Review Summary: A flexible threat-reduction card adding utility for hobbit decks that use spirit

This is a strong threat-reduction card for hobbit decks, allowing them some flexibility in questing with bonus threat-reduction. The card operates best in hobbit decks where all the characters will be committed to the quest, which tends to occur in spirit-based variants. (Note that the card operates on characters, not just heroes; consequently, your hobbit allies can also be removed from questing to reduce your threat.) The ability to ready characters and remove them from the quest can be a useful reaction in situations where the cards from the encounter deck cause problems. Alternatively, it can be used for straight threat-reduction by committing all your hobbits to the quest and then removing them all (not recommended unless another player can contribute the necessary willpower to succeed at the quest).

In a standard hobbit deck using three heroes and a smattering of hobbit allies, this card can allow you to ready enough characters to remove three to five threat. In hobbit decks that use an additional campaign hero (e.g., Frodo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins) it can remove an additional threat. The resource cost is low relative to the amount of threat reduction so it is cost-effective (but less so than The Shirefolk, which is the main powerhouse threat-reduction in a hobbit deck). In order to get maximum value from the card, you need to be able to use your hobbit characters effectively for an alternative purpose after you ready them and remove them from the quest. This can be a challenge in hobbit decks but it may be feasible if you can augment your heroes with some good attachments. Overall, this is a reasonable hobbit card, giving solid threat-reduction and some reactive flexibility in cases where the encounter deck throws up nasty surprises.