Fori the Beardless
Dark Minions should be in stores by this Friday, the 8th. So starting today,
I will review some choice spoilers picked to give a taste of the good things
to come.
Fori the Beardless - Minion - Warrior/Scout Dwarf - 1 MP - 4 Mind - 1 DI - 4/7
Unique. Agent. +2 direct influence against Dwarves and Dwarf Factions.
Home Site: Iron Hill Dwarf-hold
For those of you who have not seen the Dark Minions rules and spoilers at
ICE's website (here),
an agent is played face down in
your opponent's movement/hazard phase. During that phase he can take one of
several actions. One action is movement, where you place a site card from
your location deck on him which is in a region adjacent to his home site.
If he is at a site where your opponent's companies are, he may attack them
(rolling 2d6 for his prowess and the opponent's). He may also do things like
influence cards away.
In particular, Fori is a fairly average agent (although you should always be
wary of a dwarf without a beard). He's close to a standard dwarf, 4/7 for
4 mind and an MP (although your opponent gets that MP if he kills Fori). His
home site of the Iron Hill Dwarf-hold is fairly far from most of the action,
but if your opponent is running a dwarf deck or a hoard item deck, he's right
there ready to mess the other company up.
Perhaps the best use for Fori is as a "just-in-case" card. You can have up
to 36 mind worth of agents in your deck and sideboard combined, so you can
include Fori in case your opponent is playing with dwarves and you feel the
need to influence him away. If you don't, you can just leave him face down
and he won't take up any general influence (I think).
One note about agents in general is that it's a good idea to include agents
in areas where you don't plan on going much, as you have to have all the sites
an agent goes to face down on top of the agent (until he's revealed) and thus
you can't use them for yourself. Thus, if you have a deck that goes around
Rivendell or Gondor or the Under-deeps (which are mostly in central and
southern Middle-earth), then you might inlcude Fori to mess with the dragon-
lairs raiders.
So all in all, Fori is a fairly average agent, perhaps exactly what he's worth
will be revealed after we've had some time to see the plusses and minuses of
agents.
| Ratings for Fori the Beardless: |
|---|
| Isildur: | 6.0 |
| Gandalf: | 7.0 |
| Strider: | 6.0 |
| Smaug: | 6.5 |
| Samwise: | 7.1 |
| Farmer Maggot: | 8.5 |
| Frodo: | 6.0 |
| Eonwe: | 6.7 |
| Average: | 6.7 |
Visit the METW COTD homepage at http://ucsub.colorado.edu/~tstone/metw/cotd
Card names and text copyright 1996 by Iron Crown Enterprises, all rights
reserved. This document copyright 1996 by Trevor Stone. Permission given to
duplicate so long as no profit is made and the copyright notice is kept in
tact, blah, blah, blah.
[INLINE]
MIDDLE-EARTH: DARK MINIONS RULES
NOTE: Under Agents, Agent Actions, it is included here that agents can
untap as an action. This rule does not appear in the rules insert with
the booster packs. This rule is correct and should be considered as
though it were printed in the rules insert.
Table Of Contents
Minion Cards (Clarification)
Permanent-events (Clarification)
Placement of cards "off to the side" (Clarification)
The Under-Deeps
Under-deep Site Movement
Manifestations
Taking Prisoners
Rescue and the Rescue-attack
Agents
Untapping an Agent
Playing an Agent
Agent Actions
Moving an Agent (Agent Action)
Revealing an Agent
Playing Creatures at an Agent's Site (Agent Action)
Attacking With an Agent
Resolving Combat With an Agent
Marshalling Points from Agents
Influencing With an Agent
Creatures as Automatic-Attacks
Minion Cards (Clarification)
MEDM includes minion cards-a new type of card with a new type of
template-the background is iron with a "rusted" purple tint. In MEDM,
minions are used as hazards called agents. An agent is a hazard that
represents an individual that has been sent on a covert mission by the
Dark-lord or one of his Dark Lieutenants. However, not all agents are
minions. The two agents on the normal hazard template are "non-Minion
agents:" My Precious and Lobelia Sackville Baggins.
The concept of minions used in a non-agent fashion will be introduced
in Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye (a stand-alone expansion due out in
the Spring of 1997). In The Lidless Eye, minions will be used like
characters, but each minion will be under the influence of one of
Sauron's Dark Lieutenants.
Permanent-events (Clarification)
If one of your companies splits into two or more companies, you may
place any resource permanent-events that were on the original company
(as a whole) with any of the resulting companies. Some events of this
type must be discarded (as specified) when a company splits (e.g.,
Fellowship).
You may not make an influence attempt on an item with a permanent
event on it.
Placement of cards "off to the side" (Clarification)
Certain cards and effects require other cards be placed "off to the
side" (for example, Sacrifice of Form from Middle-earth: The Wizards).
Cards placed off to the side are placed on the playing surface off to
the side of the normal area of play. Such cards are kept with their
host permanent-event that caused this effect. Any card placed off to
the side absolutely cannot be targeted or otherwise affected by the
game except by cards that specifically affect cards placed "off to the
side."
Cards placed off to the side are in play for the purposes of
uniqueness. Unless stated otherwise, when a host permanent-event is
removed from the playing surface, any cards placed off to the side
under it are discarded.
Usually the host card will state some mechanic that affects the cards
placed off to the side with it. Unless stated otherwise on its host
card, a card placed off to the side will give its marshalling points
to its owner. However, the cards typical with Middle-earth: Dark
Minions are "taking prisoners" cards, and characters taken prisoner
yield negative marshalling points.
THE UNDER-DEEPS
Note: Created by streams of molten rock and expanded by geothermal
eruptions of super-hot gas, the Under-deeps are a result of a
combination of natural and supernatural forces. The hand of Morgoth
joined what was once a collection of countless, sundered cavern
complexes. His greater servants used this maze of tunnels and chambers
to travel surreptitiously throughout Endor.
Although Endor changed during the Elder Days, the core of the
Under-deeps survive. Though travel between the underground sites is
now difficult, if not impossible, for all but the greatest (and
luckiest) explorers. Blocked or twisting away from their original
course, the Under-deeps seem broken. Junctions and strongholds seem
lost. Many appear as simple caves or side passages, no longer
resembling their past grandeur. Others lie hidden behind veils of
rock. Nearly all are still there, though, awaiting discovery-as is
their creator.
An Under-deeps site card has "Under-deeps" in the section that
normally gives a site's region, and its name contains "-deeps" or
"Under-" An Under-deeps site is just like any other site with the
following exceptions:
* Unlike other sites, each Under-deeps site is not considered to be
in a region-instead it is located below another site, called the
Under-deeps site's surface site.
* Instead of a nearest Haven, each Under-deeps site lists all of its
"Adjacent Sites." Each Under-deeps site is adjacent to its one
surface site and a number of other Under-deeps sites. The first
adjacent site listed is always the Under-deeps site's surface
site.
* Eagle-mounts and Gwaihir cannot be used to move to or from an
Under-deeps site.
* A company moving to and/or from an Under-deeps site has no site
path. So, hazards may only be played keyed to the company's new
site.
* An environment card that changes site type (e.g., Choking Shadows,
Quiet Lands, etc.) cannot be used to change the site type of an
Under-deeps site.
* Normally, when you successfully play an item, faction, ally, or
information at a site, the site card is tapped and one additional
character may tap to play a minor item. At an Under-deeps site,
you can play any item playable at the site instead of this minor
item.
* You may not consider marshalling points associated with a company
at an Under-deeps site for the purposes of calling the Free
Council.
_________________________________________________________________
Example:
Legolas taps and plays Glamdring (a major item) at The Under-grottos
and the site taps. At this point, Gimili could only tap to play a
minor item at a non-Under-deeps site. But The Under-grottos is an
Under-deeps site, so Gimili can tap to play anything playable at The
Under-grottos: a minor item, a major item, or a gold ring. He taps and
plays a Precious Gold-ring.
_________________________________________________________________
Under-deep Site Movement
One of your companies that begins its turn at the surface site of an
Under-deeps site can move normally or it can move to its adjacent
Under-deeps site (i.e., the company moves to an Under-deeps site from
its surface site). One of your companies that begins its turn at an
Under-deeps site may only move to one of the adjacent sites listed on
the Under-deeps site card.
Each adjacent site is followed by a number in parentheses-this number
indicates how difficult it is to move from the Under-deeps site to the
adjacent site. When an adjacent site is revealed by one of your
companies whose site of origin is an Under-deeps site, you must make a
roll (2D6). If the result is greater than or equal to the number in
parentheses following the adjacent site as listed on its site of
origin, the movement/hazard phase proceeds normally. Otherwise, the
company returns to its site of origin and the movement/hazard phase
proceeds as if the company had not moved.
Note: A company moving from a surface site to its Under-deeps site
does not need to make a roll.
_________________________________________________________________
Example:
A company that starts at Carn Dűm can move normally or it can move to
The Iron-deeps-The Iron-deeps lists Carn Dűm as an adjacent site.
Similarly, a company that starts at The Iron-deeps may attempt to move
to any adjacent site listed: Carn Dűm (0), The Under-leas (6), or The
Under-vaults (7). However, after committing to movement, the moving
player must roll a 6 or better to successfully move to The Under-leas
or a 7 or better to successfully move to The Under-vaults.
_________________________________________________________________
MANIFESTATIONS
Certain entities (e.g., the Balrog, Gollum, Lobelia, etc.) have
several different manifestations, each represented by a different
MECCG card.
* If one manifestation of such an entity is already in play, you may
not play another manifestation of the same entity.
* If an attack from a manifestation is defeated, the manifestation
is removed from play and you may not play any further
manifestations of the same entity.
Exception: Different manifestations of the same unique Dragon may be
in play at the same time.
Note: If one card says that it is the manifestation of another card,
these restrictions apply to both cards.
_________________________________________________________________
Example:
Gollum (the ally manifestation of Gollum) is in play with one of your
characters. So, neither you nor your opponent can play My Precious
(the agent manifestation of Gollum) until Gollum is discarded. If your
Gollum is eliminated, My Precious and your opponent's Gollum (if any)
may never be played.
_________________________________________________________________
TAKING PRISONERS
Certain hazard permanent-events cause a character to be taken
prisoner-these are called hazard hosts. A character taken prisoner
immediately leaves his original company and is placed under its hazard
host "off to the side." Additionally, the player playing the hazard
host must take a site card from his location deck and place it with
the hazard host-this is called the rescue site. Playing a rescue site
is governed by the following rules.
1. Any restrictions listed on the hazard host must be observed (e.g.,
it must be a Ruins & Lairs, must have an Orc automatic-attack,
etc.).
2. If the hazard host is played on a character moving with region
movement, the rescue site must be a site located in a region in
which the character was moving or in a region adjacent to a region
in which the character was moving.
3. If the hazard host is played on a character moving with starter
movement, the rescue site must be located in the region containing
the site of origin or the new site.
4. If the hazard host is played on a character not moving, the rescue
site must be located in the same region as the character's site.
5. If the hazard host is played on a character moving to a new site
that is an adjacent site of an Under-deeps site, the rescue site
can be that Under-deeps site.
6. If a rescue site is not available within these rules, the hazard
host cannot be played!
7. When removed from the play surface, rescue sites always return to
the location deck.
When taken prisoner, a character cannot take any actions (including
healing or untapping) and cannot be affected by any cards except for
those that specifically affect characters taken prisoner. A character
taken prisoner is not controlled (i.e., does not use any influence),
and all of his followers revert to general influence (which must be
legally reconciled during his player's next organization phase). Any
items, allies, or events controlled by a character are discarded when
the character is taken prisoner unless the hazard host states
otherwise. As an exception, a ring born by an imprisoned character
stays with the character.
While a prisoner, a character yields negative character marshalling
points equal to the marshalling points he normally would give. If
eliminated while imprisoned, the character yields these negative
character marshalling points permanently (place the character's card
in your marshalling point pile).
Rescue and the Rescue-attack
Hazard hosts that cause a character to be taken prisoner require a
company controlled by the player of the imprisoned character to rescue
the character in order to return him to a normal status of play.
Alternatively, if the hazard host is discarded by a non-rescue
mechanism (e.g., by Marvels Told), the character forms his own company
at the rescue site. At any point outside of the initial attack or
conditions by which a hazard host is played, the hazard host is
discarded if there are no imprisoned characters are under it.
Whenever, the hazard host is discarded, the rescue site always returns
to the location deck.
To rescue a character, the company must be at the rescue site during
the site phase and must face any automatic-attacks at the site as
normal. The site can be tapped or untapped. The company must next face
any rescue-attacks at the site. Rescue-attacks are not considered
automatic-attacks. Following the rescue-attack, an untapped character
in the rescuing company can tap, and all characters taken prisoner
under the hazard host immediately join the company under general
influence (which must be legally reconciled during the player's next
organization phase)-the rescue attempt is successful. The company's
site then taps (if untapped), and one minor item may be played with an
untapped member of the rescuing company.
Note: If he has one available, a player must use a site from his own
location deck to rescue imprisoned characters. If he does not have the
site or if the site is in his discard pile, the copy with the hazard
host can be used to show the rescuing company's movement (if the
rescue attempt is successful, the site would remain in play until the
company leaves the site). In this case the site is not available for
the rescuing player to use for any purpose (other than to rescue
prisoners and play one minor item) until the company leaves the site
and his play deck is exhausted.
AGENTS
An agent has the same attributes as a character: race, skills, direct
influence, prowess, body, mind, marshalling points, and special
abilities. During play, each agent must be in one of the following
states: face-down and untapped, face-down and tapped, face-up and
untapped, face-up and tapped, or face-up and wounded.
An agent can be thought of as a hazard that acts as a creature with
the following special effects:
* It normally remains in play until it is eliminated.
* If using the minimum number of creatures requirement (i.e., in the
Council of Lórien tournament rules) for a starting play deck, each
agent only counts as half a creature.
* The total of the mind attributes of all of your agents in your
play deck and sideboard may not exceed 36.
An agent is always located at a site. Once an agent has been revealed
or has moved to a site that is not one of its home sites, one of your
site cards must be used for this purpose. A face-up agent's site card
must always be face-up. Agents move and operate alone (i.e., they do
not move and operate in "companies").
Each agent is unique-all normal rules apply. If a specific agent is in
play face-up and a second, identical agent is turned face-up (i.e., it
is revealed), the second agent is immediately discarded.
Untapping an Agent
Each of your agents untaps during your untap phase.
Playing an Agent
To play an agent, place it face-down (and untapped). The agent is
assumed to be at any one of its home sites (no site card is required).
Agent Actions
Each of your agents who was already in play at the beginning of your
opponent's turn may take one and only one of the following actions
each turn.
* A tapped or untapped agent may move to a non-Haven,
non-Under-deeps site in the same region or in an adjacent region
(see below). The agent taps if not already tapped.
* An agent may return to its home site (i.e., remove all of the site
cards on the agent).
* An agent may tap to make certain creatures playable at its current
site (see below).
* A wounded agent may heal (i.e., move from wounded status to tapped
status).
* A tapped agent may untap (i.e., move from tapped status to utapped
status). [NOTE: This rule does not appear in the rules insert with
the booster packs. This rule is correct and should be considered
as though it were printed in the rules insert.]
* An untapped, face-up agent may be turned face-down along with its
site card.
Performing any one of these actions with an agent counts as one
against the hazard limit. These actions may only be taken during your
opponent's movement/hazard phase.
Note: Certain cards allow an agent to take more than one action during
a given turn.
Moving an Agent (Agent Action)
When one of your agents moves, tap it and place its new site card on
top of the agent and any other site cards already on the agent
(face-up if the agent is face-up, face-down if the agent is
face-down). If the agent is face-up, return to your location deck all
site cards other than the new site card. Thus, the top site card on an
agent indicates its current site.
Alternatively, you may remove the top site card on a face-down agent
(i.e., it moves back to its previous site).
Note: If Starter Rules are being used and/or you are not using region
movement, agents may not move.
Revealing an Agent
You may turn any of your face-down agents face-up (i.e., reveal them)
at any time during your opponent's movement/hazard phase. This doesn't
count as an agent action as outlined above and it doesn't count
against the hazard limit. Alternatively, you must reveal an agent when
it attacks, when it makes an influence attempt, or when certain cards
are played.
Note: Certain hazard cards specify that an agent must tap for the card
to take effect. A face-down agent that taps in this fashion must be
revealed (i.e., turned face-up).
If one of your agents is revealed before it has moved, you must
immediately choose which home site it is at-place the appropriate site
card with the agent. If you do not have such a site card in your
location deck, discard the agent at the end of the current turn.
If one of your agents is revealed after it has moved, the first site
card that was played must be one of its home sites or it must be in
the same region as one of the agent's home sites or it must be in a
region adjacent to a region that contains one of the agent's home
sites. Any site card other than the first site card must be in the
same region as the previous site placed on the agent or it must be in
a region adjacent to the region that contains the previous site placed
on the agent.
If one of your agent's series of sites indicating its travel is
illegal, the agent has no effect. In addition, it is immediately
discarded and any site cards associated with the agent are returned to
your location deck.
When one of your agents and its site cards are revealed, all site
cards other than the agent's current site card are returned to your
location deck (after verifying that the path of movement was legal).
Playing Creatures at an Agent's Site (Agent Action)
If one of your agents and one of your opponent's companies are both at
the same Ruins & Lairs, Shadow-hold, or Dark-hold, you may tap the
agent and then attack that company with any non-unique hazard
creatures (regardless of what they are keyed to) of the same creature
type as the site's automatic-attack.
If one of your agents and one of your opponent's companies are both at
the agent's home site, you may tap the agent and then attack that
company with certain hazard creatures (regardless of what they are
keyed to) based upon the site type:
* You may play Men, Dwarves, Elves, Dúnedain, and Hobbits at
Free-Holds.
* You may play Orcs, Nazgűl, Men, Dwarves, Elves, Dúnedain, and
Hobbits at Border-Holds.
* You may play Orcs, Nazgűl, and Trolls at Ruins & Lairs.
* You may play Orcs, Nazgűl, Undead, and Trolls at Shadow-Holds.
* You may play Orcs, Nazgűl, and Trolls at Dark-Holds.
In either case, if a creature is played in this manner, the agent is
revealed (if it was not already revealed).
Attacking With an Agent
During your opponent's site phase, each of your agents may attack a
company if the following conditions are met:
* The agent is at the same site as the company.
* The company decides to enter the site.
This attack is declared and enacted at the start of the site phase
immediately following any automatic-attack. If face-down, turn the
agent face-up.
Note: Certain cards (e.g., Cunning Foes, To Get You Away, etc.) allow
an agent at a company's new site to attack a company during the
movement/hazard phase.
Resolving Combat With an Agent
When one of your agents attacks it is considered to be the attacker
and it has one strike unless modified. Combat with an agent is handled
like any other combat with the following exceptions:
* The prowess for each of the agent's strikes is modified by a roll
(2D6)-a separate roll is made for each strike.
* A wounded agent's prowess is modified by -2.
* If the agent is face-down when the attack is declared, one of the
following applies:
+ If at his home site, his prowess is modified by +5 for that
attack and his body is modified by +1 and the attacker
chooses defending characters.
+ If not at his home site, his prowess is modified by +2 for
that attack.
* If a face-down agent attacks as the result of the play of a card,
the agent is considered to be face-down when the attack is
declared.
* If the agent is face-up at his home site when the attack is
declared, his prowess is modified by +2 for that attack and his
body is modified by +1.
* After the combat, the agent remains in play and it must be face-up
and tapped or face-up and wounded.
Note: Agents are not characters-you may not play resource cards to
modify an agent's prowess (e.g., a Risky Blow will not affect an
agent's prowess). Hazard cards affect an agent attack normally.
_________________________________________________________________
Example:
During your opponent's movement/hazard phase (MH-phase), you play
Gisulf, counting as one against your hazard limit. He is placed
face-down and is considered to start at any of his home sites:
Woodmen-town, Lake-town, or Dale (your choice whenever he is initially
revealed). Gisulf may not take an action this turn-he was just played.
However, if one of your opponent's companies were to move to one of
Gisulf's home sites this turn, Gisulf could attack it during its site
phase.
_________________________________________________________________
During your opponent's next MH-phase, his main company moves to
Lórien. You decide to move Gisulf to a site in the Anduin Vales so
that he is closer to more sites reachable from Lórien. He can do this
because Woodmen-town is in Western Mirkwood, which is adjacent to
Anduin Vales. One of your own company's is at Eagle's Eyrie and
Framsburg is in your discard pile, so those cards are not available
for Gisulf to use. Thus, Gisulf can only move to Gladden Fields or
Beorn's House. You move him to Gladden Fields (counts one against the
hazard limit), tapping him and placing that site card (his current
site) face-down on top of Gisulf. Maybe your opponent will try to get
a ring next turn.
Gisulf untaps during your untap phase. During your opponent's next
MH-phase, his main company reveals that it is moving to Goblin-gate.
Since Goblin-gate is in High Pass and High Pass is adjacent to Anduin
Vales, you move Gisulf to Goblin-gate-tapping him and placing your
Goblin-gate site card (his current site) face-down on top of him.
At this point Gisulf is at the company's new site and you could play
certain hazard cards: e.g., Seek Without Success (returns the company
to its site of origin). Unfortunately, you don't have any of these
cards in your hand.
During the site phase, the company enters Goblin-gate and faces the
automatic-attack. Then, you decide to attack them with Gisulf. He is
turned face-up and the site cards on Gisulf are revealed and checked.
He traveled from Woodmen-town (his chosen starting home site) in
Western Mirkwood to Gladden Fields in Anduin Vales to Goblin-gate in
High Pass. Each of these regions is adjacent to the previous one
played, so Gisulf moved legally. The Gladden Fields site card is
returned to your location deck and Goblin-gate is left face-up with
Gisulf.
Gisulf's prowess for this attack is 7 (5 normal, +2 because he was
face-down when the attack was declared). Elladan is untapped and is in
the target company, so your opponent chooses him to take the attack.
Elladan's prowess is 5 (his normal prowess of 5 because he decides to
tap). You (Gisulf) roll an eight for a total of 15, while your
opponent rolls a six for a total of 11-Elladan is wounded.
Marshalling Points from Agents
Only your opponent can receive marshalling points by defeating an
agent that you played. If you defeat an agent that you played, it is
removed from the game and no one receives its marshalling points.
Marshalling points from defeating an agent count as kill points not as
character points.
Influencing With an Agent
During your opponent's movement/hazard phase, certain cards and
special abilities allow your agents to attempt to influence allies,
factions, followers, and characters. After an influence attempt, the
agent remains face-up and in play.
To influence an ally, follower, or character, the agent must be at the
new site for the target or at the target's current site if the company
did not move. To influence a faction, the agent must be at the site at
which the faction is playable.
To attempt to influence in this manner, your agent must make an
influence check as outlined in section 9 of the Standard Rules.
However, the following exceptions apply:
* Your agent's unused direct influence and any other modifications
are used (i.e., the agent is doing the influencing, not a
character).
* If your agent is at his home site his direct influence is modified
by +2.
* You can't use resources cards to help the attempt (e.g., you may
not reveal an identical resource card, you may not use a Muster,
etc.).
* If the target character (or follower) has the same home site as
the agent, treat the character's (or follower's) mind attribute as
zero and your agent's roll is modified by +2.
* If the target ally is playable at the agent's home site, treat the
ally's mind attribute as zero and your agent's roll is modified by
+2.
* If the target faction is playable at the agent's home site, treat
the number required to bring the faction into play as zero and
your agent's roll is modified by +2.
CREATURES AS AUTOMATIC-ATTACKS
Any hazard creature you play as an automatic-attack is discarded if
defeated-it is not placed in your opponent's marshalling point pile.
_________________________________________________________________
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