Dour Handed outside of a dedicated side quest deck (which I realise is going to be the new type of deck) seems useless and while there are always plenty of niche cards it would nice if it wasn't a completely dead card without having several side quests in the victory display. Even with 2 or even maybe 3 side quests in the victory display this is still only doing 2 to 3 direct damage for 1 cost. Like John said compare this to Goblin Cleaver which does 2/3 damage for 0 and just requires a weapon attachment which is like a million times easier than clearing a sidequest. Almost all other direct damage cards seem better than this one for some reason.

Sure, Goblin Cleaver is better and easier to trigger, but not all tactics use weapons. My Ent deck uses a few side quests already and has zero weapons in it since Treebeard has no need of them. This may be a nice situational card to snipe out a few dmg on something. It also isn't about being as powerful as existing cards, but giving us different options - or MORE options. Why not utilize both and just murder things outright without engagements?

You are correct. It definitely gives us more options and why not include both in a direct damage deck that features sidequests as well or is run alongside other decks using side quests. It's just such a dead card until you get a few sidequests cleared.

Yay for more cancellation. The mono Lore decks are getting better and better now that we don't need to rely on spirit for cancellation.

with The Storm Comes, it doesn't need mono Lore. hell, it doesn't need Lore at all...honestly, Halfling Bounder is pretty crazy. only costs 2 and can quest or attack for 1 until you need to discard him, plus he has 2 hit points, so he's a bit less vulnerable to damaging treacheries (so you don't automatically discard him to cancel something like Necromancer's Reach because 'he's going to die anyway'also, i'm glad to see a playable 'reprint' of Silverlode Archer

I want implying that it worked best in mono Lore decks. I was simply noting the fact that a mono Lore deck is no longer gimped by lack of cancellation.

Of course, The Door Is Closed provided that, but it has limitations and requires setup. So does this one, but with both cards in your deck, you might just have things set up for one of them when you need it.

Yes, I am going to run the Bounder and the Closed Door in the same deck and hope to cancel at least as much as I do with the decks including the Test. There is twice as many of them but they are harder to set up and less easy (or not possible in my case) to recycle.

It's shipping!

It's shipping!

that's the hype train right there

It's shipping!

CHOO CHOOthat's the hype train right there

I bought my ticket and I'm ready to ride!

I was really hoping the Greenwood/Mirkwood branch of Silvan would diverge somewhat from the standard Lorien mechanic, since they're not groups that work together in the period the game is set.

Supposedly available tomorrow. Surprised there haven't been any spoilers.

Yeah i've been checking here and cardgamedb for encounter spoilers like every day this week. Pretty shocked we don't have them yet but then again cardgamedb has been pretty consistently down...

Yep, been thinking the same thing. I mean, no one ever uses CGDB except when they have new spoilers, and even that's not working.

i use Four is Faramir but yeah, doesn't seem to be anything new for a while

Just got the call. My copy is in. Spoilers tomorrow unless somebody else does it better, earlier.

-deleted-

Just got the call. My copy is in. Spoilers tomorrow unless somebody else does it better, earlier.

T'was fast, moite.

Just got the call. My copy is in. Spoilers tomorrow unless somebody else does it better, earlier.

Aren't all the player cards from Sands already spoiled? Are you planning to spoil the encounter cards?

i use Four is Faramir but yeah, doesn't seem to be anything new for a while

For player cards, yeah, but when they release an expansion the upload all the encounter spoilers at once.

Just got the call. My copy is in. Spoilers tomorrow unless somebody else does it better, earlier.

Aren't all the player cards from Sands already spoiled? Are you planning to spoil the encounter cards?

Just got the call. My copy is in. Spoilers tomorrow unless somebody else does it better, earlier.

Aren't all the player cards from Sands already spoiled? Are you planning to spoil the encounter cards?

Are they?! I know about the Legolas & Gimli related cards, but I thought there were five more unknowns at least.

You must have missed full spoiler thread from a guy who already got the expansion sold to him.

i use Four is Faramir but yeah, doesn't seem to be anything new for a while

Wow. I didn't know about the. I guess they have all been spoiled after all. Do you guys want the encounter cards? I can dribble them out after I play the quests. (I like my first play through blind.)

Long time Tolkien and LOTR:LCG fan here. Generally have enjoyed the designers' decisions to take the game in new directions, even if they don't always feel quite true to the lore. For example, I really enjoyed the last cycle even though little written material exists regarding maritime exploration of Middle Earth (yes, there is some, but it's fairly general in nature). For some reason I didn't feel that much excitement about Sands. Indeed, I felt rather ambivalent and a bit uncertain. Just picked up my copy of Sands this afternoon and after quickly assembling the first quest and encounter decks, I now find myself feeling really, really amped up to experience Harad!

i use Four is Faramir but yeah, doesn't seem to be anything new for a while

Wow. I didn't know about the. I guess they have all been spoiled after all. Do you guys want the encounter cards? I can dribble them out after I play the quests. (I like my first play through blind.)

To me, more interesting than encounter cards would be your first impressions. But spoilers are always appreciated here.

Yes please! Encounter spoilers are just as exciting as player spoilers in my opinion!

Hour of Wrath may be of use against the first scenario.

Sorry folks, the holidays have intruded. The first quest is DL5 and I've played it twice now. The first game I lost on turn 2, but I feel I drew poorly from both decks (mine and the encounter). The second try I haven't finished yet, but I feel fairly in control... But my threat is at 45.

I am playing with a Three Hunters deck with core Aragorn and the new Legolas and Gimli. I thought it was a fairly decent deck, but I am admittedly struggling. This is partly due to playing a quest with a lot of archery and no lore (only Duendain Remedy) and limited threat reduction. But I am really wondering if my old Strider/Boromir/Glory deck wouldn't fare much better, and that deck I used nearly four years ago in Gondor.

Maybe I just suck at deck building.