http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=5362

Looks fun! And Tactics gets threat reduction and shadow card removal.

The quest looks kind of cool, but not much information to go on. I'm definitely looking forward to the undead quest(s) more, so the orcs are somewhat less interesting.

I like the player cards they spoiled. Tireless Hunters is a nice alternative to Westfold Outrider, which was too expensive to use just for that ability. A 1 cost event seems more appropriate and I like the shadow discard. With Mablung it's basically a free event.

I'm a little worried about giving tactics any sort of threat reduction, but Secret Vigil seems fairly innocent. It's a one time use, isn't an event (no Hama recycle), and only gives a small threat reduction to the tactics deck itself. Could be useful later in the game to stay in the Valour range.

I hadn't noticed that Tactigorn lost sentinel somewhere along the way. Curious change.

I hadn't noticed that Tactigorn lost sentinel somewhere along the way. Curious change.

My guess is this is supposed to be a take on his more aggressive side. Much less about standing back and protecting, and much more about taking the fight to the enemy.

I don't like Secret Vigil, tactics lose a little of his own identity. All reduce threat elements must own to spirit sphere, at least not to tactics.

2fast4me

I hadn't noticed that Tactigorn lost sentinel somewhere along the way. Curious change.

Yeah, I wondered what the reason for that was, also. Perhaps it's considered a balance for a powerful ability? Although the Lore version has a pretty darn powerful ability in its own right... Anyway, I don't think the Tactics Aragorn ever had Sentinel on him (that I noticed). I proxied him a couple of months back for a run at the Saga expansions and noticed that he did not have it then.

They kind of touched on it in the article. The ability of Tactagorn - or anyone with Tireless Hunters - to engage enemies that are engaged with other players reduces the need for sentinel and ranged. So I think his lack of sentinel fits with his ability to engage enemies. It's like that saying, the best defense is a good offense.

Often, though, you’ll find yourselves facing situations in which multiple enemies enter the staging area at once, and your Tactics player can’t engage them all. These situations occur frequently enough that many Tactics players feel the need to incorporate Ranged and Sentinel characters, as well as events such as Feint (Core Set, 34), in order to help their friends across the table.

Soon, The Lost Realm will introduce new means of controlling the game’s enemies and engagements, and this means that Tactics players will be able to pursue a wide range of all-new, effective deck-building archetypes.

I dont know how much i can emphasize how much i'm looking forward to using Mablung once this expansion drops. It seems from not only the new player cards but even from the encounter cards it wont be remotely difficult to generate 3 or more resources a turn from his ability.

I don't like Secret Vigil, tactics lose a little of his own identity. All reduce threat elements must own to spirit sphere, at least not to tactics.

I really disagree with this. First of all, the most powerful threat reducing card in the game is in Lore. Secondly, Tactics should be able to reduce threat somehow. Someday it would be nice to be able to field a solo tactics deck and not just in Gondor.

I agree, a nice thematic way for Tactics to reduce threat is great. It is also nice that it is vastly inferior to others in existence, but still solid enough to be used.

I also love that it fits right in with my Tactics/Lore Ranger/Trap deck, both thematically and mechanically, but that is neither here nor there.

Sweet cards, this expansions is going to be so EPIC!!!!!! I'm very glad for Secret Vigil, Tactics needed threat reduction (no sphere should have monopoly on doing one thing). It seems super powerful and it is, reducing all players threat by 3 will be easy but it is also balanced by being an attachment which is not as easy as events for reusing so it can't easily be repeated. There are ways to pull back attachments however and search for them in your deck so getting 10 threat reduction for all players in a good situation could be possible but it will more likely be 3-6 each game.

Tireless Hunters is of course great and will synergize with many cards

Hero in the next spoiler?!!!!!

To be honest cards looks really powerful. Th ability ranger objective ally say for each quest card in play. That something really new.

Sweet cards, this expansions is going to be so EPIC!!!!!! I'm very glad for Secret Vigil, Tactics needed threat reduction (no sphere should have monopoly on doing one thing). It seems super powerful and it is, reducing all players threat by 3 will be easy but it is also balanced by being an attachment which is not as easy as events for reusing so it can't easily be repeated. There are ways to pull back attachments however and search for them in your deck so getting 10 threat reduction for all players in a good situation could be possible but it will more likely be 3-6 each game.

Tireless Hunters is of course great and will synergize with many cards

Hero in the next spoiler?!!!!!

I also like that as an attachment it is limited. Event threat reduction just happens. You play it, bam, threat lowered. This requires an enemy in play, and for it to be one that you can engage, fight and kill. Sure, it can lower everyone's threat by 3-4, but not quite as easily and/or consistently as some of the other options.

Bets on the new hero? I think it must be Halbarad... But are there any other guesses?

Love the new player cards, encounter cards and art. Honestly this and Treason of Saruman can not arrive fast enough, almost drooling over both at this point. Probably going to proxy Secret Vigil AND Tireless Hunters and try them out tonight. Tireless Hunters is PERFECT for two handed players like me for when that one annoying enemy slips through and engages the wrong deck and you don't have sentinel set up on your uber defender yet. Simply slam Tireless Hunters down and that one enemy that slipped through will instead engage the combat deck and lose its shadow card too.

Secret Vigil is EXACTLY the kind of card I've been waiting for to add to my tactics/leadership deck. Gandalf or Galahadrim's Greeting (in my other deck that pairs with the tactics/leadership one) is the only way to lower threat normally and half the time you use Gandalf one of his other abilities would be just as useful as threat reduction. It also reduces all players threat not just the combat deck/player that kills the enemy which is pretty sweet. The minus 1 threat is just bonus, to be completely honest I think it would be a little cooler and more useful if it instead gave -1 attack instead of -1 threat. I think Haldir will probably combo well with this card as you can attach it to a high threat, high engagement enemy in staging reducing its threat (and thereby making it more bearable to leave in staging) and you can then snipe it with a buffed up Haldir's ability and reduce each players threat whilst doing so! Pretty potent combo if you can get it to work. Any direct damage effects like Gandalf, Galadhon Archer, Rumil or even goblin cleaver would also work really well with it as you can essentially put Secret Vigil on an enemy during the planning phase, then use a direct damage effect to instantly destroy said enemy, both removing its threat from the staging area (or stopping it from making an attack against a player that turn if already engaged) AND reducing your threat.

Woot! Awesome preview, I'm starting to get really excited for this expansion.

The art on Tireless Rangers is fantastic. And Secret Vigil! Ohh can't wait to make some great Tactics decks.

I don't like Secret Vigil, tactics lose a little of his own identity. All reduce threat elements must own to spirit sphere, at least not to tactics.

Tactics is still the least viable standalone sphere, though. I'm glad it gets some diversity.

We get back to Tolkien world! All that Dunland bearded dudes make me feel as game of thrones. Last cycle was bad…..

By the way, why the title says "few new announcements" if there is just one?

Because several new cards are revealed in the article. You might have phrased it differently.

Which has nothing to do with announcements, but whatever floats your boat.

Btw, man can you whine...

Which has nothing to do with announcements, but whatever floats your boat.

Which has a lot to do with announcements, silly. And it says "a few" not "few" which is very different in English.

I love how Secret Vigil's ability to lower the threat of the attached enemy by 1 has a pro and con side.

Pro: If the enemy is in the staging area still, then it will help with questing.

Con: It weakens the threat lowering ability by 1, which is a great way to balance it and prevent it from being too strong for Tactics, but still is a con in the players' eyes.