FFG's product description page, found here:

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm=129&esem=2&esum=212

states that the saga expansion The Hobbit: On the Doorstep (which is presumably going to cover the second half of the novel) will have 5 heroes and 6 treasures. Here are a few of my speculations on what these may be:

Heroes: Balin, Bard the Bowman

Treasures: The Arkenstone, Mithril Shirt

Anyone else care to weight in with some guesses?

Thranduil would be nice to have in lore or leadership. We need more sylvan elf heroes. I know he was kind of a villain in the book, but so was Bard from Thorin's perspective.

My guess for the 4 heroes are:

Gwahir

Balin

Oin

Bard

My guesses for the 5 heroes:

Obvioiusly Bilbo (previously spoiled)

Tactics- Bard (Makes sense thematically plus the previously spoiled "black arrow" is a tactics card. If that exists and is tactics youd have to think Bard would be too)

Spirit- Balin (One of the remaining two dwarves we have yet to see plus "dwarven tomb" is a spirit card and is an illustration of Balin's final resting place…might be a connection…might not)

Lore- Oin or Thranduil (Oin being the last remaining dwarf after Balin may be a hero especially considering after this expansion there arent too many dwarf characters for them to make anymore…although in the book he was barely mentioned so i wouldnt be surprised if he was an ally card instead. Thranduil is obviously a powerful and important character, I think he makes more sense for leadership since he is a king but if hes made at all (since he was kind of a pseudo-villain in the book) it wouldnt surprise me if he was lore just cause lore = green…mirkwood = green… some kind of connection there)

Leadership- Gwaihir or Thranduil

(Both are leaders with titles; which one will actually get the card is kind of a push (although if they make oin an ally, thranduil lore, then gwaihir would obviously be the leadership hero….FFG you listening??)

Guesses for the 6 treasures ( a lot tougher to guess)

Arkenstone would be the most obvious

Bilbo's Emerald armour

Thorin & Company's Ancestral armour

The golden goblet bilbo steals from Smaug

Maybe 1 or 2 generic treasures that would just be representative of Smaug's wealth

Just a curiosity; how does everyone think Bombur will be represented? I think the Dwarrodelf Bombur is too kind to his characterization in the book. He would have to have serious detriments (like will of -1 for falling asleep all the time and needing to be carried even though he is the heaviest) but some representation of his great loyalty to Thorin.

Bombur should be a hero. Probably with a low threat, but a negative rule (How about Force: draw an additional card from the encounter deck - if that's too harsh, you could make it Force: draw an additional card from the encounter deck, if its an enemy put it into play, otherwise discard it). In return he should have -2 threat. Threat 6: Stats like 2, 1, 1, 4.

I think he should be a hero because he's one of the most iconic of the dwarfes and probably has the most "screen time". The rule obviously reflects his blundering attracting more attention, and he isn't that fat at this point.

However I could even see him as 1, 0, 0, 5 (with a total cost of 4 threat), I think he was a bit more balanced in the hobit though, so i think my initial stats were better. I would make him Spirit probably, which is a shame because I think they're the one sphere that doesn't need more low threat guys.

I just can't see him as leadership or lore. Maybe tactics (who could do with a cheap hero) but he'd be a lousy tactics hero.

I think we will get a Thranduil hero, if not here then sometime in the future. He could always have some game text saying: "a player who starts the game with Thranduil cannot start with dwarf heroes," or something to that effect.

jc1138 said:

Then he should have some other darn good effects to compensate that restriction. Since Elrond wasn't that guy, maybe Thranduil will be the Elve's Dain.

I'm pretty sure we're getting a new Ring treasure too (I believe this has already been spoiled).

Edit: not spoiled.

Also, although I'd like a Gwaihir hero (I've said so before on the forum), and art for one has been spoiled (presumably, there's a picture on deviantart), I don't know if I really think that a hero is completely appropriate given that the issue of eagles having fear (souls) is left ambiguous. Basically I'm questioning whether a soulless creature can make leadership decisions rationally (i.e. lead, be a hero). That being said Beorn's case was also left ambiguous and we have a hero version of him, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised nor expect something like this to be taken into account.

My guesses:

Heroes - Bilbo, Balin, Bard, Thranduil, Gwaihir

My friend actually guessed these a few months ago, so as he said, each of the 'good' races that was involved in the Battle of Five Armies is represented in the game set. I definitely agree.

Treasures - Bilbo's Magic Ring, The Arkenstone, Mithril Shirt, Golden Goblet, and like Pharmboys said maybe a couple generic 'Treasure Cache' ones.

John85 said:

Yeah, the Ring was spoiled here:

http://fantasyflightgames.com/edge_npm_sec.asp?eidm=167&esem=1&epmi=s

Mattr0polis said:

I thought so…the one place I forgot to look

Btw, anyone know when this expansion is supposed to release? I thought I read somewhere that this was FFG's next Lord of the Rings LCG release?

Or, are they going to start their Against the Shadow expansions next?

jc1138 said:

Looks like the both expected Q1 according to the upcoming section.

I just hope we get another tactics dward, though it seems unlikely at this point.

John85 said:

Tolkien had Gandalf refer to the "Lord of the Eagles". Since JRRT wasn't someone who would mindlessly use words, but was very learned and specific in all of his etymology, I can only assume that he intentionally was defining him as a lord, which is a very definitive title of nobililty. Such a position/ranking amongst any group carries with it the responsibility of leadership, thus decision making, whether expressed in word or not.

The fact that the Eagles came to the aid of Gandalf on a couple of ocassions throughout JRRT's writings implies that they definitely had the ability to CHOOSE. Nowhere did Tolkien state that they were trained, or answered merely at Gandalf's beck and call. In fact, the manner that Gandalf speaks about them seems to imply a very separate and distinct nobility from other creatures. This is not the only animal that Gandalf/JRRT does this with. He also speaks of his relationship with Shadowfax in a manner that implies more of a "partnership" than a "horse and master". Although, the fantasy world of Middle Earth isn't as popluated with as many overt example of intelligent/speaking/thinking animals as some other fantasy realms, there is enough of a hint in his writings to include the possibility of noble free-acting animals.

Thus, I think Gwahir is an excellent choice for a hero. Hopefully a Leadership one. This would fit his role as the Lord fo Eagles, and set up a phenomenal chance to mutli-sphere Leadership and Tactics.

i'd be a bit odd for a leadership eagle hero to not be able to pay for any of the eagle allies, which are exclusively tactics. i suppose, if the hero were to be leadership, he could have some sort of ability allowing him to pay for eagle allies, but it would be simplier for the hero to be tactics, i think.