Editing The Balrog, Terror of Flame and Shadow (6R76)
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{{CardTabs|Moria}} | {{CardTabs|Moria}} | ||
[[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}]] is a {{C|Moria}} [[Minion]] from the [[Ents of Fangorn]] set | [[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}]] is a {{C|Moria}} [[Minion]] from the [[Ents of Fangorn]] set. It is the only version of The Balrog with no affinity for [[Underground|underground sites]] and no innate way of gaining [[Fierce|fierce]]. | ||
{{CardInfobox|6R76}} | {{CardInfobox|6R76}} | ||
{{QueryCardCategories|6R76}}</noinclude> | {{QueryCardCategories|6R76}}</noinclude> | ||
= Strategy = | = Strategy = | ||
== Gameplay Strategy == | == Gameplay Strategy == | ||
A departure from the [[Fellowship Block]] versions of The Balrog, this and all subsequent versions can be played at any site. This version of The Balrog remains an imposing minion, but instead of two skirmishes that almost any companion could survive (provided they aren't overwhelmed), it offers one skirmish that few companions could survive. | |||
The assignment restriction is based on what the companions strength is during the assignment phase, which makes it impossible for the Free Peoples player to waste The Balrog's one skirmish killing a splashed Hobbit or {{Card|Thrarin, Dwarven Smith}}, and much harder to use Hobbit tricks such as {{Card|Severed His Bonds}} or {{Card|Swiftly and Softly}} to dodge the skirmish altogether. Still, it doesn't necessarily mean that The Balrog will skirmish someone important since most other companions have a base strength of 6 anyway. On rare occasion the restriction can even be used to the Free Peoples player's advantage: if Frodo has less than 6 strength, the Shadow player cannot assign The Balrog to him either. | The assignment restriction is based on what the companions strength is during the assignment phase, which makes it impossible for the Free Peoples player to waste The Balrog's one skirmish killing a splashed Hobbit or {{Card|Thrarin, Dwarven Smith}}, and much harder to use Hobbit tricks such as {{Card|Severed His Bonds}} or {{Card|Swiftly and Softly}} to dodge the skirmish altogether. Still, it doesn't necessarily mean that The Balrog will skirmish someone important since most other companions have a base strength of 6 anyway. On rare occasion the restriction can even be used to the Free Peoples player's advantage: if Frodo has less than 6 strength, the Shadow player cannot assign The Balrog to him either. | ||
Its imposing twilight cost makes it difficult for the Shadow player to afford more than The Balrog and a smattering of minor Orcs, so playing The Balrog may only allow the Shadow player to get through 2 or 3 cards in a culture known for playing a dozen minions at once. Under ordinary circumstances this is an inexcusable downside, but when the Shadow player has an extraordinarily weak hand The Balrog can be a minion big enough to hide behind and its high vitality and strength makes him difficult (though not impossible) to kill. If the Free Peoples player is thinking about moving again, the prospect of having to deal with a 17 strength minion in addition to a full turn's worth of the usual dangers will make them think twice. After all, without revealing the Shadow player's hand there's no way to know how much danger the rest of the cards might pose. | |||
Terror of Flame and Shadow was the first minion to have an innate [[Damage|damage bonus]] of 2, its most important feature -- if the Free Peoples can mitigate that, they turn a somewhat expensive kill into a very expensive wound. This makes the ability of {{Card|Whip of Many Thongs}} to strip a companion of many different wound-blocking possessions particularly useful. The extra point of strength makes 9-strength companions vulnerable to being overwhelmed, crucial against {{Card|Faramir, Son of Denethor}} bearing {{Card|Armor}} and {{Card|Sword of Gondor}} and, fittingly, Gandalf's 4 vitality (with just {{Card|Glamdring}} or {{Card|Shadowfax}}, many versions are 9 strength). {{Card|The Balrog's Sword}} and {{Card|Final Cry}} are typically redundant with the innate damage bonus and retain limited value. | |||
Of course, no caliber of damage bonus matters when skirmishes are not won. {{Card|Durin III, Dwarven Lord}}, {{Card|Cirdan, The Shipwright}}, and {{Card|Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}} have some of the highest natural skirmish potential in the game. There are no skirmish events for The Balrog, which puts the Shadow player at a distinct disadvantage: the Free Peoples player is always aware of the maximum strength necessary to overcome it, while the Shadow player will not usually know whether the Free Peoples player actually can and may be goaded into wasting {{Card|Durin's Tower}} when it won't be enough (or saving it when it would be). Even if The Balrog cannot be bested by strength, the Free Peoples may still be able to kill it with archery or direct wounding in conjunction with effects which exhaust minions. {{Card|Fill with Fear}} helps alleviate this concern against a wide variety of Free Peoples strategies by both skipping the archery phase and allowing the Shadow player to remove possessions like {{Card|Gondor Bow}} which may be needed to deliver the final wound from {{Card|Fourth Level}}. Stripping companions of swarm-culling weapons such as {{Card|Aragorn's Bow}} and {{Card|Bow of the Galadhrim}} could be a long-term boon to a deck including The Balrog as well. | Of course, no caliber of damage bonus matters when skirmishes are not won. {{Card|Durin III, Dwarven Lord}}, {{Card|Cirdan, The Shipwright}}, and {{Card|Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}} have some of the highest natural skirmish potential in the game. There are no skirmish events for The Balrog, which puts the Shadow player at a distinct disadvantage: the Free Peoples player is always aware of the maximum strength necessary to overcome it, while the Shadow player will not usually know whether the Free Peoples player actually can and may be goaded into wasting {{Card|Durin's Tower}} when it won't be enough (or saving it when it would be). Even if The Balrog cannot be bested by strength, the Free Peoples may still be able to kill it with archery or direct wounding in conjunction with effects which exhaust minions. {{Card|Fill with Fear}} helps alleviate this concern against a wide variety of Free Peoples strategies by both skipping the archery phase and allowing the Shadow player to remove possessions like {{Card|Gondor Bow}} which may be needed to deliver the final wound from {{Card|Fourth Level}}. Stripping companions of swarm-culling weapons such as {{Card|Aragorn's Bow}} and {{Card|Bow of the Galadhrim}} could be a long-term boon to a deck including The Balrog as well. | ||
