The Black Riders are back for more!

The Two Towers set brought more horses to the Fellowship, giving the Free Peoples player more minion wounding power. But what about having mounted minions? Prior to The Battle of Helm's Deep expansion, the only culture that uses mounts is the Ringwraith.

We all remember these black riders galloping out of the Morgul Gates, racing Arwen on Asfaloth and being swept away in the Ford of Bruinen in the Fellowship of the Ring. Clearly, the stallions weren't meant for water - their strength is on flat, solid land. Therein lies the key to the newfound popularity of the Black Steed - while the Ringwraiths have not seen fresh cards since the Realms of the Elf-lords expansion, many new plains sites give them even more killing power early in the game.

As it's text makes clear, the Black Steed gets its maximum power from plains sites and in the Fellowship block, only two site 2's and one site 4 had the plains keyword. Eleven new plains sites, mostly in the first half of the adventure path, make the Ringwraiths harder to stop than ever before.

Starting of with the first minion site, Uruk Camp is a plain that also benefit's your fellowship against Uruk-Hai; Wold of Rohan offers a built-in ambush capability for every minion; Plains of Rohan Camp will allow your fellowship to heal if needed, and encourage your opponent to stop to heal if you can damage them enough. Then comes site 3 with Westemnet Plains, site 4 with Westemnet Hills and site 5 Deep of Helm. Finally, in the Battle of Helm's Deep expansion a new site 8, Nan Curunir, will give your mounted minions wound prevention.

We all know how hard it can be to deal with a fierce Nazgûal is strength 12 and vitality 3. Now, for one extra twilight, your black rider is a fierce strength 16 - almost unstoppable! With no more rivers in sight, the steeds are safe, dry and will help you make short work of your opponent's companions.

by Pascal Lajoie

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