Cool Play Tournament - Rules Discussion [Lure XI]

[zirilan]

Cool Play Tournament Rules Discussion

Playtests have shown that some Cool Plays are to hard to achieve, the list of banned cards is not complet, and the Cool Play Scenarios are not balanced yet. This discussion is meant to fix this problems so that the Cool Play Tournament at Lure XI will be even more fun for all participants.


Cool Play Scenarios

To balance the Cool Play Scenarios in a first step we need to rate them on a scale from 0 till 10 points. Where 0 equals very hard to fullfill and 10 equals very easy to do.

• H1) Gondor Has no King, Gondor Needs no King (2) - very easy scenario: 10 points
• H2) Guzzler under the Mountain (2) - very easy scenario: 9 points
• H3) Samwise the Strong (2) - normal scenario: 6 points
• H4) Womenpower (3) - very hard scenario: 3 points
• H5) Drinking Power in Middle-earth (2) - normal scenario: 5 points
• H6) Everlasting Friendship (2) - normal scenario: 6 points
• H7) The Elven Warriorprincess (3) - very hard scenario: 2 points
• H8) Neither Resting nor Rosting (3) - normal scenario: 5 points
• H9) Over the Top of the World (2) - normal scenario: 6 points
• H10) Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria (1) - easy scenario: 8 points
• H11) Glorfindel's Fame (2) - hard scenario: 4 points
• H12) Gandalf the Doltish (2) - normal scenario: 6 points
• H13) Alatar on the Hunt (2) - easy scenario: 8 points
• H14) Pallando the Easterling (1) - very easy scenario: 10 points
• H15) Saruman Chastened (2) - normal scenario: 7 points
• H16) Radagast the Fool (1) - very easy scenario: 10 points

Some of the scenarios are rewarded with too many points while other hard scenarios score to less points. An adjustment of Tournament Point value would be wise.


Cool Play Points

There are a lot of Cool Play Points available. Most of them are fine as they are but some might need an adjustment too. The following list of Cool Plays should be discussed:

• Faramir uses at least 2x Deadly Dart (1 CP) - new*: Faramir uses Deadly Dart (2 CP)
• Fram Framson kills a manifestation of Scatha (1 CP) - new*: Fram Framson kills a unique Dragon, if he kills Scatha +1 (1 CP + (1 CP))
• Legolas wanders the Paths of the Dead (1 CP) - new*: Legolas wanders the Paths of the Dead while moveing from Dunharrow to Vale of Erech (1 CP)
• Gothmog attacks in Anórien or Minas Tirith (1 CP) - new*: Gothomg attacks in Anórien or Minas Tirith (2 CP)
• Knights of the Prince attack in Belfalas or a site in Belfalas (1 CP) - new*: -delete-
• Knights of the Prince attack in Anórien or a site in Anórien (1 CP) - new*: Knights of the Prince attack in Anórien or Belfalas or sites in those regions (1 CP)

Banned Cards

It is not cool to tap opponents sites or get rid of opponents key characters other then via fighting (or corrupting characters like Saruman / Denethor). Therefor some cards are banned in the Cool Play Tournament:

• Call of Home
• Cracks of Doom
• Gollum's Fate
• Long Winter
• Muster Disperses
• Stench of Mordor
• Unhappy Blows
• Pilfer Anything Unwatched

What should be done with cards like:

• Beorning Skin-changers
• River
• News of Doom
• Snowstorm
• Tookish Blood
• Khamûl the Eastlings ability
• Enchanted Stream
• Early Harvest

[Shapeshifter]

I would rate some of the scenarios a bit different. I put them in an order from easy to hard. Additionally I made some new suggestions for the tournament points certain scenarios should give. I also tried to put into account how much effort one would spend to fulfill the scenario, e.g. number of resources or number of turns.

1) Pallando the Easterling (1) - very easy scenario: 10 points
2) Radagast the Fool (1) - very easy scenario: 10 points
3) Gondor Has no King, Gondor Needs no King (1) - very easy scenario: 10 points
4) Alatar on the Hunt (1) - easy scenario: 8 points
5) Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria (1) - easy scenario: 8 points
6) Saruman Chastened (2) - normal scenario: 7 points
7) Everlasting Friendship (2) - normal scenario: 6 points
Guzzler under the Mountain (2) - normal scenario: 6 points
9) Neither Resting nor Rosting (2) - normal scenario: 6 points
10) Samwise the Strong (2) - normal scenario: 6 points
11) Gandalf the Doltish (2) - normal scenario: 5 points
12) Drinking Power in Middle-earth (2) - normal scenario: 5 points
13) The Elven Warriorprincess (3) - very hard scenario: 4 points
14) Over the Top of the World (3) - normal scenario: 4 points
15) Womenpower (3) - very hard scenario: 3 points
16) Glorfindel's Fame (4) - hard scenario: 1 point

I think the Glorfindel scenario is extremely hard. Because you are very likely supposed to play Out of the Black Sky, this means you must play Doors of Night. OotBS chooses defending characters. This means again that Glorfindel must either travel alone or you play cards like More Senses than You or Cloudless Day (in addition with Crown of Flowers). If you travel alone, Deadly Dart or Black Arrow is not really an option for reducing the Nazgûls bodies. Unfortunately Old Thrush doesn't work against Nazgûl. In any case you would like to play Aiglos (reduces strikes body by -2) in order to have a slight chance to kill a Nazgûl. All in all if you manage to overcome these obstacles you would still need to roll 3 times very high (usually about 8 or 9) to defeat a Nazgûl. This is why I think the scenario is worth 4 TP.

[zirilan]

8) Guzzler under the Mountain (2) - normal scenario: 6 points

A Chance Meeting + Bombur after the Dragon was slain by Sacrifice of Form makes the scenario easy.
We should eighter make the scenario the way you have to play Bombur in your starting company or reduce the Cool Play Tournament Points for this scenario.

16) Glorfindel's Fame (4) - hard scenario: 1 point

This is a really tough scenario. We should reduce the amount of Nazgûls that have to be slain from three down to two.
Also we need to reword the rule, that you have to play at least one creature on a moveing company as creature not as permanent-event. That way you will more likely run into Nazgûls without Out of the Black Sky and will be rewarded with the Marshalling Points of the Nazgûl.
3 Cool Play Tournament Points would fit for the scenario if the named rule/scenario adjustments are made.

3) Gondor Has no King, Gondor Needs no King (1) - very easy scenario: 10 points

ok

4) Alatar on the Hunt (1) - easy scenario: 8 points

ok

9) Neither Resting nor Rosting (2) - normal scenario: 6 points

ok