Lord of the Rings LCG: The Steward's Fear

If you are looking into this item probably you already own the core game and you are looking for some additional quests, heroes or deck cards.The one Hero that comes in this expansion pack is tricky to use, http://boardgamegeek.com/image/1660140/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game-the-stewards, he's resources are used to summon "outland" cards from any sphere. Don't worry, this also come in this expansion. Outland allies become pretty powerful the more of them you have (http://boardgamegeek.com/image/1660141/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game-the-stewards), for example they gain +damage for every other outland ally you have, etc.I don't use any of the above. So why do I still rate this add-on with 5 stars? it is pretty simple, the quest is one of my favorites so far (i have around 10 small expansions, and the 4 big ones). You get to solve a corruption case in minas tirith. In the main deck (evil one, I dont remember the proper name) you dont get any enemies, which is fair since you are in an allied city. But every location reveals cards from another deck (this one only has enemies in it) and suddenly you get the feeling you are getting closer to revealing the plot and the main arch-villian of the quest. For this two, you get to pick one of three possibles results (so every time it feels differently).In summery, I do find this expansion pack worth it just for the quest. If you want a little diversity in your deck and like to have a ton of allies in play you might also like the hero and the cards in it.

The Outlands trait is a wonderful addition to the card pool as it allows the casual LOTR fan access to a simple deck-build that gives the novice player a sporting chance against many of the quests in this Living Card Game. While not as much for for anyone who loves the deck-building aspect of a LCG, the Outlands deck is a great way to introduce friends to the game or help make the game more fun for the less-experienced player. While not completely contained in this one AP, the Steward's Fear does provide all of the necessary cards for the Outlands deck to function. Well done, Fantasy Flight.Even if you don't anticipate playing the Outlands deck yourself, this AP still provides an amazing attachment (Gondorian Shield) and a powerful lore event (Mithrandir's Advice).Also, I absolutely love this quest as you would have to play it many many times to have the same thematic experience. Great design and great replayability factor.

As always, Fantasy Flight ships a well packed box and the item is as expected. They earn their reviews.

The Steward's Fear is the first Adventure Pack (AP) from the Against the Shadow cycle, and introduces players to a new hero, a host of player cards, and a quest that is the start of what looks to be a sweeping narrative through the land of Gondor. The new hero in this AP is Hirluin the Fair, who has the Outlands trait (what I would call a generic term for the smaller fiefdoms in outer Gondor), and whose ability enables him to play any Outlands ally of any sphere from his resource pool. Statistically he is very weak, but when the Outlands allies come into play, of which there are 4 in this AP, he and them gain strength. Each ally has the ability to increase attack, willpower, defense, and hit points to all Outlands characters you control, and are a fairly inexpensive. If you are interested in learning more about these allies, there are videos on boardgamegeek that show how powerful this new trait is. The rest of the player cards almost pale in comparison to the power of the Outlands, but there are still some interesting cards included.The quest itself is somewhat of a mixed bag, in my opinion. At the beginning of the game, you randomly choose one Plot and one Villain (of which there are three of each to choose), and separate the enemy and Clue cards into a separate deck (called the Underworld deck) from the encounter deck, which has all of the treacheries and locations in the quest. You then try to uncover the Plot and Villain by exploring locations, some with the Underworld keyword, which puts a specified number of cards from the Underworld deck facedown. When an Underworld location is explored, that facedown card is then added to the staging area. Most cards are enemies, but if you are lucky, you uncover a Clue, which helps you add progress to locations and the quest. Once you make enough progress, you eventually uncover the Plot, which makes the game even more challenging by increasing your threat, adding more cards during staging, or discarding cards from your deck, and the Villain. What I have found impressive with this quest and with the Heirs of Numenor expansion is how well the encounter deck cards synergize with each other. However, this quest was a bit frustrating, as I found that going from location to location a bit monotonous. I also found that the final showdown with the Villain can be a bit underwhelming.Overall, this gets four stars because of the powerful new player cards. This has been described by some as almost a complete deck in an AP, and a powerful deck at that.NOTE: You need the Heirs of Numenor deluxe expansion to play this quest.

Good for a Gondor deck.

My wife and I have just tried the first scenario - its pretty tough. Nice new cards with new group of allies available.