From Cardboard of the Rings Facebook page:

I can't express how excited I am about this. Finally a sub-7 threat spirit hero other than Glorfindel, and a non-crappy spirit Hobbit that you can use in the campaign. This will slot in perfectly with my deck that actually uses Song of Earendil to soak up everyone else's threat.

Now we just need a new Noldor hero with 7 or lower threat to use Elrond's Council and Secrecy will be a powerhouse.

Oh my god, it feels so powerful on the first glance.

And the event is pretty neat too, and it even has two effects to kick it off.

BUT, if this hero is from Wastes, then... who is gonna be the hero of The Treason of Saruman? I'm completely lost.

The full text of the leadership event should be as follows:

Response: After an ally leaves play, add it to

it's owner's hand instead of placing it in the

discard pile.

Valour/Combat(?) action: Until the end of the phase,

add each ally that leaves play to it's owner's

hand instead of placing it in the discard pile.

Edit: probably Valour instead of Combat action. Could be really powerful in combat-heavy multiplayer games.

It was suggested on BGG that second action is Valor Action.

I guess that makes a lot more sense for the cost and effect, and also fits with the other two-effect valour cards. Thanks for the pointer to the discussion at BGG!

Merry is very very powerful. The best threat reduction card i have seen

Wow, finally a good low-threat Spirit alternative to Glorfindel. Great ability too, especially considering we have cards like Fast Hitch!

Merry :love:

He is so powerful ... Amazing and quite well in line with hobbits thematics remaining hidden and so. I do not like the illustration though

I actually REALLY like the artwork, though it caught me off guard at first. It's so different from the movie version - but a lot closer to what I originally imagined before Peter Jackson. Merry may not be a prettyboy, but he looks like a hobbit to me!

The artwork seems from CallofCathulu. ^^

This hero open a big door for secrecy decks. I'm thinking yet... a lot of cards get making more sense. Earendil, Fatty... spirit Pippin!

Merry will most likely make use of his ability every turn in a 3 or 4-player game. In a Spirit-heavy Secrecy deck (maybe throw in Galadriel for good measure?) this could be insane.

OMG that Merry + Fatty wombo-combo... You negate a whole one enemy threat at an expsense of just exhaustion of two hobbit heroes

I just wish he was more compatibile with hobbits pipes. As he lowers your threat, events will lower other players' threat, so you will get less of them played on you. And you won't need them that much.

But in multiplayer he can easily lower your threat by 2-3 each round.

I just wish he was more compatibile with hobbits pipes. As he lowers your threat, events will lower other players' threat, so you will get less of them played on you. And you won't need them that much.

That's what Song of Earendil is for. You can still reduce your own threat, but use that attachment to "absorb" everyone else's threat gains.

I totally wasn't expecting a spoiler so soon! Amazing. Also, I'm really glad they started using this artist for actual hobbit character cards. I think her style fits perfectly. The card itself is quite interesting. It certainly foreces you to make a decision of whether you'll use his willpower or ability, and I think it kinda forces you to play lore and Fast Hitch. Anyway, he works great with Fatty and I think he's a pretty good hero overall. Such a shame though that he doesn't work with Hobbit Pipe...

I kinda miss the point of fast hitching him. It's a gamble. You fast hitch him, commit to a quest, ready for the enemy to pop up and if no enemy shows up - you have a wasted action. I think it's better just to have some decent wp elsewhere than to rely on fast hitch.

Don't be hasty ^^

If enemy is revealed you can play the event to ready Merry and use his ability

Don't be hasty ^^

If enemy is revealed you can play the event to ready Merry and use his ability

Ha, great point! Makes don't be hasty a bit more useful. Spare hood and cloak could also work. Play it on Merry, don't quest with him. If you don't want to use the ability, ready anothe character for combat (e.g. some ranger with an even stat distribution). After that, quest with Merry, keep the other guy back. Want to use the ability? Spare hood and cloak again, back to original plan.

This gives you a choice every turn between threat reduction and keeping a combat-capable hero ready.

Totally agree about both powers and artwork being awesome. Especially the artwork!

Wow!!!!!

Yeah, the artwork is pretty good. Dunno why so people hate it some much.

Wow! This looks great!

I kinda miss the point of fast hitching him. It's a gamble. You fast hitch him, commit to a quest, ready for the enemy to pop up and if no enemy shows up - you have a wasted action. I think it's better just to have some decent wp elsewhere than to rely on fast hitch.

While I would of course use another hero with higher willpower in a deck with this Merry, I don't see how Fast Hitch is a gamble. You commit him to the quest, ready, and if no enemy pops up you have 1 attack for an enemy already engaged (1 can be crucial in smaller enemies early on), or even more willpower for a Hide test or whatever. Fast Hitch gives you an action. I don't see how you can "waste" it by questing and having 1 more action to do whatever.

1 attack is laughable. It's simply not worth the fuss. He obviously can't defend anything but crows ( and crows would be a big risk ). I'd rather be off with something else than bother to give this one another action.

Well, in solo play you need the 2 willpower for a good chunk of the game, which makes him unusable for his ability in the early game, when it is just when you need it as well.