Card Retcon

By Johnny Awesome, in The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

With the advent of Treebeard making it plainly obvious to everyone how crappy Radagast is it got me thinking about cards that probably would have been made differently given how the game as evolved.

I think if Radagast cost 3, he would still be useful in an Eagle deck and that's the only change I would make to him.

Are there any other cards that you feel should have been made diffently to make them more useful?

Edited by Johnny Awesome

Bilbo, the lore hero. In the current state of game development, with so many card draw in lore, I would opt to lower Bilbo's threat level to 6 or 7.

Spirit Pippin comes to mind automatically when you speak about cards that should have been made differentely.

His ability should :

- cost less threat

and/or - be available with other type of heros (may be just need to control another hobbit character)

and/or - prevent the enemy once he has returned to the staging area to engaged next player (in multiplayer)

Edited by Courchevel

Ooooooh yes, I can think of a ton!! There are so many cards that should be different and I sometimes house-rule them to make them more playable or balanced.

Bilbo Lore should obviously be less threat

Radagast should cost less, 4 would be better

Glorfindel Lore should heal 2 damage with one resource

Silverlode Archer- the Ithilien Archer has an extra defense, hit point AND ability for same cost.. wtf.. SA should have 3 attack

Beorning Beekeeper- an extra attack or ability deals damage to all enemies in play not just staging area

Ride to Ruin- should cost 0, you're discarding an ally!

We Do Not Sleep- the worst readying ability event, for the same cost you can ready all characters! (Grim Resolve) or all Dwarves for only 3... And We Do Not Sleep is only good for "readying" after questing so it should only cost 4 max

Dawn Take You All should discard all shadow cards (from at least one player), it's a one time event and the dawn covers ALL darkness

Taking Initiative should discard the top two cards (maybe even add their value together) to increase this cards chance of working

Keeping Count should add: Response- after Keeping Count enters play search your deck for another Keeping Count. Limit 2 Keeping Count's allowed in play.

Ravenhill Scout- he sucks and should only cost 2

Dunedain Wanderer should cost 4 and have Secrecy 2

The End Comes- this card shouldn't exist.. lol

Grave Cairn- who uses this? a character has just died, how much attack can they really have? this card should cost 0

Watcher of the Bruinen- since when is a 2 defense 2 hit point ally good for anything!? give him an extra hit point or defense

Short Cut- you're exhausting a Hobbit and paying one to replace an encounter card? you should be able to choose a location at any time

Out of Sight is too expensive, make it 4 cost Secrecy 2 and maybe allow you to choose a player (most of the Secrecy cards are overpriced and shouldn't be)

Late Adventurer- this is only if you suck at planning who to quest with, give that character an extra willpower and this card might enter decks

Wealth of Gondor/Gaining Strength- worth a card slot for only one resource? I sometimes use these but I feel they need a little more, add a card draw for Wealth and make it 2 resources for Gaining Strength

Damrod- is his ability and stats worth that cost? how about an extra defense

Master of Lore- should not have been errata'd

Mirlonde should be printed Lore AND Silvan heroes get her discount because at max all her ability does is give you 3 less starting threat, she should also be one less starting threat herself, why not?

Pippin Spirit should not be limited to having all Hobbit heroes and his ability should only raise your threat by 2

Denethor Leadership ally should get -1 Willpower for each hero with 2 or more damage

Faramir Lore hero should have an extra ability or something that boosts his fellow faithful rangers (If Faramir has X attack, all Ranger characters you control get ????)

Caldara- her ability is to DISCARD her, give her less starting threat, 7 or even 6 and if the allies she could put into play weren't limited to Spirit.. then she would be powerful

Theoden- another hero from this cycle suffering with a poor ability, he should also have "Theoden can pay for Rohan allies from any sphere" he's the King of Rohan!! come on!

Forth Eorlingas! why be limited to Rohan heroes, make it Rohan characters, there's hardly anyone left in the staging area after engagement anyways or just make it 1 cost

Steed of the Mark is only worth it if attached hero has 3 or more willpower (so it may get better when those heroes come), why does it have to cost? just exhaust it for it's ability

Fatty Bolger- 6 starting threat since his ability raises threat and he's not that great anyways

Whew.. there's my rambling about cards that are currently bad and could have had way more potential with not even that much of a change! Some of these I strongly feel should actually be changed to make them playable and good, why should we have garbage cards in this game? I would be super happy if the developers would add a new section to the FAQ to fix some of the weakest cards, as long as it wasn't too many cards and was a quick fix (card cost, intial threat, or add a quick additional text).

I'm really hoping the current developers continue doing well in making cards as they are doing, I do not want repeat fails of the heroes from the Against the Shadow cycle where their ability is so weak. I like heroes with multiply abilities and cards with various utility not limited to one deck type.