Movie Block X-List Question

[ket_the_jet]

I mentioned this in: http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,1053.15.html, but I wanted to make sure it was in the right place.

Why is Sting (1R313) banned but Glamdring (1R75) is not? The only reason I could assume is because Sting costs and paired with Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer, you have a free sword that could remove up to four twilight each Fellowship or Regroup, per exertion.

However, Glamdring does not have a limit to the amount of twilight it can remove. It costs to play, sure, but I still don't get the discrepancy.
-wtk

[menace64]

Up until Reflections (and with exception to Sam), Frodo was any FP player's only choice regarding the Ring-bearer. Since you always played with Frodo, you could always play with Sting. That was deemed too splashy, and - correctly enough - affected too many Shadow strategies.

Glamdring, on the other hand, requires Gandalf, which isn't a companion that is run in every deck.

[ket_the_jet]

Up until Reflections (and with exception to Sam), Frodo was any FP player's only choice regarding the Ring-bearer. Since you always played with Frodo, you could always play with Sting. That was deemed too splashy, and - correctly enough - affected too many Shadow strategies.

Glamdring, on the other hand, requires Gandalf, which isn't a companion that is run in every deck.

Well, now that Reflections has come out and is included as part of Movie Block, why not "un-ban" Sting for Movie Block?

I mean, I can understand why Sting was banned. But why not Glamdring as well? I thought that it was banned before Reflections...so...I guess I just have unanswered questions...
-wtk

[Kralik]

Frodo is still quite the common RB.

[ket_the_jet]

Frodo is still quite the common RB.

Yeah, but why not ban Glamdring too? It's clearly the best one in Movie Block...no limit to the twilight removal? Frodo and Gandalf should be the choke-artists of Movie Block with Gandalf, the Gray Pilgrim for bonus cycling.
-wtk

[Zoskan]

Frodo as the RB wouldn't skirmish that often, it's easier to use Sting every turn. Gandalf as a main companion will have to skirmish a lot so you want to be careful how often you choose to exert him. Aslo, there's more card affecting unbound companion; it's easier to mess with Gandalf.  Still, Glamdring remains quite powerful indeed.

[MuadDib85]

Simple... Don't play orcs.

[Elessar's Socks]

It's more than removing twilight, but also getting to look at an opponent's hand. I guess Glamdring just never made waves like Sting did, for reasons others have mentioned, and if it's a question of using Glamdring with a Gandalf Ring-bearer... Bearer of Obligation could sure use the help.

[ket_the_jet]

I am going to go out on a limb and say that Glamdring is more dangerous than Sting. There is no limit to the twilight being removed.

Example Blown Up due to the Rule of 4. Good catch, Hawkeye..
-wtk

[ket_the_jet]

Simple... Don't play orcs.

I literally laughed out loud when I read that. I won't waste my breath with a response because I know you are not serious...
-wtk

[HawkeyeSPF]

I am going to go out on a limb and say that Glamdring is more dangerous than Sting. There is no limit to the twilight being removed. Sure, you're probably not going to use that three times with Gandalf, Mithrandir, but imagine this scenario:

--insert some crazy whacked out combo that is too dependent on your opponent's deck and pure luck to actually work--

Just something to think about.
-wtk

Tell you what - build a player base, hold a 50+ person movie-block tournament, and win said tournament with that deck. Rinse, repeat 4 more times straight, and then we'll talk about the utter broken-ness of Glamdring, ok?

[DáinIronfoot]

I understand why Sting is X-ed and Glamdring is not, for reasons others have already pointed out. But personally, I think the gloves can come off now with Sting, even in Movie Block. You DO have a full range of other RBs available in Movie now, and while they don't have quite the same support they might in post-Movie sets, they are plenty usable in Movie Block. And there are also a lot more Shadow races available to play with than Orcs. Remember, if you run Sting and/or Glamdring, you run the risk of their abilities being useless against potentially every Movie Block culture but and, of course, . Face down a Dunlending swarm or Uruk site control or Nazzies with Sting and Glamdring, and you'll be left wishing you'd packed something like Bane of the Eight Legs and Lightning Brand instead.

Not like there aren't any other powerful twilight removers, anyway. The Gaffer's Pipe comes to mind.

'Course, this is just my take.

[ket_the_jet]

I understand why Sting is X-ed and Glamdring is not, for reasons others have already pointed out. But personally, I think the gloves can come off now with Sting, even in Movie Block.

Thanks for your thoughts, Dain. Have a . And in 15 minutes, have another . I think my biggest deal is that one is banned and the other is not. I think Glamdring is more powerful than Sting, so if Sting is banned, Glamdring should be too.

But I am also someone who thinks fewer cards should be banned (except obvious ones like Mordor Fiend) and Sting should be reinstated.
-wtk

[HawkeyeSPF]

Starting fellowship includes any copy of Gandalf. Saved From The Fire (3twi) to get Sent Back (2twi), New Copy of Gandalf (4twi), (I'm going to add Glamdring here for my first example, another 2twi)

Let's stop here for a moment and collect ourselves. So far, we've got a Fellowship of 4 companions (Frodo, Gandalf, Merry, Pippin), and put at least 11 tokens in the pool. If you exert Gandalf here, you need to hit at least 4 orcs to make it worthwhile.

Now let's say you grab another SFtF instead of Glamdring...

and Saved From the Fire. Saved From the Fire (3twi) to Get Radagast (4twi), new copy of Gandalf (4twi), and Saved From the Fire. Saved From the Fire (3twi) to get Glamdring (2twi), New Copy of Gandalf (4twi), Gandalf's Staff (2twi). By my estimation, you've spent at least 34 twilight (actually its 31 twilight)...now let's say you can exert Gandalf four times (with his Staff) to remove up to 32 of that twilight (you would need your opponent to be holding a hand of nothing but orcs)...plus you have a deck that now heavily favors your Shadow side as you have burnt out 3 copies of Gandalf, 3 copies of Saved From the Fire, and 3 other miscellaneous cards. (not nice to call Radagast a miscellaneous card, don't you think?)

In the end, it doesn't matter anyway, due to the RULE OF 4.

[ket_the_jet]

In the end, it doesn't matter anyway, due to the RULE OF 4.

Good catch. You have me there.

Either way, still think either Glamdring should be X-ed or Sting should not be. And I'm all for bringing Sting back.

Oh, and I like Radagast. But the idea was him or Moment of Respite or any other card that anyone would want. Fireworks, maybe?
-wtk