With Dark Minions in stores tomorrow, let's take a look at a card that has more to do with the "light side of the force."
Mallorn - Resource - Permanent-event - 3 MP
Unique. Playable only if Earth of Galadriel's Orchard is stored at Bag End. Bag End becomes a Haven for the purposes of healing and bringing characters into play. Bag End can untap during its owner's untap phase. If Bag End is discarded, return it to its location deck. All Hobbit factions are worth +1 marshalling points.
This card is the new key to a fun Hobbit-themed deck. All it needs is Earth of Gladriel's Orchard (easily playable at Lorien), and you're all set up for bringing out hobbit stuff.
Firstly, this adds 3 MPs to the 2 MPs you've already got for Earth of Galadriel's Orchard. While that's pretty good, you get as much net gain from many factions or a similar card, The White Tree (you have to discard the 2 MP from the Sapling for the White Tree). While 3 MP (really 5 total) is cool, there are faster ways of doing it that don't require one action and then another. However, this does more. It adds another haven in the Rivendell area (although the path from Rivendell to any site is equal to or less than the path from Bag End to that site). It can be somewhat useful to be able to heal and bring characters in at Bag End, though. But the primary advantage is that Bag End doesn't stay tapped.
Now you can bring in Hobbits (now worth 2 MPs) and the Red Book and still be able to bring in Hobbits before you cycle (something I've wanted to do for a while). Mallorn is actually better than The White Tree in this respect, although Minas Tirith decks would then become too powerful.
There is one draw back with this card: timing. You have to get the Earth of Galadriel's Orchard, then you must draw and play this card (you don't have to be present like you do with The White Tree, thoug). Then you can play your Bag End cards (although if you already played one it's okay, but you can't use Bag End until you cycle again). That combined with the fact that most of the decks don't have much of a reason to go to Bag End give this card a low frequency of play, though with a high frequency of enjoyment (Hobbit decks are always fun).
So Mallorn is a cool card, worth putting in any deck with Earth of Galadriel's Orchard.
| Ratings for Mallorn: | |
|---|---|
| Isildur: | 8.0 |
| Gandalf 9.5 | |
| Strider: 9.0 | |
| Smaug: 8.0 | |
| Samwise: 6.9 | |
| Farmer Maggot: 8.5 | |
| Frodo: 8.0 | |
| Eonwe: 9.3 | |
| Legolas: 6.0 | |
| Average: 8.1 |
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.