It’s been sometime coming, but here’s part 2 of Mostly Off-topic’s The Grey Havens LOTR LCG deluxe review, supporting that of the impressions of the encounter cards.
This post covers Heroes and Allies, with Attachments and Events coming up soon!
There are other places that will provide a more objective review of the cards in the deluxe, providing ratings and in depth analysis. This post is a quick and breezy look at this Nautical Noldor theme’d deluxe.
For each card you will see three opinions represented: Cirdan, the bearded one, talks for Joe; Scott is represented by the image from the Archer netrunner card; Glorfindel, glorious Elf-lord and hero of the First Age represents Paul.
Read into that what you will…
“My version of the Noldor deck runs multiple copies of uniques, and duplicates are fuel for Eowyn and Arwen. Cirdan is a different way of doing it, giving you the ability to filter as you draw. I like it.”
“Artwork looks a little celestial but has a nice feel (Did you model for this Joe?). Check out that questing power! Eowyn move over? I think there is room for use in a non-Nolder archetype; decking out may happen but that is the same with Bilbo (THFG) sans the blond perm.”
“Leading-hero threat, leading-hero ability tied into the Noldor’s wisdom (cards in hand equating to the insight gained through many years of life). His weakness is offset by the Noldor archetype wanting cards in discard to power other effects. Provides questing power for a solo Noldor deck. Should be in Noldor decks.”
“Good to see a new corner of the design space being explored. Anything that bends core rules is fun, and I’m a fan of big, splashy ‘once per game’ effects (hello Loragorn). Welcome to the party, Galdor.”
“Not so keen on the artwork and stats seem ok for a 9 threat hero. Provides the mulligan mechanic that I always thought it should be.”
“Love the art, though the clothing feels anachronistic. Stat block is mediocre, but ability is strong for quests that hits hard early. In the sphere of card-draw this could mean the first round starts with the right cards in hand and the right events discarded. Partner with Arwen for resources.”
“Do you play red? Do you block enemy attacks with low-cost chumps? Oh you do? Especially after the Horn of Gondor errata? Then you should run Mithlond Sea-watcher.”
“Looks like a solid 2 cost ally with the +2 attack bonus. My first impression of the artwork: Bilious”
“If you chump block the top card of discard is an ally. 3 Atk and ranged is powerful and 2 hp gives some resilience to quest damage. However, strong in a chump deck, and if I’m playing a chump deck I’d prefer Gondor, so feels like a trap.”
“The least good of all the ‘if the top card of your bin’ guys. He makes me sad for hardcore purple fanatics. Are there any hardcore purple fanatics? No. This is why.”
“Pants (and that’s from someone whose favourite card is Power in the Earth).”
“Attachments tend to be fewer in the deck and avoid the discard pile where possible. So can’t be relied upon to have sufficient defence and is therefore well over costed even in Leadership. I’d just not bother with it.”
“Do you like Elrond’s Council, Galadhrim’s Greeting and . . . oh, nuts. Look, you play blue, right? Sailor of Lune’s not a bad blue card.”
“Pulling a rope or fighting Morpheus in the matrix? You decide. Nice ability shame about the art.”
“Noldor so drawn towards a deck that discards lots of events in a sphere with Arwen and Elven Light? Yeah this is the easiest of them all to trigger and fits squarely with the sphere’s main strength. I see no reason not to stick this in the deck as a 3-of particularly as the “cannot be damaged” is generally very useful.”
““Hey, Lindon Navigator! Come and sit in my Horn of Gondor deck . . . oh wait, no. Thanks anyway.”
“I wonder if she will give you her unwelcome opinion on current affairs and set the world to rights… oh, sorry, I thought it said London Navigator.”
“Solid, and a good target for Mariner’s Compass as doesn’t exhaust to commit to a quest, though the two don’t share a sphere. Useful to play with Erestor given the discard to keep mechanic. Might fuel Mithlond Sea-watcher if used to discard, but the spheres aren’t necessarily complementary.”