Gorgoroth region movement rules?

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Bob654
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Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 2:02 pm

From the URD 4.2 (looks like the rule is originally credited to the CRF):
Wizard companies cannot use starter movement to or from sites in Gorgoroth. If using region movement to or from sites in Gorgoroth, they must move from a site in Imlad Morgul, through either Nurn or Udûn, or use a movement enhancer like Ash Mountains or Eagle-mounts. Such sites may be reached normally with Under-deeps movement.
So I get why they would have wanted to eliminate starter movement to get there in one hop from Lorien.
What I don't understand is what the restrictions on region movement are designed to prevent.
Imlad Morgul, Nurn and Udun are the only adjacent regions to Gorgoroth. I have to come "from a site in" Imlad Morgul if I want to go that way, so that would necessitate a stop at a potentially dangerous site, but it says I can just opt to move "through" either Nurn or Udun so it seems like the easiest way is still the backdoor Horse Plains -> Nurn -> Gorgoroth.
And the rule further goes on to say that I can still use a movement enhancing card or Under-deeps movement.

So what is this rule trying to prevent? All I can figure out that it does is make it undesirable to thematically pass through Minas Morgul/Cirith Ungol on the way to Mount Doom.
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Konrad Klar
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Bob654 wrote: Mon May 18, 2020 2:20 pm So what is this rule trying to prevent? All I can figure out that it does is make it undesirable to thematically pass through Minas Morgul/Cirith Ungol on the way to Mount Doom.
It is trying to make a life of Wizard player harder.
It eliminates strategies like the well prepared The One Ring bearers company jumping directly to Mount Doom.
BTW. players menage other way of circumventing this obstacle: testing gold ring at Mount Doom and thus avoiding The Will of Ring etc.
We will not speak of such things even in the morning of the Shire.
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CDavis7M
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Bob654 wrote: Mon May 18, 2020 2:20 pm (looks like the rule is originally credited to the CRF)
The rule is actually an optional rule in the original The Wizards rulesbook.
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The decision to require the use of this rule in tournament play wasn't enacted until late 1997 after the release of ME: The Lidless Eye. Despite tournament wins, Ringwraith players were though to be slower to achieve a winning position compared to Wizard players. My impression is that this was an important factor in making this decision.

The movement is delayed by a turn unless you play other movement enhancers or special movement effects, which would reduce the efficiency of a One Ring Dunk deck merely by their inclusion.

Bob654 wrote: Mon May 18, 2020 2:20 pm All I can figure out that it does is make it undesirable to thematically pass through Minas Morgul/Cirith Ungol on the way to Mount Doom.
Only 3 Nazgul creatures are keyable on a company using Starter Movement from Lorien to Shelob's Lair in Imlad Morgul. And if you are moving through a Shadow-land already, you are not really offering up much more creature playability by moving to a shadow-hold since there is a lot of overlap in creature playability. Still, double wilderness creatures can hit you on the way to Shelob's Lair.

Compare that to moving to a site in Horse Plains from Lorien: 3 Nazgul, 2 Ahunt Dragons (with Doors), double shadow-land creatures, Assassin, and Slayer are playable.
Or moving to Harondor from Edhellond using Starter Movement: First, you actually have to spend another turn moving to Edhellond. Then 4 Nazgul, double wilderness creatures, and Corsairs are playable in addition to Dragons with Dragon's Desolation at the Ruins and Lairs or Assassins and Slayers depending on the site you go to.

Plus, moving through the back opens you up to 3 attacks from Mordor in Arms. I wouldn't say that one is necessarily better than the other though it seems like more people opt to go around the back.
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