I've tried Rod of the Steward already, and I find it (after 2 games) useful consistently, but not dramatically game changing like some other card draw effects can be. Gondor lacks card draw and this we know. Sometimes I have games when the Steward of Gondor hero is just piled up with resources but no cards in hand to buy. With the Rod, this doesn't happen anymore, but I've yet to see it net me more than 3 or 4 cards in a game. Since the cost is so high, I'm really looking at this card as the most limited form of card draw, but it can help to prevent a deck from slowing down. Previously Gondor had a kind of artificial full-stop brake system, where you would just be waiting for a windfall of cards (like drawing into a Sneak Attack + Gandalf) and had mountains of resources available. This card fixes that, so now you don't really have the mountain of money, but also your deck does not grind to a halt because you keep the cards coming in.

A useful card, and I'll probably always include 3x when (and only when) I know I can use Steward of Gondor, and when my deck contains a lot of low cost cards.

I see it to be quite useful with ally Galadriel. You get to choose out of 4 or 5 cards, and you have a higher chance to get yourself the needed Sneak Attack or Gandalf, etc.

On a slightly related note, has anyone tried the new Sword with got in the previous adventure pack (I don't recall it off the top of my head)? That one seemed to me rather too situational as a resource acceleration (if you're not seeking attack boost), has anyone had luck with it?

I don't believe the word "recycling" is the right one here when applied to Lords of the Eldar. "Enabling" would be the correct term here. And you just mentioned two spirit cards, which are not always going to be present in your hand. And then, the card is neutral, so we should evaluate it overall, not just for one sphere/archetype. The main comparison point for me is Rangr of Cardolan, which provides same stat total for just 1 more resource. Is +1 def -1 wp really worth the 2 cards from hand to 1 resource in cost exchange?

Don't forget Silver Harp. Can reduce it down to one card.

Here's a cool scenario. To the Sea in play and two copies of Silver Harp in play.

play the guardian for 2 by discarding a card and using to the sea, get that card back from one silver harp then get back one of the cards you had to discard to the Guardian with the other copy of silver harp. Only one card discarded and 2 resources spent. I know that there is a fair bit of setup but this could easily be achieved mid to late game.

I wouldn't run more than maybe 2 of these guys though.

Also no discard effect if played with vilya which is nice.

I see it to be quite useful with ally Galadriel. You get to choose out of 4 or 5 cards, and you have a higher chance to get yourself the needed Sneak Attack or Gandalf, etc.

On a slightly related note, has anyone tried the new Sword with got in the previous adventure pack (I don't recall it off the top of my head)? That one seemed to me rather too situational as a resource acceleration (if you're not seeking attack boost), has anyone had luck with it?

I've been using Sword of Numenor in this decklist http://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/1094/two-and-a-half-gondorians-1.0 . It becomes quite good if you can get 2 copies on the one character. In a game of Journey Anduin yesterday the swords netted me 8 resources. Usually though they won't make quite so much. Obviously they're quite quest dependant. In a recent game of The Long Dark they netted me no resources because most of the enemies were goblins. Worst case scenario they're still 1 Attack for 1 resource. So fine to play providing you don't need the restricted slots for something more important.

Yeah, I think it is a reasonable design -- the Sword. It feels just about the right power: a combination of attack boost and potential resource acceleration. If you seek to strengthen the latter, however, it seems situational, just as you described. And the problem, for me is, that it is one of those attachments that makes most sense to have three of in a deck, to fulfill its potential.

I'm stunned. What an amazing pack!

So Denethor [....] he seems okay

Okay?!!? Denethor and any other two heroes lets you get out a turn 1 OHaUH Gandalf. Talk about powerful. With Arwen and Grima you could a 7 resource opening hand every game.

ffg just needs to hire you to playtest these new packs!

Guardian of Rivendell seems like a very good candidate for a Very Good Tale.

I really like the Guardian of Rivendell and I'll be adding a couple copies to my Noldor discard deck. Since the deck focuses on getting Gildor with To the Sea!, this guy is kinda like a pre-paid version of Gildor, albeit without the Lore icon to wield Brand, but he has the same defensive stats and even is neutral, so he can be a good first round staller or a late game discard sink.

Guardian of Rivendell seems like a very good candidate for a Very Good Tale.

He's good to have A Very Good Take to put into play, but only mediocre if you want to exhaust him to power A Very Good Take.

He's good to have A Very Good Take to put into play.

My thoughts exactly. It's good to be on the same page from time to time.

Sure is. =)

So, I have combo idea to use with Vanish from Sight.

Have Wandering Took and Song of Eärendil in play and have Loragorn. Might need Desperate Alliance if you are running three heroes.

Play Vanish from Sight during the Refresh Phase, making your effective threat stay at 20 for the rest of the phase.

Use Wandering Took to travel between all other players, constantly taking all their threat into your threat dial, but you still only are considered to have 20 threat, so you can't threat out.

Finally, once all other players have zero threat, activate Loragorn, returning your threat to your starting value, and leaving everyone else with zero threat.

Will this combo work?

So, I have combo idea to use with Vanish from Sight.

Have Wandering Took and Song of Eärendil in play and have Loragorn. Might need Desperate Alliance if you are running three heroes.

Play Vanish from Sight during the Refresh Phase, making your effective threat stay at 20 for the rest of the phase.

Use Wandering Took to travel between all other players, constantly taking all their threat into your threat dial, but you still only are considered to have 20 threat, so you can't threat out.

Finally, once all other players have zero threat, activate Loragorn, returning your threat to your starting value, and leaving everyone else with zero threat.

Will this combo work?

Yes, it should work. Something will need to receive an errata, it looks like. Honestly, it was only a matter of time before the Song of Earendil/Wandering Took combo could be abused to such a degree.

Edit: Just note that your starting threat would have to be 19 or lower in order for it to work. I do not believe you can "Reduce" your threat to your starting threat if you are "treating your threat as if it is 20" and your starting threat is greater than 20.

Also, new Denethor with Tighten our belts on turn one shouldn't be too shaby.

So, I have combo idea to use with Vanish from Sight.

[...]

Yes, it should work. Something will need to receive an errata, it looks like. Honestly, it was only a matter of time before the Song of Earendil/Wandering Took combo could be abused to such a degree.

Edit: Just note that your starting threat would have to be 19 or lower in order for it to work. I do not believe you can "Reduce" your threat to your starting threat if you are "treating your threat as if it is 20" and your starting threat is greater than 20.

[REDACTED lots of praise for jodudeit, some possible ideas for getting this to fire consistently with a mono-Lore companion deck, etc.]

I edit my post because now I'm not sure the combo works. Can you pay the cost of Wandering Took ("reduce your threat by 3 to..."), or for that matter, of Song of Earendil ("...raise your threat by 1...") while Vanish from Sight's effect is active?

FYI, Hall of Beorn card search has all of the player card spoilers for Flight of the Stormcaller.

http://hallofbeorn.com/Cards/Browse/Flight-of-the-Stormcaller

I think you can pay the cost, because you would be adjusting the real threat, not the "as if" threat. The alternative would be that while Vanish from Sight's effect is active, threat reduction cards would have no effect, and that threat increases from encounter cards or failed questing would have no effect.

So, I have combo idea to use with Vanish from Sight.

Have Wandering Took and Song of Eärendil in play and have Loragorn. Might need Desperate Alliance if you are running three heroes.

Play Vanish from Sight during the Refresh Phase, making your effective threat stay at 20 for the rest of the phase.

Use Wandering Took to travel between all other players, constantly taking all their threat into your threat dial, but you still only are considered to have 20 threat, so you can't threat out.

Finally, once all other players have zero threat, activate Loragorn, returning your threat to your starting value, and leaving everyone else with zero threat.

Will this combo work?

I think it depends on what is meant by 'treat as if it were 20'.

If it's a filter on 'reads' of your threat (i.e. engagement checks, playing secrecy + pseudo-secrecy cards, checking for threat elimination level) then yes, you could perform the combo.

If it's a filter on both 'reads' and 'writes' (i.e. playing threat reduction cards) of your threat then you can't, as you wouldn't be able to raise or lower your threat at all.

Personally, I think it'll be the latter - if only to not allow this combo as it's pretty broken.

My thought for Vanish from Sight is that your threat dial and your considered threat are separate. Raising your threat with an effect means you increase your dial's value, and then after the effect is complete, you check your dial and any other effects to determine your considered threat. If that's the case, then the combo might work!

My thought for Vanish from Sight is that your threat dial and your considered threat are separate. Raising your threat with an effect means you increase your dial's value, and then after the effect is complete, you check your dial and any other effects to determine your considered threat. If that's the case, then the combo might work!

Yeah, I think this is the only way it can work, in which case it shouldn't matter if your starting threat is 19 or not as I previously mentioned.

If it's a filter on both 'reads' and 'writes' (i.e. playing threat reduction cards) of your threat then you can't, as you wouldn't be able to raise or lower your threat at all.

Personally, I think it'll be the latter - if only to not allow this combo as it's pretty broken.

If that's the case, then playing this card opens the floodgates for all the doomed cards! Doomed ZERO Legacy of Númenor? Yes, please!

If it's a filter on both 'reads' and 'writes' (i.e. playing threat reduction cards) of your threat then you can't, as you wouldn't be able to raise or lower your threat at all.

Personally, I think it'll be the latter - if only to not allow this combo as it's pretty broken.

If that's the case, then playing this card opens the floodgates for all the doomed cards! Doomed ZERO Legacy of Númenor? Yes, please!

Yeah, even if they say you can't play cards that would raise/lower your threat while this is active, what happens when the encounter deck tries to make you raise your threat? It's broken either way.

I suspect we will be seeing "Limit once per round" on Wandering Took and/or Song of Earendil shortly...in order to accommodate the other interpretation.

Yeah, that's true. It would act like a free "Doom Hangs Still" for 2-hero decks.

Regardless of which interpretation is the correct one, we will need a new FAQ entry for Vanish from Sight, since the card's text is sooooo unclear about its implications.

They should really reconsider ever using the word "considered" again. (Pun oh-so-intended.)