Free Speech Online Blueribbon Campaign

Middle-earth: The White Hand Rules

The complete rules insert, taken straight from Ichabod's page.

Using MEWH

When you play a Fallen-wizard, assume that your Fallen-wizard is a METW "Wizard." All of the normal METW rules apply except for the specific exceptions outlined in these rules. The MELE rules that concern Wizards also apply to Fallen-wizards.

You should read the following section to get a general idea of how to play a Fallen-wizard. Then read the rest of the rules for more specific details.

The Victory Conditions

As a Fallen-wizard you may win in the same way a METW Wizard wins: your opponent is eliminated or you recover The One Ring or you have the most marshalling points at the Free Council. The following exceptions apply:

Getting Ready to Play

A Fallen-wizard player prepares for play just as a Wizard does, with the following exceptions:

Declaring That Your Wizard is Fallen

If you are playing a Fallen-wizard, you must tell your opponent which Fallen-wizard you are playing before choosing starting companies. If your opponent has normal hero Wizard character cards in his play deck and/or sideboard that correspond to the Fallen-wizard you have declared, he may replace those Wizard cards with an equal number of other Wizard character cards that he has available. Your opponent may also add 10 cards to his sideboard (these cards should be preselected for a Fallen-wizard opponent).

Note: This rule means that when you declare that you are playing a specific Fallen-wizard, your opponent may not play the corresponding hero Wizard (i.e., that Wizard has already fallen). You and your opponent may still both declare and attempt to play the same Fallen-wizard, but the game will probably be won by the first player to get his Fallen-wizard into play.

Your Location Deck

Your location deck may include multiple copies of the Fallen-wizard site cards: Isengard, The White Towers, Rhosgobel, and Deep Mines. However, your location deck may only include one of every hero site and minion site.

Your Play Deck

The resource half of your play deck (and your sideboard) may include hero, minion, and stage resources. But, you are limited to:

Starting Stage Cards

You must attempt to start with one, two, or three (your choice) stage resource permanent-event cards in play. These cards must have a combined total of 3 stage points. At least one of these cards must be non-unique. You may not start such a card if the conditions required to play the card do not exist. These cards should be revealed as if they were starting characters with duplicate unique cards being discarded.

Starting Characters

Your starting characters (up to 5) may include hero characters and minion characters, but you may not start a character with a mind greater than 5. However, you may not start Orc and Troll characters unless you start with an appropriate stage resource card (e.g., Bad Company).

Starting Site

Your starting company may begin play at The White Towers or at any Ruins & Lairs site in Rhudaur or Arthedain. If you start at a Ruins & Lairs site, one of your starting stage resource cards may be a Hidden Haven played on your starting site.

The Player Turn

The Player turn proceeds normally with the following exceptions:

Characters and Companies

All of your non-Orc and non-Troll characters are considered to be hero characters. Thus, a company consisting of only such characters is treated as a hero company. Such a company is covert for the purposes of playing minion resources.

Note: See the section on Orcs and Trolls for more details.

Movement

Fallen-wizard companies must use region movement. When one of your Fallen- wizard companies moves to a site, you and your opponent draw cards based upon the site being moved to. This applies even if moving to one of your Wizardhavens.

The METW Havens (i.e., Grey Havens, Rivendell, L—rien, Edhellond) and MELE Darkhavens (i.e., Minas Morgul, Dol Guldur, Carn Džm, and Geann a-Lisch) are not considered to be havens for a Fallen-wizard player. The following exceptions for using sites can be modified by the play of certain hazards and stage resources.

Corruption Checks

Corruption checks are handled normally with these exceptions:

Playing and Using Resources

Playing resources is handled normally with these exceptions:

Testing Gold Rings

Whenever a Fallen-wizard player tests a hero gold ring item, the roll is modified by -1.

Note: The restrictions below do not apply to Spells and Magic.

Targeting Site and Resource Cards

A hero resource card may not target/affect a minion site card or a minion resourduring the site phase that tap the site.

Note: When the test of a gold ring indicates that a specific type of ring may be played, you may play either a hero or a minion ring of the appropriate type.

Using Items

All non-Orc/Troll characters may freely use both hero and minion items. When Your Fallen-wizard Leaves Play

If your Fallen-wizard leaves play, discard all of your stage resource permanent-events in play that are specific for your wizard (e.g., if you are Alatar and play during the site phase that tap the site.

Note: When the test of a gold ring indicates that a specific type of ring may be played, you may play either a hero or a minion ring of the appropriate type.

Using Items

All non-Orc/Troll characters may freely use both hero and minion items. When Your Fallen-wizard Leaves Play

If your Fallen-wizard leaves play, discard all of your stage resource permanent-events in play that are specific for your wizard (e.g., if you are Alatar and play Sacrifice of Form, you must discard all of your stage resource permanent-events that say "Alatar specific."). As is normally the case, all hazard permanent-events on such a Wizard are discarded.

Using Sites for Agents

When moving an Agent hazard, a Fallen-wizard player must use hero site cards. If the minion version of a site card is in play or in your discard pile, your agents may not use or reveal the hero version of that site.

Special Orc & Troll Rules

A company with any Orc or Troll characters is an overt company. In addition, a company with any of the following allies is an overt company: Great Bats, Great Lord of Goblin-gate, Last Child of Ungoliant, Regiment of Black Crows, Two-Headed Troll. Any other company is a hero company.

Optional Rules

Company vs. Company Combat

Normally, non-overt Fallen-wizard companies and Wizard companies may not attack each other.

If using this optional rule, a company containing a Fallen-wizard with more than 10 stage points may initiate company vs. company combat with any of his opponent's companies. Similarly, any of his opponent's companies may initiate combat with a Fallen-wizard's own company if that Fallen-wizard has more than 10 stage points.

Wizard to Fallen-wizard Conversion

You (as a Wizard player) may include stage resource cards, minion resources, minion characters, and up to two Fallen-wizard character cards in your sideboard.

If the roll for a corruption check for your Wizard is equal to his corruption point total or one less, you may choose to become a Fallen-wizard player (if not, your Wizard is eliminated and you lose). If you choose to do so and have the appropriate cards in your sideboard, you must follow this procedure: