Versions of Merry and Pipping with the Rohan/Gondor traits would also be a very welcome addition, though they now have two hero cards each and I don't know how much play ally versions would receive.

In solo, just having them with the Rohan and Gondor traits and a decent ability will almost guarantee they see play.

A Spirit Aragorn with some willpower related ability would be a perfect fit thematically for the inevitable Paths of the Dead quest. Especially if the Spectral keyword comes back from The Stone of Erech.

You are aware that we are going to get Fellowship Aragorn right?

The only way to be aware of it is to be playtesting it. Everything else is conjecture.

Wasn't that information available in an article?

I've not seen it, but I admit that I don't know all available sources for LotR news the way I did for Legend of the Five Rings.

A Spirit Aragorn with some willpower related ability would be a perfect fit thematically for the inevitable Paths of the Dead quest. Especially if the Spectral keyword comes back from The Stone of Erech.

You are aware that we are going to get Fellowship Aragorn right?

The only way to be aware of it is to be playtesting it. Everything else is conjecture.

There would be no point in creating another Fellowship hero specifically for the portions of the book without Frodo, and mentioning he "can't be used as a hero when playing any scenario from a product other than The Lord of the Rings Saga Expansions" if they were not going to give us another one in Flame of the West.

For Flame of the West, I think Imrahil and Eomer are probably the most likely heroes, but I could maybe see Leadership Beregond being a thing? Legolas, Gimli, Denethor and Eowyn would all be great candidates but I think people are probably right that they won't duplicate heroes who were in the Core Set or earlier in the Saga so people running only Core + Saga will have more options. Ally versions of Denethor, Eowyn and Beregond (assuming he isn't a hero in the box, which I don't think is that likely) seem pretty likely though. Ally versions of Halbarad and Elrond's sons are also possibilities. Ally hobbits I think are more likely to turn up in the 6th box.

Very interesting discussion. What always should be remembered is that Saga expansions are also designed with the players in mind who only own the core set. For that reason we got no new Legolas/Gimli heroes and I assume for that reason we will not get another Eowyn or Denethor.

Personally I like this approach as I think that the CS+Saga crows should have a decent pool of heroes to choose from. I would have loved it if they had continued with the 4 heroes each expansion approach. In that case we would have had the room for another Gimli/Legolas or Tactics Eowyn. As it is I support the approach that we get no hero duplicates inside this “cycle”. Those of us who post here for the most part pick up each expansion or AP, so we will eventually get our Lore Legolas or Tactics Eowyn.

So let’s get on with the speculation. So far we have had 1 neutral, 3 lore, 2 spirit, 2 leadership and 1 tactics hero in the saga expansions. That should leave us with one spirit, one leadership and two tactics heroes to come (and a decent pool of 6 heroes each sphere to choose from).

To be honest a lot of time has passed since I have read the books, so this are rather guesses for the most part. What I remember is that a lot of new characters were introduced in book three but nobody in the Frodo/Sam part. Therefore I assume we will have another spill over to box number 6 (like we had with box 3 and 4).

I think an Eomer hero is a pretty safe bet at this point, probably leadership. I guess thematically it would make sense to put him into the last box then, but then again he is probably one the most important “supporting characters” so to speak, so I do not think that they will hold him back that long.

My second guess would be Tactics Imrahil. I think the original Tactics Beregond would have been perfect here, but I cannot imagine them doing heroes twice in the same sphere. We should definitely get a Tactics heroes and with Eowyn out of the picture he makes the most sense to me.

With Hallbarad, Elladan, Elrohir, Merry, Pippin, Bergil, Eowyn, Beregond we have quite a strong line-up for potential line-up. I think they will try to strike a balance between characters not yet represented and those we already have as heroes.

Denethor isn’t really a hero in the book, so I guess we might get him as an objective ally like Golem. We already have a strong ally and hero version of Faramir. So I cannot see another one.

I would love to have the twins, but I cannot see them making the cut – especially since we get their ally version in the new cycle.

So my most likely candidates for allies are Hallbarad, Beregond, Eowyn and Bergil.

Box 6 should also be a head scratcher. Maybe a spirit Golem (already thought that we might get him in box 3), but can/should they really pull it off. I guess we might see Merry and Pippin allies (spill-over) but apart from that I have no clue.

For Flame of the West, I think Imrahil and Eomer are probably the most likely heroes, but I could maybe see Leadership Beregond being a thing? Legolas, Gimli, Denethor and Eowyn would all be great candidates but I think people are probably right that they won't duplicate heroes who were in the Core Set or earlier in the Saga so people running only Core + Saga will have more options. Ally versions of Denethor, Eowyn and Beregond (assuming he isn't a hero in the box, which I don't think is that likely) seem pretty likely though. Ally versions of Halbarad and Elrond's sons are also possibilities. Ally hobbits I think are more likely to turn up in the 6th box.

Wow, you stole all my ideas and managed to sum up all that I have written in just a small paragraph. Respect.

Hey, what about Rey, Finn or even Wedge Antilles as heroes??... huh.... oops... wrong forum.... sorry...

How do you know we will get the twins as allies in the coming cycle?

Beyond all hope boon and a gandalf the white hero would be totally diferent cards in my opinion, doesnt make any sense.

But if the designers said that the current Gandalf is the most powerful hero then my wishes for a Gandalf the White hero are beyond all hope

Beyond all hope boon and a gandalf the white hero would be totally diferent cards in my opinion, doesnt make any sense.

But if the designers said that the current Gandalf is the most powerful hero then my wishes for a Gandalf the White hero are beyond all hope

Putting Beyond All Hope on Gandalf after sacrificing him to kill the Balrog literally is Gandalf the White.

It's not completely out of the question they could make another Gandalf hero to represent him as Gandalf the White, but I think it's very unlikely.

Beyond all hope boon and a gandalf the white hero would be totally diferent cards in my opinion, doesnt make any sense.

But if the designers said that the current Gandalf is the most powerful hero then my wishes for a Gandalf the White hero are beyond all hope

Putting Beyond All Hope on Gandalf after sacrificing him to kill the Balrog literally is Gandalf the White.

It's not completely out of the question they could make another Gandalf hero to represent him as Gandalf the White, but I think it's very unlikely.

Beyond all hope boon and a gandalf the white hero would be totally diferent cards in my opinion, doesnt make any sense.

But if the designers said that the current Gandalf is the most powerful hero then my wishes for a Gandalf the White hero are beyond all hope

Putting Beyond All Hope on Gandalf after sacrificing him to kill the Balrog literally is Gandalf the White.

It's not completely out of the question they could make another Gandalf hero to represent him as Gandalf the White, but I think it's very unlikely.

Yeah I know, but beyond all hope is not especif for gandalf, its a global hero card especif for a mission in a sequence of missions. A true gandalf the white hero would be amazing, or even a ally. For me the game wont be complete if we dont get a true Gandalf the white card, since he is one of the best characters in the history.

I hope that FFG do the same that they done for the two Sagas of The Hobbit, and The Black Riders. Give us a total of 4! Heroes! besides Aragorn Fellowship.

Beyond all hope boon and a gandalf the white hero would be totally diferent cards in my opinion, doesnt make any sense.

But if the designers said that the current Gandalf is the most powerful hero then my wishes for a Gandalf the White hero are beyond all hope

Putting Beyond All Hope on Gandalf after sacrificing him to kill the Balrog literally is Gandalf the White.

It's not completely out of the question they could make another Gandalf hero to represent him as Gandalf the White, but I think it's very unlikely.

Yeah I know, but beyond all hope is not especif for gandalf, its a global hero card especif for a mission in a sequence of missions. A true gandalf the white hero would be amazing, or even a ally. For me the game wont be complete if we dont get a true Gandalf the white card, since he is one of the best characters in the history.

...he's the same character as Gandalf the Grey, just with shinier robes.

Even in the unlikely circumstance that we get a Gandalf specifically intended to represent Gandalf the White, he won't be called Gandalf the White because of how the uniqueness rules work.

Yes, that's precisely what I also think of the prospect for a Gandalf the White card. However, it could still be called Gandalf and represent him as the White in the art, in the ability, maybe higher stats, etc.

Is it certain that Saga box 5 is limited/purely about the first book in Return of the King?

Yes.

Any source?

Yes, that's precisely what I also think of the prospect for a Gandalf the White card. However, it could still be called Gandalf and represent him as the White in the art, in the ability, maybe higher stats, etc.

What about a Title specifically for Gandalf? I guess you could also attach it to Saruman outside of Saga mode.

Is it certain that Saga box 5 is limited/purely about the first book in Return of the King?

Yes.

Any source?

In the rulebook for Land of Shadow: "The adventure continues in The Lord of the Rings: The Flame of the West Expansion with scenarios that bring to life the events from the first half of The Return of the King."

Yes, that's precisely what I also think of the prospect for a Gandalf the White card. However, it could still be called Gandalf and represent him as the White in the art, in the ability, maybe higher stats, etc.

What about a Title specifically for Gandalf? I guess you could also attach it to Saruman outside of Saga mode.

That would be really amazing, yes. I created a custom card of this which could be attached to any istari hero (I also made the other wizards).

The confirmation that we'll be getting Fellowship Aragorn in Flame of the West is that Palantír of Orthanc (which you can only get after The Road to Isengard) says "Attach to Fellowship Aragorn."

I assume that they'll even out the number of heroes per sphere across the saga, so Flame of the West would have one Tactics hero and one Leadership/Spirit hero, and the sixth box will have one Tactics hero and one Spirit/Leadership hero. I also assume that they won't repeat Core or Saga heroes, though they might break that rule since Flame of the West includes Éowyn's key moment. My guess is that we'll get Tactics Imrahil (the best representative of Gondor on the field of Pelennor) and Spirit Éomer, and in the sixth box we'll get Fellowship Sam, Leadership Frodo, and Tactics Gwaihir. For allies, Merry, Pippin, Halbarad, and either Éowyn (if we don't get a hero version or "Dernhelm"-type attachment) or Beregond seem likely possibilities.

In The Grey Havens, we might get a Gondor hero, perhaps FFG-created. The Voice of Isengard had both Rohan and Isengard themes in its player cards. Two of the spoiled ship objectives have the Gondor trait, and the announcement article said:

the troubled dreams of one Gondorian nobleman spur you to undertake an epic journey to the ruins of Númenor

I'm hoping we get The Flame of the West announcement or another Grey Havens article before Christmas, to find out more.

The confirmation that we'll be getting Fellowship Aragorn in Flame of the West is that Palantír of Orthanc (which you can only get after The Road to Isengard) says "Attach to Fellowship Aragorn."

I assume that they'll even out the number of heroes per sphere across the saga, so Flame of the West would have one Tactics hero and one Leadership/Spirit hero, and the sixth box will have one Tactics hero and one Spirit/Leadership hero. I also assume that they won't repeat Core or Saga heroes, though they might break that rule since Flame of the West includes Éowyn's key moment. My guess is that we'll get Tactics Imrahil (the best representative of Gondor on the field of Pelennor) and Spirit Éomer, and in the sixth box we'll get Fellowship Sam, Leadership Frodo, and Tactics Gwaihir. For allies, Merry, Pippin, Halbarad, and either Éowyn (if we don't get a hero version or "Dernhelm"-type attachment) or Beregond seem likely possibilities.

In The Grey Havens, we might get a Gondor hero, perhaps FFG-created. The Voice of Isengard had both Rohan and Isengard themes in its player cards. Two of the spoiled ship objectives have the Gondor trait, and the announcement article said:

the troubled dreams of one Gondorian nobleman spur you to undertake an epic journey to the ruins of Númenor

I'm hoping we get The Flame of the West announcement or another Grey Havens article before Christmas, to find out more.

These are, I think, excellent guesses. With one omission perhaps, why not Denethor? This is his part of the book, or in other words, this is the only part where he actually features, with a chapter named after him. I believe we should see him at least as an ally? But it could also be an objective… or I mean boon and/or burden.

I think it would be awesome to have a scenario in which Denethor is a boss enemy and you have to go through Gondorian guards to save Faramir.

Yesterday i was thinking what Grandspleen posted. Denethor could be a boss enemy, but due to his role in the book i cannot see him as a hero

I've been thinking a bit about the structure of box six. I don't think it'd be too farfetched to imagine having two Fellowship heroes: Sam for the first scenario, escaping from Cirith Ungol, with Frodo as an ally objective, then Frodo for the second two. I'd guess that the second and third scenarios would probably be the journey across Mordor (Frodo and Sam, maybe some sort of quest that encouraged Secrecy), and then Mount Doom and the Black Gate, with two separate staging areas. While it'd be nice to have the Scouring of the Shire as the last scenario, I just don't know that it's likely to follow Mount Doom/the Black Gate.

Surely Tactics Éowyn HAS to appear in box five. I'd expect a Leadership Éomer more than a Spirit Éomer, though.

The one thing that makes me uncertain about Fellowship Sam in box 6 is that, while Box 3 and presumably Box 5 require that I do not play Frodo Baggins, they do not require that I do not play Samwise Gamgee.

The one thing that makes me uncertain about Fellowship Sam in box 6 is that, while Box 3 and presumably Box 5 require that I do not play Frodo Baggins, they do not require that I do not play Samwise Gamgee.

I am inclined to agree. I understand how much the final success depended on Samwise (just as it did on Gollum, and others) but I do not think that will result in a Fellowship Sam.