• The Daily Five • Wild men of the Dunland fells

[Gate Troll]

Dain, what I meant, and what I didn't express very well in Ensnaring Web was that if you used it on a spider
with site number of 6 it could only be played while the opposing fellowship was at that site. The idea is a little awkward
so I'm going to remove it.

[Thranduil]

Mirkwood Spider
Creature • Spider
Strength: 4
Vitality: 4
Site: 6
Fierce. Lurker. When you play this card you may take a
Poison condition from your discard pile and place it beneath your draw deck.
"Suddenly he saw , too that there were spiders huge and horrible sitting in the branches above him…"

Fair enough. Fierce is a huge disadvantage on this guy though.

Spider Attacker
Creature • Spider
Strength: 3
Vitality: 3
Site: 6
Lurker. This creature is strength +1 for
each Poison condition you can spot.
"Then the great spider, who had been busy tying him up
while he dozed, came from behind him and came at him."

This guy is good. Also, there is a big problem with a strategy that has so many lurkers (it makes the keyword redundant) so you need some Spiders without it.

Weak Poison
Condition • Support Area
Strength -1
Poison. Exert a Spider (or spot three Spiders) to play this condition on
an unbound companion. Each time bearer is assigned to a skirmish bearer must exert.
" ‘You were quite right,' they said, ‘the meat's alive and kicking!' "

Rather I would have "Each time bearer is assigned to skirmish a Spider..."

Swarm of Spiders
Event • Assignment
Spot a spider assigned to a companion (except the Ring-bearer)
to assign another spider to that companion. (the free peoples player may add to prevent this).
"Practically all the spiders in the place came after him…"

The Free Peoples player will ALWAYS add , just because the FP player CAN always add . It needs to be something that they might not want to do like a threat or two, discarding cards from hand etc. Other than that, certainly a novel idea.

Ensnaring Web
Possession • Support Area
Web. Maneuver: Remove X and discard a minion from hand to add X  tokens here.
Maneuver:Remove a token from here to heal a Spider, then add 1 for each token here.
"…flinging out their long threads in all directions, till the air seemed full of waving snares."

Do you mean and ? Assuming you do, I think I would prefer the adding tokens and removing tokens in different phases like the healing in the regroup phase seems strong.

Thranduil

[Gate Troll]

Now it's time to meet another Shelob. IMHO Shelob is a unused resource, there was so much Decipher could have done with Shelob and they only made three different copies (though they probably intended to do more with her with the canceled set, Shelob's Lair). This one is a little bit unorthodox and has a few nasty tricks up her sleeve. 

Shelob, Rivaled by None
Creature • Spider
Strength: 8
Vitality: 8
Site: 8
Enduring. Fierce. Toil 2. You may play
Shelob any time you could play a assignment event.
"But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last
child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world."

Now before someone complains about five health going to this non-unique spider seeing that so many people think that
five health is exclusive to Balrogs and Sauron  etc. let me say this: Sauron and The Balrog have obscenely large strength
stats. These spiders do not. Piercing the big baddies defenses is meant to be the hard part, and having cracked open
Sauron's suit of armor it probably wouldn't be too hard to kill him if you had a big enough sword (and assuming the ring was never conceived). Now people, these spiders don't have +17 strength. I think you'll agree that five vitality shouldn't be taboo. Here is the next addition to the spider's arsenal, so to speak.

Large Spider
Creature • Spider
Strength: 5
Vitality: 5
Site: 6
Damage +1. This creature is strength +2 while
skirmishing a companion bearing a Poison condition.
"-only to meet an old, slow, wicked fat-bodied
spider who had remained to guard the prisoners..."

Next up is another Poison condition:

Numbing Poison
Condition • Support Area
Poison. Exert a Spider (or spot three Spiders) to play this
condition on an unbound companion. The loaded keywords in bearer's gametext do not apply.
"Some how or other Fili was got on to the branch, and then he did his best
to help the hobbit, although he was felling very sick and ill from spider-poison..."

This is a take off my old favorite: Enraged.   

Poisonous Injection
Condition • Support Area
Strength -4
Poison. Skirmish: Exert a spider to transfer this
to a companion it is skirmishing. Limit 1 per bearer.
Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Spiders usually knock out their prey with a strong dose
of poison before they wrap it, to keep it from struggling

This card focuses on keeping the fellowship at the same site as long as possible.

Uneven Fight
Event • Regroup
Spot a Spider and X Web or Poison cards to
make the move limit 1 where X is the current site's site number.
Spiders rarely engage in head on attacks

[Gate Troll]

No reviews? 

[DáinIronfoot]

Whoops...missed these somehow. Let's rock 'n roll!

Shelob, Rivaled by None
Creature • Spider
Strength: 8
Vitality: 8
Site: 8
Enduring. Fierce. Toil 2. You may play
Shelob any time you could play a skirmish event.
"But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last
child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world."

The toil is what makes her great. Good stuff...though what would be the point of playing her during skirmish? Yes, she could still do a fierce skirmish then, but I don't understand the point of it. During the assignment phase, however, would have some real potential....

Large Spider
Creature • Spider
Strength: 5
Vitality: 5
Site: 6
Damage +1. This creature is strength +2 while
skirmishing a companion bearing a Poison condition.
"-only to meet an old, slow, wicked fat-bodied
spider who had remained to guard the prisoners..."

You'll find a number of folks that can't stand 5-vitality minions other than Sauron and Ol' Balgy...but I ain't one of them. I think it makes sense for Spiders considering the crazy vitality Decipher slapped on Shelob. I got no problems here...though it might be a tad more interesting to make it +1 for each Poison, adding incentive to get several on the same companion.

Numbing Poison
Condition • Support Area
Poison. Exert a Spider (or spot three Spiders) to play this
condition on an unbound companion. Bearer's loaded keywords do not apply.
"Some how or other Fili was got on to the branch, and then he did his best
to help the hobbit, although he was felling very sick and ill from spider-poison..."

I think it's better to say "Bearer loses each loaded keyword," but I guess either is fine.

Poisonous Injection
Condition • Support Area
Strength -4
Poison. Skirmish: Exert a spider to transfer this
to a companion it is skirmishing. Limit 1 per bearer.
Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Spiders usually knock out their prey with a strong dose
of poison before they wrap it, to keep it from struggling

Only the discarding keeps it balanced. Considering its cost, I think -4 is actually okay.

Uneven Fight
Event • Shadow
Spot X Web or Poison cards to make the move
limit 1 where X is the current site's site number.
Spiders rarely engage in head on attacks

I think it should be "make the move limit -1 (to a minimum of 1)", but it certainly makes sense as is. I'd probably require spotting a Spider or two as well and make it a regroup event so the FP player has some way of potentially getting out of it.

[Thranduil]

Shelob, Rivaled by None
Creature • Spider
Strength: 8
Vitality: 8
Site: 8
Enduring. Fierce. Toil 2. You may play
Shelob any time you could play a skirmish event.
"But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last
child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world."

You need a subtitle that has something to do with surprising people. A problem might be, though, that it's often very advantageous to have Shelob during the archery phase though she does at least miss IB.

Large Spider
Creature • Spider
Strength: 5
Vitality: 5
Site: 6
Damage +1. This creature is strength +2 while
skirmishing a companion bearing a Poison condition.
"-only to meet an old, slow, wicked fat-bodied
spider who had remained to guard the prisoners..."

Yeah, fair enough. I can see myself agreeing with DI on this one.

Numbing Poison
Condition • Support Area
Poison. Exert a Spider (or spot three Spiders) to play this
condition on an unbound companion. Bearer's loaded keywords do not apply.
"Some how or other Fili was got on to the branch, and then he did his best
to help the hobbit, although he was felling very sick and ill from spider-poison..."

You need to specify "game text keyword", but otherwise seems good.

Poisonous Injection
Condition • Support Area
Strength -4
Poison. Skirmish: Exert a spider to transfer this
to a companion it is skirmishing. Limit 1 per bearer.
Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Spiders usually knock out their prey with a strong dose
of poison before they wrap it, to keep it from struggling

I think it doesn't need to cost if all your Spiders have such low strength, though if a lot of them are enduring then it's probably balanced.

Uneven Fight
Event • Shadow
Spot X Web or Poison cards to make the move
limit 1 where X is the current site's site number.
Spiders rarely engage in head on attacks

Yep, should be a regroup event that spots a Spider and X web or poison cards. But fun!

Thranduil

[Gate Troll]

Since I do five days worth of daily 5 in each culture, today will be the last day I make culture DC's until I've gone through the other cultures. We're going to do some spiders similar to the Mirkwood spiders, but more tied to Shelob.
The first card is not meant to represent one spider, on the contrary it is meant to represent a relatively large group of spiders.

•Spawn of Shelob
Creature • Spider
Strength: 10
Vitality: 10
Site: 6
Damage +1. Toil 2. To play, spot Shelob.
"Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring
that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Duath to the Eastern hills,
to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood."

This next one is a bit of an oddity, but with skill could be turned into a devasting swarm.

Small Spider
Creature • Spider
Strength: 2
Vitality: 2
Site: 6
Lurker. To play, exert a spider (or spot Shelob).
Assignment: Assign this creature to any companion. You may
include up to eight copies of this creature in your draw deck. This creature
may not be overwhelmed unless its strength is matched five times over.
Shelob's offspring grew to all sizes

To anyone who's played with swarms the next card should seem reminiscent of Host of Thousands. 

Attack from Above
Event • Shadow
Play a non-unique minion from your discard pile as if from hand.
Spiders prefer to drop down on their prey

This one is pretty basic, spider wins a fight and bites someone. 

Spider Bite
Condition • Support Area
Strength: -1
Vitality: -1
Poison If a spider wins a skirmish you may exert that spider to transfer this
condition to the losing character. Bearer may not be healed or have burdens removed.
"...he was feeling very sick and ill from the spider poison..."

Some site 6 price reduction.

6 The Spider's Clearing
Site - Forest.
Web and Poison card are twilght cost -1.

[Thranduil]

•Spawn of Shelob
Creature • Spider
Strength: 10
Vitality: 10
Site: 6
Damage +1. Toil 2. To play, spot Shelob.
"Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring
that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Duath to the Eastern hills,
to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood."

Very very limited. I would rather "To play, spot a Spider" and have him gain something when Shelob is around (like the damage bonus). Otherwise, this card seems fun!

Small Spider
Creature • Spider
Strength: 2
Vitality: 2
Site: 6
Lurker. To play, exert a spider (or spot Shelob).
Assignment: Assign this creature to any companion. You may
include up to eight copies of this creature in your draw deck. This creature
may not be overwhelmed unless its strength is matched five times over.
Shelob's offspring grew to all sizes

It would be better practice, rather than to just throw the bizarre nature of this card in game text, to make up a keyword which encompasses these things. I also think that no minion should come out for free like that - it should exert a Spider whether Shelob is in play or not, I reckon. Again, I might make the assignment ability apply only when you can spot Shelob. You also need some balancing going on because currently with this card you play a hand of 8 of them, and assign every one of those 8 to the Ring-bearer. It needs to be "Assignment: Assign this creature to an unassigned companion.[/b]" As I said, very interesting and bizarre, but with streamlining and expansion it could be an interesting concept. I'm not sure it needs the overwhelming text though - it's fun and perhaps good enough without it.

Attack from Above
Event • Shadow
Play a non-unique minion from your discard pile as if from hand.
Spiders prefer to drop down on their prey

"Spot an creature to..." would be a lot more balanced, I think.

Spider Bite
Condition • Support Area
Strength: -1
Vitality: -1
Poison If a spider wins a skirmish you may exert that spider to transfer this
condition to the losing character. Bearer may not be healed or have burdens removed.
"...he was feeling very sick and ill from the spider poison..."

Vitality is pushing it. Resistance would be fine.

6 The Spider's Clearing
Site - Forest.
Web and Poison card are twilght cost -1.

Fair enough. You need to specify which site 6 it is, though.

Thranduil

[Gate Troll]

Okay then. Here's a new keyword:Limit X Basically, whatever number the X is is the limit you may have in your draw deck. ie: Limit 8 (limit eight copies of this card in your draw deck).

[Gate Troll]

Now its time to see some Goblins. The culture symbol will represent that of the Goblins of the Misty Mountains.
Goblin Taskmasters represents a mean, blood-thirsty minion with a nasty Enduring-like ability. 

Goblin Taskmaster
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
Fierce. When you play this minion you may add , or if the fellowship has moved
again this turn. Goblin Taskmaster is strength +1 for each wound on a character he is skirmishing.
""He is a liar, O truly tremendous one!" said one of the drivers."

Goblin Guard is good as cannon-fodder to protect the Great Goblin or other minions.

Goblin Guards
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 8
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Assignment: At the end of the assignment phase, you may spot a companion assigned
to a minion with strength 8 or higher to assign that companion to Goblin Guards instead.
The Great Goblin had many guards

Goblin Blade. Simple, but deadly.

Goblin Blade
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +1
Bearer must be a goblin. When you play this you may add .
"...and the bent swords that they use."

Once again simple, gives us a feel for the new goblins.

Goblin Whip
Possession • Whip
Bearer must be a goblin. Bearer is damage +1.
Each time bearer wins a skirmish you may exert him and
discard this possession to wound a companion.
"Swish, smack! Whip crack!"

And finally, a good one-use bomb, that if set up well can be devastating.

•Surrounded
Condition • Support Area
To play spot three goblins. At the start of the regroup phase, if no Goblin has lost a
skirmish at this site, you may discard this condition and each minion from play to wound
each unbound companion once (or twice if that companion is unwounded).
""Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them!""

[Thranduil]

Goblin Taskmaster
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
Fierce. When you play this minion you may add .
Goblin Taskmaster is strength +1 for each wound on a character he is skirmishing.
""He is a liar, O truly tremendous one!" said one of the drivers."

Apart from his second ability being the berserker ability, it's fine. Also, there should be a condition, I feel, on the twilight adding (see Goblin Flankers) like at an underground site, spotting an exhausted companion etc.

Goblin Guards
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 8
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Assignment: You may spot an an companion assigned to skirmish a minion
with strength 8 or higher to assign that companion to Goblin Guards instead.
The Great Goblin had many guards

The wording of this ability is tricky, as is the timing. For example, I'm not entirely sure when usual assignments happen in relation to assignment events and abilities. I might word this ability like so: "At the end of the assignment phase, you may spot a companion assigned to a minion with strength 8 or higher to assign that companion to Goblin Guards instead."

Goblin Blade
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +1
Bearer must be a goblin. When you play this you may add .
Each time bearer wins a skirmish you may exert him and discard
this possession to wound a companion.
"...and the bent swords that they use."

Firstly, this card kills the Ring-bearer. Secondly, I'd use it just for the adding . So all in all, this card is overpowered! I would go one way or the other; make it a copy of Isengard Axe or change it to exerting a companion skirmishing its bearer.

Goblin Whip
Possession • Whip
Bearer must be a goblin. Bearer is damage +1.
"Swish, smack! Whip crack!"

This could give a +1 strength bonus no problem.

•Surrounded
Condition • Support Area
To play spot three goblins. Response: At the end of the skirmish phase if all
goblins have won their skirmishes you may discard this condition and all minions
in play to wound each companion once (or twice if that companion is unwounded).
""Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them!""

Unfortunately this ability doesn't work at the moment because there are several skirmish phases. It needs to trigger at the start of the regroup phase, and I would tone it down slightly to: "At the start of the regroup phase, if no Goblin has lost a skirmish at this site, you may discard this condition and each minion from play to wound each unbound companion once (or twice if that companion is unwounded)." Otherwise, seems fun! As "Goblin" is a race, though, be sure to start it with a capital "G"!

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

Goblin Taskmaster
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
Fierce. When you play this minion you may add .
Goblin Taskmaster is strength +1 for each wound on a character he is skirmishing.
""He is a liar, O truly tremendous one!" said one of the drivers."

Agree with Thran.

Goblin Guards
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 8
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Assignment: You may spot an an companion assigned to skirmish a minion
with strength 8 or higher to assign that companion to Goblin Guards instead.
The Great Goblin had many guards

Once again, I'm down with Thran's suggestion.

Goblin Blade
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +1
Bearer must be a goblin. When you play this you may add .
Each time bearer wins a skirmish you may exert him and discard
this possession to wound a companion.
"...and the bent swords that they use."

...and again. Thran is on FIRE!

Goblin Whip
Possession • Whip
Bearer must be a goblin. Bearer is damage +1.
"Swish, smack! Whip crack!"

Ah, finally something new to add! Not a big fan of something like a whip giving a damage bonus. Perhaps give that bonus to the sword instead and move the direct-exerting of the sword to this. Makes a lot more sense to me.

•Surrounded
Condition • Support Area
To play spot three goblins. Response: At the end of the skirmish phase if all
goblins have won their skirmishes you may discard this condition and all minions
in play to wound each companion once (or twice if that companion is unwounded).
""Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them!""

And here, I must default to Thran again.

[Gate Troll]

I made some modifications based on Thran and Dain's comments.

[FM]

I can't help but compare it with the old Moria culture, although I AM aware they're Goblins and not Orcs.

Goblin Taskmaster
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 9
Vitality: 2
Site: 3
Fierce. When you play this minion you may add , or if the fellowship has moved
more than once this turn. Goblin Taskmaster is strength +1 for each wound on a character he is skirmishing.
""He is a liar, O truly tremendous one!" said one of the drivers."

Goblin Flankers is a strictly better minion, even being site 4. I think you could lower his cost to 4, so you get a "free" minion on a double-move. Minor correction with wording.

Goblin Guards
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 8
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Assignment: At the end of the assignment phase, you may spot a companion assigned
to a minion with strength 8 or higher to assign that companion to Goblin Guards instead.
The Great Goblin had many guards

And what happens to that other Goblin? You get to assign it freely? And what about Goblin Guards' skimishing companion? It's unassigned then? I think this text needs a bit of work. I liked the minion, though, but I think 2 vitality would be more than enough.

Goblin Blade
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +1
Bearer must be a goblin. When you play this you may add .
"...and the bent swords that they use."

Orc Scimitar outshines it by a mile. I'd make it add at least, or allow it to be "thrown" somehow in the archery phase. Or at least let a Goblin double-wield it with another weapon.

Goblin Whip
Possession • Whip
Bearer must be a goblin. Bearer is damage +1.
Each time bearer wins a skirmish you may exert him and
discard this possession to wound a companion.
"Swish, smack! Whip crack!"

Cool.

•Surrounded
Condition • Support Area
To play spot three goblins. At the start of the regroup phase, if no Goblin has lost a
skirmish at this site, you may discard this condition and each minion from play to wound
each unbound companion once (or twice if that companion is unwounded).
""Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them!""

REALLY cool.

[Gate Troll]

Now its time to take a look at the first Great Goblin to be spoiled. He's pretty weak 12/3/3 for twilight, but don't be fooled. He's Damage +1, Fierce and Toil 2 and he has some sweet advantages based on  the Fellowship's current region as well as an ability to make the Fellowship move again.

•The Great Goblin, Magnificent One
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 12
Vitality: 3
Site: 3
Damage +1. Fierce. Toil 2.
While the fellowship is in Region 1 the Great Goblin is strength +3.
While the fellowship is in Region 2 each Goblin is strength +1 and Fierce.
While the fellowship is in Region 3 each time you play a Goblin you may add .
""Who are these miserable persons?" said the Great Goblin."

This minion keys in with the theme of Underground bonuses as well as making the Fellowship move again.

Goblin Swordsman
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 9
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Fierce.
Each time you play a Hand Weapon on this minion you may add .
Regroup: If the Fellowship is at an Underground site you may remove to
make the move limit +1 and to make the Fellowship move again.
"…and armed goblins were standing round him carrying the axes and bent swords that they use."

Close to Goblin Runner but different. Runner adds no matter what, Goblin Scout can
add up to in the right conditions.

Goblin Scout
Minion • Goblin
Strength: 5
Vitality: 1
Site: 3
Lurker. When you play this minion, if you may add (or if you
are at a Mountain or Underground site you may add ).
"…and they chose their very quickest runners with the sharpest ears and eyes."

Simple as it gets. Goblin archery with an Underground twilight reduction

Goblin Bow
Possession • Ranged Weapon
When you play Goblin Bow, if the Fellowship is at a Underground site
you may add . Bearer must be a Goblin. Bearer is an Archer.
Goblin bows are crude, but deadly in large numbers

This event is a nasty piece of work. Don't have any minions in hand but have plenty of twilight?
This can resurrect the Great Goblin and other baddies to help you out.

Ambushed
Event • Assignment
Spot two Goblins to play a Goblin from your discard pile.
That Goblin is strength +3 until the Regroup phase.
"Out jumped the goblins, big goblins, great ugly-looking goblins, lots of goblins…"