Next Updates for the Hobbit Draft Game

[-Enola-]

Thank you for your useful comments.

After some minor tests, I change a bit the Azog's Army and the Bolg's Army. See here
http://hobbitdraftgame.free.fr/Next_Updates.html

And also the Secret Door and Jail, it will be much more simple like that. Danger Wrapped in Shadows searchs a card.

And Crawling Evil, Enchanted River, Terrifying Legend and Bolg, Servant of Sauron.

[Durin's Heir]

You're welcome my fellow!

- Jail:
- Secret Door:
- Danger Wrapped in Shadows:


Azog's Army:

- The Wolves Army: "When you play this minion, you may play a card from your draw deck or discard pile." Like Host of Moria, but also from draw deck. Cool! This new skill will allow the now unique Dark Bats to always stay on the board, from the very beginning.

- Dark Bats: "Maneuver: Spot a minion and discard 3 cards from hand to add ". Seems a very nice skill, besides now is unique and stays on the board . But at sites 4 or 5 will be overpowered, allows for easy swarms if the Company hasn't yet set up and Azog's forces are no longer roaming (and also cost -1 at a battleground). So I'd change it to add twilight according to the current site number: "Maneuver: Spot a minion at site X and discard 3 cards from hand to add ". At site 8 would be equal, at site 9 would be slightly better.


Esgaroth Pack:

- Terrifying Legend: I like this change. Both versions have the built-in drawback of allowing Dale men to fight/shoot, but the previous version had a built-in skill to discard it and thus get rid of the drawback (the same problem of Stealth Sorcery). As a general rule, conditions/items with a built-in drawback shouldn't be self-discardable (He Is Summoning His Servants is a good example to follow).

There is a misspelling in "overwelming" (the "h" is missing). Your new version is very powerful, I'd limit it a bit. I'd change the "wound a companion" part to "exert 2 companions": flying from Erebor to kill men at Esgaroth and then returning to Erebor just to hurt a Dwarf doesn't seem lore-consistent, while exerting 2 companions at your choice can reflect Smaug's ruthless idea of hurting Bilbo by killing those innocents who helped him. I'd also change the "if you spot Smaug" part to "if Smaug himself overwhelmed that character":

Terrifying Legend [No culture]
Condition • Support area
If you can spot Smaug, Man allies may participate in archery fire and skirmishes.
Each time a Free Peoples character is overwhelmed, you may discard a Free Peoples possession or a Man ally (and exert 2 companions if Smaug overwhelmed that character).


Wizard Pack:

- "Crawling Evil   -> Enchanted River": Seems a wise idea to merge both into one, and clear a Shadow card slot in the Mirkwood Pack for Old Bitterness. The Wizard Pack must depict Gandalf and his friends, mostly Radagast, and as such the Shadow side must choose between Wargs, Nazgul, Sauron and Spiders. Though I'd rather have something else for Spiders (a big minion perhaps, as Radagast doesn't face the Enchanted River), this change still helps the Spiders while clearing a slot in the Mirkwood Pack.

If you change your mind and want to add a Spider minion instead, this one might fit the needs:

•Spawns of Ungoliant [Spider]
Minion • Spider
Strength 10  Vitality 3  Site 5
Fierce.
During a fierce skirmish involving this minion, it is strength +3 and damage +1.
Shadow: At a forest site, play this minion from your discard pile.
"'But worse are the webs... Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones... I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur.'"

A self-replayable, splashable minion. Can soak arrows and help both a Swarm or a Beatdown shadow given the high strength and low cost. And can distract Thorin by forcing him to kill it before there's a fierce skirmish. The fierce skirmish bonus is the same as Uruk Plains Runner or Uruk Foot Soldier, but with much higher attributes.


Mirkwood Pack:

- Bolg, Servant of Sauron: Clever change. What can I add here?

- Old Bitterness: I like this event a lot; I'll post an event for Smaug with a similar idea. But it's undeniably overpowered to block a Dwarf defender at the later sites (Dwalin is key against swarm, Thorin is key against Smaug and other strong minions), besides not being lore-consistent as the Elvenking rules only until site 5. At sites 6 and higher shouldn't block a defender, but instead do something softer like exert both the Mirkwood Elf and the Dwarf companion you spot. With that power reduction, reduce the cost to .

Old Bitterness
Event • Maneuver
Spot an ally whose home is site 5 and a companion. At sites 1 to 5, make that companion cannot be assigned to a skirmish until the regroup phase. At any other site, exert both characters.
"I will keep you all in prison until you have learned sense and manners!"

Your lore text was very well chosen...


Bolg's Army:

- Hidden Attack: Extremely powerful. Play this at maneuver to exhaust Thorin, then kill him at archery phase with Bolg, Captain and merely 3 doubts. I'd change it to regroup phase, and also change Bolg's archery skill to either wound an unwounded companion, or merely exert any Dwarf companion.


I still owe you the revision of the Nazgul cards.

[Durin's Heir]

Nazguls:

- Ulaire Attea: The effect is softer, which is good, and the cost is now both unpredictable (the Orc isn't in play to be spotted) and uncounterable (the Orc can't be killed). Clever balance! I like the new synergy with the new Enquea/Cantea and the "Orc-returning" Nazguls. The extra bonus might be "(or +2 at a forest or battleground)", considering that Dol Guldur was an "abandoned fortress".


- Ulaire Enquea & Ulaire Cantea: I think it's good to change them from grinding engines to strength enhancers for the whole group, that way the Nine retake their main role of fierce skirmishers. However, both have the exact same text (and thus both need another card returning an Orc in order to trigger). I'd rather have Cantea (the lesser in vitality) change his skill from passive to active: "Shadow: Exert Ulaire Cantea and return an Orc to your hand to make each minion strength +1 until the regroup phase". That way, by himself he'll be able to return up to 2 Orcs and reap the benefits immediatly, and if Enquea is present you'll double that effect.


- Ulaire Nertea: Makes sense to play minions in Shadow phase; the Orc just returned to hand can also be discarded to play another Nazgul with He Is Summoning His Servants. I miss a bit the replaying skill at skirmish, merely due to returning a Nazgul just defeated back to the fight, but that isn't so important and the new version is much more useful.

Regarding the idea of returning to play a Nazgul just killed, there's another way to achieve that. I made this card, based on Plundered Armories:

Not So Easily Restrained
Condition • Support Area
Response: If your card is discarded, remove or discard 2 Shadow cards from your hand to play it from your discard pile; it's twilight cost is -3.
"'There is something at work beyond the evil of Smaug. Something far more powerful. We can remain blind to it, but it will not be ignoring us, that I can promise you.'"

I know this one can't be included in this Nazgul Pack, but wanted to post it anyway, for future Extensions. It's made to protect your conditions (including itself), preserve your weapons (in the film, when a Nazgul was defeated often another one took his weapon), and return your recently killed minions to action. The 2 options provided allow to pay again the twilight cost of the Nazgul (-1), or to pay with cards from hand if the twilight is scarce.


- Ulaire Ostea: This change seems wise. If Nazgul play mostly from discard pile, they won't need to draw too much cards (and Hatred Rekindled does the cycling). And given their high cost (and the additional cost of having to play Orcs), to have more twilight will be much more useful. Great!


Now I owe you solely the new "Smaug vs Thorin & Company" Thematic Pack.

[-Enola-]

We will make a playtest thursday evening. So I already print all the new cards, I will consider your ideas for the next updates .


Azog's Army:

- Dark Bats: There is a similar condition in LOTR TCG : Oath Sworn, Dark Bats is far better and only Azog can replay minions from the discard pile, no way to stack minions.... Azog is also the main target of wounding events, Kili...


Esgaroth Pack:

- Terrifying Legend: Ok thank you for the correction. We will first test with this version, but the Smaug add-on must be strong against the assignment of the [Dale] allies.


Wizard Pack:

- "Crawling Evil   -> Enchanted River": I prefer a card which could be useful for different Shadows and a bit better for one. A strong Spider will only help the Spider Shadow .


Mirkwood Pack:

- Old Bitterness: The cost of this event is the cost of a middle minion, and allies can now easily participate to skirmishes, replacing a companion. But I agree that a strong companion (Dwalin or Thorin) could be too powerful in region 3. I will probably change it for :
"Spot an ally whose home is site 5 to exert a companion. At sites 1 to 5, that companion cannot be assigned to a skirmish until the regroup phase."



Bolg's Army:

- Hidden Attack: We will first test it, but you're right we will probably change it. There is a similar event in LOTR TCG : Last Gasp. This event must be also useful for other Shadows (like Gollum, Wargs, or Azog's Army...).


Nazguls:

- Ulaire Attea: Ok I will see for the battleground idea, but I prefer that Shadows focus only on one site keyword.

- Ulaire Enquea & Ulaire Cantea: I prefer a passive effect for the returning Orcs for at least 2 Nazguls, it's not a problem if it's the same effect. We could change it after some tests.

Not So Easily Restrained: This condition could be good, but not for now.

[Durin's Heir]

We will make a playtest thursday evening. So I already print all the new cards, I will consider your ideas for the next updates .

Cheers! Have a nice playtesting time!

Not So Easily Restrained: This condition could be good, but not for now.

Great!

- Dark Bats: There is a similar condition in LOTR TCG : Oath Sworn, Dark Bats is far better and only Azog can replay minions from the discard pile, no way to stack minions.... Azog is also the main target of wounding events, Kili...

Hmmm, that's right, but a flooded pool isn't only useful to play minions with Azog, it discourages the FP player to double move. And Oath Sworn costs more, doesn't reduce the cost of cards and requires as trigger to ditch the whole hand (you can even use Dark Bats to merely cycle).

If the twilight addition was in accordance to the site number, there'd be a stronger lore flavour (the Bats were used at the very end), the addition would be the same at 8 and a bit better at 9, and that power reduction at lower sites would balance the huge impact this great card will have when in play. This card can be pulled from draw deck (and replayed if discarded) with The Wolves Army, so there are big chances to have it from the very start until the very end.

Oath Sworn is a mighty post-Movie Block trick. When Shadows came, the balance of cards was severely impaired, and anyway there were big tricks on both sides. I think the Company should have a proper time to assemble, before flooding the pool with by merely discarding 3 cards. Don't missunderstand me: I love the new Dark Bats concept. But just want to balance it with the current strength of FP characters and tricks. Playtesting will tell...

I agree that Azog is the main target of directed wounding, but Kili and Dawn Take You All work after maneuver phase, so only Battle of Azanulbizar and Burning Fir Cones must worry him.

- Terrifying Legend: Ok thank you for the correction. We will first test with this version, but the Smaug add-on must be strong against the assignment of the [Dale] allies.

What about this? "Each time... is overwhelmed, you may discard a Free Peoples possession or a Man ally (and exhaust a companion if Smaug overwhelmed that character)". Powerful. When the Company saw the burning ruins of Esgaroth, not only Bilbo but everyone except Thorin went overcome by guilt and pain. Perhaps "(and exhaust a companion, except Thorin, if Smaug overwhelmed that character)" to reflect that cold-heartedness of Thorin.

Or "(and spot X doubts to exert X companions if Smaug overwhelmed that character)". I'm just spitting out ideas .

- "Crawling Evil   -> Enchanted River": I prefer a card which could be useful for different Shadows and a bit better for one. A strong Spider will only help the Spider Shadow .

Spawns of Ungoliant can help almost any Shadow strategy: you can play from discard at forest sites, and Watchful Orc turns sites into forests for the purpose. These cheap Spiders can be useful to take FP arrows, to pull another minion for a Swarm and to exhaust or distract strong fighters. Only corruption doesn't get a direct benefit. The key card line is the "Shadow: Play from discard" ability.

- Old Bitterness: The cost of this event is the cost of a middle minion, and allies can now easily participate to skirmishes, replacing a companion. But I agree that a strong companion (Dwalin or Thorin) could be too powerful in region 3. I will probably change it for :
"Spot an ally whose home is site 5 to exert a companion. At sites 1 to 5, that companion cannot be assigned to a skirmish until the regroup phase."

I thought of something similar. But there's a small problem: if a Dwarf can't be exerted, he can't be jailed with that wording. And an exhausted person should be much easier to put into a jail , so I'd change it to this:

"Spot an ally whose home is site 5 to spot a companion. Exert that companion. At sites 1 to 5, that companion cannot be assigned to a skirmish until the regroup phase."

The exact same effect, but you can now choose an exhausted Dwarf. 5 card lines.

- Hidden Attack: We will first test it, but you're right we will probably change it. There is a similar event in LOTR TCG : Last Gasp. This event must be also useful for other Shadows (like Gollum, Wargs, or Azog's Army...).

I think that's not enterely true. Hidden Attack is NOT a splashable, standalone add-on card, it's part of a specific Shadow subculture (Bolg's Army), so doesn't need to be useful for Gollum/Wargs/Trolls, Goblins/Spiders, nor Smaug/Nazgul/Sauron. Just needs to be useful for Bolg's Army, and perhaps for Azog's Army and/or the Main Deck minions.

The main problem with this card is the combo with Bolg: you exhaust a Dwarf at maneuver, then you kill the Dwarf at archery. So if you change Bolg, that OP combo won't happen. But still worries me a lot the idea of exhausting any companion (Gandalf, Bilbo, Fili, Thorin) with a single event, and that's BEFORE shooting and fighting.

- Ulaire Attea: Ok I will see for the battleground idea, but I prefer that Shadows focus only on one site keyword.

- Ulaire Enquea & Ulaire Cantea: I prefer a passive effect for the returning Orcs for at least 2 Nazguls, it's not a problem if it's the same effect. We could change it after some tests.

That's right. But a small differentiation won't hurt anyone. Something like "Each time an Orc..., exert Ulaire Cantea to make each minion strength +1... and draw a card", for Cantea (he has less vitality). Or "and add ". Nothing relevant, just a bit different to remove that copy-paste feeling.

[-Enola-]

Ok I just change Hidden Attack for a regroup event and a cost 2, a new Old Bitterness, Cantea for your version and Terrifying Legend with one of your version .  

http://hobbitdraftgame.free.fr/Boosters2.html

[Durin's Heir]

- Hidden Attack: 2 twilight and at regroup seems fine. Just noted, you can kill Bilbo with this event and Gollum Bound to the Ring, if Bilbo bears The One Ring: play Hidden Attack to exhaust Bilbo, then discard The One Ring with Gollum for -1 vitality. If Elrond can't heal him he'll be dead.

But seems a good combo to me, expensive, improbable to have in your deck, and much less probable to have in hand with those circumstances (Elrond is absent/exhausted, 3 twilight, 3 surviving Orcs, that specific Gollum with 3 or more vitality).

- Terrifying Legend:

- Ulaire Cantea:

- Old Bitterness: This version seems balanced: still costs , and though works in higher sites than 5 the FP player chooses who won't fight. That means, if the Shadow player drafted the 2 copies, and has those 2 copies in hand (if if has up to 4x in a Constructed format), the FP player can choose the same Dwarf companion for each copy of Old Bitterness played.

Albeit those 2 points are balanced (it blocks a Dwarf AFTER site 5, vs the FP player can choose the same Dwarf twice or more), which is good for gameplay, those aren't consistent with lore so that worries me a bit: Thranduil shouldn't put a Dwarf in prison outside of his Woodland Realm, and Thranduil jailed not only 1 but each Dwarf of the Company. It'd worry me much more if those were unbalances in card power.

All in all, I like more your previous version (exert a Dwarf comp, and at sites 1 to 5, block him). I'd reduce its cost to only (considering you'll only direct an exertion to a Dwarf at site 6 or higher), and allow to choose any Dwarf, exhausted or not:

Old Bitterness
Event • Maneuver
Spot an ally whose home is site 5 to spot a companion. Exert that companion. At sites 1 to 5, that companion cannot be assigned to a skirmish until the regroup phase.

If you change " companion" for "Dwarf companion", and subsequently "companion" for "Dwarf", there'll be a bit of room for a small addition. Things like "you may draw 2 cards" (reflecting the delay this ancient grudge causes to the Company) or "at any other site, add " (the dissension between Dwarves, Elves and Men at the Siege of Erebor only feeds their enemies purpose). If any of those changes are introduced, makes more sense to make it a Shadow phase event, to take more advantage of twilight or card drawing:

#1
Old Bitterness
Event • Shadow
Spot an ally whose home is site 5 to spot a Dwarf companion. Exert that Dwarf and you may draw 2 cards. At sites 1 to 5, that Dwarf cannot be assigned to a skirmish until the regroup phase.

#2
Old Bitterness
Event • Shadow
Spot an ally whose home is site 5 to spot a Dwarf companion. Exert that Dwarf. At sites 1 to 5, that Dwarf cannot be assigned to a skirmish until the regroup phase. At any other site, add .

Anyway your current version is at least balanced.

Just some thoughts. Hope they can help you .

[Durin's Heir]

- Secret Door: I love the current version. But found a way to improve it a bit more, in respect of lore. If you can spot Thrór's Key it should be also an underground site, because immediatly after using the Key they moved inside (under) the mountain.

Secret Door
Site 7   Cost (8).
Mountain. While you can spot the Thror's Key, Secret Door is an underground and its Shadow number is -3.

That would only affect Goblin Sneak and Gollum, Small Slimy Creature. By now. As I said before, with each Extension those site keywords will get much more important.

That's all.

[-Enola-]

Ok, after some tests, we will probably have these next changes.

http://hobbitdraftgame.free.fr/Next_Updates.html


I will keep Secret Door with its simpler text .

[Durin's Heir]

- Bilbo, Master in Riddles: A limit seems wise. When Decipher forgot about adding them to new cards (Eomer TMoR, Forearmed, Cirdan, Eowyn LoI, Arwen QoEaM, Aegnor...) the game lost a lot of good playing experience.

Sauron
- Sauron, The Necromancer: Seems that only 1 doubt to prevent assignments was not enough. I believe it's because the and cultures don't have any way to take advantage of doubts (by spotting or removing), so piling up doubts is not useful unless Bilbo risks fleeing (corruption). Seems ok to increase the doubt toll to 2, but if you want an alternative you might add bonuses to and cards by spotting or removing doubts. Time ago, you said you wanted each Shadow culture to have a way to use doubts.

For instance, Danger Wrapped in Shadows might "exert Sauron or remove a doubt" to make a minion strength +2. That can represent the impossibility to escape the battle (as Bilbo said, "When faced with death, what can anyone do?"), or the understanding by The White Council of the need to attack Dol Guldur. In both cases, doubts and confusion in the FP characters are reduced, while the danger in the battlefield increases. With such kind of changes, the prevention of Sauron's skill can be only 1 doubt.

- Ring of Thrór: I didn't notice before, but the template you used with this card is a normal card template, but this card is an artifact. It'd be nice if you change it to the artifact template, like Ithil Stone or Sceptre of the Dark Lord.

Nazguls
- Dol Guldur Blade: The idea of playing a condition from draw deck is a very good improvement. But the strength +3 might be too much, considering the notorious rise in the pump skills of Attea, Toldea and Enquea. Try to keep that in mind in the next playtesting.

Smaug
- Smaug's Awakening:

Bolg's Army
- Hidden Attack: is too low. Compare it to Fires and Foul Fumes, which is more powerful but costs and 4 Orcs. In case a player has 2 copies in hand, will be too easy to repeat. That will happen often in a constructed format (when this Hobbit Draft Game gets through to Gemp ), so will be more balanced. Or "exert 2 Orcs" instead of "wound 2 Orcs". Or both, this card is really powerful.

Azog's Army
- Demolition Troll: Clever. To protect Azog, and a minimum of Goblins to pull the swarm . But I fear that Dark Bats will make too easy to remove that , so will be more balanced (more selective).

Mirkwood Pack
- Forest River:
- Old Bitterness: I think this card should have some correlation with the effect of Barrels (I know those are different packs). I mean, Thranduil retained the Company and then Bilbo responded with that escape towards Esgaroth. So if Barrels can make the move limit +1, Old Bitterness might make the move limit -1 by spotting a Mirkwood Elf. Given the huge power of that, the FP player might prevent that by paying a cost. There isn't yet a single Shadow card that reduces the move limit, and that's a powerful and important part of the game.

Old Bitterness
Event • Maneuver
Exert an Orc to exert a companion. You can spot an ally whose home site is 5 to make the move limit -1 this turn; the Free Peoples player may exert 2 companions to prevent that.

I believe it works well to depict the 2 moments when Thranduil and Thorin are confronted: when imprisoned at Mirkwood (site 5), and later at the Siege of Erebor (site 8). So there's no need of restraining this to sites 1 to 5.

Wizard Pack
- 3x Savage Warg -> 3x Hunting Pack: Seems a wise change here. Hunting Pack was overpowered in my opinion, and Savage Warg fits better with the Radagast theme.

Dain Pack
- Orc Banner: I like the idea. Allies have more importance here than in LOTR TCG.

Thorin Pack
- Dwarven Song: Awesome change here! Anyway it's useful mostly at the start of the game (like the original version of Eagles Are Coming) as this card doesn't allow, and there is not yet any other card that allows to recover possessions once they are discarded. Thorin recycles only artifacts while Balin only events. So I'd add something like this: "...from your draw deck (or from your discard pile if you exert a companion)." 5 lines with that addition.

Another option is to add this: "...to play X possessions from your draw deck and shuffle X cards from your discard pile into your draw deck." 5 lines too. The Quest of Erebor was meant to recover long-lost rights and heirlooms, so seems right to me that the Dwarven Song which incites them to recover Erebor can also bring discarded things back again.

[Durin's Heir]

I'm sorry for this long absense. These last weeks have been very chaotic . But I'm much better, so here are some revisions.


- Were-worms: I like this change a lot . Discarding Shadow cards can be very limiting and you need also to remove twilight. To take any card instead of only minions, and to be able to pull them also from draw deck makes this card worth of its cost. Besides, along with The Wolves Army it will allow you to assemble much more quickly, and that's always a good thing.

- The Shadow Arkenstone: There are 3 problems with the current version, and I found a solution to them. 1) Esgaroth and Mirkwood made a coalition so they shouldn't impair each other when Bard or Thranduil is holding The Arkenstone (it should be Bilbo, or Dwarves, or Men+Elves). 2) I suggested you to add Thranduil as an eligible bearer to prevent Woodland Elves from being destroyed by The Arkenstone's text, but that was a mistake because Thranduil never had his foul clutches over the King's Jewel (and instead he wanted the Emeralds of Girion). 3) The length of the 3rd paragraph (the skill to transfer) got increased from 3 to 4 lines when you included Thranduil, and that removed the beauty and the lore text from the card.

To solve those problems, Thranduil must be removed from the 3rd paragraph, and Bard should add an exception to characters if he's the bearer. That way both Lake-men and Woodland Elves will depend on Bard holdig The Arkenstone, and if the Shadow player kills Bard before playing The Arkenstone (or before being transferred to Bard), both cultures of the coalition will suffer a strong disadvantage.

•The Arkenstone, King's Jewel [No Culture]
Artifact
Plays on Bilbo.
At sites 7 to 9, each non-Wise companion
or ally is strength -2 (except of bearer's
culture, and if bearer is Bard).
Bilbo, Bard and Thorin gain this ability:
"Maneuver: Add 2 doubts to transfer
the Arkenstone to this character."

I reduced "While at site 7 or higher" to "At sites 6 to 9", otherwise the 2nd paragraph would have used 1 more line. That frees a line for lore text. Quotes like "'Watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad...'" (movie) or "'For the Arkenstone... to me it is beyond price.'" (book) should use only 1 line.

Arkenstone: ...and I avoid any effect before site 7 (strength, vitality or resistance).

I still think The Arkenstone should give something good to its bearer. That'd make more worthy the transference (which costs 2 doubts). Agree that strength isn't a good option (that protects Bilbo from being overwhelmed). Perhaps vitality +1. Or damage +1, that can be added immediatly after "Plays on Bilbo". Or even both. None of those 2 additions would be too important, because killing Bilbo by wounds isn't as easy as corrupting or overwhelming him. And the "divide and rule" text of the Shadow Arkenstone is meant to exacerbate those 2 goals.

•The Arkenstone, King's Jewel [No Culture]
Artifact
Vitality +1
Plays on Bilbo. Bearer is damage +1.
At sites 7 to 9, each non-Wise companion
or ally is strength -2 (except of bearer's
culture, and if bearer is Bard).
Bilbo, Bard and Thorin gain this ability:
"Maneuver: Add 2 doubts to transfer
the Arkenstone to this character."

I firmly believe the vitality bonus is a good idea, even for the Shadow player: the only way of discarding The Shadow Arkenstone is to send its bearer (NOT Bilbo) to death. So you must add 2 doubts to transfer it to Bard or Thorin, and kill that guy. "Vitality 3" Bard is easy to kill, and having 4 vitality points makes him, along with the enmity factor of the Arkenstone, much more endurable.

On the other hand, IMO the damage bonus would portray very well bearer's anger when defending it. And both can be added without interferring with the "divide and rule" goal, nor with the text structure of the card.



Still owe you the Nazgul and the new "Smaug vs Thorin & Co" thematic pack. The cards of that pack were finished some 3 or 4 weeks ago, but didn't have the time to redact the explanation of each. Those will be soon.

[Durin's Heir]

- Vicious Warg: This mount costs which is too much for its twilight cost. +2 strength, +1 vitality is the same bonus as Warg in the "Beatdown Pack 1", which costs only. So I'd reduce the Vicious Warg's cost to .

- Demolition Troll: Nothing to say about the game text. I just don't like the lore text, this would be much better in my opinion: "'Send in the War Beasts!'"

[Durin's Heir]

- Orc Banner: Nothing to say about its text . But have a little question. What kind of banner is this one? Is it a normal banner in the field carried by a Goblin soldier, like Banner of the Eye or Banner of Isengard? Or is it the (let's call it) "Banner of Command", used by Azog in Ravenhill to give precise orders to his Army?

Because I've been working on a "Banner of Command" to, well, command keen orders to your Orcs in the battlefield. If you like it might be added somehow to Azog's Pack, or to other Supplementary Pack...

•Banner of Command

Condition • Support Area
Assignment: Remove to heal an Orc.
Assignment: At a battleground, exert Azog or Bolg to make until the regroup phase an Orc strength +1, fierce or skirmishes involving that Orc must be resolved after any others.
"'They cannot fight in two fronts... Attack the city!'"


This card is made to work in powerful combos with Dark Bats and Assaulting Goblin. Dark Bats can provide lots of twilight to use at assignment. The 1st skill allows to heal any Orc that will need vitality to exert later. That can have a devastating effect with 2x or 3x Assaulting Goblins. The 2nd skill exerts Azog or Bolg to make an Orc strength +1, fierce or "Lurker". And the 1st skill can heal that exertion, thus the twilight pool will fuel the machine!

The "Lurker effect" is meant to intelligently direct which part of the Army stays behind, and by default which one goes at the front line; a smart player will make at least 1x Assaulting Goblin "lurker" to pump other Orcs before being wounded. The strength +1 is there to strengthen any weak spot of your strategy, or to pile up a large bonus on a single Orc. The benefits of making an Orc fierce are obvious, but is interesting to note that a fierce Orc surviving the first skirmish means a whole new Assignment phase, in which you can heal your Assaulting Goblins for another use with that fierce Orc...

Another effect of including this card is to give new importance to maintaining Azog alive on the board. The current version of Azog Commander only plays minions, and after that is totally expendable. This card makes Azog important alive, and therefore gives sense to Thorin trying to kill him to "cut off the head of the snake".

So, what do you think? Do you like it? And if so, which card in which Swarm/Supplementary Pack should be removed to add it?

[Durin's Heir]

As I promised looong time ago, here it is:

"Reclaiming Erebor" Thematic Pack:

- Shadow side: Smaug. Flames & Mind Games.

The mechanics of the Shadow cards are meant to work in two different ways. The first 5 cards, which I call "Flames", are tricks to depict Smaug as an unbeatable force to face, and to straightly destroy companions, allies and followers. But he does that with cunning ways and elegant stretegies, instead of by simple brute strength.

The other 3 cards work very differently. Those I call "Mind Games", and are meant to protray Smaug's talk with Bilbo. That is, to add twilight and doubts, exert Bilbo, reveal his plans (his hand) and block him from doing anything. With cruelty!

1. "Flames":
   Fire Breath
   Clawing For Breath
   I Will Show You Revenge!
   The Dragon and The One
   No Blade Can Pierce Me

2. "Mind Games":
   Only A Means To An End
   Nice Manners for a Thief
   Far More Precious!


"Flames":

Fire Breath [No Culture]
Event • Skirmish
Exert Smaug to make him strength +3 and either discard a follower or make Smaug damage +1. The Free Peoples player may exert 2 companions to prevent that.
You may exert Smaug or remove a doubt to play this event from your discard pile.
"You will burn!"

A pump for Smaug, but not mere brute strength as it allows you to direct the flame towards the defender (damage +1) or the supporting characters (discard a follower). May be played from discard pile, thus won't clog your hand and also can be repeated if necessary.

Being so powerful, provides the FP player a way to prevent it (the Company exerts to distract Smaug). Which can can be seen as a strong impairment, althought it happens to be quite the opposite if Smaug has enough resources to keep spitting flames: you will get 2 exertion each time, and can repeat up to 4 times (unwounded Smaug, 8 twilight and 4 doubts). Tug of War!


Clawing For Breath [No Culture]
Event • Assignment
Search. Stealth.
Assign Smaug to a Dwarf. The Free Peoples player may add a doubt and make that Dwarf cannot be assigned to skirmishes until the regroup phase to prevent that.
"'The last of our kin. They must have come here hoping beyond hope.'"

You want to get rid of a specific annoying dwarf? Use this event to either force him to fight Smaug, or to make him cower and nullify him as a defender (and add a doubt in the meanwhile).


I Will Show You Revenge! [No Culture]
Event • Regroup
Exert Smaug to suspend this phase and make allies may be assigned to skirmish. The Free Peoples player must assign an ally or companion to a skirmish against Smaug. When it ends, resume the regroup phase (and add a doubt if an ally was killed).
"'You care about them, do you?!'"

A Dark Shape Sprang for Smaug, but undirected and during regroup. The FP player survives both skirmishes against the Dragon and may think "well, that's all", but you can strike him again. And again (see below )...


The Dragon and The One [No Culture]
Condition • Support Area
Shadow: Reveal your hand to play Smaug from your draw deck or discard pile.
Maneuver or Regroup: Exert 2 minions or remove to heal Smaug.
Skirmish or Regroup: Exert Smaug twice to play an event from your discard pile.
"'Oakenshield's quest will fail. The darkness is coming. It will spread to every corner of the land.'"

A toolbox meant to tie loose ends and provide teamwork with other minions. This pack will need a card to play Smaug from deck or discard pile, and something involving his alliance with Sauron seems to be the right way; the idea of revealing your hand to play Smaug is meant to portray his dialogue with Bilbo (in which he revealed too much information).

The other 2 abilities are to show Smaug aiding Sauron's forces, and being aided by them. That way Smaug becomes also a support character and plays pumps for other minions, or regroup tricks. The healing part may be used to boost Smaug's own regroup ability, or to relieve the cost of his other tricks (those in the Smaug Pack).


No Blade Can Pierce Me [No Culture]
Condition • Support Area
Bard is strength +1 and may participate in archery fire and skirmishes.
Response: If Smaug is about to take a wound (except as effect of a [Dale] card), remove or discard 3 cards from hand to prevent that wound.
"'Dazzlingly marvellous! Perfect! Flawless! Staggering!?' exclaimed Bilbo aloud..."

Smaug needs his own version of Hides. But this won't prevent wounds from Dale cards, and will call Bard to the fight. Given that drawback, the "or discard this possession" part of Hides is replaced by "or discard 3 cards from hand" to ensure this card will remain on the board (somewhat similar to the problem with Stealth Sorcery).


"Mind Games":

Only A Means to An End [No Culture]
Event • Maneuver
Riddle.
Spot Smaug to make until the regroup phase events may not be played and special abilities of cards may not be used. The Free Peoples player may discard 2 cards at random from hand to prevent that.
"'What did he promise you? A share of the treasure? As if it was his to give.'"

Bilbo will bring plenty of trouble to Smaug (see the tricks below), so this event is meant to stop him before with hesitation about the Quest, or at least to confuse him a little (discarding at random). Besides, this not only blocks Bilbo from using events but also abilities in his game text, the Burglar's Contract and even The One Ring (!).


Nice Manners for a Thief [No Culture]
Condition • Support Area
Maneuver: Discard 2 cards from hand and exert Smaug to make the Free Peoples player exert Bilbo or add a doubt. 
Each time a event is played, you may spot Smaug to make the opponent choose to either reveal his or her hand or add .
"'And what about your little Dwarf friends? Where are they hiding?'"

A contest of wills between Smaug and Bilbo. Another tug of war here: you can make your move to hurt Bilbo a la Cruel Caradhras, and also if he makes his moves he'll be giving you twilight or information. The passive skill is worded like Worry (in case you are worried about the "make the opponent choose" part).


Far More Precious! [No Culture]
Condition • Support Area
While at site 7 or higher, each time a doubt is added you may add or draw a card (or both if you spot Smaug).
Skirmish: If Bilbo wears The One Ring, exert Smaug and discard this condition to make him take off The One Ring.
"'Where are you? Come, now, don't be shy. Step into the light.'"

My inspiration ran bit short with this one. You get some advantage when a doubt happens to be added, and if Smaug is present that advantage gets broader. And oh! what a coincidence! Smaug is good at adding doubts, so you can get twilight and cards each time you pile up another doubt. If Bilbo puts on The Ring (which requires a doubt, by the way) you can make him take it off by discarding this condition.

[Durin's Heir]

Now, the Dwarven and Halfling counterpart...

"Reclaiming Erebor" Thematic Pack:

- Free Peoples side: Thorin and Company. and tricks.

The FP cards here are tricks to face the Beast with the only things the Company had: bravery and cleverness. Bilbo tries to delay and confuse Smaug, while the Dwarves try to ambush him and assure either one side or the other won't ever see the daylight again...


* cards:
- Flattery
- Clever Manners
- Lovely Titles
- Also A Took

* cards:
- Flash-flames
- Easily Outwitted
- Then We Will All Burn Together
- Long Awaited Revenge


Shire cards:

Flattery
Event • Maneuver
Riddle. Stealth.
Exert Bilbo to make a minion with vitality X lose fierce and cannot gain fierce until the regroup phase. Its owner may assign X wounds to minions to prevent that.
"'I did not come to steal from you, O Smaug the Unassessably Wealthy. I merely wanted to gaze upon your magnificence.'"

What attribute may Bilbo use to flatter and manipulate a minion? Something which depicts correctly a minion's greatness. Strength, twilight cost, site number, keywords? All those seem too inaccurate to work well with every minion. On the other hand, vitality is much more steady and is always high with strong, egomaniac bad guys and monsters.

The Shadow player must make Smaug/Sauron/mounted Azog lose fierce, or assign 5 wounds to minions... nasty.


Clever Manners
Event • Skirmish
Riddle. Stealth.
Make Bilbo strength +X and a minion in his skirmish strength -X, where X is that minion's vitality. Its owner may discard X cards at random from hand instead.
"'I was just saying your reputation precedes you, O Smaug the Tyrannical. Truly. You have no equal on this earth.'"

More manipulation here. With this trick, Bilbo turns his overwhelming into his survival, or even a defeat into a victory. The bigger the ego, the better the bonus. But as always the Shadow player can pay an alternative cost instead, which too is both disruptive and proportional to that minion's greatness.


Lovely Titles
Event • Skirmish
Riddle.
Reveal X Free Peoples cards from your hand. Choose an opponent who must reveal X Shadow cards from hand or make Bilbo strength +2, heal him and remove a doubt.
"'I came from the end of a bag, but no bag went over me.?.. I am the friend of Bears and the guest of Eagles.'"

Bilbo talks to keep Smaug talking. That is, he shows some blurry information in order to buy some time, and perhaps get some information too. The riddled talk is a gamble by itself, so I wanted to portray that. Very powerful, but works basically by clogging your hand so that's a heavy downside to consider. The Thematic pack needs some doubt remotion, and always takes care of that.


Also A Took
Event • Maneuver or Skirmish
Exert Bilbo to make a companion strength +1 until the regroup phase and take into hand a event from your discard pile.
You may exert Bilbo to play this event from your discard pile.
"'You've been sitting quietly for far too long... The world is not in your books and maps. It's out there.'"

Smaug will have The Dragon and The One to play events from discard. Bilbo will have a toolbox for himself too. This card allows him to get back from discard any event needed for the case, for the price of adding and exerting Bilbo once (if played from hand) or twice (if played from discard). So in case of big troubles you can get back Lovely Titles for potential wound and doubt remotion, Clever Manners to survive and Flattery to not face a monster twice (Skilfull Negociator and Barrels too if this Pack meets Bilbo's Pack). But given the exertions it will be worthy only in desperate moments.

The strength +1 until regroup is to show his Tookish side awaking, and to make it useful in absense of other events. His newly found bravery can help him (like in Mirkwood against the Spiders) or another guy (like Thorin in the Wooded Cliff). With a second copy in discard you can even play a loop, getting +1 strength to distribute for each exertion you're able and willing to pay.



Dwarven cards:

Easily Outwitted
Event • Skirmish
Stealth.
Exert any number of companions who have total strength X to prevent all wounds to a Dwarf skirmishing a minion with strength X or less. You may draw a card for each Dwarf exerted this way.
"'Behind you! Worm!'"

The Dwarves split in groups and advance by distracting Smaug. A Dwarven stealth that doesn't cancel the skirmish, but instead prevents all wounds to the Dwarf (that way the Shadow player can still try to overwhelm him). The drawing part is there to give your Dwarf more time and tricks, which should also depict better the distraction by teamwork.

Inspired by The Highest Quality.


Flash-flames
Possession
Bearer must be a companion.
You may exert a Dwarf to play this possession during the skirmish phase.
Skirmish: Discard this possession to exert a minion (or 2 minions at an underground site) and draw up to 2 cards.
"'Where's the sulfur?'"

A Man can carry 4 Athelas herbs in his pocket... why can't a chemistry-versed Dwarf bear 4 gunpowder bombs and wreak wounds and confusion all around? The idea of allowing this to be played at skirmish is to take advantage of the chance of drawing it during the skirmish phase, and to depict the MacGyver-esque improvisation bent on the device.


Then We Will All Burn Together!
Event • Assignment
Discard X cards from hand and exert X companions to make them strength +X (limit +3) and damage +1 until the regroup phase. You may return a follower to your hand to discard a condition.
"'I will not die like this. Cowering. Clawing for breath... Lead him to the forges. We kill the dragon.'"

"'If this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together!'" Pure teamwork, somewhat similar to Lend Us Your Aid (up to strength +3 to a bunch of people) but costing MUCH more (exertions and cards from hand) to give also damage +1 and allow you to discard a condition (so No Blade Can Pierce Me won't be around to save Smaug's neck).


Long Awaited Revenge
Event • Skirmish
Make a character strength +1 for each wound and damage bonus on each character in the skirmish. You can exert Thorin to make no player may play another skirmish event or to discard a condition.
"'This is not your Kingdom. These are Dwarf-lands. This is Dwarf-gold. And we will have our revenge!'"

Like Threw Down My Enemy, but with more fire and bitterness. And allows Thorin to discard a condition, or to corner Smaug or Azog and block any other event from being played in this skirmish (for instance, the Fire Breath replaying loop), leaving only special abilities to change the course of the struggle. It's all or nothing with these grudge-holding Dwarves...


That's all. Hope you like them. I'm waiting for your comments!