More broadly, I'd like more support for secrecy and tricksy ways to deal with enemies, ideally themed so that it doesn't clash with hobbits (A Elbereth Githoniel works, but not Ride Them Down). During the Grey Company's book club discussion of A Shadow of the Past, they mentioned that it's unthematic that the quest essentially forces you to fight the black riders. Obviously it's tricky to balance powerful effects like A Elbereth Githoniel, but I'm hoping the sixth saga box (which we might get this year) will include some powerful events and attachments to support players who want their decks to be more focused on Frodo and Sam than high-threat heroes and an army of allies. I loved Staff of Lebethron and Taste it Again (and appreciated In the Shadows) from The Land of Shadow, and would like to see more cards like them.

I have often wished that the core game had come with an additional phase for sneaking and stealth. Perhaps sneaking past an enemy would keep it in the staging area, but would exhaust it to represent sneaking past it; exhausted enemies wouldn't make engagement checks, but could be optionally engaged, and their threat would be reduced by one, to a minimum of one. Exhausted enemies wouldn't ready in the Refresh phase; once you've managed to sneak past the enemy, you don't need to do it again. When a quest card is completed, exhausted enemies would be shuffled back into the deck. You could then have encounter cards featuring keywords that interacted with this mechanic, such as an Alarm keyword that readied all enemies in the staging area.

Obviously, it would need to be balanced (I'm no game designer!), and it would probably have called for an additional attribute on player cards, but I really would have liked to have had that option as opposed to always needing to charge in with guns blazing. I think the best that I could hope for would be player cards that had this effect on enemies in the staging area, but having it as a core mechanic really would have made the game feel more three-dimensional, in my opinion.

Ian's The Seat of Morgoth scenario?

Ian's The Seat of Morgoth scenario?

I'm ashamed to admit that I've only taken a cursory look at the First Age player cards, and no look at all at the quests, so thank you for the recommendation; I'll definitely try it out!

A great tac hero, like Thranduil, to make tac sphere strong and interesting

No single hero can do it. The problem is the framework of the game.

I totally second the creature trait. Of course getting a new Radagast is another possibility, but I prefer cards that make older (weaker) cards stronger. It is a task indeed with Radagast but not an impossible one. If we get more creatures -- dogs would be great -- for instance.

Yes, many unique allies coming up. I really like that, and I think we can expect Aragorn for sure, Elladan and Elrohir very likely. Judging by the recent Rohan spoilers, it can be pretty much anybody.

Surely a new Elrond hero is coming up? I still puzzle my brain about the second Grey Havens hero, and hope to see spoilers soon. Maybe this week?

Thranduil hero must be in the mix as well.

And I keep crossing fingers for Tom and Goldberry -- allies.

And I keep crossing fingers for Tom and Goldberry -- allies.

So much this. A cute Goldberry drawn by Magali is a priority for this game.

As for how they could work them into the game, well, the forsaken Encounter keyword would have been perfect! Just put a clause in there to the effect of "no more than 1 copy of a card named Tom Bombadil/Goldberry can be in the encounter deck at a time" (to avoid multiples in Old Forest/Barrow-downs) and you're set. Ideally they would have a shadow effect similar to Ranger of Ithilien so you can still take control of him if he comes as a shadow card.

The second hero in the Grey Havens is a mystery. Actually I don't think it necessarily has to be an elf, since the deluxes don't need to have just one theme, and there seems to be some participation of Gondor in the story as well.

The second hero in the Grey Havens is a mystery. Actually I don't think it necessarily has to be an elf, since the deluxes don't need to have just one theme, and there seems to be some participation of Gondor in the story as well.

Do we know the sphere? My guess is a hero Galdor of the Havens. Even if it was just a carbon copy of the ally it would be pretty awesome.

We know it's not gonna be Leadership, as the heroes in pack 1 and 3 are Leadership. I guess it's gonna be Lore. Galdor is a possibility, though maybe a bit boring and obscure (but then again, we got friggin Dwalin in Khazad Dum). Could be.

My bet is some Pelargir captain. I think there is even named one in the history... I can't remember the name. Or was it some none-canon guy?

And I keep crossing fingers for Tom and Goldberry -- allies.

So much this. A cute Goldberry drawn by Magali is a priority for this game.

As for how they could work them into the game, well, the forsaken Encounter keyword would have been perfect! Just put a clause in there to the effect of "no more than 1 copy of a card named Tom Bombadil/Goldberry can be in the encounter deck at a time" (to avoid multiples in Old Forest/Barrow-downs) and you're set. Ideally they would have a shadow effect similar to Ranger of Ithilien so you can still take control of him if he comes as a shadow card.

The second hero in the Grey Havens is a mystery. Actually I don't think it necessarily has to be an elf, since the deluxes don't need to have just one theme, and there seems to be some participation of Gondor in the story as well.

Same waves here. The encounter keyword would be very interesting, especially for Bombadil.

But as for the last paragraph, this is not based on preference but from experience, the deluxe boxes always had the same race/nation trait of the two heroes: Khazad Bifur & Dwalin, Númenor Boromir & Beregond, Isengard Éomer & Gríma, Realm Aragorn & Halbarad.

I would much prefer Gildor to Galdor. He is a Rivendell elf (though traveling to the Havens as he meets the Hobbits). In contrary to the above, a Gondor sailor would be interesting, too. Will they go for a made-up name in the deluxe?

"Games Workshop also name Corinir as the Lord of Pelargir."

Oh, so it's not canon after all ;(

If I had to guess, I would put my money on an elf whose name starts with "G" and ends in "ldor". Galdor is my first choice, Gildor my second. Honorable mention goes to Geldor, Goldor, and Guldor.

Fun fact: Galdor is the last character present at the council of Elrond whom we do not have in hero form.

If I had to guess, I would put my money on an elf whose name starts with "G" and ends in "ldor". Galdor is my first choice, Gildor my second. Honorable mention goes to Geldor, Goldor, and Guldor.

Fun fact: Galdor is the last character present at the council of Elrond whom we do not have in hero form.

No love for Gyldor?

Gwildor!

I know this is random and does not apply to the above formula, but I really like Gwindor (from the Children of Húrin / Silmarillion).

I think they should complete the Galdor/Gildor suite:

Geldor - Noldor Veterinarian

Goldor - Noldor Jeweler

Guldor - I got nothin.

Thranduil and Meneldor!

Oh, I really hope they bring Meneldor with the saga box VI. Hope he pairs up well with Gwaihir.

Morgoth Bauglir

I know this is random and does not apply to the above formula, but I really like Gwindor (from the Children of Húrin / Silmarillion).

Agreed! Definitely a complex character.

I think they should complete the Galdor/Gildor suite:

Geldor - Noldor Veterinarian

Goldor - Noldor Jeweler

Guldor - I got nothin.

Guldor - Noldor Ornithologist

I think they should complete the Galdor/Gildor suite:

Geldor - Noldor Veterinarian

Goldor - Noldor Jeweler

Guldor - I got nothin.

Guldor - Noldor Ornithologist

Exhaust Guldor to search you deck for an eagle card and add it to your hand. Shuffle your deck.

Exhaust Geldor to shuffle an enemy creature back into the encounter deck.

Exhaust Goldor to add one resource to a hero you control.

I have some speculation for the story of the cycle. So apparently in Flight of the Stormcaller we are looking for a stolen artifact from a pirate. In The Thing in the Depths, we encounter and team up with the pirates, and in the article for Temple of the Deceived we know we have a key for a hidden chest. Is the key the artifact? If so, after finding the chest we will unlock no doubt something out of the chest. It would be cool if whatever object the chest holds then becomes an objective attachment, just like an objective ally, for the rest of the cycle. That would be so cool. And since apparently Sahír is an objective ally in Temple, we will be accopaining him in looking for the chest. Maybe at the end of that scenario he will turn on us to take the chest himself, and we fight to fight him as a boss enemy. That way we would not have so many objectives as well.