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'''Errata''' is an edit to a card's game text after its printing, mainly to [[Nerf|nerf]] or fix a card with too much power or a looping mechanism. (Errata is technically plural, but nobody ever says "erratum".) Decipher has issued errata for several cards, such as {{Card|The Mirror of Galadriel}}, {{Card|Sting of Shelob}}, and {{Card|Howl of Harad}}. Decipher issued more errata in [[Rise of Saruman]] and [[Treachery & Deceit]] than any other sets, due to their hasty production process. The final errata issued occasionally did not either repair the card or instead made the card unplayable, for example {{Card|Frenzy of Arrows}}.
'''Errata''' is an edit to a card's game text after its printing, usually to [[Nerf|nerf]] a card with too much power or fix a broken looping mechanism. (Errata is technically plural, but nobody ever says "erratum".)  
 
== Decipher Era ==
 
Decipher eventually issued about 25 errata over the course of the game's run, such as {{Card|The Mirror of Galadriel}}, {{Card|Sting of Shelob}}, and {{Card|Howl of Harad}}. Decipher issued more errata in [[Rise of Saruman]] and [[Treachery & Deceit]] than any other sets, due to the hasty production process as the company imploded. The final errata issued were the last official gasp of communication from Decipher concerning the game, and they occasionally did not actually repair the card or instead made it worse, such as {{Card|Frenzy of Arrows}} infamously being made literally unplayable (as there were never any {{C|Orc}} archers ever released).
 
As a rule, Decipher avoided errata when possible, the logic being that nobody wanted to open a fresh new card only to discover that the words printed on that card were not how the card was to be read.  If a problematic interaction was discovered, a card was much more likely to be banned (added to the [[X-List]]) than to be errata'd, with the only exception being if the problem card was in the most recently released set.  This is most clear in situations where a new card combo'd with an old card caused an infinite loop, where the most frequent result was the old card getting X'd (such as {{Card|Steadfast Champion}} getting banned in the wake of the more recently released {{Card|Keeper of the Watchwood}}).
 
If however a card was simply too good for its own sake, or the detrimental combo was with other cards released in the same set, then errata would reluctantly be issued, usually in the form of additions to the [[Current Rulings Document]]. 
 
In some situations, cards which had been errata'd were reprinted, and in those cases the card's print version would be incremented and the version letter would be added to the lower right-hand corner (A for first revision, and B for second revision, although no card besides {{Card|The Mirror of Galadriel}} ever had more than 2 revisions).
 
Decipher also issued a number of so-called "clarifications" through the same avenues as errata, which in some cases resulted in materially different interpretations of how a card could be played.  The major difference between whether a card was issued a clarification or an errata appears to come down to whether the issue was perceived as an actual oversight on Decipher's part (leading to an errata) or poorly worded text that did not capture the actual foreseen intent of the developers (leading to a clarification). No clarification ever led to a reprint, but some had effective changes to the card's text that may as well have been an erratum.
 
== The Player's Council ==
 
The [[Player's Council]] fan group have issued errata for cards as part of their effort to promote and encourage the game.  These errata are issued primarily on the [[GEMP]] online platform, first in opt-in playtest formats and then into public release as part of the official PC formats.  Images of such cards can be found on the [https://i.lotrtcgpc.net/errata/ PC image repository].
 
See [[PC Errata]] for more in-depth discussion concerning each PC decision.
 
 
== List of Cards With Official Decipher Errata ==
{{ListTable
|filter= CR.Revision > 0
|sort= {{StandardSort}}
|columns=3
}}
 


The [[Players' Council]] fan group is working on [[PC Errata|their own project]] to errata useless, [[broken]], or [[X-List]]ed cards.


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Revision as of 15:58, 1 July 2022

Errata is an edit to a card's game text after its printing, usually to nerf a card with too much power or fix a broken looping mechanism. (Errata is technically plural, but nobody ever says "erratum".)

Decipher Era

Decipher eventually issued about 25 errata over the course of the game's run, such as The Mirror of Galadriel (1R55) , Sting of Shelob (18R35) , and Howl of Harad (4U236) . Decipher issued more errata in Rise of Saruman and Treachery & Deceit than any other sets, due to the hasty production process as the company imploded. The final errata issued were the last official gasp of communication from Decipher concerning the game, and they occasionally did not actually repair the card or instead made it worse, such as Frenzy of Arrows (18U79) infamously being made literally unplayable (as there were never any Orc archers ever released).

As a rule, Decipher avoided errata when possible, the logic being that nobody wanted to open a fresh new card only to discover that the words printed on that card were not how the card was to be read. If a problematic interaction was discovered, a card was much more likely to be banned (added to the X-List) than to be errata'd, with the only exception being if the problem card was in the most recently released set. This is most clear in situations where a new card combo'd with an old card caused an infinite loop, where the most frequent result was the old card getting X'd (such as Steadfast Champion (7U49) getting banned in the wake of the more recently released Treebeard, Keeper of the Watchwood (10R18) ).

If however a card was simply too good for its own sake, or the detrimental combo was with other cards released in the same set, then errata would reluctantly be issued, usually in the form of additions to the Current Rulings Document.

In some situations, cards which had been errata'd were reprinted, and in those cases the card's print version would be incremented and the version letter would be added to the lower right-hand corner (A for first revision, and B for second revision, although no card besides The Mirror of Galadriel (1R55) ever had more than 2 revisions).

Decipher also issued a number of so-called "clarifications" through the same avenues as errata, which in some cases resulted in materially different interpretations of how a card could be played. The major difference between whether a card was issued a clarification or an errata appears to come down to whether the issue was perceived as an actual oversight on Decipher's part (leading to an errata) or poorly worded text that did not capture the actual foreseen intent of the developers (leading to a clarification). No clarification ever led to a reprint, but some had effective changes to the card's text that may as well have been an erratum.

The Player's Council

The Player's Council fan group have issued errata for cards as part of their effort to promote and encourage the game. These errata are issued primarily on the GEMP online platform, first in opt-in playtest formats and then into public release as part of the official PC formats. Images of such cards can be found on the PC image repository.

See PC Errata for more in-depth discussion concerning each PC decision.


List of Cards With Official Decipher Errata

No results





Gameplay
Game Setup Starting FellowshipBiddingMulligan
Deck Building Considerations UniquenessX-ListR-ListErrataFormat
General Strategies BeatdownBombCorruptionHand ExtensionRun/StopSkirmish CancellationSwarmWin ConditionWound PreventionWounding
Deck Archetypes Auto-Corruption BombBeasterlingsBerserkersBouncing HobbitsElventsForestgulsHobbit HospitalFruit LoopsGondor KnightsGondor RangersGondor WraithsMoria ArcheryMoria BeatdownMoria NavyMoria SwarmMoria TentaclesNazgul BeatdownNinja GollumOrc CorruptionRainbow WoundingSauron GrindSauron InitiativeSauron RoamingSauron ThreatsSolo SmeagolSouthron ArcherySouthron InitiativeStupid SwarmSuper FriendsTelepathyThreatgulsToken TanksTroll SwarmUruk ArcheryUruk MachinesUruk TrackersWarg Super Swarm
Rules Rule of 4Rule of 9
Mechanics BearDiscardDraw DeckExertExhaustedFellowshipInitiativeIn Play/Leave PlayMove LimitReconcileRoamingSite ControlSpotStackSupport AreaThreats
Gameplay Terms BoatBodyBroken/NPE/OPBuff/NerfChokeComboCultural EnforcementCyclingDead DrawFetchFilterFloodGrindHand ClogHateInteractionItemLoopMatchupMetaMillNewbie TrapPilePower CreepPumpRainbowRecursionRemovalResourceRogueRule of 6SideSite ManipulationSpeed BumpSplashSubcultureTankOther Terms