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November 22, 2004
Who doesn't enjoy a little Wizard-on-Wizard action? The staves, the spells, the flying around... it's more fun than a boxing title fight and fewer ear-bitings. On that note, this week's League Card spoilers are the Istari heavyweights of Middle Earth: Gandalf, Stormcrow and Saruman, Many-Coloured Wizard!
In the Free Peoples corner... Gandalf, Stormcrow!
Gandalf, Stormcrow begins a League with 7 Strength, 4 Vitality, 6 Resistance, no game text and 4 twilight cost. He gets better though... much better. As you win League Character Points for playing League matches you'll be able to buy him League Actions... here's a list of what you can get for 1 League Character Point...
- Aragorn Signet
- Frodo Signet
- Gandalf Signet
- Theoden Signet
- Strength +1
Yes, Gandalf can be +1 Strength for 1 League Character Point and as you see future League Card Spoilers, you'll notice that it's the cheapest Strength bonus of the League Companions (Éomer needs 3 League Character Points to get Strength +1). Best of all, you may buy this League Action 3 times to have a Gandalf of Strength 10 for 3 League Character Points! He's like Mithrandir only he won't have this insatiable desire to send himself to the dead pile every time you move! The choice of signets means you can build your Gandalf to work with a wide variety of Signet-using cards. Keep in mind, you can select one and only one signet and the choice is for the life (how long to Wizards live?) of that particular League. Since Gandalf has spells that let him exert like it's going out of style, a Signet to help him heal (Aragorn Signet to pair with King in Exile or Theoden Signet to pair with I Am Here spring to mind) work well. And if his base Strength 10 doesn't trash enough minions for you, give him the Gandalf Signet for added fun with Trust Me As You Once Did.
Now for some real fun... at 3 League Character Points each, you can take your pick of...
- Damage +1
- Defender +1
- Twilight Cost -1
Okay, he's not quite Leader of Men at 3 twilight cost but LoM doesn't exactly have 10 base strength and the ability to be Damage +3. That's right, you can buy the Damage League Action 3 times on Gandalf! Arm him with your average Glamdring and he'll vanquish any minion short of Shelob in one fell skirmish! My personal favorite though is his Defender +1 League Action... guess what can also be purchased 3 times? Armed with Gandalf's Staff you can assign four minions to Gandalf and then exert him twice to cancel any impending Wizard-slaughter.
Last but not least, for 5 League Character Points you can buy the special ability Skirmish: Exert Gandalf to make a companion Strength +1. Usable on ANY companion, regardless of race or culture, this is the perfect all-purpose overwhelm prevention program. Factor in Gandalf's many Vitality-boosting items and you have a Wizard that can lend quite the helping hand!
And in the Shadows corner... Saruman, Many-Coloured Wizard!
With a beard like that and a 'u' in his 'colour,' what's not to like? An old culture minion back for more, League Saruman is a mighty antagonist. Oh sure, he starts as a 4-cost minion with 8 Strength, 4 Vitality and no game text but believe me, this Saruman could have given Sauron the beating of his life (how long does a Maia live?) and taken The One Ring for himself... Here are his League Actions that cost 1 League Character Point each...
- Site Number -1
- Skirmish: Exert Saruman to make him Strength +1
- Strength +1
League Saruman begins as a Site 4 Minion but for just 1 point you can play him at Site 3 for no Roaming penalties... so, your opponents thought they could waltz into the first sanctuary with just 4 twilight.... think again! The Strength +1 League Action can be purchased 3 times giving him a hefty 11 Strength. Add to that his skirmish Special Ability and, if Saruman goes untouched by Archery or other wounds, he can be Strength 14! Now all my dreams about Christopher Lee wrestling Trolls are about to come true... if only I could get my minions to fight each other...
Even more fun are his next two League Action that can be purchased for 3 League Character Points each!
What's better than a Strength 11 Saruman? One that attacks twice and causes 4 wounds each time it wins! Yes, for 9 League Character Points you can buy Damage +1 for Saruman three times. And for just 3 League Character Points, the Free Peoples have to deal with Saruman in the Fierce Skirmish phase!
Saruman, Many-Coloured Wizard's last trick is his 5 League Character Point special ability Assignment: Exert Saruman to assign him to an unbound companion. I'm sorry, were you using that Pippin? Don't worry, in the fierce skirmish phase I'll send Merry to the dead pile to keep him company. And if I remember correctly, Lady-Redeemer is unbound...
So these are just two of the Online League Cards exclusive to the The Lord Of The Rings Online TCG League play! Leagues will arrive in Early December and we'll have more spoilers for you the week after Thanksgiving!
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