Only Nine Nazgul?

[Gormonghast]

I understand the rules about shadow armies always returning to the reinforcements pile, but should this also apply to the Nazgul?
Since there were only nine Nazgul in the book, I suggest that no more may be used in any game, i.e. each Nazgul is returned to the box when eliminated.
I haven't played enough games to know how much this will effect the SP, perhaps to balance the game some leaders can be introduced for the non-Sauron Shadow nations.

[Veldrin]

If you count your Nazgûl figures you will find that there are eight of them and then you add the Witch-King for the final and ninth one.

In the book the Nazgûl where defeated at the ford at Rivendell but they survived since they can only be killed if the One Ring is destroyed.

This is what the Shaodw's ability to re-muster the Nazgûl in the game symbolizes. Even if they are driven off when an army they lead is destroyed they are not killed since they are not living nor dead and are only destroyed if the One Ring is destroyed.

The fact that the Witch-King is permanently dead is since in the book he is destroyed by Eowyn and Merry wielding a sword of Westernesse.

[glow=green,2,300]Veldrin[/glow]

[Skanvak]

Therefore shouldn't we design an house rule that make the Witch king return if killed by an army which does not include the proper heroes/ability?
Like any Rohirrim or North men army shouldn't be able to dispel it.
Of course the die will be lost until the Witch king is return in play.
hmmm...

[steveowen]

As the witch king is already the most powerful piece in the game I think allowing him to return would unbalance things too much - make an interesting house rule though.

[deadeyethingy]

After having my single play experience - and fully (and finally!) examining the game - I think the thematic resurrection of the Nazgul and NOT the Witch King is a good choice. It keeps the thematic content - stays true to the overall narrative - and does so with balance in terms of gameplay.

[Gormonghast]

I'm still confused. If the Witch King is special because he cannot be slain by mortal man, it surely follows that the other eight Nazgul CAN be so destroyed, making their "infinite resurrection" ability all the stranger.
Anyhow, I'm going to experiment with some new Minion characters:
The Chief of the Haradrim,
The King of the Easterlings,
and of course
Gormonghast, Great Goblin of Gundabad.

With Saruman for Isengard, and The Mouth of Sauron for Mordor, this gives each of my five Shadow nations their own leader exclusive of the nine Nazgul.

[deadeyethingy]

Gormonghast,

I think the idea for their reappearance is that they are bound to the One Ring - and until that is destroyed, they cannot be destroyed (without some powerful magic - i.e. a blade of Westernesse origin as per what weakened/killed the Witch King). Which explains how they could have survived being swept away by the Elvish Flood that Glorfindel (?) awakened.

[cheup]

i also feel, like the witch king should not be so easily killed.
in my opinion, he should only be killed by playing proper cards (something like: "a sword of westernesse" or "the strength of a woman" both playable in any fight including the witchking, which either kills him at once or let him not come back after killing him in a real combat).
this leads me to another question. are there blank cards included in the game??

[Gormonghast]

No blank cards I'm afraid.

I'm thinking maybe each Ringwraith could start as a black rider with a rating of say 4. They are only promoted to a full blown Nazgul after being eliminated.

[Malacandra]

deadeyethingy said:

Gormonghast,

I think the idea for their reappearance is that they are bound to the One Ring - and until that is destroyed, they cannot be destroyed (without some powerful magic - i.e. a blade of Westernesse origin as per what weakened/killed the Witch King). Which explains how they could have survived being swept away by the Elvish Flood that Glorfindel (?) awakened.

A High-Elf should know better... it was Elrond who raised the flood, although Glorfindel - "an Elf-lord revealed in his wrath" - panicked them into it. (He had spent some time in the Blessed Realm, apparently, and so in some ways would be even more macho than Elrond himself.)

[deadeyethingy]

In my defense... I was not a High-Elf at the time I posted that (I think that came at post 100) AND, it's been at least 10 years since I've read the book

Thanks for keeping an old elf on his toes.

[Malacandra]

I'm a pedant. It's what I do.

I re-read it last year, out loud, as a bedtime story for my wife (not that she's illiterate, but she likes to be read to) and so I can truthfully claim to have read *every* *single* *word*. And I'm sure there are plenty of movie-watchers who would have thought it was Arwen, anyway.

Off to try and shake off this "Orc" label now...!!!