More Virtual Cards (Cruel Caradhras, take II)

[DáinIronfoot]

• Uruk Captain (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
.
Damage +1.
When you play Uruk Captain, you may exert X or minions to make the Free Peoples player exert X companions.
Each time Uruk Captain wins a skirmish, you may heal an minion.
2 V 46

I'd limit that first part to playing him, say, at a battleground, or while you control a site.

Beyond the Height of Men (V)
Event • Response
.
If an Uruk-hai wins a skirmish, exert a companion or exert that minion to take control of a site.
"'Whom do you serve?'"
2 V 39

So does an event with the " keyword" qualify as an event as well? The text is a little confusing...COULD be read as "exert a companion to take control of a site". For clarity, I'd change it to:

If an Uruk-hai wins a skirmish, choose one: exert a companion; or exert that minion to take control of a site.

Savagery to Match Their Numbers (V)
Event • Skirmish

Choose one: make an Uruk-hai strength +1 for each wound on each character in its skirmish; or make an Uruk-hai strength +1 for each other Uruk-hai you can spot.
1 V 139

Again, I'd rather save that sort of thing to be more berserker-exclusive, but fair enough.

[Thranduil]

So does an event with the " keyword" qualify as an event as well?

Yes it does!

The text is a little confusing...COULD be read as "exert a companion to take control of a site". For clarity, I'd change it to:

If an Uruk-hai wins a skirmish, choose one: exert a companion; or exert that minion to take control of a site.

Yeah, fair enough.

Thranduil

[Elf_Lvr]

• Uruk Captain (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
.
Damage +1.
When you play Uruk Captain, you may exert X or minions to make the Free Peoples player exert X companions.
Each time Uruk Captain wins a skirmish, you may heal an minion.
2 V 46

Fair enough.

Beyond the Height of Men (V)
Event • Response
.
If an Uruk-hai wins a skirmish, choose one: exert a companion; or exert that minion to take control of a site.
"'Whom do you serve?'"
2 V 39

It's okay. The ability should really warrant a lower cost, but, of course, it can't.

Savagery to Match Their Numbers (V)
Event • Skirmish

Choose one: make an Uruk-hai strength +1 for each wound on each character in its skirmish; or make an Uruk-hai strength +1 for each other Uruk-hai you can spot.
1 V 139

Nice.

[Thranduil]

It's okay. The ability should really warrant a lower cost, but, of course, it can't.

Then what would you suggest to warrant the cost it has?

For now, I feel like some trackers! Now I noticed that the first tracker was in Mines of Moria and there were none in the first set. That has obviously been remedied (you've seen at least one already: Lurtz). The first two are pretty staple, with the second being an inverse of the Ranger's Sword (V). The third is a bit more different though.

Uruk Messenger (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 7
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Tracker.
While you can spot an condition and another tracker, this minion is not roaming.
1 V 149

Uruk Scout (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 8
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Tracker.
While you can spot another tracker, this minion is not roaming.
While skirmishing a ranger or hunter, this minion gains hunter 1.
2 V 47

Uruk Spy (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 7
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Tracker.
Maneuver: Exert this minion to reveal the Free Peoples player's hand and choose a revealed Free Peoples card. The Free Peoples player must exert a companion of that culture or discard that card from hand.
1 V 155

[DáinIronfoot]

Uruk Messenger (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 7
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Tracker.
While you can spot an condition and a tracker, this minion is not roaming.
1 V 149

Probably best to say "another tracker" for clarity.

• Uruk Scout (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 8
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Tracker.
While you can spot a tracker, this minion is not roaming.
While skirmishing a ranger or hunter, this minion gains hunter 1.
2 V 47

Same comment on the roaming here, but fine otherwise.

Uruk Spy (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 7
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Tracker.
Maneuver: Exert this minion to reveal the Free Peoples player's hand and choose a revealed Free Peoples card. The Free Peoples player must exert a companion of that culture or discard that card from hand.
1 V 155

Nifty.

A note I just thought of...old-school trackers were of a rare breed: they were fierce instead of damage +1. You may want to consider doing that with these guys as well.

[Thranduil]

A note I just thought of...old-school trackers were of a rare breed: they were fierce instead of damage +1. You may want to consider doing that with these guys as well.

You're right, the Towers trackers were all fierce, but the few fellowship trackers (there might have been only 1, I can't remember) was damage +1 and I've so far been completely avoiding fierce for uruks instead trying to make their damage bonuses matter. You never know though, I may come back to this good point you've made!

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Just FYI. There was indeed only one tracker in Fellowship block: Uruk Scout. I appreciate you tying in rangers to your rewrite like the text on the original. Nice touch. Don't think I don't notice these things! I am Mr. Old School.

[Thranduil]

I have no idea what theme unites the following 3 (apart from the fact that they were all close together in my document ), but these are some Uruks with funky tricks.

Uruk Fighter (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
.
Damage +1.
At the start of each phase, spot an condition to heal this minion.
1 V 146

Uruk Rager (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
Maneuver: Exert this minion to make a companion lose all gametext keywords until the regroup phase. That companion may exert to prevent this.
1 V 150

Uruk Shaman (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
Each time you play an spell, you may heal an or minion.
1 V 152

[Elf_Lvr]

Uruk Fighter (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
.
Damage +1.
At the start of each phase, spot an condition to heal this minion.
1 V 146

Odd. I'm not sure how useful this is... or how fitting this ability is for a "fighter."

Uruk Rager (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
Maneuver: Exert this minion to make a companion lose all gametext keywords until the regroup phase. That companion may exert to prevent this.
1 V 150

Good enough.

Uruk Shaman (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 2
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
Each time you play an spell, you may heal an or minion.
1 V 152

Neat. Especially a good ability for the "shaman."

[Thranduil]

Odd. I'm not sure how useful this is... or how fitting this ability is for a "fighter."

There are quite a lot of cards which will exert Uruks, and this fighter is always there to be exerted.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

They all seem fine to me.

[Thranduil]

Well let's finish off the week with a bang (of sorts). Firstly, a dull but nasty Uruk.

Uruk Slayer (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 13
Vit: 1
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
While at a battleground site, this minion is damage +1.
1 V 153

Second, an Uruk with a little twist.

Uruk Guard (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Enduring.
"'Wolves and orcs were housed in Isengard, for Saruman was mustering a great force…'"
1 V 147

Third, an Uruk with an even bigger twist.

Uruk Brood (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
When you play this minion, you may exert X Orcs to make this minion's twilight cost -X.
"'He does not see the caverns hidden deep beneath this tower… nor does he know what is going on there.'"
1 V 145

Orcs AND Uruk-hai - what is he thinking? :hey: Remember that this can also work as an extension to the / partnership being developed in Hunters block thanks to Saruman's Ambition (V).

Now for a couple of token cards.

Breeding Pit (V)
Possession • Support Area
.
Shadow: Play an Uruk-hai and remove to add an token here.
Shadow: Discard this possession to play an Uruk-hai from your hand. Its twilight cost is -1 for each token here.
"'He is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight, and cover great distances at speed.'"
1 V 122

Uruk-hai Armory (V)
Possession • Support Area
.
Shadow: Play a possession on your Uruk-hai to add an token here.
Shadow: Discard this condition and exert an Uruk-hai to play X possessions from your discard pile on your Uruk-hai, where X is the number of tokens here.
1 V 157

And for the final exhibit, a card that unites all subcultures under Saruman's influence. Though I don't know whether Saruman's Ambition (V) would apply to minions not in play...

Servants to Saruman (V)
Event • Shadow
Choose one: exert an Orc to play an Uruk-hai from your draw deck; exert an Uruk-hai to play an Orc from your discard pile; or exert Saruman to play an minion from your draw deck or discard pile, then remove this event from the game.
"'This is grevious news concerning Saruman… for we trusted him and he is deep in all our counsels.'"
3 V 70

[DáinIronfoot]

Uruk Slayer (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 13
Vit: 1
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
While at a battleground site, this minion is damage +1.
1 V 153

Nasty, indeed! No complaints, though.

Uruk Guard (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Enduring.
"'Wolves and orcs were housed in Isengard, for Saruman was mustering a great force…'"
1 V 147

Seems an oddly-titled Uruk to get enduring, but it's certainly balanced and all.

Uruk Brood (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
When you play this minion, you may exert X Orcs to make this minion's twilight cost -X.
"'He does not see the caverns hidden deep beneath this tower… nor does he know what is going on there.'"
1 V 145

Odd, but okay. Actually makes sense storywise considering how the Orcs kind of cultivated the Uruks.

Breeding Pit (V)
Possession • Support Area
.
Shadow: Play an Uruk-hai and remove to add an token here.
Shadow: Discard this possession to play an Uruk-hai from your hand. Its twilight cost is -1 for each token here.
"'He is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight, and cover great distances at speed.'"
1 V 122

Hmmm. I THINK it's balanced, though being non-unique frightens me a little.

Uruk-hai Armory (V)
Possession • Support Area
.
Shadow: Play a possession on your Uruk-hai to add an token here.
Shadow: Discard this condition and exert an Uruk-hai to play X possessions on your Uruk-hai from your discard pile, where X is the number of tokens here.
1 V 157

Since you have enduring Uruks, I'd exclude them from the exerting. But seems okay otherwise. MAYBE limit it to possessions.

Servants to Saruman (V)
Event • Shadow
Choose one: exert an Orc to play an Uruk-hai from your draw deck; exert an Uruk-hai to play an Orc from your discard pile; or exert Saruman to play an minion from your draw deck or discard pile, then remove this event from the game.
"'This is grevious news concerning Saruman… for we trusted him and he is deep in all our counsels.'"
3 V 70

Nice one!

[Thranduil]

Actually makes sense storywise considering how the Orcs kind of cultivated the Uruks.

And you'll be seeing more of that as next it's the Orcs! :hey:

Thranduil

[Elf_Lvr]

Uruk Slayer (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 13
Vit: 1
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
While at a battleground site, this minion is damage +1.
1 V 153

Okay, I suppose.

Uruk Guard (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
. Damage +1. Enduring.
"'Wolves and orcs were housed in Isengard, for Saruman was mustering a great force…'"
1 V 147

Fine.

Uruk Brood (V)
Minion • Uruk-hai
Str: 9
Vit: 3
Sit: 5
. Damage +1.
When you play this minion, you may exert X Orcs to make this minion's twilight cost -X.
"'He does not see the caverns hidden deep beneath this tower… nor does he know what is going on there.'"
1 V 145

Neat.

Breeding Pit (V)
Possession • Support Area
.
Shadow: Play an Uruk-hai and remove to add an token here.
Shadow: Discard this possession to play an Uruk-hai from your hand. Its twilight cost is -1 for each token here.
"'He is breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight, and cover great distances at speed.'"
1 V 122

Needs unique, I think. Four of these would make a / hybrid swarm work a little too well. 

Uruk-hai Armory (V)
Possession • Support Area
.
Shadow: Play a possession on your Uruk-hai to add an token here.
Shadow: Discard this condition and exert an Uruk-hai to play X possessions on your Uruk-hai from your discard pile, where X is the number of tokens here.
1 V 157

I like Dain's suggestion of limiting it to only possessions. It helps the balance a lot.

Servants to Saruman (V)
Event • Shadow
Choose one: exert an Orc to play an Uruk-hai from your draw deck; exert an Uruk-hai to play an Orc from your discard pile; or exert Saruman to play an minion from your draw deck or discard pile, then remove this event from the game.
"'This is grevious news concerning Saruman… for we trusted him and he is deep in all our counsels.'"
3 V 70

I think playing minions from your deck warrants a cost of .