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__NOTOC__ {{NavBar|Black Rider|[[Main Page]]|[[Shadows]]|[[Bloodlines]]}} {{SetTabs}} '''Black Rider''' is the first expansion set in the [[War of the Ring Block]] and the twelfth set overall. It was released on March 18, 2005. The set contained 194 cards (60 commons, 60 uncommons, 60 rares, and 14 starter deck-only cards); five rares and one starter deck-only card from the set had [[Tengwar]] versions produced. As with the previous set, [[Shadows]], only a small number of cards had a foil version printed. Eighteen rares had a foil [[Legends]] version with rarity symbol RF; these cards replaced the non-foil rare in one out of every nine packs. New in Black Rider, nine rares had an alternate-frame foil [[Legends Masterworks]] version printed with a ring used as the rarity symbol (usually represented by an O in text). Legends Masterworks cards replaced the non-foil rare in one out of every 35 packs, meaning that some type of foil appeared at the same rate as in Shadows (approximately 1 in 7 packs).<ref>Decipher's Black Rider press release: [http://web.archive.org/web/20050205055957/http://www.decipher.com:80/content/2005/01/011105lotrblackrider.html]</ref> With the release of Black Rider, sets rotated out of the [[Standard]] format for the first time. In order to keep Standard to a manageable card pool, all three [[Fellowship Block]] sets were removed from standard. For this reason, Black Rider contained reprints of a number of Fellowship Block cards that Decipher wanted to remain available in the format. ==Themes and Mechanics== Black Rider did not introduce any new themes or mechanics, but built on the material introduced in [[Shadows]]. That included the loaded keywords ([[Lurker]], [[Muster]], and [[Toil]]), the new companion attribute of [[resistance]], and the increased focus on [[site]] keywords and [[site manipulation]]. ===Cultures=== Black Rider continued the same cultures as Shadows, although it included four cameo cards from the Movie-era shadow cultures: one card from {{C|Isengard}}, two from {{C|Moria}}, and one from {{C|Sauron}}. Black Rider marked the second time that a character appeared in a different culture than its original printing (the first was {{Card|Saruman, Rabble-rouser}} in [[The Two Towers]]). Five unique minions appeared in new cultures: * {{Card|Castamir of Umbar, Corsair Vandal}} originally appeared in {{C|Raider}} * {{Card|Grima, Betrayer of Rohan}} originally appeared in {{C|Isengard}} * {{Card|Cave Troll of Moria, Savage Menace}} originally appeared in {{C|Moria}} * {{Card|Troll's Keyward, Keeper of the Beast}} originally appeared in {{C|Moria}} * {{Card|Saruman, Agent of the Dark Lord}} originally appeared in {{C|Isengard}} Adding to the flexibility of cultures, two characters appeared in multiple cultures within Black Rider itself: Saruman appeared in both {{C|Isengard}} and {{C|Uruk-hai}}, while the Mouth of Sauron appeared in both {{C|Men}} and {{C|Sauron}}. Interestingly, these characters were also the face cards of the two starter decks. As the set name suggests, Black Rider had a slight focus on the {{C|Wraith}} culture, with all nine [[Nazgul]] getting a version. In addition, the first non-unique [[Nazgul]] minion was printed, {{Card|Black Rider}}. This is the only card in the game to share a name with a set. ==Starter Decks== Black Rider was the only set where the face card for both starter decks were minions: {{Card|The Mouth of Sauron, Messenger of Mordor}} and {{Card|Saruman, Agent of the Dark Lord}}. Only one previous starter deck had a shadow card as a face card ({{Card|The Witch-King, Deathless Lord}} in [[Ents of Fangorn]]), and it would only happen once more in a future set ({{Card|Mauhur, Relentless Hunter}} in [[The Hunters]]). The starter decks in [[Rise of Saruman]] were both named after their shadow side, but were not named after a particular face card. Continuing the pattern from [[Shadows]], many of the cards in starter packs did not appear in boosters and could only be obtained by buying a starter pack; these cards were all given the rarity symbol S. * [[Starter_Decks/WOTR_Block#BR_The_Mouth_of_Sauron_Starter_Deck|The Mouth of Sauron Starter Deck]]: {{C|Rohan}} / {{C|Men}} * [[Starter_Decks/WOTR_Block#BR_Saruman_Starter_Deck|Saruman Starter Deck]]: {{C|Shire}} / {{C|Uruk-hai}} ==Cycles== {| class="wikitable" |- !colspan="7" | Free Peoples Cycles |- !Cycle Name ! {{C|Dwarven}} ! {{C|Elven}} ! {{C|Gandalf}} ! {{C|Gondor}} ! {{C|Rohan}} ! {{C|Shire}} |- |rowspan="2" | "Each of the following" conditions | {{Card|His Father's Charge}} | N/A | N/A | {{Card|Tireless}} | {{Card|Cleaving a Path}} | N/A |- |colspan="6" | Conditions that discard to increase a characters strength by "+1 for each of the following that is true:" |- |rowspan="2" | Location-punishing cards | {{Card|Stalwart Support}} | {{Card|Taking the High Ground}} | {{Card|Gandalf's Hat}} | {{Card|Gondorian Steed}} | {{Card|Coif}} | N/A |- |colspan="6" | Conditions and possessions that have a penalty if the followship moves from a site with a keyword that is not aligned with the culture. |} {| class="wikitable" |- !colspan="5" | Shadow Cycles |- !Cycle Name ! {{C|Men}} ! {{C|Orc}} ! {{C|Uruk-hai}} ! {{C|Wraith}} |- |rowspan="2" | 6-companion conditions | {{Card|Hemmed In}} | {{Card|Great Cost}} | {{Card|Shingle in a Storm}} | {{Card|Unending Life}} |- |colspan="4" | Conditions with one ability that spots 6 companions, and a second ability with "discard this condition" as a cost. |- |rowspan="2" | Common hand weapon | {{Card|War Trident}} | {{Card|Orc Spear}} | {{Card|Weapon of Opportunity}} | {{Card|Nazgul Blade}} |- |colspan="4" | Common hand weapons with a cost of 1 twilight. |- |rowspan="2" | Location-locked minions | {{Card|Wrathful Hillman}} | {{Card|Orc Dreg}} | {{Card|Uruk Common}} | N/A |- |colspan="4" | Minions that are discarded when assigned to skirmish unless they are at a site with a keyword their culture likes, or unless the shadow player pays 2. |- |rowspan="2" | Uncommon toil event | {{Card|Gathering Strength}} | {{Card|Storming the Ramparts}} | {{Card|Broken Heirloom}} | {{Card|Minas Morgul Answers}} |- |colspan="4" | Uncommons event with the [[toil]] keyword. |} ==Reprinted Cards== * {{Card|12U5}} (previously 2U3) * {{Card|12U11}} (previously 1R23) * {{Card|12R19}} (previously 3R21) * {{Card|12U25}} (previously 3R29) * {{Card|12C31}} (previously 1C78) * {{Card|12U43}} (previously 3P122) * {{Card|12C46}} (previously 1C103) * {{Card|12R127}} (previously 1R307) * {{Card|12R128}} (previously 2R112) * {{Card|12U165}} (previously 1R214) ==Similar Sites== With the introduction of the redesigned site path in [[Shadows]], Decipher began reprinting a number of sites from previous sets with modifications to fit the new site path. They generally kept their original name and abilities, but no longer had a site number, and had a lower twilight cost to account for the twilight added by the [[region]]. If the site had been a [[sanctuary]], that keyword was removed, since the sanctuary keyword was now granted automatically to any site played in position 3 or 6. Some sites had additional changes, which are noted below. * {{Card|12U186}} (previously 1C349) - Added the battleground keyword, removed the search ability, and adjusted the cost reduction to -3 instead of -6. * {{Card|12S187}} (previously 1U360) - Added the mountain keyword, and gave the maneuver ability a cost of 2 and a restriction to only affect minions that are not already fierce (presumably to prevent players from repeatedly exerting an [[Enduring]] minion). * {{Card|12U191}} (previously 1U359) - Restricted the ability to only spot {{C|Orc}} Orcs instead of Orcs from any culture. ==Notable Cards== * {{Card|Saruman, Of Many Colours}} * {{Card|The Mouth of Sauron, Messenger of Mordor}} * {{Card|The Balrog, The Terror of Khazad-dum}} * {{Card|Whip of Many Thongs, Weapon of Flame and Shadow}} * {{Card|The Mouth of Sauron, Lieutenant of Barad-dur}} * {{Card|Saruman, Agent of the Dark Lord}} * {{Card|Black Rider}} * {{Card|The Witch-King, Black Lord}} * {{Card|The Witch-King's Beast, Fell Creature}} ---- {{Set Table}} ----