The Countdown Collection and Legends Masterworks series consisted of visually stunning alternate-template cards released by Decipher in an artistic reinterpretation of the look of each culture. Sometimes it was strictly creative, and in other cases it was a chance to explore an alternate aspect of the culture, such as how the Gondor culture went from Minas Tirith colors to Dúnedain colors.
(More information on the Wiki articles for the Countdown Collection and Legends Masterworks, respectively.)
Unfortunately, for one reason or another, Decipher never produced alternate Masterwork templates for many cultures, including Dunland, Gollum, Isengard, Raider, Sauron, or Shire.
The Player’s Council is excited to announce that we will be taking steps to correct this oversight, beginning with the creation of an alternate Shire Masterwork template.
The Shire is often associated with green and growing things and the pastoral life, which the original Decipher template explores through use of the color green and a texture that evokes painted wood grain.
Our Masterwork template takes more of a tavern feel, reminding the viewer of the Green Dragon Inn and the community our Hobbit heroes called home at both the beginning and end of their journey. Deep browns accented with black iron evoke the image of barrels–of ale, or perhaps more leafy vices.
The culture symbol has been written in black; not a black of corruption or evil but of ink, representative of how Bilbo, Frodo, and later Sam were tasked with recording the adventures that had changed their world so. For although their quests journeyed out into the world at large, ultimately it was to return home, to simple comforts and peaceful things.
The Player’s Council will be utilizing this template as it has utilized other Masterwork templates, as alternate-image rewards for PC events on Gemp and elsewhere. Look forward to this month’s Weekend League for our first prize showing using this template–and look out in the future for more cultures given this treatment!
If you have any feedback on the template, or if you are yourself an artist interested in joining this project, we would encourage you to reach out to us on the PC Discord here.
The White Council 