Editing Loaded Keywords

[[File:LOTR-EN02S052.0_card.jpg|frame|right|It's difficult to hold off a minion this size once. Two times is more than twice as hard.|link=The Balrog, Flame of Udun (2R52)]]

'''Loaded keywords''' are bold one-word labels included in the [[Game Text|game text]] of many cards. All keywords are treated the same by the game: a character either has the keyword or does not. A character without a particular keyword printed on it can have that keyword added, and a character can have a keyword removed regardless of whether it currently has that keyword. It is possible for certain sources of a keyword to be removed apart from others, though only damage bonuses from possessions are treated this way (for example, {{Card|Trapped and Alone}}). The difference between loaded and unloaded keywords is that each loaded keyword has a rule associated with it and so they change the way the game is played just by being on the table, while their benign cousins [[Unloaded Keywords|unloaded keywords]] don't do anything on their own.

The Balrog shown to the right has two loaded keywords: '''[[Fierce]]''' and '''[[Damage]] +1'''. '''Fierce''' indicates that the Free Peoples player must assign it to a skirmish twice per site, and '''damage +1''' adds to the number of wounds it dishes out in a winning [[Skirmish Phase|skirmish]]. These two keywords further establish that there are two different kinds of loaded keywords: ''numeric'' and ''non-numeric''.

Numeric keywords are always paired with a positive number and are unique in that gaining these keywords multiple times changes their impact: for example, {{Card|The Balrog's Sword}} further increases the number of wounds The Balrog delivers. While at first numeric keywords seem similar to statistics such as twilight and strength, there is no way to reduce a numeric keyword (only remove certain sources). Exactly how gaining a numeric keyword multiple times impacts the game depends on the keyword.

'''Damage''' and '''[[Defender|defender]]''' bonuses are added together to a single "damage bonus" or "defender bonus." For example, any version of Gimli bearing {{Card|Gimli's Battle Axe}} will be at least '''damage +2''' (especially important for {{Card|Gimli, Bearer of Grudges}}). Cards that spot the lowest numeric version of one of these keywords can also spot all higher numbers, meaning {{Card|Swordarm of the White Tower}} gives 4 strength to a companion that is ''at least'' '''defender +1'''.

Meanwhile, '''[[Ambush]]''' and '''[[Hunter|hunter]]''' bonuses remain separate even though it appears that they could be added together. A character with one or more of these bonuses is "with ambush" or a "hunter." When a minion with the keyword '''ambush {{Twilight|X}}''' is given the keyword '''ambush {{Twilight|X}}''' by another card or special ability, each of those instances of ambush is resolved separately rather at once. (Cards like {{Card|Three Monstrous Trolls}} or {{Card|Coif}} would only apply to one of those instances at a time.) Similarly, a companion with 3 '''hunter 1''' bonuses is not '''hunter 3''' (although there is no distinction between the two in-game).

Although '''[[Toil|toil]]''' is a numeric keyword, there is no way to give a card '''toil''' or modify the existing toil number of a card. ({{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Black Threat}} is as close as it gets.) There is no defined interaction for what would happen if a card had two instances of toil.

Non-numeric loaded keywords work the same regardless of how many "times" a character gains it. In the case of '''fierce''', that minion skirmishes twice per site and that's it; {{Card|Whip of Many Thongs, Weapon of Flame and Shadow}} will not provide any sort of cumulative '''fierce''' benefit to The Balrog above. When such an effect was desirable, Decipher skirted around the keywords to achieve the same result. A few examples: {{Card|The Witch-king's Beast, Fell Creature}} allows The Witch-king to enter a third skirmish, {{Card|Orc Slaughterer}} has a strength bonus from its game text that stacks with '''enduring''', and {{Card|The Splendor of Their Banners}} allows a single [[archer]] to add more than just one to the archery total.

== Item Class ==
[[Artifact]]s and [[possession]]s often -- but do not always -- have a special loaded keyword called [[Item Class]]. A character may only [[bear]] one card of a given item class at a time, but some hand weapons ({{Card|Hand Axe}}, {{Card|Flaming Brand}}, {{Card|Knife of the Galadhrim}}, and {{Card|Arwen's Dagger}}) can be wielded alongside another hand weapon. [[Box]], [[Bracers]], [[Brooch]], [[Gauntlets]], and [[Phial]] each only appear on one card. In these cases, the item class effectively acts as "limit one per bearer" text (although the lone Gauntlets and Phial are already unique). [[Palantir]] appears on three cards, but they all have the same [[unique]] persona anyway. {{Card|Elven Armaments}} is notable for having two item classes, although in practice this only prevents the use of {{Card|Aiglos}}. (No other [[shield]]s can be played on any {{C|Elven}} characters, and the card prevents all other [[possession]]s anyway.)

See the pages at the keywords below for in-depth discussion on each individual keyword's effects, or see [[Unloaded Keywords]] for an explanation for all other bolded keywords.


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{{Loaded Keyword Table}}