So the first AP of Against the Shadow is up on the products page, but no news about it yet. Strange! Maybe keep our eyes out today?
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm…

Edit: here it is!

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3643

Looks very exciting from what's been spoilered. Not so much the cards but the idea of a continuous narrative is really appealing. Trap must be a new kind of card, possibly distinct from the ally/event/attachment trio…

Outlands trait also potentially interesting provided that there are enough cards to support it. Do you think Imrahil and Dol Amroth would be considered outlands?

EDIT: Hard to tell from the half pictured card but 'Trained for War' looks to me like something for a pure tactics deck that allows you to quest with attack or defence for a turn.

i suppose all the doomsayers need to restart their countdown until the next article…

interesting they went with enemies within instead of without, suppose its best as it leaves the real bad guys for the mordor cycle

nice art- interesting ideas- well done ffg….reminds me of tolkiens discarded lotr followup

rich

I am really looking forward to the new more cohesive narrative between AP's. I liked how the previous ones told a story and I am happy to see them expand on this idea!

Now, the wait until January/ February!

All of the player cards look great! I really like the art on Anborn (and traps sound interesting). A Villain trait and unique enemy cards (is that last one new?). Another Neutral ally is shown ("White Tower Watchman"). With him and "Emissary of Pelargir" it looks like we may expect a boost in Neutral allies (beyond "Gandalf").

The Outlands. trait and synergies will surely be very interesting (Ethir Swordsman is like a half cost, half benefit, spirit Core-Faramir (FaraCore?)), although I would have preferred something other than "outlands" (really it's okay). The stronger narrative thread sounds very exciting as well.

Looking forward to this cycle even more!!

P.S. ought I start a spoiler list for this AP, with card names, stats, text (like I did with HoN)?

I don't have my cards with me but I believe Forest Snare is a trap. I believe we will be getting more of them.

Overall, this cycle really is much more exciting to me than the previous. The theme is really intriguing. I especially like the traitor aspect of the narrative. The art on the box looks scary in an interesting way - much more than the nameless ageless endless shameless.

As for Anborn, the attack 3 seems already pretty good. It is interesting that Lore is pretty good in the attack dept, second best I would say, although Leadership have its boosts.

my only fears are that this will become a game of thrones type cycle….which it certainly looks like. dont get me wrong im really excited about it, and it looks great, i just hope it remains 'tokien' enough…..dont ask me what i mean by that as i cant explain it, i just hope it keeps the middle earth magic

still…packs showing some of the other lesser enemies of middle earth may prove interesting….and the others speak of sieges as we expected, so im pretty much talking crap (as usual haha) but it will be interesting to see how this one plays out, should be fun

rich

lleimmoen said:

It's a trap!

Seriously, it is.

Bryon said:

Thanks 8)

richsabre said:

I don't think we have to fear too much promiscuity and sadistic torture in these packs, hopefully it will be NOTHING like the GoT ex.

I laugh at all the doomsayers.

So cool!!! I really love the cover art, very Assassin's Creed, brilliant!

I also think it's really cool that Christian Peterson helped create the story for this cycle. That just shows me how much they love this game at FFG and should be a reminder to all those 'doomsayers' who start complaining so quickly. Everyone, up to the owner, puts a lot of thought, time and passion into this game and I think we owe it to them to have a little faith when our impatience starts nagging at us.

I also found it interesting that there wasn't a seperate article for the cycle in addition to the one for the AP. Perhaps they felt rushed to get this out, I can't imagine why… (cough)

Anyway, all the player cards look awesome! I'm excited to set some traps with rangers such as Anborn!

Also, Castamir shows one heck of a research effort by FFG, they really dig deep into Tolkien's world! It's interesting because there's the 'Rains of Castamir' song in Song of Ice and Fire. I thought that FFG stole the name from ASOIAF but looked it up and found a whole article on Tolkien's Castamir. Just goes to show you that, when it comes down to it, they're all borrowing from Tolkien!

This looks like an amazing cycle! I love that they're trying to make the narrative a bigger part of the game. I'm really curious to see how it turns out.

Narsil0420 said:

Wait. They better. Whilst I share the glory feeling seeing the preview, and I am grateful for this great game, I also feel that with privilage comes responsibility (and I think they feel it too).

Dain Ironfoot said:

It's been 6 hours now. Has FFG decided to just give up on LOTR?

Movie fans will remember that Castamir was played in the movie by Peter Jackson himself. There is a Castamir card in the Lord of the Rings TCG from Decipher.

mason240 said:

I never thought they gave up on the game. It just seemed like they gave up feeding us info/spoilers. If they hadn't filled this article with so many card images and spoilers, I would feel like they still "owe" us a couple articles for the several weeks that have gone by without an article.

Narsil0420 said:

That was exactly my first thought when I saw the cover art. They are introducing a new healer "Doctor" and doing so gave a hint for the hero of the adventure pack: Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Looks like its going to be good, I just wish they'd hurry up and release some of these expansions! or at least get laketown in the store, for those of us that didn't go.

First off, great looking stuff, now we are 3 sets out in anticipation (really 4 if you count the Lake Town scenario). Exactly Bryon, it was the longest lull ever for no new news, and for all of you now turning this new review (which finally arrived) on us "doomsayers," that's pretty easy fodder, I mean come on, we didn't actually think no new news would ever come again, we were simply complaining about the time it was taking. In that regard, it is kind of silly to laugh at those who did get frustrated with FF because you are essentially laughing at a period of undefined time…in other words, would you have laughed equally if no new news was revealed in let's say, 2 months (instead of this last lull of 1 month), 3 months, or 4? Yours is a straw-man's argument, and if you weren't someone who complained, well, good for you, FF doesn't need your support to save face, they can do that on their own; they're big enough, competent enough and most certainly rich enough.

So, that is my rant, now back to the good stuff. I am so glad that they have decided to stick with the adventure pack cycle which worked so well before. This keeps the game consistent and much like a drug habit (a good kind of drug that is), as we are able to get our "fix" once a month! Bring it on! My wallet is ready!

-Joseph

DurinIII said:

I wasn't gonna comment on it but since you did, I just have to say you did it well. The laughing comment was arrogant enough to make one angry, possibly.

One part of the preview got me really excited:

"Our second goal for the Against the Shadow cycle was a little more ambitious. We really wanted to push the narrative focus. Not only did each scenario need to be fun to play, it needed to move the story forward and immerse the players in the narrative. Taken together, the Adventure Packs tell a grand story full of intrigue, tension, and heroics. Each adventure leads directly into the next, and by the time the players defeat the last stage of the last quest, the players will have completed an epic tale that almost feels more like an inspired RPG than a monthly LCG."

Oh hell yeah! One of the problems I've had in the past is that, at times, this game gets too gamey (some, non-obsessed friends of mine had exactly this criticism - they were expecting more story than they got). It's a bit like I'm playing a deck, rather than really exploring, getting a story etc. This is partly just because I'm not that good at making the story myself, I fully admit, but if they're going to make the narrative stronger in future, I'm even more excited about what is to come! And HoN was already awesome looking! Cool new cards, Gondor, an actual well pieced together story…yahoo!!!!

I'd like to protest against your argument.

You contention is that I don't think you should have complained after a lull of only a month, but that I might have complained had it been 4 months.

My contention is that you shouldn't have complained at all - that ranting about the time it takes for them to write reviews is not productive or beneficial or even neutral. It is in fact unpleasant and counter-productive to what the people that rant want (which is to build a solid reliable base to play, and discuss and enjoy the hobby).

Crying because FFG haven't mentioned anything about one game among the many that they have to support for a period as short as a month, and doing that after we have confirmed product coming (a second deluxe expansion and a second saga expansion), just strikes me as inherently childish and unfair. I didn't complain when news was scarce and only the base box was out because promised support may have been scrapped at that point. (before we had heard of any support in the form of extra cards at all I mean).

FFG are a good company, not hearing something for a month is nothing.