[METW] FAQ #4
Ichabod
Middle Earth: The Wizards Frequently Asked Questions File
Number 4, current as of 1/21/96, What, me procrastinate? version
Maintained by Craig "Ichabod" O'Brien <ich...@cstone.net>
----------------------------------------------------------------
Especially new and succulent information is marked with *'s.
Thanks to Herve Guillemet for help on information gathering for
this FAQ.
Questions About Characters
--------------------------
Q: What is the difference between discarding a character and eliminating
a character?
A: A discarded character can be brought into play again, either by
yourself or another player. An eliminated character may not be
brought back into play at all.
Q: Do you have to put two of the same wizard in your play deck or can
you put two different wizards in your deck?
A: You can either put two of the same wizard in or two different wizards
in.
Q: Can characters with a bonus to influence against "Blue Mountain
Dwarves" use that bonus against dwarf characters with the home
site Blue Mountains?
A: No. This bonus only applies to the Blue Mountain Dwarf faction.
*Q: If a character has a bonus to their direct influence do they get
* the bonus for each of their followers?
*A: No. They only get the bonus once.
Questions About Combat
----------------------
Q: The rules say the modification for tapped is -1 and for wounded is
-2. If you are tapped and wounded is the modification -3?
A: No. Wounded characters are only at -2.
Q: How do creatures with a body number work?
A: For each strike that is defeated, a body check must also be made.
The body must be defeated for every strike in order to get MPs for
the creature.
*Q: In what order are permanent bonuses applied?
*A: In any order you want, but before combat modifiers.
*Q: How exactly are strikes assigned?
*A: When you are facing a hazard creature, you may only assign strikes
* to untapped characters.
* You may only assign one strike to each character.
* Any strikes you do not assign your opponent may assign to any characters
* who have not yet been assigned a strike.
* Any strikes remaining after that may be assigned as -1 modifiers by
* your opponent. More than one of these modifiers may be assigned to
* a single character.
*Q: When is it too late to cancel a strike or an attack?
*A: Once the strikes have been assigned it is too late to cancel the
* attack. Once the dice have been rolled it is too late to cancel
* the strike.
*Q: Are the side effects of losing a character dealt with before or
* after I finish resolving any other strikes?
*A: They are resolved immediately, before the other characters face
* their strikes.
Questions About Movement
------------------------
Q: How does starter movement work?
A: Each company will have a face up site card showing the site it is at.
This is called the site of origin. By the end of the organization
phase put a face down new site for each of your companies that wishes
to move. If a company's site of origin is a non-haven site (not
Rivendell, Lorien, Edhellond, or Grey Havens), the new site must
be the nearest haven. If the site of origin is a haven site there
are two options. If you want to go to another haven you may go
to one of the two nearest havens listed on your site of origin card,
the new site card would be one of these two havens. If you want to
go to a non-haven site it must be one which lists the site of origin
as the nearest haven. If the company successfully makes it to the
new site, discard the site of origin at the end of the movement/
hazard phase.
Q: Does a company have to move each turn?
A: No. Simply play no new site card for a company that does not wish
to move. This company is considered to be at its site of origin for
your entire turn. Thus, your opponent may only play hazard creatures
that are playable at the company's site. That is, hazard creatures
with symbols that matches the site's symbol.
Q: How does region movement work?
A: To move a company from its site of origin to another site using
region movement, lay down a series of up to four regions and the new
site by the end of your organization phase. Each region in the series
must list on its card the regions that are connected with it in the
series as adjacent regions. The region at the beginning of the series
must be the region listed on the site of origin card. The region at
the end of the series must be the region listed on the new site card.
A site which lies more than four regions away from the site of origin
may not be reached in one turn with region movement (without Bridge,
Shadowfax, etc.).
Q: Lebennin and Ithilien look adjacent on the map in the rulebook, but
they aren't listed as adjacent on the cards. Is this a mistake?
A: No. If a site is not listed as adjacent on the card, it is not
adjacent. In this case the Anduin River seperates the two regions.
Q: Why would I want to use region movement?
A: Region movement allows you to move from one non-haven site to another
non-haven site, which speeds up the game. It also allows greater
flexibility in movement. The only disadvantage is that an opponent
can play certain hazard creatures keyed to specific regions.
Q: Why don't the starter decks have region cards?
A: A priority in the design of the game was to insure the playability of
starter decks. Region cards would likely be mechanically useless
cards in a starter deck game.
*Q: How exactly is the site path determined?
*A: The site path is determined by the way you got to the site. If
* you used starter movement the site path is the path on the site
* card for moving to and from a haven, or the path on the haven
* card for moving from haven to haven. If you are using region
* movement the site path is made of the region types on the region
* card you played. The site path always include the site type of
* the site you move to.
Questions About Playing Hazards
-------------------------------
Q: Does the hazard limit change if a character is eliminated during
the movement/hazard phase.
A: No. The hazard limit is set at the begining of movement.
Q: Do permanent events count against the hazard limit?
A: Permanent events only count against the hazard limit when first
played, unless they tap. In that case they count twice: once when
played and once when tapped.
*Q: If my opponent has 2 companies when the first one moves can I
* play a hazard on the second one?
*A: No. Hazards may only be played on a company that is moving.
* Note that long and permanent events may affect both companies
* even if they are played "on" the first company.
*Q: Can an on guard card be triggered by one company and affect
* another?
*A: No.
*Q: If a card requires two wilderness in the site path do they need
* to be consecutive?
*A: No.
Questions About the Site Phase
------------------------------
*Q: The rules say you can play a minor item after successfully playing
* a resource at a site. Can you do this even if minor items are
* not playable at the site?
*A: Yes.
*Q: Once I get to a site how exactly do I go about exploring it?
*A: First declare that you are exploring the site. Then face the
* automatic attack. If you have an untapped character at the
* site play a card that is playable at that site. For most items
* and inormation cards it will say on the site card if you can play
* an item of that type (minor, major, greater, gold ring). For some
* items, factions, and allies it will say on the resource card if
* it is playable at that site. If the resource is successfully
* played and you still have an untapped character you may play
* a minor item. If after facing the automatic attack you have no
* untapped characters you must wait until next turn and face the
* automatic attack again.
*Q: Can I use a card that cancels an attack to cancel an automatic
* attack?
*A: Yes. This counts as facing the automatic attack.
Questions About Specific Cards
------------------------------
*Q: If Alatar uses his special ability to help a company, does he stay
* with that company?
*A: Yes, he does.
Q: If the Balrog of Moria is in play and Galadriel gets killed, what
happens in Lorien ?
A: Though it makes little sense, the "In addition" section is not used
because she is "out-of-play."
*Q: If I play the Balrog and then kill it do I get the MP's?
*A: No.
Q: Does Bane of the Ithil-stone stop me from drawing cards when
someone moves?
A: No. It will only cancel actions that literally cause a player
to search throught or look at any pertion of any play deck or
discard pile outside the sequence of normal play. It will
cancel Vilya, which allows Elrond's player to look through their
discard pile and put 5 cards into their play deck; and it will
cancel Lucky Search. Bane of the Ithil-stone will not stop an
effect which allows a player to bring cards from their sideboard
into their discard pile or play deck. Neither will it affect an
action which otherwise only causes a player to reshuffle their
play deck.
Q: If a character gets returned to your hand by Call of Home or Call
of the Sea, can you transfer all their items to other characters?
A: No, you may transfer one item. All other non-follower cards controlled
by the target character are discarded.
Q: Can I play a Cave Drake at a Ruins & Lairs without two Wilderness
In the site path?
A: Sure, go for it.
Q: If you cancel the Corpse-candle's attack does the company still
have to make the corruption checks?
A: No, they do not.
*Q: Can you use an Elven Cloak to cancel a hazard keyed to double
* wilderness?
*A: Yes.
Q: Does Doors of Night cancel resource environments played after the
Doors of Night are played?
A: No. Doors of Night only cancels resource environments that are in
play when the Doors of Night are played. The same goes for Gates
of Morning cancelling hazard environments.
*Q: Does the site have to be untapped in order to use the Dwarven Ring
* of Barin's Tribe?
*A: Yes.
Q: Does the character wounded by Escape have to be unwounded when the
Escape is played?
A: Yes. You cannot play Escape on a wounded character.
Q: If Doors of Night is in play does Eye of Sauron give +3 or +4 to
the prowess of each automatic attack?
A: Eye of Sauron will only give +3 to the prowes of each automatic
attack.
*Q: Do Dwarven Rings give Dwarves +7 influence, or an influence of 7?
*A: They give +7 to direct influence.
*Q: Whose body is refered to on Eowyn and many of the other female
* cards, hers or the Nazgul's?
*A: The Nazgul's.
*Q: Can I play more than one Fellowship on a company?
*A: Yes.
Q: If I stay at an untapped site during my movement and play a Foul
Fumes during my opponent's movement, does my site tap?
A: No. This is because the site path when you do not move consists
of only the site type.
Q: What happens to a Gold Ring card when I test it?
A: It is discarded, and you loose the Marshalling Point it gave you.
If you have the right ring (as indicated by the test roll) in your
hand you may play it immediately.
Q: Can Gollum and the One Ring ever be together at the same site?
A: Yes. The text on Gollum is an ability that you can choose to use,
not an effect that happens automatically.
Q: When Great Road is played does the opponent *have* to draw twice
the number of cards normally drawn?
A: No, they may choose to draw less. Consider Great Road to have errata
that changes "Opponent draws twice..." to "Opponent may draw up to
twice."
Q: Are there any other cards with errata?
A: Yes. The following cards all have errata:
Akhorahil: Change "...gives -1 penalty to one..." to "...gives a
+1 penalty to one..."
Dwarven Ring of Bavor's Tribe: one "reshuffle the play deck" is
sufficient.
Dwarven Ring of Druin's Tribe: one "reshuffle the play deck" is
sufficient.
Dwarven Ring of Thelor's Tribe: Values in parenthesis and brackets
apply to Dwarf bearer. The prowess/body modifications should read:
"+2(4)/+1."
Dwarven Ring of Thrar's Tribe: Values in parenthesis and brackets
apply to Dwarf bearer. The prowess/body modifications should read:
"+2(4)/+1."
Ent-draughts: Remove "as a minor item" and replace with "and only if
an ally or faction has been succesfully played at Wellinghall."
The Great Goblin: "Unique. Orc. One strike..."
Gwaihir: Should read "...you may discard Gwaihir during the
Organization phase to allow his company..."
Horses: Add "Playable only at the end of the Organization phase."
Morannon: Should read "This card is used as a Dark-hold (D) site
card in the region of Udun that is moved to..."
* Neeker Breekers: Add "Does not affect Wizards."
Roac the Raven: Remove "-no modifications to the influence check are
required." Replace with "-treat this influence check as though it were
made by a Diplomat."
Seige: Change the border-land symbol in the first line to a border-
hold symbol.
Shadowfax: "...an additional site card may be played and an additional
movement/hazard phase..."
Silent Watcher: Gives 1 marshalling point, not 0.
Slayer: Gives 2 marshalling point, not 0
Traitor: Remove the last paragraph.
Twilight: This card may be played at any time during any player's turn.
Wizard's Laughter: Change "Wizard only." to "Wizard only during
opponent's site phase."
Wolves: Change "Animals." to "Wolves."
Q: What do Great Ship, Leaflock, and Tom Bombadil mean when they say
"cancel the effects of one hazard?"
A: These cards allow the cancelling of an attack. They also allow the
cancelling of an ongoing hazard effect that targets the company in
question or any entity associated with that company (item, character,
site, etc.). They allow the cancelling of a dice-rolling action
declared earlier in the same chain of effects but not yet resolved
(as in Call of Home). They do not allow the cancelling of a non-
dice-rolling effect declared earlier in the same chain of effects.
For example, they do not allow you to stop "Tom" from forcing a
wounded player to discard their item if you passed on the opportunity
to cancel "Tom's" attack. However, once a chain of effects has
resolved Leaflock and the others allow the cancelling of an effect
of an effect that is ongoing. For example, Leaflock cound stop the
effect of River, but he could not keep Adunaphel from tapping a
character as a short-event.
*Q: If Doors of Night is in play, Long Winter only taps the sites belonging
* to the player whose turn it is, right?
*A: Wrong. *All* sites in play with two Wildernesses in their site path
* become tapped.
Q: Can I play Lucky Search at a tapped site?
A: Sure, go ahead. It can be played at a tapped or untapped site.
*Q: If I get a second resource with Lucky Search can I play a second
* minor item too?
*A: No.
Q: If I play a ring special item after testing a gold ring, will this
trigger a corruption check for Lure of Expedience?
A: Yes, it will trigger a corruption check.
*Q: If I tap a character to help another character with a Lure of the
* Sense's corruption check, do they then untap?
*A: No, they will not untap until next turn.
Q: What exactly does the "Only playable at Lorien" mean on Mirror of
Galadriel?
A: It means that Mirror of Galadriel is playable if any of your characters
is at Lorien.
Q: When do I have to declare using the Morgul-horse to bring a Nazgul
permanent-event back into my hand?
A: You must declare this during the same turn, but before, the target
Nazgul permanent-event is tapped.
Q: Do I have to discard my Morgul Night if Doors of Night is discarded?
A: No, Doors of Night is only required when Morgul Night comes into play.
Q: What happens to Nazgul events cancelled using Praise to Elbereth?
A: They are discarded and have no effect. Also note that when Praise
to Elbereth is played, you must declare which characters are tapping
to cancel which Nazgul events.
Q: What happens if I use the Palantir of Orthanc to get a site card from
my discard deck?
A: This is actually an invalid use of the card. You can't use it to
get site cards because they don't belong in your play deck.
Q: When does a wounded character recieve the corruption from the Pale
Sword?
A: Immediately following the Nazgul's attack. The same is true for
the Morgul-knife.
Q: Who chooses the character to make the corruption check when The
Precious is played?
A: The player playing The Precious chooses.
Q: If I tap Ren the Unclean on my opponent's turn, can I play resources
to modify the corruption checks of my characters?
A: No you may not. If you are playing standard rules your characters
can tap to give +1 to another character's check in the same company.
*Q: I can tap Saruman to use an un-aligned palantir, right?
*A: Right.
Q: Can Shadowfax carry allies?
A: No. To be elligible for Shadowfax's special ability the party can
contain no allies.
*Q: When does Siege go away?
*A: When all copies of the site it is played on are removed.
*Q: Can I tap the target of Slayer to cancel one of the attacks?
*A: No.
Q: Does Thorin II get a total +4 direct influece against Blue Mountain
Dwarves?
A: Yes, he does.
*Q: Can I play Tookish Blood on a character who just failed a
* corruption check?
*A: The discarding of the character happens immediately after the
* failed roll. There is no time for any effects to be used.
Q: Can I play Twilight on a card that has not resolved yet?
A: Yes, Twilight may target a card played earlier in the same chain of
effects.
Q: Can I play Twilight as a resource during my opponent's turn?
A: Yes. If you do so Twilight does not count against the hazard limit
for that company.
Questions About Timing
----------------------
*Q: When is the validity of an effect checked?
*A: Upon resolution.
Miscellaneous Questions
-----------------------
*Q: A hobbit is facing an automatic attack because he burgled a site.
* Can my other characters tap to aid him in facing the attack?
*A: Yes. Burgling hobbits must face the attack themselves, but
* can be aided by any other company members that can participate
* in the attack.
*Q: During the Free Council can I tap characters to give +1 to a
* corruption check?
*A: Yes, but note that the player calling the free council does not
* get an untap phase.
Questions About Support
-----------------------
Q: Is there an official netrep?
A: Yes. His name is Scott Frazer <sfr...@comet.net>. On AOL he goes
by MetWiNetRp.
Q: Is there a website?
A: Yes. The hurl is http://www.ironcrown.com.
Q: How do I get my questions answered?
A: Probably the best way is to post your question to the Usenet group
rec.games.trading-cards.misc, with "[METW]" in the subject. If you
are in no particular rush you can mail questions to Mike Reynolds
at met...@aol.com. It might be a few days before he can get to it.
Q: Is there going to be a player's guide published?
A: Yes. Expect the Companion to be published in mid to late February.
Q: Are there any expansion sets planned?
A: Yes. At this moment Iron Crown is hard at work on the first one,
Middle Earth: The Dragons.
Q: What about an Unlimited edition?
A: Look for the Unlimited edition in late March or early April.
Q: How many cards were printed in the Limited Edition?
A: Carta Mundi printed 45 million cards for the Limited Edition.
------
Craig "Ichabod" O'Brien
ich...@cstone.net
http://www.io.com/~ichabod
Michael
In article <ichabod-2201...@dialin19.cstone.net>
ich...@cstone.net "Ichabod" writes:
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Middle Earth: The Wizards Frequently Asked Questions File
> Number 4, current as of 1/21/96, What, me procrastinate? version
> Maintained by Craig "Ichabod" O'Brien <ich...@cstone.net>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *Q1: How exactly is the site path determined?
> *A: The site path is determined by the way you got to the site. If
> * you used starter movement the site path is the path on the site
> * card for moving to and from a haven, or the path on the haven
> * card for moving from haven to haven. If you are using region
> * movement the site path is made of the region types on the region
> * card you played. The site path always include the site type of
> * the site you move to.
> Q2: If I stay at an untapped site during my movement and play a Foul
> Fumes during my opponent's movement, does my site tap?
> A: No. This is because the site path when you do not move consists
> of only the site type.
>
> *Q3: If Doors of Night is in play, Long Winter only taps the sites belonging
> * to the player whose turn it is, right?
> *A: Wrong. *All* sites in play with two Wildernesses in their site path
> * become tapped.
So you need to remember how you got to the site in case Foul Fumes/Long
winter are played!
> Silent Watcher: Gives 1 marshalling point, not 0.
> Slayer: Gives 2 marshalling point, not 0
Thats a downer!! The most fun part of these two cards was that they
gave no marshalling points!!!!
"HA - Eat this enemy of the free people! You defeated it, well it wont
help you!"
/ Ne cede melia, Michael DISCLAMER: These opinions are my own and
>>>>*====The Dark Angel========- | may change without prior notice
\ mic...@biohazad.demon.co.uk QUOTE:
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill |Einstein:
An ye harm none, do what ye will. | God does not play dice with the universe
Lest in thy self defence it be. |Bohr: Albert, stop telling God what to do
P. Craig
mic...@biohazad.demon.co.uk wrote:
> >
> > *Q3: If Doors of Night is in play, Long Winter only taps the sites belonging
> > * to the player whose turn it is, right?
> > *A: Wrong. *All* sites in play with two Wildernesses in their site path
> > * become tapped.
>
> winter are played!
>
Kind of a subtle distinction (which I think Frazer helped explain to me)
is the difference between a SITE'S site path, and a COMPANY'S site path.
Cards that discuss a SITE'S site path usually reflect the general
"remoteness" (in the case of wilderness) of a site, and thus, its
susceptibility to things like Long Winter.
Cards that discuss a COMPANY'S site path, of course, refer to the route
you take and affect the encounters on the way (like a Cave Drake being
present only if you travel into a deep wilderness).
Ichabod
>>
>> *Q3: If Doors of Night is in play, Long Winter only taps the sites belonging
>> * to the player whose turn it is, right?
>> *A: Wrong. *All* sites in play with two Wildernesses in their site path
>> * become tapped.
>
>So you need to remember how you got to the site in case Foul Fumes/Long
>winter are played!
>
Not exactly. A site's site path is different from the company's site path.
The site's site path is what's on the site card, the company's is the way
they got their. Long Winter care's about the site's site path, not the
company's. This was not made clear to me when I made FAQ #4, and will be
made clear in a revised FAQ #4 that I start work on Monday. Also there
will be other clarifications and corrections.
Andreas Erben
>> *A: The site path is determined by the way you got to the site. If
>> * you used starter movement the site path is the path on the site
>> * card for moving to and from a haven, or the path on the haven
>> * card for moving from haven to haven. If you are using region
>> * movement the site path is made of the region types on the region
>> * card you played. The site path always include the site type of
>> * the site you move to.
>> Q2: If I stay at an untapped site during my movement and play a Foul
>> Fumes during my opponent's movement, does my site tap?
>> A: No. This is because the site path when you do not move consists
>> of only the site type.
>>
>> *Q3: If Doors of Night is in play, Long Winter only taps the sites belonging
>> * to the player whose turn it is, right?
>> *A: Wrong. *All* sites in play with two Wildernesses in their site path
>> * become tapped.
>So you need to remember how you got to the site in case Foul Fumes/Long
>winter are played!
There is a diference between the site path of a company and a site's
site path... the site path of the company is the path a company
actually takes to go to a site... the site path of a site is what is
printed on the site card.
Cheers,Andy