Dwarven Bracers (12U5)

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Durability (12C4)
Back to Black Rider Index
Dwarven Skill (12C6)

Dwarven Bracers (12U5) is a Dwarven Possession from the Black Rider set.

"They began to call him well-preserved, but unchanged would have been nearer the mark."
This card is a reprint of Dwarven Bracers (2U3) . Gameplay is identical to that card, whose strategy article is shown below.
Collection Info
Title Dwarven Bracers
Unique No
Collectible Yes
Set 12 - Black Rider
Rarity U - Uncommon
Card Number 5
Language EN - English
Revision 0
Gameplay Info
Playable Yes
Culture Dwarven
Side Free Peoples
Card Type Possession
Item Class Bracers
Twilight Cost 1
Strength +1
Game Text Bearer must be a Dwarf.

Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, discard this possession to prevent that wound.

Lore Dwarven-smiths forge bracers for fit and agility.
Translations
DE - German
Card Name Zwergenarmschienen
Game Text Muss auf einen Zwerg gespielt werden.

Reaktion: Wenn der Träger verwundet wird, kannst du diese Ausrüstung ablegen, um die Wunde zu verhindern.

Lore Zwergenschmiede fertigen Armschienen, die leicht und doch stark sind.
FR - French
IT - Italian


Technical Info
Wiki Base Card ID LOTR-EN12S005.0
TLHH ID LOTR12005
GEMP ID 12_5
LOTRO Hex ID 65 B0 71 0B
LOTRO Image ID 12_005


Strategy[edit]

Dwarven Bracers is a core card in possession-focused Dwarven decks because of its strength boost and life-saving Response ability. Even a relatively weak dwarf companion like Farin, Dwarven Emissary (1C11) reaches a respectable 9 strength with Dwarven Bracers, Hand Axe (2C10) and Dwarven Axe (1C9) , meaning a single Flurry of Blows (2C5) is often all it takes to win a skirmish with most minions. Should one of these beefed-up companions lose a skirmish, Dwarven Bracers gives the Free Peoples player an opportunity to trade strength for vitality in a pinch.

Because the strength bonus of Dwarven Bracers can itself prevent wounds, it's best to keep the +1 strength from the Bracers on a main combatant as long as possible, rather than immediately sacrificing the Bracers as soon as the bearer takes a wound. Always sacrifice the Bracers if the bearer is on their last wound, of course; they'll get discarded anyway if the bearer dies! However, if you have a copy of Dwarven Bracers in your hand or on a Dwarf character that is less likely to take a wound, then you can sacrifice your main combatant's Bracers to prevent a wound much earlier, because you can replace them in the next Fellowship phase, either from your hand or transferring them from a character in less danger. If you don't have another copy of Dwarven Bracers handy, expending them to prevent a wound is a calculated risk. Is it more useful to avoid a wound now, or will the strength bonus of Dwarven Bracers be necessary to prevent losing a skirmish before the next time you draw a copy or finish the game? There's no one right answer; it will always depend on the availability of healing, how desperate your position is, and how many copies of Dwarven Bracers you're playing. Bracers may be worth holding onto when there is healing around the corner, one point of strength is the difference between a win or a loss (for example, 10 strength defeats many of the Uruk-hai in Fellowship Block), another companion can take a wound without risk of dying, or an expendable companion is already nearing the end of their use. Otherwise, losing Bracers is often the least harmful outcome.

Its main weakness is that the benefit is split between two different effects. Wound prevention is a strong effect, and a small strength boost is always useful, but Dwarven Bracers will generally provide less healing than dedicated healing cards, and less strength than a weapon. It also makes your dwarfs more vulnerable to Gríma, Wormtongue (4R154) , in formats where he is included. As a possession, it can be also discarded by cards that target possessions, but it generally won't be an opponent's first choice unless they're about to finish off a companion that Dwarven Bracers is protecting.

The exact number of copies to include in your deck depends on how many Dwarfs you have and what the primary use is. The more bearers you have and the more need to protect Dwarfs from wounds, the more useful they are. A small deck that uses Gimli, Son of Gloin (1R13) as a throwaway defender might want only want one copy, while a deck focused on multiple Dwarf companions could go up to four without much trouble. It's generally considered more useful than the similar Endurance of Dwarves (2U4) . While Dwarven Bracers have a weaker effect than the Dwarven rings from Reflections (particularly Ring of Fury (9R+7) and Ring of Retribution (9R9) ), there's generally little reason you can't play both, as long as you play only two cards per Dwarf to avoid Wormtongue or protect them with a strategy like Slaked Thirsts (7U14) /Preparations (7R12) .

Strengths and Weaknesses[edit]

Synergizes With...[edit]

Strong Versus...[edit]

Weak Versus...[edit]

Rulings[edit]

The response action of this card will not "stack" with the passive text of Gimli's Helm (1R15) to prevent all wounds from a source dealing two or more wounds. Dwarven Bracers will prevent the first, meaning a wound was never taken for Gimli's Helm to prevent any subsequent wounds.

If something happens to prevent one effect which in turn would have prevented a second effect, the second effect is performed.

Example: Morgul Destroyer (7U190) is played. ("When you play this minion, you may spot a Nazgûl to add 2 threats. The Free Peoples player may wound the Ring-bearer to prevent this.") The Free People player wounds the Ring-bearer to prevent the threats from being added. The Free Peoples player then discards Sapling of the White Tree (9R35) . (Response: If a Gondor Man is about to take a wound, discard this artifact to prevent that.) Because Sapling has prevented the effect (a wound) that would have prevented Morgul Destroyer's effect, the threats are now added.

Alternate Versions[edit]

Portrait Name Game Text
Dwarven Bracers (12U5) Bearer must be a Dwarf.

Response: If bearer is about to take a wound, discard this possession to prevent that wound. ​