FrodoFan1 sent a pack of news out of this month’s Empire magazine. “After scaring the living sh*t out of audiences for that split second during LOTR, revered British actor Ian Holm is set to return to familiar ground for “The Emporor’s New Clothes.”
Holm, who previously played the “Little General” in Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits and the British min-series Napoleon And Love, goes for the trifecta in a picture that asks that old chestnut “what if?”-in this case,”what if Bonaparte hadn’t died in exile and had to return to power.
“Directed by West Wing helmer Alan Taylor, and co-starring Blackadders Tim McInnerny, this promosises to be a classy contingency affair all round. “
In other cast news, Viggo Mortensn has pulled out of the role of corrupt preist Cesare, brother of Lucretia, in Neil Jordan’s film of the Borgia family. He is replaced by Ewan McGregor.
A warm day in a green glade among the redwoods, tables loaded with good food, the fellowship of other Tolkien fans….What could be nicer?
Today was the pot-luck picnic and lembas bake-off in San Francisco’s Stern Grove, and it was a lot of fun – the most LOTR fun we’ve had in ages. It was great to finally put real faces to screen nicknames for the first time, in a friendly atmosphere where it snowed food and rained drink, as they say.
The local members of Cloondara Shire from the Society for Creative Anachronism were a big help (as well as being nice folks), as they had a medieval-looking shade tent and they also were generous in the loaning out of armour and padded weapons. The kids had endless fun issuing heroic challenges and whopping each other with battleaxes, which left the adults free to party as they pleased.
The lembas bake-off was won by a shortbread type of confection, slightly crunchy and not too sweet. Apologies because I forget the name of the winner!
Actually a lot of us didn’t know each other well because this was a LOTR gathering that attracted people from many different websites – TORN, TORC, Imladris and even people who don’t go online at all – and that made it all the more fun, since of course we had more in common than not. We’re planning to meet for other events in the near future – another LOTR showing in a classic cinema with couches, and a DVD release party were both ideas that were thrown around. The fact is that by now, six months after the release of the first film, we are getting slightly bored and antsy with the lack of real news. Everyone who’s bought toys has played with them, we’ve read all the books we can get our hands on, and now seems a good time to build on the relationships we’ve built up on the various messageboards and chatrooms we inhabit.
TORN didn’t organise this picnic – it was thought up by members of the messageboards on TORN and the White Council, if I remember rightly, and the idea became popular there before TORN got involved by mentioning it on the front page. The Cloondara Shire people were great to have there too as they are Tolkien fans almost by definition and their SCA hobbies give them lots of practice at organising outdoor events.
A number of people have written from all over the place asking why TORN doesn’t organise a LOTR picnic in their area, and my answer is, we didn’t organise this one. It ‘just happened,’ though of course Yarrow and others worked to make it happen. The thing you need to have to make it ‘just happen’ is a network of local LOTR fans built up through chatroom and messageboard connections. A party invite for your local LOTR fans will have more success if you’re somebody who’s participated in discussions and is therefore known to the others – I doubt people will flock to the banner of somebody they’ve never seen before announcing a LOTR picnic on their messageboard. Another great resource is the Society for Creative Anachronism since they have branches or ‘Shires’ all over the world and are quite likely to be interested in helping with and enjoying your LOTR event.
So, get out and play. Don’t sit at home staring at the screen! Make the Net work for you and organise your own LOTR event.
Realms of the Elf Lords is upon us! Therefore, I shall begin the CARD OF THE WEEK segment with THE appropriate opening choice:
Card Title: LEGOLAS: Son of Thranduil Type: Companion/Elf Class: ARCHER Statistics: Strength 6/Vitality 3 Twilight Cost: 2
Text: While LEGOLAS is at a river or forest, add 1 to the fellowship archery total.
This is the third installment of the great and powerful elven archer, LEGOLAS. Until now, we have basically had the option of two different strategies revolving around Legolas: Directed archery fire in Legolas GREENLEAF and increased defensive capabilites against the strongest minion class – THE NAZGUL – as seen in Legolas PRINCE OF MIRKWOOD.
Legolas GREENLEAF: combined with ARWEN, Daughter of Elrond; the Fellowship holds a tremendous opening advantage using archery fire in conjunction with Ranger special event cards such as “A Ranger’s Versatility” and ARWEN’S NAZGUL-fighting ability. Since twilight generation is lower in the first 3 sites, there is very little minion oppostion and the directed archery can generally eliminate the current threat before moving along the adventure path from Site 2 to 3. This version of LEGOLAS is the strongest choice so far as either a starting or support companion.
Legolas PRINCE OF MIRKWOOD: the Fellowship also has the advantage of adding 1 to the archery total as well as a companion who becomes a 9 strength, like ARWEN, DoE, against a Nazgul attack. Combined with The Bow of The Galadhrim, Defiance, Double Shot and The Splendor of Their Banners – Legolas P.O.M is just as effective as his original alternate version if you maintained the strategy behind his use. I believe this LEGOLAS is grossly overlooked. With the rise of the Twilight NAZGUL – he is a tremendous asset both as a starting companion or support player.
So, why this third version of LEGOLAS? Is his special ability worth basing an entire new form of strategy behind him? Step back for a moment to look at the even bigger picture behind this version of LEGOLAS: His effectiveness is centered around the very core of any strategy – THE ADVENTURE PATH! Key in winning the game, the ability to maintain and manipulate your opponent at YOUR sites is the greatest advantage in the game – and this is where Legolas SON OF THRANDUIL – I believe will become most effective.
If you look carefully at all of the current sites, 2, 3 and 6-9 all have rivers and forests (and in some cases river/forests). The new Legolas’ ability is basically active 6 out of nine sites when you control your adventure path and therefore adds a natural 2 archery total on those particular sites.
“But it’s not DIRECTED ARCHERY you say.”
When you use Legolas GREENLEAF’S ability to the maximum, it creates a severe vulnerability towards 1) Exhaustion 2) Hate (Sauron’s most effective direct damage card) 3) Relentless Charge (NAZGUL’s archer-only version of HATE) and 4) Bitter Hatred (Moria’s version of HATE against Elves). Anticipating any of these situations will force you to think about exerting a second time which basically reduces your directed archery fire to a total of 1 for the rest of the adventure path.
The ability to ADD 1 to the archery total at 6 out of your 9 sites, without the effects of exhaustion or hinderance, is incredibly powerful – especially when combined with the RANGER event cards like A Ranger’s Versatility, Elven cards such as Release The Angry Flood, or in conjunction with direct damage effects such as Orc-Bane, Hobbit Sword-Play, Bow of the Galadhrim, Blade of Gondor and Power According To His Stature.
I believe his “latent” effectiveness will be during the REGROUP phase. Using his ability as a barometer to determine whether or not to move forward and eliminate “trailing” exhausted minions with a hail of arrows is easier to consider, especially when you are not in fear of succumbing to a direct damage attack which would remove Legolas as both a fighting/defending companion and 1-2 archery points.
Combined with Elven Archer ALLIES Orophin, Rumil and the new Calaglin (who during regroup, you can exert to wound ANY minion) the choice of using Legolas SON OF THRANDUIL over GREENLEAF or PRINCE OF MIRKWOOD is still not an easy decision. Do I want to give up my directed archery? Do I want to give up my +3 strength bonus against a NAZGUL? Or do I have the control I need over the adventure path in order to maintain 2 points of archery at rivers and forests?
These are all strong choices as far as the variety is concerned. I however would rank this new Legolas second in overall performance – right on the heels of directed archery and slightly above the +3 strength bonus against NAZGULS.
As for the rest of you – how do you feel about Legolas, SON OF THRANDUIL?
Realms of the Elf Lords is upon us! Therefore, I shall begin the CARD OF THE WEEK segment with THE appropriate opening choice:
Card Title: LEGOLAS: Son of Thranduil Type: Companion/Elf Class: ARCHER Statistics: Strength 6/Vitality 3 Twilight Cost: 2
Text: While LEGOLAS is at a river or forest, add 1 to the fellowship archery total.
This is the third installment of the great and powerful elven archer, LEGOLAS. Until now, we have basically had the option of two different strategies revolving around Legolas: Directed archery fire in Legolas GREENLEAF and increased defensive capabilites against the strongest minion class – THE NAZGUL – as seen in Legolas PRINCE OF MIRKWOOD.
Legolas GREENLEAF: combined with ARWEN, Daughter of Elrond; the Fellowship holds a tremendous opening advantage using archery fire in conjunction with Ranger special event cards such as “A Ranger’s Versatility” and ARWEN’S NAZGUL-fighting ability. Since twilight generation is lower in the first 3 sites, there is very little minion oppostion and the directed archery can generally eliminate the current threat before moving along the adventure path from Site 2 to 3. This version of LEGOLAS is the strongest choice so far as either a starting or support companion.
Legolas PRINCE OF MIRKWOOD: the Fellowship also has the advantage of adding 1 to the archery total as well as a companion who becomes a 9 strength, like ARWEN, DoE, against a Nazgul attack. Combined with The Bow of The Galadhrim, Defiance, Double Shot and The Splendor of Their Banners – Legolas P.O.M is just as effective as his original alternate version if you maintained the strategy behind his use. I believe this LEGOLAS is grossly overlooked. With the rise of the Twilight NAZGUL – he is a tremendous asset both as a starting companion or support player.
So, why this third version of LEGOLAS? Is his special ability worth basing an entire new form of strategy behind him? Step back for a moment to look at the even bigger picture behind this version of LEGOLAS: His effectiveness is centered around the very core of any strategy – THE ADVENTURE PATH! Key in winning the game, the ability to maintain and manipulate your opponent at YOUR sites is the greatest advantage in the game – and this is where Legolas SON OF THRANDUIL – I believe will become most effective.
If you look carefully at all of the current sites, 2, 3 and 6-9 all have rivers and forests (and in some cases river/forests). The new Legolas’ ability is basically active 6 out of nine sites when you control your adventure path and therefore adds a natural 2 archery total on those particular sites.
“But it’s not DIRECTED ARCHERY you say.”
When you use Legolas GREENLEAF’S ability to the maximum, it creates a severe vulnerability towards 1) Exhaustion 2) Hate (Sauron’s most effective direct damage card) 3) Relentless Charge (NAZGUL’s archer-only version of HATE) and 4) Bitter Hatred (Moria’s version of HATE against Elves). Anticipating any of these situations will force you to think about exerting a second time which basically reduces your directed archery fire to a total of 1 for the rest of the adventure path.
The ability to ADD 1 to the archery total at 6 out of your 9 sites, without the effects of exhaustion or hinderance, is incredibly powerful – especially when combined with the RANGER event cards like A Ranger’s Versatility, Elven cards such as Release The Angry Flood, or in conjunction with direct damage effects such as Orc-Bane, Hobbit Sword-Play, Bow of the Galadhrim, Blade of Gondor and Power According To His Stature.
I believe his “latent” effectiveness will be during the REGROUP phase. Using his ability as a barometer to determine whether or not to move forward and eliminate “trailing” exhausted minions with a hail of arrows is easier to consider, especially when you are not in fear of succumbing to a direct damage attack which would remove Legolas as both a fighting/defending companion and 1-2 archery points.
Combined with Elven Archer ALLIES Orophin, Rumil and the new Calaglin (who during regroup, you can exert to wound ANY minion) the choice of using Legolas SON OF THRANDUIL over GREENLEAF or PRINCE OF MIRKWOOD is still not an easy decision. Do I want to give up my directed archery? Do I want to give up my +3 strength bonus against a NAZGUL? Or do I have the control I need over the adventure path in order to maintain 2 points of archery at rivers and forests?
These are all strong choices as far as the variety is concerned. I however would rank this new Legolas second in overall performance – right on the heels of directed archery and slightly above the +3 strength bonus against NAZGULS.
As for the rest of you – how do you feel about Legolas, SON OF THRANDUIL?
Ever wonder what happened to our Reviews page? You know, the one where you could go and write your own review of the film and submit it TORN? And then we had to read it through, check it was a real review [i.e you’d spent more than 3 seconds thinking about it and didn’t just rate everything five stars automatically] and OK to post up [i.e. no $@#^*%& words] in which case we posted it.
Well it was more than a nine-day wonder. Six months after the movie came out, we’ve reviewed over 15,000 reviews and posted over 13,000 of them. Despite the limit of 5000 characters, the record so far is 30,000 characters – which is not always a bad thing. We’re running a contest for the best review (and this comment is in no way intended to encourage you to turn out in force to write us some more!) and if there is such a category as “longest review” (no there isn’t, don’t try) the winner is Talimon, whose review you can see here He stands a good chance in the overall-winner stakes according to Arathorn, who’s approved 1000 reviews today and a further 4000 over the past 6 months and who is therefore the Reviews King.
