Palantir of Orthanc

Resource: Special Item
Marshalling Points: 2
Corruption Points: 2

Unique. Palantir. Playable only at Isengard. With its bearer able to use a Palantir and with at least 5 cards in your play deck, tap Palantir of Orthanc to choose one card from your discard pile to place in your play deck (reshuffle the play deck). Bearer makes a corruption check.

It's similar to all the palantiri in its type of effect, but like all of them it has a slightly different actual one. Before we go on to the effect, let's first look at the basics of this card, and for that matter for all Special Item Palantiri. 2 corruption points, not much to worry about generally, and 2 M.P., once again not too big (though worth as much as some smaller factions, it takes just as much work to get out too, unlike some items). It's playable only at one specific site, once again true of all the Special Item palantiri, and its site is probably about equally convenient as well (especially good for Saruman players, who are probably the biggest users of Palantiri anyway since he can use one by just tapping). And it requires the bearer able to use a Palantir, true of two of the three (Elostirion doesn't, but we'll talk about that in the next issue). And finally it requires at least five cards in your play deck, which you'll see the reason for in a moment.

Now the special ability. It can bring back one card from the discard pile, your decision which, and put it in your play deck. While you're at it, it also shuffles your play deck, an extra little handy feature. Both pretty good abilities, sure they're somewhat beaten in Favor of the Valar but Favor of the Valar can only be used once (it's placed out of play afterwards) while this can be re-used and re-used again. It also can be faster, depending on your situation, than Favor of the Valar, another advantage in it t0here.

There's also a corruption check, not much to worry about unless you have a significantly corrupting item besides this being carried by the bearer.

There are lots of uses for this ability. Like if you're trying to get a killer combo, and keep saving a card for 20 turns or so, then finally discard it only to get the one needed card next turn. This can save you a little time if the draw deck's fairly big (or even not, since all the discards get shuffled in again and not just this). In fact, it almost automatically saves you time as long as something's in the discard pile, since there are less cards to go through to be sure of getting it then with the entire deck re-piled.

And that's true of any need to use this, it saves you time (though you could end up shuffling it to the last place in your draw deck, it's better than waiting until the draw deck's entirely exhausted).

So overall, Palantir of Orthanc is a very useful card for rescuing discards, better in some ways than even the rare Favor of the Valar.

Ratings for: PALANTIR OF ORTHANC

Rater	Rating	Rater	Rating
Gandalf	9.0	Lobelia	N/R
Morgoth	N/R	Faramir	9.0
Shadowfax	7.0	Beren	N/R
Isildur	7.5	Gollum	9.5
Turin	N/R	Sauron	9.5
Radagast	N/R	Cirdan	8.0
Eru	N/R	Average	8.5

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