Free to Choose

One of the rights most prized in most parts of the world is the freedom of choice. In Middle-earth, it's pretty good too.

Free To Choose # Resource # Permanent-event
Playable on an item that normally gives 3 corruption points or more. Target item gives 2 fewer corruption points (3 fewer if Gates of Morning is in play). Discard after its bearer makes a corruption check. Cannot be duplicated on a given item.


Well, this card is worth its slot in almost any large item deck. While certain other cards give a better bonus, they have to be held for longer. This is a preemptive corruption check helper.

So, what can this do? Well, picture Aiglos. A very nice weapon in all accounts, but you may have a slight corruption problem. Put this card with Aiglos, and it now only gives 1 CP instead of 3 (as you want Doors with Aiglos, not Gates). Or Dwarven Rings. Instead of 5 CPs, they can give you 3 (or two if you want to play with Gates).

Sadly, though, this modification is not permanent. It only lasts for one corruption check. However, it can act to prevent that check, as someone with a Weariness of the Heart is not very likely to play it on someone with 1 CP. While this card doesn't give as good a bonus as cards like New Friendship or A Friend or Three. However, it keeps a card out of your hand, so you can use that slot for another card. You're making a corruption check in advance.

So this is a very important card for any big item deck

Ratings for Free to Choose:
Isildur: 7.5
Frodo: 9.0
Samwise: 8.5
Cirdan: 6.5
Beorn: 6.7
Fingolfin: 8.0
Strider: 8.0
Legolas: 8.0
Bandobras Took: 10.0
Alatar: 7.5
Farmer Maggot: 9.0
Average: 8.1

More back issues

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.