Followed

Followed helped Trap decks and especially thematic ones using Rangers with their ability to quest. The requirement for the enemy to be engaged first syngerizes very well in particular with Dunedain. Outside those decks, it isn’t a card that can just be thrown into a deck. Likely a deck will need a good defender with action advantage or attack cancelation to keep them enemy engaged. Also shadows from the enemy or other negative effects due to scenario rules can be a concern. Still it’s a good and interesting card to build around. Staging area threat reduction in Tactics with it’s generally Low willpower characters shouldn’t be underestimated.

Background and Card Theme

There’s not much to go on for any lore connection on this card. There’s no flavor text. The art seems to just be an orc or goblin in the woods with a clear trail behind. I tend to think of it as the rangers following threats back to their camp or lair so they can eliminate them. This fits given the Ranger and Trap synergy in the game, but the books don’t have a scene that fits with that.

The card could describe Three Hunters portion of the Two Towers. In particular, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas tracking the Uruk-hai that eventually leads to them learning of the threat of Saruman’s betrayal. There is also an argument that by following the Uruk-hai that took Merry and Pippin, they made it helped seem to Sauron that one of them had The One Ring. Thus, helped Frodo and Sam in their quest by drawing his gaze away. In addition, the Three Hunters ultimately help save Rohan and reduce the threat of a two pronged assault on Gondor.

That said, I think the Rangers following threats and eliminating them is the intended theme. Aside from the Trap synergy, many of the other staging area threat reduction cards are themed around the scouting and knowledge of the land that both the rangers of the north and Ithillien would use against invaders. Many of these cards like Secret Paths, Familiar Lands, Explore Secret Ways, Guarded Ceaselessly, and Spirit Aragorn hero reduced staging area threat from locations. There are a couple others with this theme that targeted enemies in Secret Vigil and Argalad, a scout traited hero.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Other Traps

Emyn Arnen Ranger

Dunedain

The Dunedain archetype has several cards that get additional bonuses for the number of enemies engaged with them. One weakness of building purely Dunedain is willpower. All the Dunedain heroes start with 2 willpower at most. Followed reducing staging area threat allowing the Dunedain can quest better and boost the stats of Guardian of Arnor, Fornost Bowman, and Warden of Annuminas is great. Dunedain Hunter’s cost of putting an enemy engaged with the player from the top 5 encounter cards gives player more control over what enemy is trapped by Followed. It even can set up an immediate Forest Snare.

Wait No Longer

Shadow Control

I mentioned a few times, a drawback to keeping an enemy engaged is having to deal with the shadow effects. Besides attack cancelation effects like Forest Snare, another way to mitigate this is with repeatable ways to cancel, discard, or look at shadows. Prime among the shadow discard options is Armored Destrier. It not only discards the shadow card of the Followed enemy but can ready your defender counteracting the action disadvantage. A Burning Brand, Erkenbrand, Balin, Jubayr, and Gandalf’s Staff all also offers repeatable shadow cancelation/discard. Cards like Silver Lamp and Dark Knowledge that let the player see a shadow aren’t as helpful but at least offer some foreknowledge to let the player decide how best to defend.

Quest Specific Limitations

There are a few quests where Followed’s effect is very limited because keeping enemies engaged will keep the player(s) from beating the scenario. Escape from Umbar and Passage of the Marshes are prime examples as each have a stage that either can’t be defeated or can’t have progress placed on it while an enemy is engaged. Passage of the Marshes also features several enemies that prevent threat reduction while engaged making Followed a greater detriment.

Any quest with the Archery keyword also makes Followed more of a liability. Taking direct damage each turn is not worth the willpower boost. Quests with archery already require some healing or damage cancelation. The additional deck space to offset keeping an enemy with archery in play every turn isn’t worth the additional willpower in most cases.

Ring Rating

Card Talk uses the highly scientific yet arbitrary scale of 1 ring for the card to rule them all to 10 to be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

I rate Followed at 6 rings. It’s a good card especially in trap focused deck. Getting a form of questing power in Tactics for 1 resource is a great value considering most Tactics cards it takes 2 resources for 1 willpower and 3 for 2 willpower. That said, it is still a trap and there enemy immunities and specific scenarios where this just wont’ work. It also isn’t very reliable being able to trap the preferred enemy into it without some building around it. When it does work, it can provide great value. Especially when paired with other traps and the Emyn Arnen Ranger. It’s good but it’s a more niche card

• Dave – 8
• Grant – 5
• Ted – 7
• Matt – 6
• Average – 6.5

External Links

• Hall of Beorn
• Ringsdb

Sample Decks

Dunedain Set a Trap at the Battle of Carn Dum by Matt Kell

A Dunedain and Trap deck based on Seastan’s Dunedain Trappers but updated and tuned for Battle of Carn Dum. It takes some set up to get going. Once some enemies are trapped, Aragorn has Spirit icon, and Amarthuil has Blood of Numenor to become a very strong defender, it snowballs to victory. Threat management is key to running the deck to buy that time to build up.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Amarthiúl (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
Aragorn (The Watcher in the Water)
Damrod (The Land of Shadow)

Ally (19)
3x Emyn Arnen Ranger (The Crossings of Poros)
2x Fornost Bowman (The Dread Realm)
3x Galadriel (The Road Darkens)
3x Guardian of Arnor (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
3x Master of the Forge (Shadow and Flame)
3x Northern Tracker (Core Set)
2x Sarn Ford Sentry (The Lost Realm)

Attachment (25)
3x Armored Destrier (Temple of the Deceived)
2x Blood of Númenor (Heirs of Númenor)
2x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
3x Entangling Nets (Temple of the Deceived)
2x Favor of the Valar (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
3x Followed (The Crossings of Poros)
3x Forest Snare (Core Set)
2x Heir of Valandil (The Lost Realm)
3x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)
2x Sword that was Broken (The Watcher in the Water)

Event (6)
3x A Test of Will (Core Set)
3x Feint (Core Set)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The Crossings of Poros

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.