We really need some good versions of these cards. It kills me that Radagast sucks so much. I'd love to see a Radagast or Saruman hero (or both). I don't understand for the life of me why we have a Grima hero and no Saruman hero. What would everyone's hero version of these two Istari be?

Mine:

Saruman: Neutral

Threat 15

W: 3

A: 5

D: 2

HP: 5

Once per round, exhaust Saruman to take control of a non-unique enemy in the staging area. That enemy leaves the staging area and enters your play area. The enemy has 0 willpower. Return it to the staging area at the end of the refresh phase. If Saruman readies, return the enemy to the staging area immediately.

Radagast: Threat: 12

Lore

W: 2

A: 2

D: 3

HP: 5

Radagast's resources may be used to pay for creature allies from any sphere. You may spend one resource from Radagast's pool to heal 1 damage from any creature in play. Once per round you may exhaust Radagast to look at the top 5 cards of your deck and add one creature card revealed to your hand. Shuffle your encounter deck afterwards.

Of course there'd have to be versions of each of their staffs as well, hopefully no rabbit sled for Radagast though.

I like these ideas, we may yet get a Radagast and/or Saruman hero. For Radagast I would rather have a Creature effect that worked on enemies instead or as well as ally Creature traits.

For Radagast something like "Exhaust Radagast to choose a non-unique Creature enemy in play, that enemy cannot attack this phase".

Once per round, exhaust Saruman to take control of a non-unique enemy in the staging area. That enemy leaves the staging area and enters your play area. The enemy has 0 willpower. Return it to the staging area at the end of the refresh phase. If Saruman readies, return the enemy to the staging area immediately.

I like the idea here. Very Thematic.

Radagahst using creatures from any sphere is an awesome idea!!!

I am really hoping for a new Radagast at least. I would actually like if he could play with the top card face-up. I have been always very critical to the ally version, I really think it could have had three willpower. At least recently, I got a good use out of him in a Gandalf-Elrond-Beorn deck where he can be used well for Word of Command and even get a second Wizzard Pipe (in addition to his usual tricks -- which are not that many).

I’m fine without a Saruman Hero. Thematically it’s a little wonky as we’ve already seen him as an enemy (though we do have an ally so…) but my real gripe is that I do not like unique player cards that duplicate encounter cards. I get that it kind of has to happen in the Saga expansions but beyond there I would be quite happy to never see it again. It’s no big deal for those that purpose-build decks for a given scenario but for those that try to build a single or set of decks for the whole game it can be a real pain.

Would love to see a new Radagast though. Hero or Ally. For Ally I think he could slot pretty well into the Neutral slot for the Lore-Elrond/Leadership-Galadriel, 3-cost, discard at end of round ally. Something like: [3-cost], 3/2/2/4. At the end of the round, discard Radagast from play. Response: After Radagast enters play, choose one: Reduce the cost of the next Creature, Mount or Eagle card you play this turn by 2, place 2 progress on any location, or heal all damage from one ally.

Now for the Hero …the obvious ability would be something along the lines of giving a discount to Creature cards but I would rather do something we haven’t seen as much of. And Radagast is an Istari so he should feel powerful (despite what Peter Jackson thinks), but in a very different way than Gandalf or Saruman.

What about something like: Neutral Hero. [11-threat cost], 3/2/2/4. Resources from Radagast’s resource pool may be used to pay costs for any Creature , Mount or Eagle cards. Action: Exhaust Radagast to put a Creature or Eagle ally from your hand into play. That ally gains: At the end of the round, shuffle this card back into your deck.

This is a powerful effect, no doubt. But I don’t think it’s too powerful. The Eagles (where he can facilitate effects from Eagles of the Misty Mountain, Support of the Eagles, To the Eyrie and The Eagles are Coming) are his obvious wheelhouse but the Mount synergy could help give him some legs elsewhere. And it would open up some cool design space for us to see some more Creature cards beyond the Eagles (wolves, maybe, as a counter-point to wargs?).

And thematically I think it just makes a lot of sense. Radagast doesn’t command the awesome powers of Gandalf or Saruman. But while they were shaping nations and ages he was learning about the creatures and beasts of Middle-Earth and he is shown to have great influence with them.

Neutral hero could become a resource problem but you could always fix it with something like: Radagast’s Staff. Action: Exhaust Radagast’s Staff to give Radagast a printed resource icon matching the sphere of all creatures in play until the end of the phase. Or something like that.

I want hero versions of every wizard. Even the Blue Wizards, though clearly the license will not permit it.

I want hero versions of every wizard. Even the Blue Wizards, though clearly the license will not permit it.

If they made up their own names for the Blue Wizards? And they don't use colours anyway, right? So we could get five in the end, just the two would not be Alatar and Pallando.

I want a spirit Aragorn.

I want Spirit Grima.

I want hero versions of every wizard. Even the Blue Wizards, though clearly the license will not permit it.

If they made up their own names for the Blue Wizards? And they don't use colours anyway, right? So we could get five in the end, just the two would not be Alatar and Pallando.

Nah... That's way too much of a stretch, I'd rather keep and print my custom versions.

I'm with you on his ability, but even the Gandalf hero only has 3 for all his stats. IMO, Saruman shouldn't be a hero card based on his character but if he was, I'd wager his stats at W: 2, A: 4, D: 3. Some might argue that his will should be higher because his strength was the ability to control one's mind but that would translate to attack.

I'm with you on his ability, but even the Gandalf hero only has 3 for all his stats. IMO, Saruman shouldn't be a hero card based on his character but if he was, I'd wager his stats at W: 2, A: 4, D: 3. Some might argue that his will should be higher because his strength was the ability to control one's mind but that would translate to attack.

Saruman: Neutral

Threat 15

W: 3

A: 5

D: 2

HP: 5

Once per round, exhaust Saruman to take control of a non-unique enemy in the staging area. That enemy leaves the staging area and enters your play area. The enemy has 0 willpower. Return it to the staging area at the end of the refresh phase. If Saruman readies, return the enemy to the staging area immediately.

That ability is way too strong. For no extra cost than exhausting you cancel out 2 enemy attacks(1 for the controlled enemy, 1 you can defend with your new *minion*) get 1 free attack(with your minion) and/or kill one enemy.(your minion dies defending or he kills another enemy afterwards). Nothing would prevent you from readying Saruman afterwards(unexpected courage and so on) and still attack with him.

Taking control of enemies will never happen in this game as you effectively cancel out too much pressure from the encounter deck

I'm with you on his ability, but even the Gandalf hero only has 3 for all his stats. IMO, Saruman shouldn't be a hero card based on his character but if he was, I'd wager his stats at W: 2, A: 4, D: 3. Some might argue that his will should be higher because his strength was the ability to control one's mind but that would translate to attack.

Saruman: Neutral

Threat 15

W: 3

A: 5

D: 2

HP: 5

Once per round, exhaust Saruman to take control of a non-unique enemy in the staging area. That enemy leaves the staging area and enters your play area. The enemy has 0 willpower. Return it to the staging area at the end of the refresh phase. If Saruman readies, return the enemy to the staging area immediately.

That ability is way too strong. For no extra cost than exhausting you cancel out 2 enemy attacks(1 for the controlled enemy, 1 you can defend with your new *minion*) get 1 free attack(with your minion) and/or kill one enemy.(your minion dies defending or he kills another enemy afterwards). Nothing would prevent you from readying Saruman afterwards(unexpected courage and so on) and still attack with him.

Taking control of enemies will never happen in this game as you effectively cancel out too much pressure from the encounter deck

I see your point, but a 15 threat hero who only gives neutral resources is a steep price to pay for that ability. Exhausting him is losing you a LOT of stats too. Plus, Saruman SHOULD BE powerful. Besides, I really don't think he's more powerful than Boromir. I've regularly seen Boromir cancel 8+ enemy attacks, taking no damage, then attacking each enemy back in turn.

I'm with you on his ability, but even the Gandalf hero only has 3 for all his stats. IMO, Saruman shouldn't be a hero card based on his character but if he was, I'd wager his stats at W: 2, A: 4, D: 3. Some might argue that his will should be higher because his strength was the ability to control one's mind but that would translate to attack.

Saruman: Neutral

Threat 15

W: 3

A: 5

D: 2

HP: 5

Once per round, exhaust Saruman to take control of a non-unique enemy in the staging area. That enemy leaves the staging area and enters your play area. The enemy has 0 willpower. Return it to the staging area at the end of the refresh phase. If Saruman readies, return the enemy to the staging area immediately.

Well, Saruman was unquestionably more powerful than Gandalf the Grey. 15 starting threat is insane too. Also, while Gandalf's are all three's, 5's aren't unprecedented. Beorn has 5. Treebeard easily can get 8. Granted Beorn is a giant bear, and Treebeard is...well...treebeard. But Eomer attacks for more than Gandalf usually. As does Boromir.

Also, good point about the will. I was thinking about that but on the other hand his will was broken by Sauron in a way. He did stray away from the path the Valar had set him on. But I can see your argument as well.

I want hero versions of every wizard. Even the Blue Wizards, though clearly the license will not permit it.

Yeah, I can't tell you how bad I want hero versions of the blue wizards. Too bad they can't find a way to make it happen.

Ok I know this is years late but what about:

Saruman

Will:2

Attack:4

Defense:3

Istari Noble

Neutral

Play with the top card of your deck revealed. Once per turn saruman may pay for any card in your hand. When doing so treat him as having the printed lore spirit leadership tactics sphere.

Whenever a nonunique location or enemy is put into play, you may discard the top card of your deck to discard that encounter card if its cost is greater than or equal to its threat. Limit once per phase.

I really like this idea because flame of anor and wizard pipe will still work great with him. Also, he can't play the top card, but his resource ability,represents the saruman of "many colors." finally his ability represents sarumans knowledge of the enemy. I gave him the noble trait so he can use the palantir, or the palantir can be erratad to equip to him as well. I haven't thought of a great radagast card yet, synergy with eagle, ent, mount, creature cards is obvious,direction. Having ability to get them into play isnt enough for me because ents entered exhausted. Maybe ability to get them in hand? Or maybe something else entirely... I don't know. What do yall think of this saruman? Too powerful?

7 hours ago, breedlove2 said:

Whenever a nonunique location or enemy is put into play, you may discard the top card of your deck to discard that encounter card if its cost is greater than or equal to its threat. Limit once per phase.

So in solo all I have to do is fill my deck with high cost cards to never have to deal with any enemies or locations? Don't you think that's a little too powerful?

At this point I don't even care half as much as I did before what our possible Saruman and Radagast heroes would do... I just want Caleb to get on with it and make them. After pretty much 2 cycles mostly comprising some very tertiary characters or FFG created characters, it's long due for us to get some powerful Istari for a change...

Eventually, the "important" heroes will get used up, possibly with multiple versions; and we'll hopefully get those heroes we've been waiting for.

ok, how about instead of discarding encounter cards, he can treat them like they are out of play until the end of the round?

On 5/3/2018 at 12:17 PM, Seastan said:

So in solo all I have to do is fill my deck with high cost cards to never have to deal with any enemies or locations? Don't you think that's a little too powerful?

ok, how about instead of discarding encounter cards, he can treat them like they are out of play until the end of the round?

That doesn't seem too powerful, even if you fill your deck with high cost cards, if you treat them as out of play until the end of the round you're still going to have to deal with them next turn

And maybe for radagast, he gets a discount for playing eagles/ents/creatures/mounts... I feel like all istari should play with the top card of your deck revealed so that they can work with wizard pipe and flame of anor. Radagast could have an ability where he halves the cost of such cards. That would be great for eagles and ents?

On 5/6/2018 at 11:34 AM, breedlove2 said:

I feel like all istari should play with the top card of your deck revealed so that they can work with wizard pipe and flame of anor. Radagast could have an ability where he halves the cost of such cards. That would be great for eagles and ents?

     

I agree, but I think that they should each do something different with that knowledge.

EDIT:

Like perhaps Radagast cares about the type of card on the top of the deck and Saruman cares about the cost.

On 5/6/2018 at 8:34 AM, breedlove2 said:

I feel like all istari should play with the top card of your deck revealed so that they can work with wizard pipe and flame of anor.

I disagree. I think it would be nice if they all interacted with the top card in some way, so as to make Wizard Pipe and Flame of Anor useful with them. But that doesn't necessary mean making the top card visible. In fact, I'd rather have anything but that, so that the ability combos well with hero Gandalf rather than being redundant.