Hiya to all fans,

we are almost done with encounter sets from Core set. The next is Wilderlands, famous encounter set with many cards, especially with most iconic of the whole LOTR LCG, like Hill Troll or Wargs. Check it on this site:

https://visionofthepalantir.com/2020/08/29/encounter-set-review-wilderlands/

I hope you will enjoy the new article and that you leave some comment with own observations. Which card you are afraid at most from this set?

Silblade

A few comments:

Wolf Rider -- since the shadow-wolf is neither engaged nor in staging, it can't be attacked normally, but it *is* in play, so there should be more alternatives than direct damage for exposing it. There's a discussion here:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1758889/wolf-rider-shadow-definitive-ruling

Caleb says he believes only direct damage will work, but since the rider is in play by his ruling, it should be a legal target for Haldir and Straight Shot, or for forced engagement making it a valid target (though you'd have to kill it that turn to prevent it from returning to the encounter deck) via Tactics Aragorn. Grimbeorn (not yet released at the time of that discussion) also does not care about where the attacker is, so his counterattack should work, I think. Discussion here:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2476774/wolf-rider-card

Caleb is clear that it does not return to shadow state and thus would not be discarded if the enemy it was a shadow to happened to be destroyed.

Goblin Sniper -- you missed the true peril of this nasty enemy, since two are in the encounter deck they could be out together, each preventing the other from being engaged optionally.

Wargs -- you write that Burning Brand works against it by preventing attack -- did you mean Forest Snare? Burning Brand is like Hasty Stroke, it cancels the shadow effect, but if the shadow effect is present and cancelled it will prevent the Wargs from returning to staging.

Discarding a shadow will also prevent returning, and it may be worth mentioning that Wargs who aren't dealt a shadow in the first place (empty encounter deck) don't return -- that sometimes trips up new players.

I agree with your wolf/sheep/shadow choices. Despair is one of those wonderful treacheries that whiff completely in setup, it doesn't surge if no progress tokens are removed.

I exactly drew the information from the site you linked, because the understanding of Wolf Rider's shadow effect isn't so easy as it looks like. I bet that even designers didn't think through how the effect can be complicated in practice. The direct damage dealt to Wolf Rider was the first way, which has crosses my mind.

Man, that Wargs sometimes cause me headache as well.:( When the shadow card is removed before its revealing, then the ability of Wargs hasn't got the chance to trigger = Wargs remains in play. But A Burning Brand and Hasty Stroke aren't the solution, because both cards cancel the shadow effect. There is no reason (and it's impossible) to play Hasty Stroke, when the card hasn't any shadow effect = thus Wargs are moving back to the staging area. Then it's true that A Burning Brand doesn't prevent anything, right? I adjust the formulation. Forest Snare chains Wargs to your engagement area, thus Wargs can't leave this area, no matter what.
Yep, that is a good point = no shadow card from the missing encounter deck means no triggering of Wargs's effect.

And 2 Goblin Snipers , supporting each other, is a very interesting and nasty combo, which may be broken only by some cards (Gandalf, Dunhere). Also very nice observation.:)

Silblade