Yesterday I picked up my usual batch of goodies from my local game shop and in it was GTM #130. And on pages 8 & 9 is a preview of the Morrslieb Cycle.

Now in the preview they discuss a bit about some of the mechanics they wish to introduce to the game. Nothing magic the gathering silly like but rather things like actions which let you flip cards back and forth from faceup to facedown developements. So you won't need a special rule book or anything. And they do show off four cards from the set. That said two of those cards I believe we have seen before in FFG weekly card previews. One is the Light of Morrslieb, neutral support "warpstone" 4R 2P that lets you play an extra developement from your hand, and the other is the Treeman Ancient, an order only neutral unit 5R 2P 4HP "wood elf/forest spirit" that has both toughness 1 and an action to flip it dacedown as a developement until the end of the turn. Both great cards but we've seen them.

The two I haven't seen are big. Here's some shots from my iphone.

Now those are huge game changers. I believe the hidden grove will bring back empire jumping jacks/judgement in a big way as there is little you can do to stop them. The chaos tactic on the other hand is great. It both gives you a developement and lets you sacrifice developements anywhere in your capital in order to do damage to a target unit or capitial. We just need some faster ways of getting developements into play now and then chaos might return to competitive play with bloodthirsters and tactics like this.

In the same article they also have some preview artwork on the page borders that signals we might be getting a wood elf female spell caster and a dark elf witch hag or some sort. Perhaps characters?

Wow, thanks for the heads up. Interesting cards!

I'm excited to hear about Treemen too, and I guess Wood Elves as a whole. Though I'm kind of sad that a tree doesn't hit for more than 2. I mean, it's a tree.

I'm surprised I didn't know about these sooner. I like the grove. Maybe we'll get something that does that to buildings (anti-warpstone there).

I like the fact that they're consistent with theme: good cards - empire, bad cards - chaos.

Hmm. Twin Tailed Comet and City Gates that Chaos spell!

I think Hidden Grove will be strong but only if it comes early. The next circle wants everyone to play developments so it will only hurt rush decks. All other decktyopes will play developments the question is just after wich battlepack each fraction is gonna do that depending on other cards that benefit from own or enemy developments. If there will be no other possibilty for destruction to play additionial developments besides that 4cost building and Dwarf Slaves I don't see a chance against empire with Long Winter and Electors keeping battlefield units useless turn after turn.

Unleashin the Spell looks solid and could be a way to build around a unitless destruction deck. Still it's not cheap and I don't see how chaos could improve their start/early game.

So as if Order didn't already get faster starts then Destruction, now Destruction can't even get a good start if it hits a good draw? Think about it, I can only one development a turn, so there's no point into dropping things into 2 zones, so I can't get extra draw and resources on the second turn. On top of that, if I do beef up one zone, I'm hoping that the empire player doesn't have a Will of the Electors, at which point I'm pretty much crippled since my devs will be moved into the battlefield, so I can only use one buffed zone on turn 3.

You know, I've given Eric and James the benefit of the doubt and had faith in development for a long time, but even I'm starting to get hesitant about the direction of the game and debating throwing in the towel...

swingjunkie said:

Well, it IS only units, which still sucks, but I don't think it's gamebreaking.

Oops. Thanks Kefka. Apology given and Faith restored.

Harliquine said:

Ok, so the Treeman was not shown. But he is the prouf for what I heared - that the Forest Spirits will have the ability to become development and then go back to units. This Chaos new Spell - Unleashing The Spell - looks interesting and maybe finaly we will see more Chaos magic that will support Tzeentch. That's really good.

I was just wondering about this Empire card - if it effect all the players in the game? While in play does it mean that my opponents units are useles in all zones with no develepment? If it's true that that one is a cheap and too powerfull card in my opinion.

Well, when I see the chaos support card that says, either A.) when you corrupt a unit put the top card of your deck into any zone as a development, or B.) when you deal damage to a unit put the top card of your deck into any zone as a development, I think unleashing the spell will be handy. At first glance, hidden grove is nuts as all hell, but I think that this upcomming cycle is going to be more development focussed than many people perhaps thought? Last month in the atricle entitled "The Chaos Moon is Rising" there was a quote that said "If I were to characterize this set in a phrase, it would be that this is the cycle in which “developments matter.” " Clearly this is going to be the case. There's no way of knowing how soon a lot of the "power" development related cards will drop, hopefully later in the cycle after most/all of the factions can at least cope with them. I think we may see a drastic change in play style and pace of the game, and perhaps not for the worse.

@ffgfan. Hidden Grove affects all players, including its controller. I don't know if it's too powerful on it's own. It doesn't do much to a dwarf deck. It slows down the orcs until they can get Grimgor on the board. It will keep Chaos on the bottom of the pile. I definitely want this and Dburg Forge in my opening hand, especially if I'm going first.

ffgfan said:

True for the forest spirits. Which is huge for them. Even at 2 power they can assign their 2 damage while defending, have damage assigned to them and then before damage is dealt use their action to flip into developements. Or after the usual barage of indirect damage they flip into a developement thus adding a HP to their zone AND ditch all the damage on them at the time.

Now the hidden grove should be more apparent to you. A low cost forest spirit can save their zone from losing power if necessary while disorder gets to suck eggs because we are still getting a lot of our early power gains and rush strategy from units. And we have trouble getting enough developements down fast enough. Which faster developement play for disorder will hopefully be in the first 2 battlepacks. The Light of Morrslieb is nice but at 4 cost it can cost you the game if the order player can nickle and dime you with these new power sinks that they are getting. Ei rodderick's raiders, hidden grove, will of the ellectors, twin tailed commet.

I'm starting to feel that this cycle was supposed to be the reaction to rush. I'm hoping that the next cycle will be a boon to destruction more than anything, targeting the problems that Harliquine has pointed out. Surely in a development based cycle, there should be some cards that help all factions put down developments and from what has been mentioned, in a development dependent cycle, Empire has the power cards. They will be tough to beat when they get all the power.

I see Shrine To Taal making a comeback.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=140&efcid=4&efidt=365553&efpag=5#374424

"I think the game needs a new way of flipping developments up, a reinforcement mechanic (think of the way Voldo in UFS used combos). Maybe wood elves could come with traps as tactic cards that get played face down as developments (representing natural forests) and then can be flipped face up and set of the trap but at the cost of destroying the card."

How many more ideas will you take from me FFG before I get a job with you. Is that game design position still open