LeFaramir is useful in a LeFaramir/Bifur/Mablung Ents deck, and LoFaramir is good for battle questing and in a trap deck, but he's not a staple for either Ents or traps. I want a Faramir that makes me say "wow", difficult as that is to do with 2/2/2/5 stats.

IV: 5 The Window on the West

[Mardil]

[Earnur]

*Anborn (Le ally, Lo ally)

[Cirion]

We also learn the names Tharkun, Olorin, and Incanus for Gandalf, but he's already represented by his name in the North.

On 1/19/2019 at 7:37 AM, dalestephenson said:

I:3 Three is Company

This chapter is also where we meet the Black Riders, but they are not named, nor except for the Witch-King are they ever distinguished.

I know I'm late to the party, but I want to nerd out and get you the names of the Ring-Wraiths.

They were named by the Middle Earth CCG and it was my understanding that there was some point where the names were considered canon. I don't think they actually are/were. Spelling could be off but here goes:

Witch-King of Angmar

Khamul the Easterling

Dwar of Waw

Adunaphel the Silent

Akhorahil the Seer

Ren the Unclean

Uvatha the Horseman

Indur Dawndeath

Hoarmurath of Dir

Great topic, interesting to see who is left. Also enjoying the speculation on where the game goes next. Now if only things would get back in stock! I've got a lot of catching up to do!

I certainly hope the list beyond Khamul the Easterling isn't canon. Some of those names are awful... Dwar of Waw? Indur Dawndeath? Ugh...

In the canonical text, none of the Nazgul are identified by name, and the only the Witch-King of Angmar (a title, not a name) is singled out. Khamul the Easterling is named by Tolkien in Unfinished Tales. I don't know if the other seven names were invented by MECG or borrowed from some other inventor, but they are not from Tolkien. Gothmog takes over the battle of Pellenor Fields after the Witch-King falls, but Tolkien does not specify what sort of creature he is, some speculate that he too was as Nazgul. I speculate that he is Nazgul simply because other Nazgul were present and no other being could as effectively lead according to Sauron's will--however, the name is recycled from a first age Balrog, so a fallen spirit in Sauron's service would be an appropriate fit for the name. An orc-general (such as in Peter Jackson's film) seems most unlikely to me.

IV:6 The Forbidden Pool

No new characters named.

Sorry if I wasn't clear on this, the names were absolutely invented for the Middle Earth CCG by the game's producer, Iron Crown Enterprises. They had a solid lock on the license until they went bankrupt.

I'm trying to remember what made me think that the names were "canon" for awhile; My best guess is that at the same time Decipher was making the Star Wars CCG (speaking of other FFG licenses haha) and they did have that deal, so it's very possible I just assumed that Iron Crown had that deal in place too. I know what they say about assuming but I was a kid at the time.

At least the game named the other two Wizard better than they did the Nazgul! Alatar and Pallando. It is some fun unofficial fluff at least.

EDIT: Actually, I think possibly Tolkien named the other two wizards, but those are the names he used. Memory is a bit hazy on how it ties in and what he did and didn’t do with them. They went east and south and didn’t come back.

Alatar and Pallando are named in Unfinished Tails, too.

I quite liked the interpretation of Lord of the Rings Online, that Gothmog was a wraith, non lesser than Eärnur, wo rode to Minas Morgul challenged by the Witch-king. This also made a nice plot-twist, that Eärnur in form of Gothmog returns to Minas Tirith as the last King of Gondor to reclaim his throne. Of course this is not canon.

IV: 7 Journey to the Cross-roads

No new characters named.

IV: 8 The Stairs of Cirith Ungol

No new characters named.

IV: 9 Shelob's Lair

Shelob (enemy)

[Ungoliant]

No words of Shelob are found in the text, but since both Ungoliant and her descendants could speak, I assume she could as well (it would also help her communicate with Gollum).

IV: 10 The Choices of Master Samwise

*Gorbag (enemy)

*Shagrat (enemy)

Ufthak ("Chieftain Ufthak" is enemy, but this Ufthak is no chieftain)

V: 1 Minas Tirith

*Ingold (Le ally)

*Prince Imrahil (Le hero, Ta hero, Sp ally)

[Ecthelion]

[Vorondil]

*Beregond (Sp hero, Ta hero)

Baranor

Targon

Iorlas

*Bergil

Forlong the Fat (Le ally)

Dervorin

Duinhir

Duilin

Derufin

Golasgil

Hirluin the Fair (Le hero)

Bergil is the most memorable of those without cards, though the greatest among them IMO is Ecthelion II, sadly deceased before Bilbo's party. A great and far-sighted Steward was he. But there's a lot of potential unique allies here known to be living here. OK, there's one exception -- Baranor is the father of Beregond and may not be still living -- Bergil refers to his grandsire living in Lossarnach, but he has two grandsires and Beregond himself gives no hint he's not native to Minas Tirith. Bergil says the 29-year-old Pippin is "as old as my uncle Iorlas", so it'd be surprising if Iorlas did not take part in the war of the ring. And Targon belongs to the Third Company of the Citadel so is well worth a card -- logistics is always underappreciated.

But the greatest number of new names, most without cards, are the leaders of the Outlands. I know that Outlands is already a deck in a box, and uniques with the outlands trait would either be unusable outside an outlands deck or overpowered within one, but it seems a shame that these lords that served so valiantly in the battle of Pellenor Fields should be left out of the game.

It is a shame. And the mistake came within the handling of the Outlands trait. It is so short-sighted, and so uninteresting for deckbuilding. I do not want to be mean, I say this also in comparison of how well and carefully some other traits have been handled over time. One can certainly make a Silvan deck that is just as strong as Outlands (and I would say stronger) but there are so many options, and not so many obvious inclusions.

Derufin has a card as an objective ally in Stone of Erech.

Thanks for the correction. Interestingly, Derufin has the Gondor trait, but not the Outlands trait.

I think the best way to handle Outlands uniques would be to give them modest stats, but useful abilities that require exhaustion. This would give you choices on how to use them in an Outlands deck, but make them usable outside those decks.

9 hours ago, dalestephenson said:

Thanks for the correction. Interestingly, Derufin has the Gondor trait, but not the Outlands trait.

I think the best way to handle Outlands uniques would be to give them modest stats, but useful abilities that require exhaustion. This would give you choices on how to use them in an Outlands deck, but make them usable outside those decks.

Great idea. It would be nice to havecthe fundatiom for a more balanced, interesting and variable outlands reebot archetype. Not sure it will ever happen, however.

Which lead me to the consideration that we already have and outland ally working (too much) fine outside oultand decks: ethir swordsman. Let's be honest. Of all the ally we have today, He is the first one that should deserve nerfing.

It's almost illegal to play him outside outlands decks for the sheer power level you get with only 2 spirit resource and no deckbuilding restriction. He should have 0 native willpower or not buff himself to be a balanced card.

Ethir Swordsman is easily the most useful Outlands outside a Outlands deck, but without Anfalas Herdsman he's fragile and he doesn't synergize with any of the other archtypes. He's far less powerful outside an outlands deck than in one, and I can't feel too bad that at least *one* Outlander is useful outside their archtype.

I'm not sure the neglected Outlanders will happen (or perhaps if they do, they'll get Gondor instead of Outlands), but if they ever do they clearly couldn't buff Outlands characters further. But that still leaves some room for design and I think Outlands could use more choices in both deck construction and game play.

V: 2 The Passing of the Grey Company

*Halbarad (Le hero, Le ally)

Roheryn (Ta attachment)

Stybba

[Malbeth the Seer]

[Arvedui]

The non-unique Hobbit Pony was made for SpMerry, but it's still a pity that Stybba is not in the game.

For the Outlands uniques, they could also simply not have the Outlands trait and just have Gondor. However, they could have abilities that are beneficial wiithin an outlands deck.

Ex. Resolve only if this character is active. When a unique ally leaves play, you may search the top 5 cards of your draw deck for a nonunique Ally, and add that ally to your hand. Edit: Shuffle your deck.

This would also encourage using more uniques in Outland Decks.

V:3 The Muster of Rohan

*Dunhere (Sp hero)

[Baldor]

[*Brego]

*Hirgon (Ta hero)

Snowmane (Sp attachment)

Windfola (Sp attachment)

V:4 The Siege of Gondor

No new characters named.

V:5 The Ride of the Rohirrim

*Ghan-buri-Ghan (Lo ally)

*Widfara

Guthlaf (Ta ally)

[Orome the Great]

Widfara really deserves a player card, since he was after all the only one to predict the coming of dawn. Theoden said "If you speak truly, Widfara, then may you live beyond this day in years of blessedness!", but the blessedness doesn't even include his own ally card. I'd like to see him as a hero with the scout attribute and some sort of scrying ability.

How about:

Widfara

Lore ally, traits Rohan and Scout

2 cost

2/1/0/2

Discard Widfara look at the top 2 cards of the encounter deck and return them in any order.

I like your idea! It makes me sad Lore doesn't have a bigger role for Rohan.