[METW] FAQ #6
Ichabod
Middle Earth: The Wizards Frequently Asked Questions File
Number 6, current as of 2/20/96, Absent Minded Nazgul version
Maintained by Craig "Ichabod" O'Brien <ich...@cstone.net>
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Especially new and/or changed information is marked with *'s.
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.
Q: Do duplicated starting character that go back in the deck count towards
the 10 character play deck limit?
A: No.
Q: Can more than one of the same non-weapon item be played on a character?
A: Yes
Q: Does tapping a character tap their equipment also?
A: No.
Q: Does a spell tap a wizard?
A: Only if it says so on the card.
*Q: When do Hobbits count as half characters?
*A: Only for determining company size. Fellowship and the beginning of the
* game consider them as whole characters.
*Q: Can I play a character if I don't have enough general influence to
* control them?
*A: Yes, as long as you have enough general and direct influence to control
* all of your characters at the end of the organization phase. Note that
* you cannot play a character and remove a character in the same
* organization phase. If you play a character and cannot control
* them by the end of the phase, the just played character must be
* returned to your hand.
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 fails, a body check must also be made (unless the
attack has no body, i.e., a dash). Every strike must fail and its body
must be defeated in order to get MPs for the creature.
Q: In what order are permanent bonuses applied?
A: The prowess bonuses from weapons are applied first (and thus any prowess
maximum is only considered at this point). Any other bonuses from
permanents are applied in the order the player controling the characters
chooses.
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 to the
character's prowess 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: Does cancelling a strike or attack defeat it?
A: No.
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.
Q: Is any other site path ever considered besides the route a company
takes when travelling?
A: Yes. For three cards in particular, Dragon's Desolation, Foul Fumes,
and Long Winter, the site path listed with the site card itself must
be considered, not the company's site path. For example, a company is
at a site and chooses not to move. If the opponent plays Foul Fumes
and Doors of Night, the site must tap if its site card contains a
shadow-land symbol or dark-domain symbol. This site path is referred
to as the site's site path, not the company's site path.
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: Rarely. Only in the case of a hazard long- or permanent-events like
Awaken Denizens which affects the automatic-attack at each ruins & lairs.
An on-guard card that is legally revealed against a company during
the site phase is not inherently restricted to affect only that company.
*Q: If you play a creature as an on-guard hazard, can you reveal it after
* the automatic attack is faced?
*A: No. If it is not revealed before the automatic attack is resolved it
* will go back to your hand at the site phase.
Q: If a card requires two wilderness in the site path do they need
to be consecutive?
A: No.
Q: Can a creature hazard be placed on-guard at a site without an automatic
attack, and if so when do you reveal it?
A: You can, and you reveal it when the company plays a card keyed to the
site. They cannot actually play the card until the on-guard hazard
is dealt with.
Q: Does cancelling a strike or attack defeat it?
A: No.
Questions About the Site Phase
------------------------------
Q: The rules say you can play a minor item after successfully playing
a item, ally, faction, or information 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.
Q: Do Havens ever tap, and if so are they discarded?
A: Yes Havens can tap. However, even tapped Havens go back into your
location deck.
Q: Is an automatic attack considered a hazard?
A: No.
*Q: Does the site tap if I fail my roll to play a faction?
*A: No. The site on taps if the resource card is played successfully.
*Q: When exactly can I play a minor item after playing another item?
*A: Only if the first item is played as part of the normal sequence for
* playing items in the site phase.
Questions about Smartass Internet Related ICE Guys
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Q:
A:
Questions About Specific Cards
------------------------------
*Q: How do you treat a character who is discarded due to an Abductor?
*A: Treat them as if the character had been killed in combat, except
* they are not removed from play. Therefore one item can be transfered
* to an unwounded character in the party.
Q: If Alatar uses his special ability to help a company, does he stay
with that company?
A: Yes, he does.
Q: Can Alatar make someone draw 0 cards, even though the rules say
you must draw at least 1?
A: Yes, Alatar can force a zero-card draw.
*Q: Can an Aligned Palantir be stored?
*A: Yes.
Q: If the Balrog of Moria is in play and Galadriel gets killed, what
happens in Lorien ?
A: The "In addition" section is not used because she is "out-of-play."
The ring of Galadriel (Nenya) and her spirit are assumed to inhabit
Lorien if she dies.
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: 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. Neither card can be
* played after strikes from an attack have been assigned, if the card
* would cause the number of strikes from the attack to change.
Q: Do I have to store Dreams of Lore to get the MPs?
A: No.
Q: Does the site have to be untapped in order to use the Dwarven Ring
of Barin's Tribe?
A: Yes.
Q: Do Dwarven Rings give Dwarves +7 influence, or an influence of 7?
A: They give +7 to direct influence.
Q: Can you use an Elven Cloak to cancel a hazard keyed to double
wilderness?
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: Can I play the Evenstar if there are no Wilderness or Border-lands
* in play?
*A: Yes. The additional effect of the Evenstar if Gates of Morning is
* in play is optional.
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 prowess of each automatic
attack.
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: Yes. The site path to consider for the second paragraph of Foul Fumes
is the one listed on the site card, not the company's site path.
Q: Does Gandalf have to be in the same company as the ring he tests?
A: Yes.
*Q: When can you use Goldberry's special ability?
*A: You can tap Goldbery to cancel an effect declared earlier in the
* same chain of effects that would return her company to its site
* of origin.
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 "...modifies
any one character's body by -1 for the rest of the turn."
* Army of the Dead: Add "May not be influenced by an opponent."
* Bill the Pony: The prowess of this ally should be 10, not 6.
* Book of Mazarbul: Replace "...tap the bearer during your organization
* phase..." with "tap Book of Mazarbul during you organization phase..."
* Corsairs of Umbar: Add "May also be played at any site in Elven
* Shores, Eriadoran Coast, Andrast Coast, Bay of Belfalas, or
* Mouths of the Anduin."
* Cracks of Doom: Remove "Otherwise, discard The One Ring and its bearer."
* Dodge: Replace "...his body check is modified by -1." with "...his
* body is modified by -1 for the resulting body check."
* Drowning Seas: Remove "Cannot be duplicated."
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 "in addition
* to an ally or faction has been succesfully played at Wellinghall."
Giant: Add "Giant."
The Great Goblin: "Unique. Orc. One strike..."
* Great-road: Replace "Opponent draws twice..." with "Opponent may
* draw up to twice..."
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."
* Huorn: Add "Awakened Plant."
* Lucky Search: Replace "Discard all revealed cards except the item."
* with "Reshuffle all revealed cards except the item back into the
* play deck."
* Lure of Nature: Replace "...at the end of each movement/hazard
* phase..." with "...after all other hazards have been played..."
Morannon: Should read "This card is used as a Dark-hold (D) site
card in the region of Udun that is moved to..."
* Mouth of Sauron: Add "Man."
Neeker Breekers: Add "Does not affect Wizards."
* Old Man Willow: Add "Awakened Plant."
* Pukel-men: Add "Pukel-creature."
* Quiet lands: Replace "...is reduced to half its original number (rounded
* up)." with "...is reduced by half (rounded up)."
* Ringlore: Add "Playable only during the site phase. Tap the sage and
* the site."
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. Add "Pukel-creature."
* Slayer: Gives 2 marshalling point, not 0. Add "Slayer."
Tookish Blood: This card may be played at any time during any turn.
* Traitor: Replace the last paragraph with "This card is discarded
* when a character fails his corruption check."
Twilight: This card may be played at any time during any player's turn.
* Use Palantir: Change text to "Sage only. Tap sage to enable him to
* use one Palantir he bears for the rest of the turn."
Wizard's Laughter: Change "Wizard only." to "Wizard only during
opponent's site phase."
* Wizard's Ring: Replace "Ignore any effect that would discard this item"
* with "Cannot be stored, stolen, or transfered."
* The White Tree: Add "Discard the Sapling of the White Tree."
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 an effect declared earlier
in the same chain of effects.
*Q: If I am at a site where healing cards affect all characters at the
* site and I play Halfling Strength, is everyone healed?
*A: Yes.
*Q: Can Healing Herbs be used to heal a wounded character before the body
* check, and thus avoid the body check?
*A: The character will heal, but the body check is unavoidable.
Q: Do the cards you have to discard when Khamul the Easterling taps come
from your hand, from in play, or both?
A: From your hand only.
Q: Is the number of cards discarded determined when Khamul is declared
or when he is resolved?
A: When he is declared.
*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 the site path
* given on the card 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: When the scout faces the attack for Lucky Search are they tapped
and do they have the item?
A: They are tapped and they do have the item.
*Q: What if the item revealed by Lucky Search is Unique and already in
* play?
*A: Keep turning over cards. Not that if the final card in the deck is
* revealed the deck is not considered to be exhausted.
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: Will Lure of Expedience trigger if I transfer an item from one character
to another?
A: Yes, it will.
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 immediately after declaring the Nazgul
permanent-event is tapping, before the Nazgul resolves and goes to
the discard pile.
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: Can Muster be played when influencing an opponent's faction?
A: Yes.
*Q: Can I use the Nazgul are Abroad to bring back a Nazgul that I played
* as a creature?
*A: Yes, the cards do not remember how they were played. You can also
* play a Nazgul you get back with the Nazgul are Abroad as a creature.
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: If you are moving with the Palantir of Amon Sul or the Palantir
* of Osgiliath and the company size goes below the required number,
* do you have to discard the Palantir?
*A: Yes.
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: Can the One Ring be used more than once in a turn?
A: As long as all the corruption checks are made, yes.
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: What exactly happens when I play Sacrifice of Form?
A: Remove your Wizard from play and place all of his items on the Sacrifice
of Form card. If your opponent plays the same Wizard they do not get
the items on the Sacrifice of Form. Note that it is legal to sac one
Wizard and then play a different one.
Q: I can tap Saruman to use an un-aligned palantir, right?
A: Right.
*Q: What happens if it turns out someone played a Secret Entrance while
* the company had a face down card that was a Dark-domain?
*A: The effects of the card would be cancelled and the sage would remain
* tapped. Note that long events that were in play at the end of the
* organization phase would have to be considered when determining this.
Q: Can Shadowfax carry allies?
A: No. To be elligible for Shadowfax's special ability the party can
contain no allies.(except Shadowfax himself).
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: Yes.
*Q: Can I tap two characters to cancel both of the Slayer's attacks?
*A: No. Only one attack can be canceled.
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 Tom Bombadil cancel the effects of a Long Winter?
*A: No, because the effect is not targeted.
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.
*Q: If the White Tree is in play and I leave Minas Tirith while it is tapped,
* what happens to the cards?
*A: Minas Tirith is discarded and the White Tree remains in play.
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: No.
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.
Q: Does "a character in the same/his/her company" include the character
the card is refering to?
A: Yes.
Q: If something requires me to tap a card can I do it when that card is
already tapped?
A: No.
Q: Can an ally carry weapons?
A: No.
*Q: Can an ally tap to support a character in combat or to cancel an
* attack with an Assassin or Slayer?
*A: Yes and Yes.
Q: If I'm using the optional rule that allows a character to tap to take
two strikes, and the first strike kills the character, what happens
to the second strike?
A: It is considered successful.
Q: What is the modifier for a character tapping to face two strikes?
A: Each strike is at -3, with the character tapping when they face the
second one.
Q: Do characters with 0 corruption points ever have to make corruption
checks?
A: Yes, and if the modifier to the roll is bad enough they might fail.
*Q: During the Free Council do long and permanent events still in play
* still have an effect?
*A: Yes.
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: The Companion is already out. There is an Adventurers Guide that
* is still in production.
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.
*Q: Is there any way to get the promotional cards without buying the
* magazines?
*A: Sure. Send a SASE to ICE with a letter requesting the promo cards
* and they will send them back to you.
------
Craig "Ichabod" O'Brien The opinions above ARE the
ich...@cstone.net opinions of the Game Cave.
http://www.cstone.net/~ichabod