This weekend is the 2-month anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: Living Card Game’s Early Access Release! We wanted to take this moment to thank all the players that have joined us since launch. The past 2 months have flown by, but we’ve made big changes in that time in order to make The Lord of the Rings: Living Card Game the best it can be. But we’re not done yet. This week was busy, and November is shaping up to be a big month for us, as well. So let’s jump right in!
Tuesday’s Changes
To get ready for the upcoming economy change, we made some adjustments on Tuesday.
Hero Packs
On Tuesday’s update, we opened the Hero Packs up to everyone, free of charge. They were automatically added to all players’ collection, regardless of Founder’s Pack level or previous unlocks.
If you had already unlocked one or more Hero Packs, you received 4000 VP for each pack unlocked. Additionally, if you unlocked extra copies of the cards in the Hero Packs, you received Valor equal to those cards’ Valor cost.
These reimbursements came in waves, so if some seems to be missing, try relaunching the game; they should appear in your collection. If not, please file a Helpshift and let us know so we can help you out: https://asmodee.helpshift.com/a/asmodee-net/
Please include your PlayerID in your request.
The Palantìr
The Palantìr has been removed for the game. You can read more about this decision here.
If you didn’t have the chance to spend your Palantìr Views, we’re going to convert unspent Palantìr Views to 500 VP each starting next week. Thank you in advance for your patience during this transition.
Founder’s Pack Updates
So, how will these changes affect the existing Founder’s Packs? You can read the details here, but here’s a quick summary:
Each pack is getting a new exclusive card back.
Follow the link above for a sneak peek at these new card backs.
Everyone received their original Valor amount as an additional gift.
This didn’t affect existing Valor unlocks or amounts; it was just added on top of players’ current collection.
The Steward Pack and the Istari Pack are getting exclusive alt-arts of Hero Cards!
The Steward Pack is getting alt-art versions of Tom Took and Aragorn, and the Istari Pack is getting alts of Arwen and Gimli. This was a highly requested cosmetic item. If they’re popular, we’ll add more in the future, too.
The Istari Pack also gets the first upcoming expansion, The Shadow’s Fall, for no additional charge.
Expansions include new Quests, new Hero Packs, and more.
The Mithril Bundle gets all the above contents and some additional gifts.
Those gifts include 4 additional alt-art Heroes (one for each of the current Hero Packs) and Expansion 2, The Witch King’s Grasp, for no charge.
Scoring Update
This week, we implemented a wave of changes to scoring to make the system more robust, generous, and easier to understand. After you’ve completed a Quest, you’ll see a summary of your performance along with your score.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1546692751
During Early Access, we’ll keep tuning scoring, so we’ll need your feedback!
Guard Update
A minor mechanical update: Cards that Exhaust characters (i.e. Sudden Riposte, Thick Webs, etc.) now remove Guard, as well. We did this to give Spirit and Lore new ways to deal with Guard enemies and to give Sauron some options against Guard Allies. Mablung just got a serious power boost!
The Vault
The Vault is a new menu taking the place of the Palantìr. In it, you’ll find Hero Packs and Valor cards. Check out this thread for a quick tour of the new menus.
If you have greyed-out Hero Pack cards in your collection, head over to the Vault and open your packs. Once you do, those cards will be added to your deck builder—no unlock required. You just have to open your packs to get the cards!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1547060121
In the Valor Vault you can find all the Valor cards available for unlock. Once you have both copies of a Valor card, it’ll no longer appear in the Vault. You can find all your unlocked cards in the Decks menu. Let us know what you think of these changes!
Talking Co-Op
On Thursday’s stream, we hosted a brief Q&A about the upcoming co-op feature. Check it out to hear some of our plans for co-op, coming to LOTR: LCG by full release! Twitch.tv/ffigames
After you’ve watched the stream, join the discussion on the forums.
New Valor Cards and the First Encounter
13 all-new Valor Cards are coming next month! You’ll be able to add these cards to your collection using your Valor points. New cards on the horizon means that spoiler season is starting soon, so keep a lookout for previews of the incoming cards.
Additionally, the first Encounter is coming in November, too. Titled The King of Carrion, this Encounter is a new stand-alone Quest available free for all players. We’ll preview The King of Carrion on stream before its release, so stay tuned.
Known bugs and Upcoming Fixes
Challenges Not Tracking
Users were reporting that certain daily challenges were failing to track. We have a fix ready to deploy that will go live on Monday.
Sting in the Valor Vault
Some users had noticed that Sting was appearing in the Valor Vault, but couldn’t be unlocked. This is because Sting is intended as the first new card reward. The first time a player completes a Campaign or Encounter, they’ll be rewarded with a new card added to their collection. Sting is intended as the retroactive reward for Campaign 1, The Shadow’s Reach.
Due to an unforeseen bug, Sting showed up in the Valor Vault, but users cannot unlock it. We’re working to get this fixed as a two-step process—first, Sting will be removed from the Vault, and second, Sting will be awarded to players who have completed the campaign.
Multiple Starter Decks
Some users have reported that they have multiple starter decks in their collection. If this happens to you, let us know on Helpshift and we’ll get it sorted right away.
Phew! That’s a lot, but never fear; we didn’t forget your weekly decklist!
User Ear-a-corn put together this humans-only deck as a self-imposed challenge and was surprised to find it was rather competitive, scoring a perfect 275 on four Quests. Give it a shot!
Deck: Oh, the Humanity!
Heroes
Aragorn
Éowyn
Faramir
Ally (14)
2x Erkenbrand
2x Escort from Edoras
2x Guard of the Citadel
2x Ithilien Lookout
2x Rhovanion Outrider
2x Rohirrim Lancer
2x Warden of Annúminas
Attachment (8)
2x Gondorian Shield
2x Ranger's Blade
2x Self-Preservation
2x Unexpected Courage
Event (8)
2x A Watchful Peace
2x Beorn's Hospitality
2x Gaining Strength
2x Lembas
Thanks everyone! It’s been a busy week and eventful two months. We’re grateful for everyone who has joined us on this ride, and we can’t wait to show you what we have in store for the rest of Early Access and beyond.
Have a great weekend,
FFI