Editing Mines of Moria Card Proofs



On or about 2 January, 2002, [[Decipher]] submitted final card images for the [[Mines of Moria]] expansion to New Line Cinema for approval.  New Line approved of the majority of these cards, with only minor adjustments required for some. Some cards ended up having their portraits further adjusted by Decipher artists, and these were also sent in later for late approval.  

These faxes were fortunately included within the [[New Line Fax Proofs]] dump courtesy of Kreg Miller, and are presented below with commentary.

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{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto; "
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| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=1|700px|thumb|right]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | The opening salvo of the Mines of Moria approval process.

|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=2|700px|thumb|right]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Standard Product Approval Form provided to New Line.

|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=3|700px|thumb|right]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Another cover letter.  Apparently this was faxed to two separate IP owners, in this case Tolkien Enterprises to get the lore itself proofed.

|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=2|700px|thumb|right]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Standard Product Approval Form provided to New Line.

|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=19|700px|thumb|right]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|Golden Light on the Land}}
* {{Card|Hand Axe}}
* {{Card|Till Durin Wakes Again}}
* {{Card|Gimli, Dwarf of the Mountain-race}}
* {{Card|Gloin, Friend to Thorin}}
* {{Card|Tidings of Erebor}}
* {{Card|Fror, Gimli's Kinsman}}
* {{Card|Dwarven Bracers}}
* {{Card|Beneath the Mountains}}

The only notable change here besides a typo in Fror's lore is that the Ring of Power shown in the {{Card|Dwarven Bracers}} portrait has been photoshopped out.

|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=18|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards:
* {{Card|Make Light of Burdens}}
* {{Card|Endurance of Dwarves}}
* {{Card|Flurry of Blows}}
* {{Card|What Are We Waiting For?}}
* {{Card|Disquiet of Our People}}
* {{Card|Realm of Dwarrowdelf}}
* {{Card|Great Works Begun There}}

{{Card|Flurry of Blows}}, {{Card|What Are We Waiting For?}}, and {{Card|Great Works Begun There}} all saw their portraits getting zoomed in slightly.  {{Card|What Are We Waiting For?}} also had an erroneous word in its lore and had the line break in its title removed.
|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=16|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards:
* {{Card|Gandalf's Staff}}
* {{Card|Wizard Staff}}
* {{Card|You Cannot Pass!}}
* {{Card|Gandalf, The Grey Pilgrim}}
* {{Card|Erland, Advisor to Brand}}
* {{Card|Hugin, Emissary from Laketown}}

No changes here except for quote formatting typos.
|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=17|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards:
* {{Card|Staff Asunder}}
* {{Card|Speak "Friend" and Enter}}
* {{Card|Gandalf's Wisdom}}
* {{Card|Jarnsmid, Merchant from Dale}}
* {{Card|Wielder of the Flame}}

Jarnsmid saw a rewording (likely to prevent Shadow possessions from also being discounted), and {{Card|Wielder of the Flame}} has a portrait that was later reworked.  A similar (tho not exact) version of this portrait was later used in {{Card|Glamdring, Foe-hammer}}

|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=5|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards:
* {{Card|Evil Afoot}}
* {{Card|Goblin Man}}
* {{Card|Uruk Scout}}
* {{Card|Too Much Attention}}
* {{Card|No Business of Ours}}
* {{Card|Lurtz's Sword}}
* {{Card|Great Chasm}}
* {{Card|Valley of the Silverlode}}
* {{Card|Hollin}}

{{Card|Uruk Scout}} and {{Card|Too Much Attention}} had their portraits slightly zoomed/panned, and {{Card|Valley of the Silverlode}} had a completely new portrait applied.

|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=4|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards:
* {{Card|Beyond the Height of Men}}
* {{Card|Wizard Storm}}
* {{Card|Uruk Captain}}
* {{Card|Demands of the Sackville-Bagginses}}
* {{Card|Hobbiton Party Field}}
* {{Card|Town Center}}
* {{Card|Hobbiton Woods}}

{{Card|Beyond the Height of Men}} apparently had its lore rejected by one of the IP watchdogs, and it ultimately had its portrait changed. {{Card|Demands of the Sackville-Bagginses}} had a very minor pan/zoom for the portrait. 
|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=15|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|The Balrog, Flame of Udun}}
* {{Card|Goblin Bowman}}
* {{Card|Archer Commander}}
* {{Card|The Balrog's Sword}}
* {{Card|Whip of Many Thongs}}
* {{Card|Must Do Without Hope}}
* [[Ripples in the Pool (Beta)]]
* {{Card|Final Cry}}
* {{Card|Power and Terror}}

Ripples in the Pool had its portrait rejected by New Line for using a shot of the size doubles for the Hobbits rather than the main actors.  Rather than selecting a new one, the card was apparently scrapped.

{{Card|Final Cry}} had its wording adjusted for brevity and clarity. 

{{Card|The Balrog, Durin's Bane}} does not show here because it was involved in a prior fax conversation when that card was approved for promotional purposes as {{Card|0P10}}.  See [[Balrog Promo Proof]].
|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=14|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|Moria Archer Troop}}
* {{Card|Goblin Scrabbler}}
* {{Card|Goblin Spearman}}
* {{Card|Foul Things}}
* {{Card|Old Differences}}
* {{Card|Dark Places}}
* {{Card|Fill With Fear}}
* {{Card|Dark Fire}}
* {{Card|Cave Troll's Chain}}

Minor typos were fixed in {{Card|Goblin Spearman}} and {{Card|Old Differences}} (and an uncaught space in the strength bonus of {{Card|Cave Troll's Chain}}). 

{{Card|Goblin Spearman}},  {{Card|Foul Things}}, {{Card|Fill With Fear}}, {{Card|Dark Fire}}, and {{Card|Cave Troll's Chain}} all had minor adjustments to the framing/zoom of their portrait.
|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=11|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|Troubled Mountains}}
* {{Card|Throw Yourself In Next Time}}
* {{Card|Foul Tentacle}}
* {{Card|Goblin Pursuer}}
* {{Card|Goblin Reinforcements}}

* {{Card|Orc Taskmaster}}
* {{Card|Tower Assassin}}
* {{Card|The Eye of Sauron}}

{{Card|Goblin Pursuer}} had its text altered, as did {{Card|Throw Yourself In Next Time}} (although its beta wording was the structure embraced more fully later).

{{Card|Foul Tentacle}} and {{Card|The Eye of Sauron}} later had different portraits applied, and {{Card|Goblin Reinforcements}} was panned to make it more about the troop than the central orc.

{{Card|Troubled Mountains}} apparently might have gotten its portrait rejected depending on whether the shot displayed the body doubles on a close inspection.
|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=10|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|Huge Tentacle}}
* {{Card|Watcher in the Water, Keeper of Westgate}}
* {{Card|Goblin Flankers}}

* {{Card|Orc Scout}}
* {{Card|Spies of Mordor}}
* {{Card|Southern Spies}}
* {{Card|Verily I Come}}
* {{Card|Vile Blade}}
* {{Card|Memory of Many Things}}

Interestingly, {{Card|Southern Spies}} was apparently originally a fully splashable anti-[[mill]] card.  However, its usage was eventually recycled into {{Card|Old Noakes}} while Spies itself was reworked into a very situational milling card itself.
|-
| 
[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=12|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|Ulaire Nelya, Ringwraith in Twilight}}
* {{Card|Bill Ferny, Swarthy Sneering Fellow}}
* {{Card|They Will Find the Ring}}
* {{Card|It Wants to be Found}}
* {{Card|Wraith-world}}
* {{Card|Helpless}}

* {{Card|Hosts of the Last Alliance}}
* {{Card|Secret Sentinels}}


{{Card|Bill Ferny}}'s text had a minor when -> if alteration, {{Card|It Wants to be Found}} had a minor space typo, and {{Card|Helpless}} placed the "Plays on Sam" sentence onto its own line.

{{Card|Wraith-world}} and {{Card|Helpless}} both had their portraits zoomed slightly.

|-
|[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=13|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|The Witch-king, Lord of the Nazgul}}
* {{Card|Ulaire Attea, The Easterling}}
* {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Ringwraith in Twilight}}
* {{Card|His Terrible Servants}}
* {{Card|Stricken Dumb}}
* {{Card|Resistance Becomes Unbearable}}

* {{Card|A Blended Race}}
* {{Card|Release the Angry Flood}}
* {{Card|Dismay Our Enemies}}

{{Card|Striken Dumb}} had minor formatting adjustments to the lore spacing.  

{{Card|The Witch-king, Lord of the Nazgul}} and {{Card|Ulaire Attea, The Easterling}} both had their portraits swapped to different Nazgul within that scene for unknown reasons.  Enquea was left untouched.  {{Card|A Blended Race}} was zoomed in a little bit, presumably to cut out the distracting corpse in the foreground.
|-
| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=6|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|Not Feared in Sunlight}}
* {{Card|Mithril-coat}}
* {{Card|Dear Friends}}
* {{Card|Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer}}
* {{Card|Sam, Proper Poet}}
* {{Card|Merry, Horticulturalist}}
* {{Card|Bilbo, Well-spoken Gentlehobbit}}
* {{Card|Deft in Their Movements}}
* [[Of Very Little Importance (Beta)]]

Someone apparently objected to Merry's subtitle of "Mr. Meriadoc Brandybuck".  Presumably it was New Line, as Tolkien Enterprises would have little reason to object to accurate lore.  Perhaps it was to preserve "brand identity" and avoid usage of Meriadoc due to not being used in the movie?

Of Very Little Importance appears to have been approved, but was cut for other unknown reasons.

{{Card|Sam, Proper Poet}} had a minor text format change.

{{Card|Mithril-coat}}, {{Card|Dear Friends}}, {{Card|Bilbo, Well-spoken Gentlehobbit}}, and {{Card|Deft in Their Movements}} all had minor zoom/pan adjustments to their portraits.  Mr-Not-Meriadoc-In-This-Film also had a vignette effect applied.

|-
| 
[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=7|700px|thumb|center]]
| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards: 

* {{Card|A Promise}}
* {{Card|O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!}}
* [[Fortune of Fate (Beta)]]
* {{Card|Pippin, Mr. Took}}
* {{Card|Practically Everyone Was Invited}}
* {{Card|Nice Imitation}}
* {{Card|Filibert Bolger, Wily Rascal}}
* {{Card|Orc-bane}}
* {{Card|Old Noakes, Purveyor of Wisdoms}}


"Invited to the Party" was renamed to {{Card|Practically Everyone Was Invited}}. Pippin, Mr. Peregrin Took, apparently ran into the same issue that Mr. Meriadoc Brandybuck did above.  The fact that the final version was simply "Mr. Took" lends credence to the theory that the objection was to the use of Meriadoc and Peregrin.

Fortune of Fate was approved but apparently cut for unknown reasons.  Similarly, although {{Card|Old Noakes, Purveyor of Wisdoms}} was approved, it was pushed back to the release of [[Realms of the Elf-lords]] for unknown reasons.

{{Card|Pippin, Mr. Took}} also had its lore rejected, although both parties would potentially have reason.  The quote "How do we know Strider's a friend of Gandalf's?" is almost a line from the movie, which is "How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf's?" as spoken by ''Merry'', which is itself a paraphrase of "How do we know you are the Strider that Gandalf speaks about?", spoken by Sam.  Perhaps the objection was that it wasn't spoken by Pippin?  If it's not that, then the fact that it's not a strictly accurate quote of either source could potentially have been the issue.

{{Card|Old Noakes, Purveyor of Wisdoms}} had a minor folks -> folk typo in its lore. 

{{Card|O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!}} and {{Card|Old Noakes, Purveyor of Wisdoms}} had a minor pan/zoom on their portrait.  {{Card|Practically Everyone Was Invited}} had a completely new portrait chosen (see other fax pages below).
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[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=9|700px|thumb|center|Shire 3 / Gondor 1]]

[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=8|700px|thumb|center|Shire 4 / Gondor 2]]

[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=5|700px|thumb|center|New Line Response]]

----

[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=17|700px|thumb|center|Resubmission cover]]

[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=18|700px|thumb|center|Resubmission form]]

[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=19|700px|thumb|center|cards 1]]

[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=20|700px|thumb|center|cards 2]]

{{Product_Table}}
@@ Line 224: / Line 224: @@
 * [[Of Very Little Importance (Beta)]]
-Someone apparently objected to Merry's subtitle of "Mr. Meriadoc Brandybuck".  Presumably it was New Line, as Tolkien Enterprises would have little reason to object to accurate lore.  Perhaps it was to preserve "brand identity" and avoid usage of Meriadoc due to hardly being used in the movie?
+Someone apparently objected to Merry's subtitle of "Mr. Meriadoc Brandybuck".  Presumably it was New Line, as Tolkien Enterprises would have little reason to object to accurate lore.  Perhaps it was to preserve "brand identity" and avoid usage of Meriadoc due to not being used in the movie?
 Of Very Little Importance appears to have been approved, but was cut for other unknown reasons.
@@ Line 258: / Line 258: @@
 {{Card|O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!}} and {{Card|Old Noakes, Purveyor of Wisdoms}} had a minor pan/zoom on their portrait.  {{Card|Practically Everyone Was Invited}} had a completely new portrait chosen (see other fax pages below).
 |-
-| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=9|700px|thumb|center]]
+|
-| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards:
+| style="vertical-align:middle;" |
-* {{Card|Consorting With Wizards}}
-* {{Card|Fearing the Worst}}
-* {{Card|Hobbit Sword-play}}
-* {{Card|Shield of Boromir}}
-* {{Card|Blood of Numenor}}
-* {{Card|Flee in Terror}}
-* {{Card|Sentinels of Numenor}}
-* {{Card|Gondor Will See It Done}}
-"Prepared for the Worst" was renamed to {{Card|Fearing the Worst}}.
-{{Card|Sentinels of Numenor}} interestingly received feedback to photoshop the background out of the actual film shot, presumably for how the hand blends into the background (which isn't a problem in the actual moving film).
-{{Card|Consorting With Wizards}}, {{Card|Fearing the Worst}}, {{Card|Blood of Numenor}}, and {{Card|Flee In Terror}} all had their portraits slightly zoom/panned.
 |-
-| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=8|700px|thumb|center]]
+|
-| style="vertical-align:middle;" | Beta versions of the following cards:
+| style="vertical-align:middle;" |
-* {{Card|Red Book of Westmarch}}
-* [[Always a Baggins in Bag End (Beta)]]
-* [[Maiden of the Golden Ale (Beta)]]
-* {{Card|No Mere Ranger}}
-* {{Card|Flaming Brand}}
-* {{Card|Natural Cover}}
-Always a Baggins in Bag End and Maiden of the Golden Ale were both approved yet cut for unknown reasons.
-No other alterations were made to the beta cards here as submitted.
 |-
-| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=5|700px|thumb|center]]
+|
-| style="vertical-align:middle;" | The response to the above submissions.
+| style="vertical-align:middle;" |
-It's unclear what class of change needed re-approval.  Typo fixes seem too petty to resubmit, but things like the title, portrait, and lore changes seem reasonable.  Regardless, the resubmission appears to be missing from the record, as the faxes below are for a future iteration that was art-only (and in the case of {{Card|Beyond the Height of Men}}, the lore fix was already applied and presumably approved beforehand).
-|}
-{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto; "
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-| [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=17|700px|thumb|center]]
+|
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@@ Line 323: / Line 286: @@
+[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=9|700px|thumb|center|Shire 3 / Gondor 1]]
+[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_1.pdf|page=8|700px|thumb|center|Shire 4 / Gondor 2]]
+[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=5|700px|thumb|center|New Line Response]]
 ----
+[[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=17|700px|thumb|center|Resubmission cover]]
 [[File:Decipher_New-Line_Approval_Fax_2.pdf|page=18|700px|thumb|center|Resubmission form]]