Narya

Gandalf only. +4 prowess, +1 body, +2 direct influence for the rest of the turn. Immediately untap all unwounded characters in Gandalf's company. Gandalf makes a corruption check modified by -5.

It gives you moderate enhancements. There's +4 prowess (though several "full" rings give you that), +1 body (many items give you at least that), and +2 direct influence (a Lesser Ring gives you that, same with several other things). Plus it untaps all unwounded characters in the company.

That last one is probably the most useful of them. It's good just after an attack for recovery. That gives you the one use for this card: emergencies. If you already tapped everyone for a Watcher in the Water attack or something like that, this can save you before your opponent's Nazgul come out (well, it's a viable strategy, tap everyone, though one of the Nazgul can do that as well as Watcher).

But it doesn't help wounded characters, so it's not that great. You can play this three times in one turn if you're willing to risk it to enhance the heck out of Gandalf, but (I think my math is sound on this) then you are almost guaranteed to lose him and therefore the game. Unless you're willing to play lots of enhancers (3 Fellowships, maybe a few Old Friendships too).

And now the bad parts of this card. First, the corruption check. AAAAARGH! Almost as bad as The One Ring, and it doesn't give you anywhere near how much power that has. A check as bad as Cracks of Doom if you count Gandalf's modification (and that wins you the game, after all) for nothing but THIS? Who cares? Not worth your time.

Instead of winning the game with this risk, you just get a few stupid bonuses? What was ICE thinking? And Narya was pretty useful to Gandalf in the books, too. It certainly didn't do this. Plus, it requires Gandalf, who many (not me: I think Pallando instead, don't flame me again) think is the worst wizard, to even use. Pretty much pointless, except in dire need (I.E. Gandalf's alone, there's several Nazgul approaching, and he doesn't have any cancelling items), and then there are other cards better suited to it. Plus, it's rare, and I wouldn't want this if it was a common (even though I have one, sigh).

Overall, a really bad card, not worth putting in any deck except Gandalf-based ones that are willing to take a LOT of risks.

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