Blind and Ire: FW Player vs FW Character

[Bandobras Took]

Forgive the multitude of quotes. There is a reason.

Targets and cancels one hero short-event played by a Fallen-wizard earlier in the same chain of effects. This card can be played at any time and does not count against the hazard limit. Remove this card from the game.

Targets and cancels one minion short-event played by a Fallen-wizard earlier in the same chain of effects. This card can be played at any time and does not count against the hazard limit. Remove this card from the game.

Fallen-wizards may not bring characters with more than 4 mind into play. If a Fallen-wizard has more than 9 stage points, he may not bring characters with more than 3 mind into play. Discard when any play deck is exhausted.

If a player has 15 or fewer cards in his play deck (20 or fewer if a Fallen-wizard), all effects are automatically canceled which allow him to search through or look at any portion of his play deck or discard pile outside of the normal sequence of play. Discard when any play deck is exhausted. Cannot be duplicated.

Fallen-wizard players must use minion site cards for hero Havens . If a Fallen-wizard has more than 4 stage points, his player must also use minion site cards for Free-holds . If a Fallen-wizard has more than 7 stage points, his player must also use minion site cards for Border-holds .

Playable on a character. Any influence check he makes is modified by -1 and any test for a gold ring in his company is modified by -1. If he is a Fallen-wizard, these modifiers are both instead: -4 if his stage points (SPs) exceed 14, -3 if his SPs exceed 9, -2 if his SPs exceed 4, -1 is his SPs exceed 0 (use the first modifier that applies). Cannot be duplicated on a given character. Discard when any play deck is exhausted.

Playable on a Fallen-wizard at a Wizardhaven . Your opponent must choose to either: discard from play enough stage cards (of his choice) to reduce his stage point total below 7 or to receive 4 stage points. Cannot be duplicated on a given Fallen-wizard.

The hazards of the White Hand set come primarily in two types: those that affect a Fallen Wizard player and those that affect a Fallen Wizard character. Examples of the former include Heart Grown Cold and Flotsam and Jetsam. Examples of the latter are Will You Not Come Down? and Something Else At Work.

I think Blind and Ire also belong in the latter category. They cancel short events played by a Fallen Wizard. The most common example I can think of is sending Firiel to the Deep Mines with Deeper Shadow.

The FW has not played the short event. Firiel has played the short event.

The distinction is also illustrated by Inner Rot

Corruption. Playable on a Wizard or a Fallen-wizard. He receives 1 corruption point (CP). If he is a Fallen-wizard, he receives 2 stage points and the CPs received are instead: 4 CPs if his stage points (SPs) exceed 18, 3 CPs if his SPs exceed 11, 2 CPs if his SPs exceed 5, 1 CP if his SPs exceed 0 (use the first that applies). The target makes a corruption check whenever his controlling player plays a stage card. Cannot be duplicated on a given character. During his organization phase, target may tap to attempt to remove this card. Make a rollÑif this result is greater than 6, discard this card.

The target is the Fallen Wizard; the controlling player is treated as a different entity.

Is there any good reason for not saying Blind and Ire may only be played on short events actually played by the Fallen Wizard?

[Alter Tuk]

I think there is a difference between a Fallen-Wizard character and a Fallen-Wizard player (= a player who uses a Fallen-Wizard as avatar).

The avatar represents the players alter-ego in this game. So anything is played by a Fallen-wizard, who is the player.

In Middle-earth: The Wizards, you play one of these five Wizards.

[Bruce]

Well, technically, playing a card is the act of physically placing the card from the player's hand on the table. Such an action can only be carried out by a player, not by the characters on the table. Therefore, events are always considered to be played by a player (either Fallen Wizard or not), and they can be played on a character whether a certain skill is required to play the card (e.g. scout skill for Concealment, or shadow-magic-using character for Deeper Shadow), while other events are not played on any character, e.g. Smoke Rings, Dark Tryst...

The text of Deeper Shadow actually says

Magic. Shadow-magic. Playable during the movement/hazard phase on a moving shadow-magic-using character

(bold is mine)

Then the text "played by a Fallen-wizard earlier in the same chain of effects" or "played by a Fallen-wizard player earlier in the same chain of effects" are to be considered perfectly equivalent: the further specification of a Fallen Wizard player is IMO merely redundant. That's why Ire can cancel Deeper Shadow played on Firiel by a Fallen Wizard (player), as well as a Dark Tryst played by a Fallen Wizard (player) and so on.

[Bandobras Took]

Well, technically, playing a card is the act of physically placing the card from the player's on the table. Such an action can only be carried on by a player, not by the characters on the table. Therefore, events are always considered to be played by a player (either Fallen Wizard or not), and they can be played on a character whether a certain skill is required to play the card (e.g. scout skill for Concealment, or shadow-magic-using character for Deeper Shadow), while other events are not played on any character, e.g. Smoke Rings, Dark Tryst . . .

That makes a great deal of sense. Thanks.