More Virtual Cards (Cruel Caradhras, take II)

[Thranduil]

Hmm you didnt deal with my issue Thran, before you moved on. I dont review to be ignored!  Dont you see my point?

Yes, I exactly see your point. But I can't imagine it's that much more abusable than Armor of the White City and it's such a great text-title relationship that I couldn't resist it! Are there obvious ways which would make it broken?

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

Yes, I exactly see your point. But I can't imagine it's that much more abusable than Armor of the White City and it's such a great text-title relationship that I couldn't resist it! Are there obvious ways which would make it broken?
Thranduil

*Grumble* Forgot about that stupid armor. And no darnit, i cant find an obvious one right now.... *mutter* 

[Anvar]

These are all excellent cards, really captures the title and flavour text. Good work.

And No Mere Ranger doesn't need a limit to 1 per bearer. I say put 4 on Aragorn if you really want to.

[Thranduil]

Are we sure that NSttS is not underpowered?

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

Well if youre at a zero point site yes but if youre at a 3 its quality. Why would it be UP in general?

[Thranduil]

Most cost skirmish events give guaranteed +2 with an option for +3 or +4, where as this one is not a guaranteed anything and could be anywhere between 0 and 3. I was just worried it wasn't powerful enough.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

No further comments, really. They're very different from the originals, of course, but there's no sense continuing to emphasize that I think they should do something similiar to the original versions.

Now, you may continue your debate.

[lem0nhead]

Besides Dains good point, i guess its just the risk you take with this event.

[Thranduil]

So noone but me thinks it's underpowered! Well that's fair enough then. I guess I'll move on!

I quite like Boromir, so let's have some of his gear I reckon:

• Blade of Gondor (V)
Possession • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Bearer must be a Man.
Bearer is damage +1.
If bearer is Boromir, each time he wins a skirmish you may heal a fellowship or companion with resistance 5 or more.
1 V 95

• Shield of Boromir (V)
Possession • Shield
Res: +1
Bearer must be a Man.
While at a battleground site, bearer is strength +1.
If bearer is Boromir, he is defender +1.
2 V 38

• Horn of Boromir (V)
Possession
Bearer must be Boromir.
While Boromir bears a follower, he is strength +2.
At the start of each skirmish involving Boromir, you may exert him to play a skirmish event from your discard pile.
"On a baldric he wore a great horn tippled with silver…
3 V 42

• Boromir's Cloak (V)
Possession • Cloak
Bearer must be Boromir.
Response: If Boromir is about to take a wound in a skirmish, add a burden or discard this possession to prevent that wound.
"He was cloaked and booted as if for a journey on horseback; and indeed though his garments were rich, and his cloak was lined with fur, they were stained with long travel."
1 V 98

The point being here that Lord of Gondor (V) can replace other skirmishing fellowship companions.

[Elf_Lvr]

• Blade of Gondor (V)
Possession • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Bearer must be a Man.
If bearer is Boromir, he is damage +1.
While skirmishing a Man, bearer is strength +1.
1 V 95

Honestly, I think I like the original better. If there was any card I'd prefer to be more like the original, it'd be this. Maybe change the strength bonus to reference Orcs and Uruk-hai?

• Shield of Boromir (V)
Possession • Shield
Str: +1
Res: +1
Bearer must be a Man.
If bearer is Boromir, he is defender +1.
2 V 38

Very cool. Maybe a bit easy for a defender bonus, but seems good at that sort of thing.

• Horn of Boromir (V)
Possession
Bearer must be Boromir.
While Boromir bears a follower, he is strength +2.
Skirmish: If Boromir is skirmishing, exert him to play a skirmish event from your discard pile.
"On a baldric he wore a great horn tippled with silver…
3 V 42

That's a lot of good stuff for a free card. But I guess the other Horn of Boromir is pretty super-good, too...

Can we have a cloak, too?

[Thranduil]

Honestly, I think I like the original better. If there was any card I'd prefer to be more like the original, it'd be this. Maybe change the strength bonus to reference Orcs and Uruk-hai?

Isn't the original on the X-list? Certainly it could be Orc or Uruk-hai, but Men are historically very good at beating down on other Men, which is why I chose it.

Can we have a cloak, too?

I actually forgot about that cloak, but it is rather different. But okay, I'll add it to the original, even though it only makes real sense when you consider my Elven Cloak (V) entry for my contest (which you can check out in the round-winner's thread).

EDIT: In fact, it is now in the original post.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

• Blade of Gondor (V)
Possession • Hand Weapon
Str: +2
Bearer must be a Man.
If bearer is Boromir, he is damage +1.
While skirmishing a Man, bearer is strength +1.
1 V 95

Um...the "Man" part makes no sense to me. Boromir was, through and through, an opponent of Sauron's armies, which mostly meant Orcs and Uruks. So I'd make it an Orc (or maybe even an Orc OR Uruk-hai) instead.

• Shield of Boromir (V)
Possession • Shield
Str: +1
Res: +1
Bearer must be a Man.
If bearer is Boromir, he is defender +1.
2 V 38

Nice. A little leary on the strength bonus, but it's fair enough.

• Horn of Boromir (V)
Possession
Bearer must be Boromir.
While Boromir bears a follower, he is strength +2.
Skirmish: If Boromir is skirmishing, exert him to play a skirmish event from your discard pile.
"On a baldric he wore a great horn tippled with silver…
3 V 42

I'd limit that skirmish ability to "at the start of each skirmish involving Borormir" thing.

• Boromir's Cloak (V)
Event • Response
If a fellowship companion is about to take a wound, spot Boromir and add a burden to prevent that wound.
Each time the fellowship moves, you may exert Boromir (or transfer Boromir to your support area) to take this event into hand from your discard pile.
"He was cloaked and booted as if for a journey on horseback; and indeed though his garments were rich, and his cloak was lined with fur, they were stained with long travel."
1 V 98

Not a fan of your winning Elven Cloak, personally...sorry! Not a fan of this either, but that's probably just me, so leave it up to other reviewers.

[Thranduil]

Not a fan of your winning Elven Cloak, personally...sorry! Not a fan of this either, but that's probably just me, so leave it up to other reviewers.

I'll explain myself: there were loads of different armours and cloaks in the early days, and they were all useless and unimaginative (observe Armor, Coat of Mail, Elven Cloak, Heavy Chain, Great Shield, Footman's Armor, Riding Armor) and were never used. Decipher only designed some decent armours really when they got to T & D with the Armor of the White City and Shield of the White Tree. So my goal here was to make a mechanic to replace those armours with something good and decent. And so I hit upon a response event which was easily recyclable.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

I understand the concept. But while I agree that many early armors/shields were certainly not very flashy, they ARE still very effective and useful. I use Coat of Mail in a couple different decks, and have used good old Armor a time or two as well.

If it were me redoing all the Fellowship block cards, though, I would instead design them as possessions that are better and more useful than the originals. Events just seem very, very odd to me.

But again, that's me. Wait and see what others say before you go changing everything.

[Anvar]

I think that I like the idea of making cloaks into events better than the reality of discovering that they are no longer possessions... I think that having elven cloak as an event might be fine, since there are lots of them, but I would prefer Boromir's cloak to actually be a possession. Also, although the uniqueness doesn't do anything on an event, it is unnecessarily confusing and could perplex anyone who uses this card.

I'm afraid that your Blade of Gondor is rather boring. The original is certainly not on the X-list and is very cool and interesting. Only getting +1 and only against Uruk-Hai seems very uninspiring. How about conditional enduring? Perhaps enduring against Orcs or Uruk-hai?