Card Talk

Welcome to our Christmas episode!  If you enjoy the audio episode, you may want to click over to the video just to see our "Christmas Cut" of this show.  Click here: https://youtu.be/D7dBd3ZIJEY This week we discuss the OG Christmas Tree, hero Treebeard. Don't let the special effects fool you, this guy can be one mean ol' grinch to the staging area. But, which version of his is better, ally or her...

In this episode, still without Grant, we talk about the tactics event, Behind Strong Walls. This card is pretty good but limited to Gondor characters. And what is the better effect, the ready or the defense buff?

In the episode, again, without Grant, the guys discuss Gildor's Counsel. This event is a crazy card to talk about because it only works in multiplayer games. This card is useless in solo play as it only lowers the encounter cards drawn to a limit of 1. Of Dave and Ted, guess who loves it and guess who never uses it?!

In this episode, Ted and Dave talk about Strider's Path. This card was released at the very beginning of the game in the Hunt for Gollum AP. It's got an interesting response, but is it that powerful at all player counts?

Caleb returns to the show to talk about a contract, The Grey Wanderer. But, admittedly, this show is about so much more than just a contract. We talk about the cycle, some of the inspiration behind cards in the cycle. It was a great discussion and we're always grateful for the time that Caleb gives us!

Of all the player side quests in the card pool, we pick this one to do?! Explore Secret Ways isn't a powerhouse of a card, but it has it's place in the card pool. We talk about a few, but what others can you think of?

The third adventure pack of the Vengeance of Mordor cycle is still months away, but a French article spoiled the Hero from it. Saruman. You heard right. Saruman. And, at first glance, he looks like an absolute BEAST!

A core set... staple... maybe? At the very least we are going back to the core set to talk about a card with a necessary mechanic, Hero recursion. Thank god it was included in the core set. But has the card aged well over time?

As one of the "behind the scenes" folks of Cardboard of the Rings and and an organizer of Con of the Rings, Aaron has cemented his importance in the community as the guy that helps stuff happen.  This is not unlike the card he chose, Hero Dori, who on his own is probably not a standout, but probably in a fellowship Dori can pull his weight. Do you think all our guests pick cards that reflect their...

In this, the last Guarded (X) episode, we look at the ancient sword, Orcrist. These guarded attachments don't get much better than this, do they?

Finally! The three of us get a moment to sit down after the Con of the Rings and talk about all the awesome things that we did and the amazing people we met.

In this episode, we talk about the card that fetches guarded (x) attachments. Like many cards, there are good things and bad things about this card. What do you think we missed?

As our trip down Guarded (X) card lane continues, we talk about Glamdring, Gandalf's sword from the lengendarium. This is the Lore version of the weapon that gives the attached hero (or Gandalf) +2 attack strength. The card costs 1, but is the Guarded (X) make the cost too much? 

At Con of the Rings, I was fortunate enough to host a designer interview with both Caleb Grace and Matt Newman.  In this interview, we talk card design, abstractions, and about the infamous "break."   Special thanks to McDog, an organizer of the Con who shot the video and allowed me to edit this for distribution to the community after my audio file was corrupted! Enjoy!

This past weekend was Con of the Rings, a convention specifically designed for and organized by members of the Lord of the Rings Living Card Game Community.  In this episode we have on several participants that talk about the Con and how awesome it was.  Yup! This show s designed to make you jealous of the AMAZING time we had and hopefully convince you to come out next year.  Included in this show...

This week the guys talk about the Necklace of Girion. Yup, it's guarded. Yup, it's neutral. Yup, it costs 1. But do the benefits outweigh the guarded cons?

What an awesome show!  Kristian joins us to talk about the Ring of Thror.  He takes us through the whole card, literally, as we discuss everything from the name all the way down to the artist.  Thanks to him for joining us on the show!!! 

In this episode, we talk about the guarded (x) card, Mithril Shirt.  This attachment reduces damage dealt to a hero by 1.   It seems like a small effect, but it really is more powerful when you play it than it first seems.  But it's a guarded card.  Does it make it worth it?

In this, albeit belated, episode of Community Tales, we talk about the now-famous poem from Reddit, our own show, and some other projects that are going on around the community.

In a continuation of our series on guarded (x) cards, Grant and I take a look at the Arkenstone.  This 1 cost neutral attachment gives all unique characters an extra willpower.  This seems to fit very nicely into a tactics deck, but does it work anywhere?      

In this episode, Grant and Dave look at Sting, a guarded tactics attachment that goes on a hobbit hero.  This card seems like the perfect guarded attachment for Tactics Bilbo to target in the staging area, but he may not be the best target to attach the card to.  For more about this card, tune in!

In this episode, Grant and Dave take a closer look at the new tactics hero Bilbo after using him for a little while.  The guys think he is still pretty good, but playing with him has given them new insight on just how well he works.  Tune in!

In this episode, we talk to Derek Kamal, one of the hosts of the Grey Company Podcast. We spend the episode talking about small target, a spirit event from the Encounter at Amon Din adventure pack. I wonder what there is to say about this seldom-used card?

By popular demand!  We bring Matt on this episode of Card Talk to talk about a hero that he has been advocating for for years.  Hero Lore Faramir fits real nice into Matt's trap deck, but can it fit elsewhere?   

In our monthly trip around the community, we spend the whole episode talking about GenCon, the yearly gaming convention that happens in Indianapolis, IN, USA. Ted, our newest co-host reports all the news from the floor of the con!