Today's card doens't make its way into too many decks, but that may be due to the fact that many people don't really think of him too often...
Gamling the Old # Character # Warrior Man # 2 Mind # 1 DI # 3/7 # Home site:
Edoras
Unique.
This card is one of the best low-mind characters around. For two mind, he brings you a nice 3/7 warrior (pretty good for mind that low) as well as 1 DI.
First, 3/7 isn't enough to single-handedly have much of a shot at dragon- slaying, but it is just a few points behind several characters with a mind of 4 or 5. Also, since Gamling doesn't get a -1 corruption modification like most low-mind characters (like Dwarves), he can safely be given a Sword of Gondolin, making him ready to fight right up with the likes of Beretar and Gildor Inglorion.
He's also got a nice mind/DI ratio. His one mind can control a character like Ioreth or, with an Elf-stone, a three mind elf. This can be of great assistance, allowing you to later bring in another three plus mind character or preventing Call of Home/Muster Disperses. Perhaps you are starting with Aragorn and Cirdan. That puts you at 17 mind. You can add Gamling as someone who can take an auto-attack, a strike from an orc, help with a corruption check or attack roll, or what have you. You can then add in Ioreth, giving you a nice sage. Or if you were starting Aragorn and Gimli, you could add Gamling with an Elf-stone controlling Arwen (who can later control Aragorn). Or you can add to his 1 DI with a Horn of Anor and have him head around to influence some of the easier man factions.
Another good use for Gamling is to have a character in your company from Edoras so that you can bring in Eowyn with Helm of Her Secrecy. And then, with a Gold Belt of Lorien, either can control the other. Or, since he's not worth any MPs, if you're in a tight fix, you can have him take one for the team. The Witch-king is bearing down on you with a Pale Sword! Fate is upon you! But wait, Gamling, knowing his time of glory had past, steps up, knowing the fate that would come to him.
So Gamling the Old can be a real utility character. He doesn't really have any disadvantages, and can easily do the work nobody else wants to do. He's almost like Toku from Legend of the Five Rings.
| Ratings for Gamling the Old: | |
|---|---|
| Isildur: | 6.0 |
| Frodo: | 6.5 |
| Samise: | 7.0 |
| Cirdan: | 4.0 |
| Beorn: | 7.2 |
| Fingolfin: | 5.0 |
| Strider: | 6.0 |
| Legolas: | 5.0 |
| Bandobras Took: | 6.0 |
| Alatar: | 6.0 |
| Farmer Maggot: | 6.0 |
| Average: | 5.9 |
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.