Sites without "Playable" option

[Vil_Gredin]

Hi all,

I'm trying to get back in the game with less casual play - well, based of better built decks, I mean, for we still play casual and thematic decks with my partner-in-crime.

However, I'm struggling to get the point of including sites that have no playable info nor items on them, such as The White Towers or Pelargir. I have some non-exclusive hypotheses, namely :
• when one wants to cycle without having to take the risk of crossing too many dangerous lands (ie or stuff like )
• when one needs to cycle/draw, has already discarded most of their sites, cannot wait for the deck to empty and does not want to wander from a haven to another.

I'm not super convinced by my hypotheses, so I'd be grateful for your wisdom on this!

[Vil_Gredin]

Many thanks for your answer! Now, I somewhat feel that I should have read more carefully some cards. I do not have the "Men of Lebennin", but probably have one or two palantiri...

[Theo]

Additionally, every site can be used for company vs. company combat, counter influence attempts, or agent movement. Minions also have a few permanent-events that are playable at generic Border-holds that have no other stuff.

[Vil_Gredin]

Thanks for the additionnal precision, this clarifies further.

I must confess that we're still playing without the counter-influence attempts as it seemed a bit complex for our first games, but maybe we should ; and we're still playing limited to METW/METD cards and rules. I should probably dig into these other options and try to find some of the agents cards, but... That might be for the future.

[Vil_Gredin]

I just take this opportunity to ask another dumb question: concerning Gollum. Its second text line read "Tap Gollum if he is at the same non-Haven site as The One Ring; then both Gollum and The One Ring are discarded".

I'm somewhat uncertain of how it works: is it mandatory or not. If it is, then I do not exactly understand how to play Gollum's Fate, that requires the presence of both at Mt Doom.
If it is not, then I assume that it's mostly a counter to a One Ring strategy?

I'm struggling, as optionnal tapping is often worded as "bearer MAY tap to....".

Thanks!

[Konrad Klar]

The text on Gollum is an ability that you can choose to use.

Such notation (statement semicolon statement) is not usual but also is used in text of The Tales of the Hunt.

EDIT: Fixed BBCode

[Vil_Gredin]

Thanks a lot, this makes the card indeed playable. Gollum will meet with a terrible fate, I guess.

[Konrad Klar]

Gollum will meet with a terrible fate, I guess.

Not so terrible. ICE was merciful in this case. Gollum's Fate requires that "One Ring and Gollum are both at Mount Doom during the site phase" but does not affect the Gollum at all.