I've never seen anyone discussing the possible inclusion of Gandalf the White on those forums. He's the one single hero i've wanted the most since opening the core set and i'm still hyped for him if he ever comes out. And the longer i have to wait, the more anxious i am that the game will be over before they can make him. Do you think one hero Gandalf is enough or does white variant deserve his own card?

To make for some more discussion, this is my fan version i've designed:

Wow, I love his ability!

He was actually discuessed helluva lot on these forums prior to the saga box release which contained that boon which represents him becoming the white (Beyond All Hope or something, don't quite remember the name). There were all kind of crazy theories, but the main consensus was that they're not gonna release a Gandalf hero by a different name.

Be a counter to most surges

I mostly agree with John Constantine here. First, I think that the current hero Gandalf we already have is supposed to represent Gandalf in general, both grey and white (the reason he appears grey in the artwork is because I think the most iconic representation of him is as the grey, plus he lived most of his life as that and only the last few years as the white, plus even when he was the white he would wear the grey cloak over the white garments). His ability, moreover, I think is a perfect representation of Gandalf, again, in general. Second, if they were to make a new version specifically representing Gandalf the White, he would still be named Gandalf to avoid uniqueness trouble. So, in the end, you would end up with just another version of Gandalf much like we previously had Leadership Aragorn and then Lore Aragorn. Personally, I would much prefer if the designers made hero versions of Radagast, Saruman and (if license permits, which I think it should now), Alatar and Pallando before a new version of Gandalf, which is already really good.

Alatar and Pallando would have an ability like : "After they quest remove them from game" or something ?

I would agree with others that the current Gandalf is not designated as grey or white, there is the boon, and 2 allies. I would be amazed if another comes out. The same logic applies in some regard to Bilbo and Frodo, there are 4 versions of each. But I could he wrong

That thread is going to derive on the Blue Wizards as always ?

... or on a blue Aragorn... I'm still waiting.

2 hours ago, player1683311 said:

I would agree with others that the current Gandalf is not designated as grey or white, there is the boon, and 2 allies. I would be amazed if another comes out. The same logic applies in some regard to Bilbo and Frodo, there are 4 versions of each. But I could he wrong

I would be surprised if another Gandalf hero came out as well -- and I think the version here is under-costed -- he either gets free readying or +2 willpower, and may get +1 willpower with free readying. I don't think we will ever see the same (non-saga) hero in the same sphere as another version of the same hero, and I can't see Gandalf with a sphere.

I don't think the same logic applies to Bilbo and Frodo, while there are "four versions" of Bilbo, two are essentially objective heroes tied to a handful of quests, leaving us only a single ally and a single (overcosted) hero. There's plenty of room for another version of such an iconic character. Frodo is even worse in this regard, since four of his five versions are restricted to saga quests, leaving one of the central characters of the story with only a single playable version; and not one that works well with other Hobbits at that. We badly need need new versions of both.

I'm surprised that no one say it before but a Gandalf the white hero does not perfectly fit in the timeline of our game. Saga expansion get us on other times (way before with the hobbit, a little bit after with LoTR) but we normally play before the events that occur on the story (except bilbo's birthday). Only Gandalf the grey exist at this time.

The same problem occur for Bilbo: he is damned old for be an active hero at this time.

That says, I just want to say that, to me, Frodo hero work pretty well with other hobbit hero, or secrecy in general. In fact his ability work well with the pipe ability, both spirit and hobbit mechanic, since it give us a good way to spend the threat we win in order to draw cards. So to me having another frodo hero is not that important.

4 minutes ago, Rouxxor said:

I'm surprised that no one say it before but a Gandalf the white hero does not perfectly fit in the timeline of our game. Saga expansion get us on other times (way before with the hobbit, a little bit after with LoTR) but we normally play before the events that occur on the story (except bilbo's birthday). Only Gandalf the grey exist at this time.

Ha, I was about to say that, Rouxxor! Of course, that goes for a lot of heroes in this game. It lets you get away with a lot of thematic . . . twists.

Bilbo is certainly very old in the time period of the quests; on the other hand, he's in *excellent* health ("At ninety he was much the same as at fifty. At ninety-nine they began to call him well-preserved; but unchanged would have been nearer the mark") and he's not in the shire. I mean, no one is objecting to Frodo, Merry, and Pippin being available for non-saga quests when we *know* all three hadn't left the shire in this period -- meanwhile, the time period of the game begins with Bilbo leaving with a band of dwarves to see Mountains and the wild country before settling down, *and* he brought Sting and the mithril coat with him!

OK, the extents of his wanderings were given by Bilbo himself; he wandered around for a bit "without much adventure" before coming to Rivendell, went on to Dale, then returned to Rivendell, settling there in 3002. That was the end of his wanderings, "They [Gandalf and Elrond] seemed to think that the Enemy was looking high and low for me, and would make mincemeat of me, if he caught me tottering about in the Wild." Still, he's the only canonical hobbit who *should* be a hero in this time period. And I still want a better Bilbo.

I'll grant your point that Frodo's threat-raising can be paid for by the threat that other hobbits don't use or even take back; but I want a Frodo that wants low threat for something other than raising it; and a Frodo that works well with Sam (who I would also very much like another version). There's no question that his skills involve both Lore and Leadership.

Age of heroes at the beginning of the 17-year period the game is set in:

Bilbo 111 (but with "(apparently) perpetual youth")

Frodo 33

Pippin 11

Merry 19

Samwise 18

Tom Cotton 60

Aragorn 70

Theoden 53

Theodred 23

Boromir 23

Faramir 18

Eomer 10

Eowyn 6

Dwalin 229

Dain 224

Gloin 218

Gimli 122

6 minutes ago, dalestephenson said:

Pippin 11

Lol. This begs for a spinoff!