Saruman's Snows does not necessarily interact directly with any of the new rules in Shadows. We have witnessed over the years, however, that it is a figurative mallet where a scalpel is called for. Denying an opponent a resource or opportunity he was counting on is of course what the game is all about. A missed chance to heal here, a lost special ability there; in the right quantities, these are the things meant to decide games. But Saruman's Snows is a card able to cut off an entire phase of the game – neither skirmish special abilities nor events can slip by it. Consequently, it’s a constant impediment to new card design. In a way, it doesn’t matter how interesting or impactful a new card we release is – if it happens in the skirmish phase, there’s a frequently used card out there that can shut it off. You may well see aspects of this card reappearing in the future, but not all together in a gift-wrapped single package like this.
Saruman's Snows does not necessarily interact directly with any of the new rules in Shadows. We have witnessed over the years, however, that it is a figurative mallet where a scalpel is called for. Denying an opponent a resource or opportunity he was counting on is of course what the game is all about. A missed chance to heal here, a lost special ability there; in the right quantities, these are the things meant to decide games. But Saruman's Snows is a card able to cut off an entire phase of the game – neither skirmish special abilities nor events can slip by it. Consequently, it’s a constant impediment to new card design. In a way, it doesn’t matter how interesting or impactful a new card we release is – if it happens in the skirmish phase, there’s a frequently used card out there that can shut it off. You may well see aspects of this card reappearing in the future, but not all together in a gift-wrapped single package like this.
This page defines the card data as used on the main Data:Saruman's Snows (1C138) article. Only edit the information on this page if there is an obvious typo or if you otherwise know what you're doing.
ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
ReprintBaseID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Title
Saruman's Snows
Subtitle
Set Number
1
Subset
S
SetOrder
138
Rarity
C
Card Number
138
Revision
0
CollInfo
1C138
GEMP_ID
1_138
LOTRO Hex ID
4A 2C F4
LOTRO Image #
01_138
TLHH Image #
LOTR01138
mLOTRO_ID
Culture
Isengard
Side
Shadow
Card Type
Condition
Was Physically Printed
yes
Is An Actual Playable Card
yes
SearchTerms
Notes
Lists: EXL. Game text is a clarification.
ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Base Card ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Subset
S
Revision
0
ReleaseDate
ReleaseNotes
Image Filename
LOTR-EN01S138.0_card.jpg
Portrait Filename
LOTR-EN01S138.0_portrait.jpg
Language Code
EN
IsPhysical
yes
IsPlayable
yes
CollInfo
Is Unique
no
Title
Saruman's Snows
Subtitle
Subtypes
Twilight Cost
2
Strength
Strength Modifier
Vitality
Vitality Modifier
Site Number
Site Number Modifier
Resistance
Resistance Modifier
CanBearRing
Signet
Block
Shadow Number
Arrow Direction
Game Text
Spell. Weather. To play, exert a [ISENGARD] minion. Plays on a site. No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Tagged Game Text
<keyword>Spell.</keyword> <keyword>Weather.</keyword> To play, exert a <symbol>isengard</symbol> minion. Plays on a site. No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Formatted Game Text
Spell.Weather. To play, exert a minion. Plays on a site.
No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Lore
Saruman's spells can hinder even the wary.
Promo Text
Notes
ID
LOTR-EN01S138.1
Base Card ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Subset
S
Revision
1
ReleaseDate
ReleaseNotes
Snows is a card that sits at the center of a small cluster of instant-kill strategies: put down Isengard Warrior (3U61) and another Isenorc, play Snows, and then 4-5 other minions: boom, instant overwhelmed Frodo. No archery abilities can be used to thin the herd of minions, and all the ways you might keep Frodo alive (Power According to His Stature (1R308), Hobbit Stealth (1C298), Boromir, Son of Denethor (1U97), Merry, Friend to Sam (1R302)) can’t be used. The only defenses available are cards that trigger during the Maneuver phase, because all other phases have been systematically denied you.
Snows is also powerful within more general strategies that aren’t attempting a Stupid Swarm insta-kill, but it’s the straightforward power of the insta-kill that really needs addressed.
Thus, our errata addresses that specific use case without touching any others. Stupid Swarm relies on having a variety of cheap minions (mostly Moria), with a limited number of Isengard Orcs in the mix. By making Snows only apply to those Isenorcs, it should be possible for the Free Peoples player to assign those few that remain away from the Ring-bearer, leaving Frodo available to use any of the tools in his toolbox to avoid a gristly death.
Image Filename
LOTR-EN01S138.1_card.jpg
Portrait Filename
Language Code
EN
IsPhysical
IsPlayable
CollInfo
Is Unique
no
Title
Subtitle
Subtypes
Twilight Cost
Strength
Strength Modifier
Vitality
Vitality Modifier
Site Number
Site Number Modifier
Resistance
Resistance Modifier
CanBearRing
Signet
Block
Shadow Number
Arrow Direction
Game Text
Spell. Weather. To play, exert a [ISENGARD] minion. Plays on a site. No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities during skirmishes at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Tagged Game Text
<keyword>Spell.</keyword> <keyword>Weather.</keyword> To play, exert a <symbol>isengard</symbol> minion. Plays on a site. No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities during skirmishes at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Formatted Game Text
Spell.Weather. To play, exert a minion. Plays on a site.
No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities during skirmishes at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Lore
Promo Text
Notes
Decipher Notes:
This card had perhaps a slower rise to power than some, but before long players knew this was one of the most effective conditions in the game. Its impact was so deep, more than one top-level tournament deck has been seen stocking multiple copies of Boromir's Cloak (1U98) exclusively to deal with it. For a “swarm” style of Shadow strategy, quite potent enough on its own, Saruman's Snows ensures the Ring-bearer will be overwhelmed.
Saruman's Snows does not necessarily interact directly with any of the new rules in Shadows. We have witnessed over the years, however, that it is a figurative mallet where a scalpel is called for. Denying an opponent a resource or opportunity he was counting on is of course what the game is all about. A missed chance to heal here, a lost special ability there; in the right quantities, these are the things meant to decide games. But Saruman's Snows is a card able to cut off an entire phase of the game – neither skirmish special abilities nor events can slip by it. Consequently, it’s a constant impediment to new card design. In a way, it doesn’t matter how interesting or impactful a new card we release is – if it happens in the skirmish phase, there’s a frequently used card out there that can shut it off. You may well see aspects of this card reappearing in the future, but not all together in a gift-wrapped single package like this.
ID
LOTR-EN01E138.2
Base Card ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Subset
E
Revision
2
ReleaseDate
2021-03-28
ReleaseNotes
Image Filename
LOTR-EN01E138.2_card.jpg
Portrait Filename
Language Code
EN
IsPhysical
IsPlayable
CollInfo
Is Unique
no
Title
Subtitle
Subtypes
Twilight Cost
Strength
Strength Modifier
Vitality
Vitality Modifier
Site Number
Site Number Modifier
Resistance
Resistance Modifier
CanBearRing
Signet
Block
Shadow Number
Arrow Direction
Game Text
Spell. Weather. To play, exert a [ISENGARD] minion. Plays on a site. No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities during skirmishes involving an [ISENGARD] minion at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Tagged Game Text
<keyword>Spell.</keyword> <keyword>Weather.</keyword> To play, exert a <symbol>isengard</symbol> minion. Plays on a site. No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities during skirmishes involving an <symbol>isengard</symbol> minion at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Formatted Game Text
Spell.Weather. To play, exert a minion. Plays on a site.
No player may play skirmish events or use skirmish special abilities during skirmishes involving an minion at this site. Discard this condition at the end of the turn.
Lore
Promo Text
Notes
ID
LOTR-DE01S138.0
Base Card ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Subset
S
Revision
0
ReleaseDate
ReleaseNotes
Image Filename
LOTR-DE01S138.0_card.jpg
Portrait Filename
Language Code
DE
IsPhysical
IsPlayable
CollInfo
Is Unique
Title
Sarumans Schnee
Subtitle
Subtypes
Twilight Cost
Strength
Strength Modifier
Vitality
Vitality Modifier
Site Number
Site Number Modifier
Resistance
Resistance Modifier
CanBearRing
Signet
Block
Shadow Number
Arrow Direction
Game Text
Tagged Game Text
<keyword>Zauberspruch.</keyword> <keyword>Wetter.</keyword> Strenge einen <symbol>isengard</symbol> Diener an, um diese Karte an einen Ort zu spielen. Kein Spieler darf Kampfereignisse oder spezielle Kampffähig-keiten an diesem Ort benutzen. Dieser Effekt wird am Ende des Spielzuges abgelegt.
Formatted Game Text
Zauberspruch.Wetter.
Strenge einen Diener an, um diese Karte an einen Ort zu spielen. Kein Spieler darf Kampfereignisse oder spezielle Kampffähig-keiten an diesem Ort benutzen. Dieser Effekt wird am Ende des Spielzuges abgelegt.
Lore
Sarumans Zauberkraft kann selbst den Vorsichtigsten behindern.
Promo Text
Notes
ID
LOTR-FR01S138.0
Base Card ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Subset
S
Revision
0
ReleaseDate
ReleaseNotes
Image Filename
LOTR-FR01S138.0_card.jpg
Portrait Filename
Language Code
FR
IsPhysical
IsPlayable
CollInfo
Is Unique
Title
Les Neiges de Saroumane
Subtitle
Subtypes
Twilight Cost
Strength
Strength Modifier
Vitality
Vitality Modifier
Site Number
Site Number Modifier
Resistance
Resistance Modifier
CanBearRing
Signet
Block
Shadow Number
Arrow Direction
Game Text
Tagged Game Text
<keyword>Sort.</keyword> <keyword>Climat.</keyword> Pour jouer, affaiblissez un séide <symbol>isengard</symbol>. Jouable sur un site. Aucun joueur ne peut jouer des événements de combat ou utiliser des capacités spéciales de combat durant les combats à ce site. Défaussez cette situation à la fin du tour.
Formatted Game Text
Sort.Climat.
Pour jouer, affaiblissez un séide . Jouable sur un site. Aucun joueur ne peut jouer des événements de combat ou utiliser des capacités spéciales de combat durant les combats à ce site. Défaussez cette situation à la fin du tour.
Lore
Les sorts de Saroumane peuvent même faire obstacle à celui qui en est avisé.
Promo Text
Notes
ID
LOTR-IT01S138.0
Base Card ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Subset
S
Revision
0
ReleaseDate
ReleaseNotes
Image Filename
LOTR-IT01S138.0_card.jpg
Portrait Filename
Language Code
IT
IsPhysical
IsPlayable
CollInfo
Is Unique
Title
Nevi di Saruman
Subtitle
Subtypes
Twilight Cost
Strength
Strength Modifier
Vitality
Vitality Modifier
Site Number
Site Number Modifier
Resistance
Resistance Modifier
CanBearRing
Signet
Block
Shadow Number
Arrow Direction
Game Text
Tagged Game Text
<keyword>Magia.</keyword> <keyword>Atmosferica.</keyword> Per giocare, sforza un servitore <symbol>isengard</symbol>. Giocala su un sito. Nessun giocatore può giocare eventi Schermaglia o usare abilità speciali Schermaglia durante le schermaglie in questo sito. Scarta questa condizione alla fine del turno.
Formatted Game Text
Magia.Atmosferica.
Per giocare, sforza un servitore . Giocala su un sito. Nessun giocatore può giocare eventi Schermaglia o usare abilità speciali Schermaglia durante le schermaglie in questo sito. Scarta questa condizione alla fine del turno.
Lore
Gli incantesimi di Saruman possono ostacolare anche chi è cauto.
Promo Text
Notes
ID
LOTR-ES01S138.0
Base Card ID
LOTR-EN01S138.0
Subset
S
Revision
0
ReleaseDate
ReleaseNotes
Image Filename
LOTR-ES01S138.0_card.jpg
Portrait Filename
Language Code
ES
IsPhysical
IsPlayable
CollInfo
Is Unique
Title
Las Nieves de Saruman
Subtitle
Subtypes
Twilight Cost
Strength
Strength Modifier
Vitality
Vitality Modifier
Site Number
Site Number Modifier
Resistance
Resistance Modifier
CanBearRing
Signet
Block
Shadow Number
Arrow Direction
Game Text
Tagged Game Text
<keyword>Hechizo.</keyword> <keyword>Clima.</keyword> Para jugarlo, esfuerza un siervo <symbol>isengard</symbol>. Se juega en un sitio. Ningún jugador puede jugar eventos de escaramuza o usar habilidades especiales de escaramuza en este sitio. Descarta esta condición al final del turno.
Formatted Game Text
Hechizo.Clima. Para jugarlo, esfuerza un siervo . Se juega en un sitio. Ningún jugador puede jugar eventos de escaramuza o usar habilidades especiales de escaramuza en este sitio. Descarta esta condición al final del turno.
Lore
Los conjuros de Saruman pueden entorpecer incluso a los cautos.