not sure exactly how having a deep understanding of the methodologies of teaching academia has anything to do with a card game having multicultural themes but w/e. Sure you using that word correctly, mate?

Yes, but I take it from the 'mate'-ing and your conceptualisation of the word that you are British? You guys have a different understanding of the word. In continental Europe it's actually aligned with socio-cultural themes. To you, I'm probably just some sort of social worker. But I just meant it as a side-note.

@servant: I'm not complaining Sting can't be used on Boromir or his brothers-in-arms. I'm just pointing out the apparent lack of universal cards. Played a little more LotR this weekend and I can say it's not problematic yet and - given the release of new cards - probably will never be. I obviously like the theme and the flavor of the game. Otherwise I would'nt have bought 3 expansions and 8 chapter packs. I also realise releasing too many good universal cards will result in people playing with 50% of their deck all the time. I guess that may be why they're withholding.

Wow, be careful with that edge, booored.

As someone who's very interested in european folklore and culture (and thus fantasy literature as a study of the former, which is pretty much how Tolkien can be resumed), I disagree with you in that everybody who likes fantasy is off in the head. The thing is that, besides all that, this is a LOTR based card game. Everyone has said that already, and so I will again. Lunatics or not, this game is focused to people who are interested in Tolkien's world, and they're it's main source of income. I'd say that about 70% of players are indeed theme players, and when you have such a large portion of your crowd in that category, you have to focus your efforts on pleasing that category. If you read Caleb's articles, you can see how they've been doing exactly that, and most of the preview articles have been about theme and story and whatnot, so the focus on isn't going away anytime soon. LOTR is one of the biggest fantasy franchises ever and one with some of the most ardent fanbases, so really, what did you expect when you join a community based around this game? To go in the forums and tell people that they're nuts because they don't have the same taste as you? Really? Anyway, it's obvious that this game was designed for Tolkien fans, and ust because you're an enlightened minority doesn't mean everyone has to accomodate to your opinions in a community forum, let alone the developers of this game.

Tribal decks make sense in a game such as this. Much like they would in a Dark Ages based lcg with the britons, vikings, saxons etc. Do they make sense machanically? Maybe not to you. Do they make sense thematically? Hell yes. And guess what, this game is focused on theme.

That said, I still wouldn't like to see them only focus on traits, since that would, as you say, make for an "artificial" deckbuilding guideline. I agree on that. However, I still see that this game has a very high level of thematic customization since you can, and in fact it's also endorsed, make a deck with Dunhere, Elrond and Thalin as your heroes. Wasn't the fellowship of the ring exactly that? A collection of unlikely races joining up to go on an adventure? I think there's really no more need for a tribal focus than the one they're already doing.

not sure exactly how having a deep understanding of the methodologies of teaching academia has anything to do with a card game having multicultural themes but w/e. Sure you using that word correctly, mate?

@servant: I'm not complaining Sting can't be used on Boromir or his brothers-in-arms. I'm just pointing out the apparent lack of universal cards. Played a little more LotR this weekend and I can say it's not problematic yet and - given the release of new cards - probably will never be. I obviously like the theme and the flavor of the game. Otherwise I would'nt have bought 3 expansions and 8 chapter packs. I also realise releasing too many good universal cards will result in people playing with 50% of their deck all the time. I guess that may be why they're withholding.

Yea sorry if i sounded like i was giving you a lesson this wasn't my intention.The problem with universal cards is that in LOTR universe most things like swords,powers,artifacts even horses are bound with certain people and as you said maybe they don't want you to use the same deck for all quest and just use one or 2 cards from a new AP.

It is very nice you enjoy the game so much and if you have an idea of some universal cards please share it so we can discuss.

TBH, I think that you are just taking a very simple approach to something being "tribal."

Requiring a trait, in my opinion, is not tribal. Why? Well, I've built a Dwarf deck (a definitively tribal one) and also used Venya and Elrond in it. Venya being, the most restrictive card in the game. So I played a card that required one very specific card to be played with it, and played it in a deck that had a completely different set of demands.

Yet on the other hand, under your analysis for Morgul Vale, a Dwarf (really on the virtue of being an ally, but they all generally have solid stats) would be a universally playable card. Outlands characters would be universally playable, yet they are the most tribal of tribes.

Your reasoning breaks down because you do not consider the traits that are generated by Heroes to be resources. Instead, you treat your Heroes like they are just cards in your deck, which they are actually not. I mean, literally. In the rule book, your deck does not include your heroes.

Every card requires something (unless you want to play a deck of 0 cost neutral cards). Requiring a trait doesn't make your deck tribal when you know that you can start off with a Hero with that trait, because you start off with a hero with that trait and Heroes are not in your deck. So why would it require your deck to be tribal, when the card requirement can be satisfied without involving your deck at all?

A tribal deck is a deck of cards where the cards in the deck synergy/require each other to work optimally. Not simply because it shares a trait.

Spear of the Mark is tribal? Why? Because playing something like Theoden (or some Rohan hero and some Tactic hero) is necessary? Does playing Theoden force you into a tribe? Does playing Spear of the Mark and Theoden force you into a tribe? It doesn't.

I mean, Spear of the Mark is generally terrible, but if you are honestly looking at what deck this leads to, it's not a Rohan deck it's a quick strike type deck, running cards like Quick Strike, Theoden/Dunhere, Eorlingas. Or maybe they combine that with more direct damage cards. But the point is, you don't actually have to run any of those cards. You can run any other set of cards that you want (Spheres not with standing), because neither of the cards force you into a tribe.

I mean, I could go on and on...