into hand from your discard pile.
"Now as the companions sat or walked together they spoke of Gandalf, and all that each had known and seen of him came clear before their minds."
2 V 23

I feel its gone the other way now far less useful. A burden to heal 1 wound isnt worth it.

Staff Asunder (V)
Event • Skirmish
Spell.
Reveal your hand to make a minion skirmishing Gandalf strength -2 for each spell revealed (or -3 if Gandalf bears a staff). Remove this event from the game.
"At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him."
2 V 27

Powerful, but removing from the game i guess balances it.

You Cannot Pass! (V)
Event • Assignment
Assign a minion to Gandalf. At the end of Gandalf's skirmish, discard Gandalf and that minion. Remove this event from the game.
"The Balrog fell back and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still."
2 V 30

Cool i guess.

[DáinIronfoot]

Gandalf's Wisdom (V)
Event • Fellowship
Spot Gandalf to heal a companion with resistance 3 or more.
At the start of the regroup phase, you may add a burden to take this event into hand from your discard pile.
"Now as the companions sat or walked together they spoke of Gandalf, and all that each had known and seen of him came clear before their minds."
2 V 23

I agree with lem0n...isn't really worth it to pull back. Much better ways to heal during the fellowship phase. Now if it was a REGROUP ability, it might have more promise.

Staff Asunder (V)
Event • Skirmish
Spell.
Reveal your hand to make a minion skirmishing Gandalf strength -2 for each spell revealed (or -3 if Gandalf bears a staff). Remove this event from the game.
"At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him."
2 V 27

Nifty, though this is one I'd allow to work with any Wizard, since Radagast has his own staff too (and could use a little boost from cards like this).

You Cannot Pass! (V)
Event • Assignment
Assign a minion to Gandalf. At the end of Gandalf's skirmish, discard Gandalf and that minion. Remove this event from the game.
"The Balrog fell back and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still."
2 V 30

Fine as is, though giving the player the choice of either discarding OR killing Gandalf would give it more flexibility with Sent Back (as CG noted) or with your Gandalf discarding stuff from earlier sets. Yes, I still remember that.

[Thranduil]

Changed as suggested.

Talking of Gandalf getting discarded and all that, although that strategy for the Eagles from my Hobbit set has little or nothing to do with these cards, the last one of this batch is incidentally quite similar! And I've been making a habit of posting 3 more or less unrelated cards at once. Well, here are 3 more more or less unrelated cards!

Depart Silently (V)
Event • Fellowship
Stealth.
Exert Gandalf and spot 2 Hobbits to remove for each Shadow card you can spot. You may not play or replace a site until the regroup phase.
"'Be careful, both of you.'"
3 V 31

Fireworks (V)
Event • Fellowship
Spell. Tale.
Exert Gandalf to play a tale condition from your discard pile. Then heal a companion of that tale's culture.
"'The finest rockets ever seen: / they burst in stars of blue and green…'"
3 V 32

Deep In Thought (V)
Event • Fellowship
To play, remove Gandalf from the game. At the start of the regroup phase, play Gandalf from your draw deck or discard pile to heal each companion and discard each Shadow condition borne by each companion.
"He was… trying to recall every memory of his former journey in the Mines, and considering anxiously the next course that he should take…"
3 V 30

[DáinIronfoot]

Depart Silently (V)
Event • Fellowship
Stealth.
Exert Gandalf to remove for each Shadow card you can spot. You may not play or replace a site until the regroup phase.
"'Be careful, both of you.'"
3 V 31

Ah yes, the only stealth card EVER. What a waste on Big D's part. So much potential....

Anyway, this looks alright. Relies on the Shadow using some support cards, but this really wrecks Moria, Corsairs, archery, and others...and that's probably a good thing, as they can get a bit out of hand sometimes. Might be a touch TOO powerful, though...perhaps require spotting a Hobbit as well?

Fireworks (V)
Event • Fellowship
Spell. Tale.
Spot Gandalf to play a tale condition from your discard pile. Then heal a companion of that tale's culture.
"'The finest rockets ever seen: / they burst in stars of blue and green…'"
3 V 32

Excellent...tale is another keyword I think should have been on several cards. A bit too much for just , though...I'd exert Gandalf instead.

Deep In Thought (V)
Event • Maneuver
To play, remove Gandalf from the game. At the start of the regroup phase, play Gandalf from your draw deck or discard pile to heal each companion and discard each Shadow condition borne by a companion.
"He was… trying to recall every memory of his former journey in the Mines, and considering anxiously the next course that he should take…"
3 V 30

Awfully powerful, even for . I'd make it a fellowship event so you can use it less often AND so the Shadow player can make better use of that twilight.

Does this remove ALL Shadow conditions on ALL companions, or just all Shadow conditions borne by one specific companion? A little ambiguous....

[Thranduil]

Changed all according to your suggestions. The thing with Deep in Thought being fellowship is it saves the twilight for Gandalf when moving on, but I guess the adding offsets that a bit!

And I have to say, stealth was always a real nothing. There was so much potential in those early keywords and they just forgot about all of them after a while (except for spell, pipeweed and tale).

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Depart Silently would probably be okay spotting just one Hobbit (even if it IS Frodo), but 2 is alright, I s'pose.

[Thranduil]

Depart Silently would probably be okay spotting just one Hobbit (even if it IS Frodo), but 2 is alright, I s'pose.

I just thought it was particularly funny given its lore! :hey:

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

True, true. I thought about that. It's fine, I guess...just don't be shocked if other reviewers tell you it's underpowered.

[sickofpalantirs]

Depart Silently (V)
Event • Fellowship
Stealth.
Exert Gandalf and spot 2 Hobbits to remove for each Shadow card you can spot. You may not play or replace a site until the regroup phase.
"'Be careful, both of you.'"
3 V 31
fine

Fireworks (V)
Event • Fellowship
Spell. Tale.
Exert Gandalf to play a tale condition from your discard pile. Then heal a companion of that tale's culture.
"'The finest rockets ever seen: / they burst in stars of blue and green…'"
3 V 32
fine by me

Deep In Thought (V)
Event • Fellowship
To play, remove Gandalf from the game. At the start of the regroup phase, play Gandalf from your draw deck or discard pile to heal each companion and discard each Shadow condition borne by each companion.
"He was… trying to recall every memory of his former journey in the Mines, and considering anxiously the next course that he should take…"
3 V 30

would the regroup phase thing work? seeing as how the event would be gone. works for me.

[Thranduil]

would the regroup phase thing work? seeing as how the event would be gone.

I have to say I was wondering the same thing. I think it would as it's part of the event. And cards do what they say, so I thought it would be fine. I'm less than certain though.

Thranduil

[sickofpalantirs]

might be better as a condition...you can only use it 3 times anyway

[Thranduil]

Man have the last 2 days been boring - not a single post in the Chamber of Marzarbul!

I'm going to rectify that with a few fun cards. Comments on the last cards would also be appreciated though.

Unknown Perils (V)
Condition • Support Area
Each time a minion is played, you may spot Gandalf and add to add a token here.
Regroup: Remove X tokens from this condition and spot Gandalf to make a Shadow player discard their minion, where X is the current region number.
"Suddenly he stopped as if listening. Frodo became aware that all was very quiet, inside and outside."
3 V 36

Trust Me As You Once Did (V)
Event • Regroup
Spot Gandalf to heal each Hobbit or each other fellowship companion.
"'Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not trying to rob you. I am trying to help you.'"
3 V 35

• Narya (V)
Artifact • Ring
Vit: +1
Bearer must be Gandalf (even if he is a follower).
Each time the fellowship moves to a site with a Shadow number of 2 or higher, you may make a Shadow player discard their condition.
"'For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill.'"
3 V 34

[DáinIronfoot]

Man have the last 2 days been boring - not a single post in the Chamber of Marzarbul!

Yeah, I'm in the final week of my master's...busier than ever. Where's lem0n, though?

Unknown Perils (V)
Condition • Support Area
Each time a minion is played, you may spot Gandalf to add a token here.
Regroup: Remove X tokens from this condition and spot Gandalf to make a Shadow player discard their minion, where X is the current region number.
"Suddenly he stopped as if listening. Frodo became aware that all was very quiet, inside and outside."
3 V 36

Seems too easy. I'd make X the twilight cost of that minion instead and add more tokens when minions are played, and/or exert Gandalf at some point. As written now, even in region 3, you get to discard every third minion essentially for free!

Trust Me As You Once Did (V)
Event • Regroup
Spot Gandalf to heal each Hobbit or each other fellowship companion.
"'Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not trying to rob you. I am trying to help you.'"
3 V 35

A good successor to the original.

• Narya (V)
Artifact • Ring
Vit: +1
Bearer must be Gandalf (even if he is a follower).
Each time the fellowship moves to a site with a Shadow number of 2 or higher, you may make a Shadow player discard their condition.
"'For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill.'"
3 V 34

Since a follower can potentially bear this, might be better to make the vitality bonus conditional on if he is a companion. Nifty otherwise, though.