I hope the question mark in the title is enough for you not to be disappointed coming to this thread only to discover it is just a question.

The new Boromir version is reported to be on the cards. Do you think we might see it today? That would of course be most welcome.

However, if we don't (and that unfortunatelly seems more likely), what do you think it can be? Is there anyone for the game? I know this is a wee bit childish but I haven't posted a guessing game thread for a while… anyone?

I myself think it is Leadership, the stats are exactly as the Tactics version but I have no idea what the ability may be; but perhaps something to do with stat bonuses depending on income?

I don't really feel a need for a new Boromir, as the current version does the job pretty well. I suppose if he is on the cards (ha!), then of the three spheres Leadership would probably be the most appropriate of the them. Wasn't he something like Warden of Gondor or something? A leader of men, at any rate.

I have seen it reported here by a source I trust. Whilst I agree the Tactics Boromir is a great design, it seems rather weird not to get a Boromir or Denethor (or Faramir) hero in a Gondor cycle even though we had seen them before. I would personally rather see two versions of Boromir than a made up character, although I am perfectly fine with those as well since Tolkien just didn't give enough names, not enough for the game anyways, he might have given more than enough names for a typical novel reader.

And if we indeed get Boromir, Leadership seems most fit. Boromir was heir of Denethor and about to become Steward of Gondor. High Warden of the White Tower was his title I believe.

I've seen it reported also. I am confident we will see a new Boromir (and Leadership does seem most likely I think). I do sincerely hope we see a Faramir though. We are certainly getting a Beregond hero (which I am very excited about) in the Deluxe Expansion, so I think we ought to have a Faramir to look forward to.

My knowledge/guess is as follows, Beregond and Boromir for HoN, Denethor for the Steward's Fear (got to make it there), Faramir shortly after. I don't think we'll see another Imrahil hero here. Someone has suggested him with the Outlands trait, at first I had thought that too but now I think probably not, I believe they make the so-called lesser man like Forlong being Outlands. We might see some of those that entered Minas Tirith at the end of the same-titled chapter of the Return of the King being designed into heroes or allies. I would guess 4 to 6 of the 8 heroes from HoN and AtS being Gondor (including Outlands), the rest Dúnedain or Rohan, maybe a single Silvan to boost up that trait a bit, no?

I think I would prefer the second HoN hero to be Faramir - I don't dislike the idea of multiple versions of heroes, I'd just prefer a wider variety of heroes to begin with! It makes no sense for Boromir to be Lore or Spirit though, given how those spheres have established themselves now, so I agree Leadership is the best bet. I would like to venture that a hero Faramir will be Spirit though, but I suppose that will remain to be seen.

I think the heroes for the subsequent cycle, though, are fair game for anything really. Dwarrowdelf cycle kicked off with two Elves and then a Dunedain Ranger, after all - hardly the dwarfy theme expected with a name like Dwarrowdelf! So I suppose anything could come from the heroes of AtS. I'd like to see some Rohan heroes, and more Silvan too.

A remake of Denethor - I'm not so sure on this. His ability etc is really just quite perfect as it is, other than a Leadership version perhaps, that allows him to boost the defense of any Gondor ally that is defending against a Southron or something, I'm not so sure we need another one. Certainly not like we needed another Glorfindel!

So, out of interest, where has it been said that Boromir will be the second hero in HoN?

spalanzani said:

This was circulating on the French language boards at edge entertainment (the guy said it was in an article about the expansion in a gaming magazine over there). I think it sounds kind of sketchy, and I'm still hoping for Faramir to be the second hero (I mean, look at the background here: fantasyflightgames.com/edge_npm_sec.asp; who else could this be? If it's just an Osgiliath ranger, why feature an unimportant character as the background image for a major page?)

There are NINE Dwarven Heroes out already, more coming in the second Hobbit. Of course there could not be any more in the Dwarrodelf cycle, this is all but clear.

On the other hand, there are FOUR Gondorian Heroes, with the faction playing probably a bigger role than Dwarves in the Story at the time. Of course there will be more Gondorian Heroes in the upcoming cycle.

John85 said:

I think I read that on the French boards a couple of months or so ago, yeah! To me it sounded like they just expected him, but then my French isn't what it once was! I would prefer a Faramir, as well - particularly if that art is involved with the card! Oh good lord!

I'm not saying there won't be any Gondor heroes in AtS, just that it can't be a foregone conclusion there will be, based on past performance. The heroes of the Mirkwood cycle had a very tenuous, at best, link with the forest, and we didn't get one Dwarf hero in a cycle that was about exploring the Dwarven city. It just seems to me that deluxe heroes follow the theme, but cycle heroes are anyone's guess!

The new Boromir is not a wish but a fact. It was announced in the french editor newspaper.

But we have no other information about him, just the name.

spalanzani said:

I thought the same thing, but then I've seen things like this:

Shiv@n said:

So I guess we'll have to wait until they are spoiled or the expansion comes out.

I wish FFG would not pursue the idea of introducing the same hero in different spheres. It not only limits your hero composition choices but also makes 2,3 and 4 people games increasingly difficult to pull off without preparation. I've heard it was really difficult to get a 4-player game going at Gen Con because of the same hero showing up in more than one deck - this problem will increase the more heroes get a variant from another sphere.

Shelfwear said:

i would of thought that it would surely make hero choices greater….afterall the more choices you have the greater customization the game has

rich

You have more choices of heroes but less choices in hero combinations. You can't use the Ranger that refreshes himself after questing along with the Ranger that reduces your threat to your starting level for example. If Loragon would be another character you could. And in a 2-player game if I use Loragon you have not only one hero less to chose from but two…

richsabre said:

Indeed. So long as they keep them lightly scattered throughout the releases, and not go whole cycles with the same hero in a different sphere, I welcome the diversity! I just want my shiny new heroes before new versions of old friends!

Plus, some heroes are just great at doing what they do, and don't really need a new version. Such are my thoughts

I feel it is all about being reasonable, look at it now, there are some 30 heroes and only Aragorn and Glorfindel have doubles. I think it is highly reasonable, more so taking in account that the original Glorfindel has been viewed as a miss by a majority (?) of the players, and probably by designers too. So it is a dublicate in every 15 heroes, this ratio will probably change as the game progresses but even if we get a duplicate in every 10 heroes, things will be kept rather fresh. The problem is there are indeed few heroes now, and that is what makes things }like deckbuilding 4 player games) complicated somehow. However, we are due six more within the next two or three months and six more yet during the upcoming cycle.

agreed on that, i dont see the duplicates as bad if done correctly….for instance take merry and pippin and the huge difference between the fellowship and the end of the return of the king. theyre so different so i think different versions are almost called for here. same with eowyn, on the one side we have the willful maiden who is seeing a kingdom destroyed, but on the other we have a fierce warrior, so two versions would again be effective

also on a side but related note, who thinks we shall see a gandalf the white?

rich

Not sure about Gandalf. Remember the unique thing, unless they find out a way to go around it, Gandalf will only be named Gandalf. I think we are bound for yet another version - with white robe design - probably later in the game's existence. I for myself would like to keep Gandalf as a neutral ally though.

ah yes- the name would have to stay the same as you say but its ok as gandalf isnt named 'the grey' so it doesnt matter so much

i think it could work but the white, apart from obvious artwork differences, would have to seem more powerful whilst not making the grey useless

rich

Ideally, the White would only seem more powerful but really wasn't in the end, haha. It could be done along the lines of the Hobbit version, having him would pull Sauron's gaze perhaps? Maybe the White version would actually become a hero, who knows…

lleimmoen said:

A neutral hero would be overpowered IMO. I suppose we could legitimately entertain a notion that such a card could be assigned a sphere, but which one? I mean Gandalf was a Loremaster, Healer/Strongwilled, Warrior (Balrog?), and Leader.

well the gandalf the grey was indeed everything, making neutral perfect

but gandalf the white was primarily a leader from the moment he came to fangorn to the moment he left the hobbits before they go to saruman's shire, so id say leadership

rich

richsabre said:

Yeah I guess that's true, rich.

Would a Neutral hero be overpowered though? It wouldn't have any resource match, so in terms of the income, neutral is way weaker than any other. And Gandalf's threat would probably (have to) be enormous, like 16? Definitely not easy to deckbuild from there…

… I would agree that of the four spheres, Leadership is the most fit, but I still find neutral a better way around it -- if it indeed ever comes to a Gandalf hero.

lleimmoen said:

I was thinking of a neutral hero's resources as wild so I guess that's why I said overpowered.