016-Specifics to Fate

[dirhaval]

What makes FATE what it is


UPDATES:
03/28/2007 v1.00 birth of page
10/12/2007 v1.01 made minor editing changes
08/25/2013 v1.02 made minor changes to denote 40 players



INTRODUCTION
The purpose of FATE brings together the old and new rules, and cards for a unique
gaming experience. It appears to just be an elaborate multi-player game on a grand
scale. There is more to it than that. Three keys are needed to unlock this opportunity
to recreate Tolkien's chronicling of Middle-Earth and to make FATE a gaming
experience like no other.


THREE KEYS
The three keys or concepts to distinguish FATE from other styles are its warlord
phase, victory conditions, and alliances between players. Without these keys, then
there will be no purpose in such a long and complex game. Each player would focus
on his own strategy and interactions between players will be less.


VICTORY CONDITIONS
FATE extends MECCGs conditions of winning. Instead of only marshalling
resources or dunking the One Ring, some players may destroy havens. MECCG
ended at a council or at a moment in a player's pursuit of domination. This method
was limited to a small group of avatars. There were many Powers at the time of
the War of the Ring. FATE gives all of the major avatars a chance to win.

Such a long game will allow players to gather 40+ MPs in 20 turns if MP was the
only goal for players. There has to be another method that uses MP to win. This
method was to allow factions to destroy havens in a short time (less than 5 turns).
FATE is expected to have several major battles between factions. Yet there must be
a balance if the winner is too weak to destroy a haven. This balance is to actually
have a procedure to determine the winner solely based on MP - as in MECCG.
The game has to end sometime.

The victory conditions are so demanding that 20+ turns are required to fulfill the
requirements to win FATE. Without these victory conditions, FATE would quickly
resort to a game that rewards those that can solely acquire the most MP. Alliances
would be useless and the warlord phase would be wasted effort in gathering MP.
The victory condition guide the development in other mechanics of FATE.


WARLORD PHASE
A Ringwraith may during the game be without his Ringwraith character and the
Ringwraith has not been eliminated. This is the Warlord phase. This phase is a small
number of turns which the Lidless Eye has control over the nine Ringwraith
characters. This control allows the forming of large Ringwraith companies to hunt the
Ringbearer. Such a change to the playdecks of the Ringwraith and of the
Necromancer requires a new playdeck. The creations of new playdecks allow two
things: First it allows to showcase a slight variation to a popular hazard theme which
would not have otherwise been seen. Second, to let the Warlords have time to
prepare for the War of the Ring and to directly compete amongst themselves.

Alliances between the Ringwraiths should propel them to acquire the most MP than
any other player. This buffer is a persuasive asset to focus the resource strategy
towards the victory conditions of destroying a haven. The first two decks may not be big
enough to acquire the resources and to prepare for the War. The third deck
or Warlord deck is this preparation. After the Warlord phase, Sauron will quickly
attack havens and win the game. The other minions will be quickly reaching the
victory condition of MP and deck exhaustion. Sauron will have the upper hand since
the Ringwraiths' Warlords gathered factions to just a few sites.

The Warlord phase can only start before the ending of the councils. The phase will end at the ending of the councils. The phase will start either when: The Lidless Eye is played or on the next turn after the first deck has exhausted twice.

This phase also slows the minion marshalling of resources, who otherwise would
far out-pace the Heroes. The gathering of the factions has restrictions of who can
play resources at sites. Competition between Ringwraiths is not tolerable or
realistic, but it is between mortals. Without the Warlord phase, where else would a
Ringwraith company resource strategy and a Nazgûl attack hazard strategy be
played at a tournament setting?

My opinion is that the Ringwraith companies are too strong for a hero to steal the One Ring from a minion. Therefore, this rule will be in place during the Warlord phase: Only a hero player can play the One Ring. Other players must take the ring away from another player. It is possible to not have the Warlord phase; it is optional even after FATE begins.



ALLIANCES
The final key requires teamwork and communication before play. Since the Heroes
and some Minions are allies, complementary play can allow greater power to be
acquire in a shorter time frame. The Wizards are not competing with each other and
the Ringwraiths are not competing with one another. Alliances allow the allies to
decided who gets to play which unique resource and to tailor their hazards to focus
the most pain on their opponents.

It would be foolish for allies to play the same unique resource unless one will use the
resource in the early stages of the game and later the other ally can play or influence
the resource away. Also, allies can be responsible for specific regions and specific
opponent's. Let's say Dwar moves into Gap of Isen. Cirdan is responsible to attack
Dwar, but if Cirdan is unable to strike at Dwar, then Théoden will have the task to
drive away Dwar. Even playing the master stone (Palantír of Osgilith) will give its
user power if his allies play the other palantiri.

Heroes will work together to marshal resources to dunk the Ring and to withhold
sieges from minion factions. Heroes do not have to worry about who gets to be in the
second half of FATE, since the Heroes will have a council to select the eight that will
stay and play. Even resources and characters can be transferred between players at
the end of the councils. This freedom allows greater flexibility and commitment to
strategies which are unrealistic for a regular tournament scene. The hazard opponent
of the players can be set to let all the players face each hazard deck from its
opponent (Heroes vs. Minions). Such a turn sequence requires a minimum of 16
turns for all 40 players.


NEW EXPANSIONS
The blossoming of new expansions gave the push for 40 players. FATE is possible
for just the original MECCG sets. Yet these expansions push the players a little
farther apart for more to be included. More players means more cards. These expansions deliver new sites, factions, characters and players. New expansions are not a key specific for FATE, but they will enhance the play of the original Wizards and Ringwraith resource strategies.

The victory conditions, a warlord phase and alliances make FATE what it is.
The new expansions provide FATE to be the most it can be.