Interesting ideas about Narya. I wonder if both Círdan and Gandalf will be potential targets, or just Gandalf. This game is all about possibilities, and then you get Vilya, a Ring of Power that has also changed bearers, and it can be only attached to Elrond, whilst at the same time you can attach Steward of Gondor to any hero. There has been a lot of discussion about this, of course. But I feel they might go less with the theme and more with consistency and have Narya only attachable to Gandalf. But then again, probably not if it appears in the Grey Havens. Any implication it will happen there?

Thinking of the card distribution in the box, we know there will be a 2-cost event for every sphere, and judging by the two allies, there might also be a 2-cost Noldor ally for each sphere. I hope they will do the same for attachments… and I am really looking forward to see Leadership cards in this box because so far we have got very little Leadership Noldor stuff...

With "Limit once per game", if I trigger it and then use the event to let another player take control of Galor, will they be able to trigger the effect as well?

You mean Desperate Alliance, right. I think the official ruling is exactly so: once per player. I rather give that card a pass because it tends to get ridiculous with Aragorn, for instance.

Interesting ideas about Narya. I wonder if both Círdan and Gandalf will be potential targets, or just Gandalf. This game is all about possibilities, and then you get Vilya, a Ring of Power that has also changed bearers, and it can be only attached to Elrond, .

Well, we're not getting a Gil-Galad hero or ally anytime soon, so it makes sense to restrict it to Elrond. Narya, assuming it comes in The Grey Havens, will probably attach to both Círdan and Gandalf.

Hero Galdor is awesome (and I love his art, though the coat is a little 18^th Century for Middle-Earth) but he’s also pretty niche. He’s going to help those Noldor effects that really want to get certain cards into your discard ASAP. Plus once you ditch your whole hand for effect we basically get a new setup hand off a thinned deck.

Outside of that Noldor discard deck though…he’s kind of meh. His abilities aren’t bad but they aren’t anything all that special either. His setup ability can help you build towards larger 2 or 3 card combos by keeping one part and going fishing for the rest. He’s 8 threat with Mirlonde with whom he has some Noldor/Silvan synergy. Ally Galdor likes him (which I find thematically-consistant and mechanically annoying).

All-in-all he’s a solid, niche Hero—nothing wrong with that.

I do worry a little bit though that the Noldor-Discard deck is getting a lot of love right now. Obviously we don’t have an exact listing of all the cards in the upcoming Deluxe and APs but that deck archetype already has 4 solid Heroes (Erestor, Cirdan, Arwen and now Galdor), not to mention a lot of released and spoiled support. I get that thematically it fits with the Grey Havens but I worry a little that we’ll start to see other things that could use some attention get passed over for more focus on this deck-type. I mean, we now have two Galdor’s focusing on Noldor-Discard—a mechanism that barely existed not long ago.

Just curious - how long do things typically stay "on the boat" in terms of shipping? This product was last updated on 12/9/15. Just curious how long I've got to wait!

Hero Galdor is awesome (and I love his art, though the coat is a little 18^th Century for Middle-Earth)

This whole cycle feels more Hornblower than Lord of the Rings to me.

I'll probably give it a miss.

Hero Galdor is awesome (and I love his art, though the coat is a little 18^th Century for Middle-Earth)

This whole cycle feels more Hornblower than Lord of the Rings to me.

I'll probably give it a miss.

I'm personally a bigger fan of the game than the lore (I don't dislike Tolkeen, but I wouldn't call myself a fan) so the setting change doesn't bother me. If it allows for interesting, fresh mechanics then I'm okay with it. But more freedom can lead to over-complication--something that is seen a lot in the "Pirate"-genre in board/card games (I'm looking at you Pathfinder: Skull & Shackles) so I am hoping they manage to keep everything well-streamlined.

Interesting ideas about Narya. I wonder if both Círdan and Gandalf will be potential targets, or just Gandalf. This game is all about possibilities, and then you get Vilya, a Ring of Power that has also changed bearers, and it can be only attached to Elrond, .

Well, we're not getting a Gil-Galad hero or ally anytime soon, so it makes sense to restrict it to Elrond. Narya, assuming it comes in The Grey Havens, will probably attach to both Círdan and Gandalf.

I fully expected this type of comment, and I see the reason behind it. But it actually makes zero sense to me. It is not like Gil-Galad had the only one option to give Vilya to Elrond, he could have chosen someone else, and would have chosen had Elrond not been around, probably. It was not an heirloom like Narsil. And so could Círdan, had he found a different Istari more fit.

Still, even though it makes little thematic sense to restrict Vilya to Elrond, I understand the design behind it since it is such a powerful card.

That all said, it may very well be that Narya will be for both Círdan and Gandalf.

Sure, they could have given the rings to other people. But among the heroes that exist in the card game (or ever will exist), Elrond is the only one that ever possessed Vilya (and likewise for Galadriel with Nenya). Meanwhile, both Cirdan and Gandalf possessed Narya at some point.

My guess for the effect is something like: Attach to Cirdan or Gandalf. Exhaust Narya and attached hero to move the top card of your discard pile to the top of your deck.

It allows for some powerful recursion, and combos well with both Gandalf and Cirdan.

I think, repetetive returner would be too much even with exhaustion of someone as powerful as Cirdan or Gandalf. Just think of ednless Tests of Will, not a single treachery triggerting entire game.

Also, Ring of Barahir does not requires anyone to exhaust

Yes, a good point about exhausting: for the Three Elven Rings. It will most likely be the case again. And true, exhausting Gandalf or Círdan seems on par with Elrond. It makes sense Nenya is cheaper and less powerful because Galadriel can only exhaust for her ability otherwise. It is no easy thing to design Narya, surely. I think they will try to stick to the theme in terms that Vilya is the most powerful of the three but if Narya exhausts Gandalf (or Círdan) it will have to have a very powerful effect too.

To recover the top card of the discard pile could be it. It is certainly immensely powerful, yet obviously not so productive as using Vilya.

Didn't we 'design' Galdor in that topic about fixed starting hands? I remember both abilities being talked about there.

Second one is nice but i cant remember running out of Cards that often in my games.(if you are not playing certain mechanics that is)

I don't typically run out of cards in my hand unless I'm playing mono-tactics. The reason I don't is because I typically design my decks in a way that I never run out of cards since running out of cards is usually bad (barring certain scenarios, of course). With that said, having access to this hero/ability means that you can build some really effective blitz decks. It's truly amazing. I think it will open up a lot of interesting deck designs.

I do empty my hand sometimes.

I often run alot of 0 & 1 cost cards. Some 2 cost cards, and a few 3 cost cards in most decks.

And those few really need to be worth the 3 I pay imo, as it takes a whole turn to just play one, instead of 2 or even 3 other cards.

Card cost is a important factor to me, as I rarely play leadership.

So yea, I like his abilities.

The more I think about his stats, the more I am just 'ok' with those.

Would rather have seen him 3/1/1/3 with 8 threat, making him more splashable. (is that a word?) edit: google says yes, but in card game terms.

Hero Galdor is awesome (and I love his art, though the coat is a little 18^th Century for Middle-Earth)

This whole cycle feels more Hornblower than Lord of the Rings to me.

I'll probably give it a miss.

I'm personally a bigger fan of the game than the lore (I don't dislike Tolkeen, but I wouldn't call myself a fan) so the setting change doesn't bother me. If it allows for interesting, fresh mechanics then I'm okay with it. But more freedom can lead to over-complication--something that is seen a lot in the "Pirate"-genre in board/card games (I'm looking at you Pathfinder: Skull & Shackles) so I am hoping they manage to keep everything well-streamlined.

I'm the opposite. The game is fun, but I wouldn't be playing it if it weren't for the IP. I've generally avoided the invented characters and less "authentic" quests.

Might change my tune once I've run out of stuff to buy, though. Who knows?

Not to the topic that much but I am the same: I wouldn't be playing the game if it were not Middle-earth related. So theme definitely comes first for me, deck-building and all, but I also really like the entire design (including art), the player vs game is great.

By the way, forgot to mention, but I'm really in love with the

(those curves...)

1/1/0/2 is like a golden standard for a 2-costed ally, and it's nice to see 1wp on a 2-costed ally of Tactics. But the real deal is 3 attack and Ranged at the cost of two (ally on top of discard pile is easily arrangeable).

Yet there is one little thing that made me cringe... her text is kinda similar with what I was trying to "rework" Horseback Archer into:

Poor guy is getting outclassed by literally every other ranged attacker on the block. I guess I'll have to do something else for him, like a response to someone rohan leaving play that grants him 1 attack until the end of the phase or something.

Yes, Horseback Archer is a poor guy. The design learning process have been great throughout the existence of the game. In the beginning there were super powerful and super weak cards. The distribution is much more interesting now. And some of the cards have developed very well (sometimes perhaps too well -- Love of Tales).

I think the Mithlond Sea-watcher is indeed very good. 1 willpower for 2 cost in Tactics is special. 2 hp never hurts. I am not sure the bonus is so easy to achieve even in a dedicated deck, but it is certainly achievable. Haven't tried it yet. My Elven Tactics deck usually do not run so many allies but perhaps that will change if we actually get some good ones like this guy.

Tactics has plenty of cheap defenders to chump (and go on top of your discard pile) with. Even more, Winged Guardian, Watcher of Bruinen and Vassal of the Winlord have self-discarding forced effects, Westfold Outrider can go on top of your discard pile at will. Exceedingly more ways to have an ally on the top of your deck if you're pairing Tactics with other spheres.

I can definitely see running a set of those when Elladan is around.

I can definitely see running a set of those when Elladan is around.

It's not the first time I hear someone mentioning them and Elladan together, but I still fail to see their exact synergy.

My closest bet is Elven Spear, however there is also Legolas from Tactics who can have it, as well as various heroes from other spheres.

Yeah, the twin decks is exactly a type of deck where allies are more scarce (to put on top of the discard pile). I guess Eagles is a good pairing, though I always try to have Vassals and co. attached to the Eagles of the Misty Mountains. Elven Spear is a natural combo. And Protector for a defender, though different sphere.

Maybe just cause they are Noldor (boosts power of lords of the eldar running noldor heroes and allies), elladan is in sphere with the ally and cause the brothers go great with their sister who is amazing with this ally.
My elladan, elrohir, arwen deck only runs four events; feint, sneak attack, elven light and lords of the eldar.
lords is meant to be played from your discard and is put back into your deck and elven light doesn't stay in the discard pile for long.
The deck also has galadriel and gandalf ally, both of whom go to discard at the end of the round.
Finally the best part of this is Arwen herself who can pitch an ally at any time to ensure this ally is getting the bonus. With these varying factors as well as the Derndingle ally who often falls to nasty enemy attacks at some point this deck can actually fairly reliably keep an ally on top of the discard or get one to the top by playing the copy of Light/Lords on top of it or in an emergency can simply discard an ally with Arwen.

I think putting this new ally in this deck is a no brainer and am trying to figure out what will come out for it.

You are right thought and Elladan and Elrohir do not directly have any effect or synergy with the new ally, I think it is more the sort of cards and decks the brothers are included in or used in conjunction with that gel with the new ally so myself and others could have explained better for sure.

Yeah, the twin decks is exactly a type of deck where allies are more scarce (to put on top of the discard pile). I guess Eagles is a good pairing, though I always try to have Vassals and co. attached to the Eagles of the Misty Mountains. Elven Spear is a natural combo. And Protector for a defender, though different sphere.

I don't know, I think thats pigeon-holing the brothers a little too much. The deck I use with them has a fair few allies, I think around 18 from memory.

I get what you are saying though as you obviously need resources to fuel their abilities hence cannot play as many allies because of this but with resource acceleration like steward, arwen hero, grima hero etc and by running lower cost allies you can still very easily make effective decks with the brothers that are not light on allies. They also obviously do better in decks that are more attachment heavy but you can easily have a deck that has a good balance of allies and attachments.

Also yeah not sure about eagles for the reason you laid out yourself, you want to attach all your discarded eagles to your copies of Eagles of the Misty Mountains to buff them into monsters not put them in your discard pile..