Forums are pretty quiet as of late (probably in an anticipation of next spoiler article, which I hope is upon us), so I'll squeeze another one of those threads where I share my custom stuff. This time, it will be dedicated to extremely weak cards from the early days of the game. Cards so weak - they were considered weak even during those times, with extremely limited card pool.

I tried my best to stay true to those cards, while making them as useful, viable and competitive in the current environment as possible. Without further ado, I present you with first four:

Original Common Cause felt like a waste of card slot. It gave too little for what it took. You gained 0 net action advantage from it. Sure, you could exhaust some Bilbo to ready Aragorn, but in the end, there are just better ways to do that (cough, Cram, cough). By making it a response to a hero being exhausted instead of making hero exhaustion a cost, I intend to bring this card back to life. However, as a card that will just ready 1 hero for 1 resource, I must add something else to make it enticing to include, which is conditional card draw.

Not much can be said about original Beorn's Hospitality, except for it was a huge overpriced overkill. And it targeted only heroes, which is another bummer. There is that cool host of events that does something awesome, but requires you to pay from 3 different heroes for it, and it currently misses a lore version, so I thought Beorn's Hospitality was a perfect match. (I also hope Beorn sees this.)

Lets be honest here. Original Power in the Earth is a joke. It's not just the weak effect, but also the fact that you need to have a location that stays in the staging area to use it. I tried to take care of both those problems by improving it's effect and making it reactive, sitting in the staging area until something fitting pops up.

Original Blade Mastery was lackluster at best. The only good target for it to this day seems to be the infamous T-Boromir, due to his endless action pool. A step in the thematic direction would be to make this event interact with a weapon, and good this the core box came with two different ones (both of which I modified in some way, and will show later on).

Blade Mastery is amazing, exactly what it should have been.

+1A/+1D should cost zero as it is such a small boost for one phase and the use of one card but this also provides a readying effect and the alternative cost is needing a weapon attached.

Its more thematic than the original (needing a weapon), easier to play yet not overpowered and is actually worthwhile playing thanks to the readying effect alongside the boost.

Common Cause would be an instant 3-of in my current Rohan deck. Keep making this stuff, it's good.

Common Cause would be an instant 3-of in my current Rohan deck. Keep making this stuff, it's good.

Leadership Rohan deck? That's hardcore, man.

Ok, another four I'm currently pretty sure about, before I leave for work, with a bit of thought process behind:

Old Grave Cairn made you pay for an effect that usually means you just lost a board presence, plus it scaled with the attack of the character you lost, which was almost always a chump blocker with attack of 0 or 1, making it extremely hard to use. Sure, you could play it after a snaky Gandalf left play and get a nice boost of +4 attack, but that would pretty limited use of entire card slot in your deck. I made an attack bonus static to make it useful regardless of who's leaving play, and reduced the cost to 0 to compensate for the fact that it triggers off your misfortune, however I made it harder to trigger by modifying the response to only trigger from characters being actually destroyed or discarded from play, rather than just leaving play.

Lore of Imladris is a decent event, however you rarely need to heal any tremendous amounts of damage that your healing allies couldn't take care of. So I lowered the cost for it to be more appealing as an event, and added an additional kicker if you have any healer character and in a trouble with some nasty encounter condition.

The trouble for me personally in this card was always that it was too expensive and I'd rather play something else for 2 spirit resources. It was widely argued that willpower is more expensive than other stats and should cost more, and it is probably true, however nobody was seeminlgy willing to pay 2 for 1 willpower. So, I opted to reduce the cost, and to compensate for

the reduction I limitied it's availability to the quest phase only.

Long story short, this event never felt like a rain of arrows. Now it kind of does

Tri-sphere, Eowyn Theoden (Spirit) Theodred. Since Theoden gets Steward and will always exhaust to quest and get Theodred's resource (all the while readying with Heir of Mardil), it's easy to pay 1 resource to ready Theodred for some attack or, best case scenario, ready Eowyn (if she doesn't have Snowmane) to defend with Golden Shield.

They all seem good except maybe power in the earth. I still don't think it's good enough and I personally don't like making it a "trap" for a location. Instead I would say "response:after a location is revealed from yhe encounter deck you may play this card from your hand" or something like that. Then, with -2 threat, it might be worth using, maybe.

Tri-sphere, Eowyn Theoden (Spirit) Theodred. Since Theoden gets Steward and will always exhaust to quest and get Theodred's resource (all the while readying with Heir of Mardil), it's easy to pay 1 resource to ready Theodred for some attack or, best case scenario, ready Eowyn (if she doesn't have Snowmane) to defend with Golden Shield.

Do those few Leadship Rohan allies cut it? What other Leadship cards do you use in that deck (cept for Heir of Mardil)?

They all seem good except maybe power in the earth. I still don't think it's good enough and I personally don't like making it a "trap" for a location. Instead I would say "response:after a location is revealed from yhe encounter deck you may play this card from your hand" or something like that. Then, with -2 threat, it might be worth using, maybe.

It might be worth considering changing it to be like Thror's Key.

There's a mistake in Power in the Earth: the flavor text is from Galdor.

Tri-sphere, Eowyn Theoden (Spirit) Theodred. Since Theoden gets Steward and will always exhaust to quest and get Theodred's resource (all the while readying with Heir of Mardil), it's easy to pay 1 resource to ready Theodred for some attack or, best case scenario, ready Eowyn (if she doesn't have Snowmane) to defend with Golden Shield.

Do those few Leadship Rohan allies cut it? What other Leadship cards do you use in that deck (cept for Heir of Mardil)?

They all seem good except maybe power in the earth. I still don't think it's good enough and I personally don't like making it a "trap" for a location. Instead I would say "response:after a location is revealed from yhe encounter deck you may play this card from your hand" or something like that. Then, with -2 threat, it might be worth using, maybe.

It might be worth considering changing it to be like Thror's Key.

Theodred's there to glue everything together. The only Leadership cards in the deck are x3 Heir of Mardil, x3 Steward, x3 Snoubourn Scout, x3 Valiant Sacrifice and x3 Sneak Attack, so as you can see it's the utility sphere, providing easy readying, resources and card draw, while Theoden gets to pay for almost everything else. Mind that this is still a sub-par archetype, but it's by far the best version I've come up with.

There's a mistake in Power in the Earth: the flavor text is from Galdor.

I double-checked, and there is no mistake.

Theodred's there to glue everything together. The only Leadership cards in the deck are x3 Heir of Mardil, x3 Steward, x3 Snoubourn Scout, x3 Valiant Sacrifice and x3 Sneak Attack, so as you can see it's the utility sphere, providing easy readying, resources and card draw, while Theoden gets to pay for almost everything else. Mind that this is still a sub-par archetype, but it's by far the best version I've come up with.

This is perfect opportunity to showcase a couple of changes that most people will probably hate:

Aside from making him a good Secrecy fuel, I switched "enters play" to "play from your hand". Couple of reasons. First of all - it killed Sneak Attack's identity, making in completely one-trick pony, which is useful but generally not fun. Second, Gandalf response working with the Sneak Attack is not true to their own design, as there are plenty of less impactful effects on allies that are still getting the "play from your hand" treatment, while Gandalf didnt. Third of all - it's unfair that most wealthy sphere of the game gets the ability to reduce threat by 5/deal 4 damage/draw 3 cards for mere 1 resource.

Now, to make up for the Gandalf+Sneak Attack combo I had to boost Sneak Attack itself, making it more useful during questing (with the ability to upquest if need be), and the general stat boost, so even weaker allies could become potent targets for Sneak Attack.

There's a mistake in Power in the Earth: the flavor text is from Galdor.

I double-checked, and there is no mistake.

There is a mistake, but you're not the one who made it. That line was said by Galdor in the book, however it's misattributed on the original Power in the Earth card.

There is a mistake, but you're not the one who made it. That line was said by Galdor in the book, however it's misattributed on the original Power in the Earth card.

Updated the quote based on this, plus updated the card itself to make it more like Thror's Key, rather than a Trap.

For Power in the Earth: I think it could be an attachment that gives -1 threat and -1 quest point. That would allow it to explore a small set of locations outright (especially if stacked) and put a good number of them in range of Asfaloth or other location control effects. I'd consider using it, even as an attachment.

For Sneak Attack: I like what you're doing there, but I think I'd just simplify the text to give the stat boost alone. The late quester clause is a great bonus, but I think it works fine without it.

I like the cards but Gandalf and Sneak attack

Your lore of Imladris is too similar to Athelas in my opinion

For Power in the Earth: I think it could be an attachment that gives -1 threat and -1 quest point. That would allow it to explore a small set of locations outright (especially if stacked) and put a good number of them in range of Asfaloth or other location control effects. I'd consider using it, even as an attachment.

For Sneak Attack: I like what you're doing there, but I think I'd just simplify the text to give the stat boost alone. The late quester clause is a great bonus, but I think it works fine without it.

In my book, making it -1 threat and -1 quest point will qualify the card to be the "Jack of All Trades, Master of None", -1 threat and -1 quest point wouldn't make it much different from the original version, and making it a setup from already extremely powerful card that is name dependent and from another sphere is a bit of overkill.

As for sneak attack, it works fine without it - it works even better with it, and it needs all the power it can get, because the big ol' Gandalf is not gonna do his nifty tricks with it anymore.

I like the cards but Gandalf and Sneak attack

Your lore of Imladris is too similar to Athelas in my opinion

Well, just like as I said. People don't like losing power. But look at the bright side - with this change, there would be more than 1 viable target for this event.

As for Athelas - yes, crap, I forgot about them. Still, however, they are different types, and the exhaust healer to discard condition part on lore is purely optional, event remains the same otherwise (cept for cost of course).

Actually I play sneak attack on Elrond, Galadriel, Descendant of Thorondor and Saruman.

Now I remember! You did a cool version of Brok Ironfist!

Actually I play sneak attack on Elrond, Galadriel, Descendant of Thorondor and Saruman.

Now I remember! You did a cool version of Brok Ironfist!

But Galadriel has the "Play from your hand" trigger?..

I always considered Descendant of Thorondor to be awesome candidate for Sneak Attack, heavily overshadowed by existance of Gandalf and a fact that Leadership+Tactics is a rare union. By the way, Descendant of Thorondor got a willpower and health buff in my reworked version

Yeah, there are tons of old stuff I changed, I just post the ones I'm like 80% sure about, and I avoid posting too much because people wouldn't even bother to look

Just an FYI Galadriel's ability doesn't work with sneak attack.

Edit: Beaten by John!

Does not the normal Sneak Attack card say "Put an ally into play from your hand"?

What about Spear of the Mark? +2 attack if character has a mount attachment is too powerful?

Sneak attack puts her directly in play and is not you "playing her" from your hand. Someone else will do a much better job at explaining this properly.

Also Spear of the Mark gives a character +1 attack (or +2 if attacking an enemy in staging). The card you are thinking of is Charge of the Rohirrim and it gives +3 attack to all rohan characters with a mount attachment.

If you could sneak attack Galadriel it would be way too powerful anyway.

1 single leadership resource for Galadriel who contributes 3 willpower and can soak 2 direct damage during questing before dying AND a free attachment which could very well be StwB or Steward or something else that costs 2 or 3 resources AND you then get to choose the order of the remaining four cards on top of your deck......

all of that for one single leadership resource... far too good..

If you could sneak attack Galadriel it would be way too powerful anyway.

1 single leadership resource for Galadriel who contributes 3 willpower and can soak 2 direct damage during questing before dying AND a free attachment which could very well be StwB or Steward or something else that costs 2 or 3 resources AND you then get to choose the order of the remaining four cards on top of your deck......

all of that for one single leadership resource... far too good..

Still not nearly as powerful as the sneaky Gandalf to me

About the Spear of the Mark - I kind of did not get the question?

Spear of the Mark gives +1 attack (+2 if attacking an enemy in the stagging area). I always imagined this card as +1 attack (+2 attack if the character has a mount attachment).

I will check the faq of the game because I am confused with Sneak Attack. The card reads "Put 1 ally into play from your hand". Galadriel card says "after you play Galadriel from your hand..."

Spear of the Mark gives +1 attack (+2 if attacking an enemy in the stagging area). I always imagined this card as +1 attack (+2 attack if the character has a mount attachment).

I will check the faq of the game because I am confused with Sneak Attack. The card reads "Put 1 ally into play from your hand". Galadriel card says "after you play Galadriel from your hand..."

Yes, that would be more realistic. I don't remember if I made any changes to the Spear of the Mark (probably didn't), but I made a change to every mount in the game to read "Limit 1 Mount per hero." in addition to any other changes they might have had.

As for why Sneak Attack doesn't works with Galadriel - it's quite simple. Galadriel reads "after you play from your hand". Sneak Attack doesn't makes you play allies from hand, it puts them into play, which is a different occurrence in game terms. Card that is put into play by some side effect is not played from hand.

As for why Sneak Attack doesn't works with Galadriel - it's quite simple. Galadriel reads "after you play from your hand". Sneak Attack doesn't makes you play allies from hand, it puts them into play, which is a different occurrence in game terms. Card that is put into play by some side effect is not played from hand.

Oh! I was not aware this was any different in game terms.