Elven Mail

It's kind of strange this doesn't provide a defence boost being amour, but the sentinel and extra hit points are always useful. The main question is who to play it on - as things stand Elrond is probably the only character that makes sense (3 defence). Hopefully we will see better targets for this as the cycle progresses.

Elrohir is the best fit assuming of course that elladan is in play.

It can be attached to characters, not just heroes. You could possibly put this on Arwen to help her stay alive. Could save the day if playing Road to Rivendell. Just an observation.

Even Gildor with this and Burning Brand can be really good defender, but it ould take a lot of resources and time to set it up. Or even Elrond (hero)

Silvan Trackers can be great with this and Burning Brand as well. They each heal a point during refresh. They make for great defensive allies.

... I've never read "character" on Burning Brand.  I would have put money on it being "hero".   excellent ideas there.

Now we have Elf-friend who expanded all the posibilities of this Armor.

I'd surely consider Protector of Lorien / Cloak of Lorien on Elrond before considering this. Even a measly +1 Defense is a much more important bonus for a defender than +2 hp. The "sentinel" granting might come in handy in coop games, though. Still, Protector (if draw is abundant) > Cloak > Elven Mail is the way to go for the lord of Rivendell.

I'd surely consider Protector of Lorien / Cloak of Lorien on Elrond before considering this. Even a measly +1 Defense is a much more important bonus for a defender than +2 hp. The "sentinel" granting might come in handy in coop games, though. Still, Protector (if draw is abundant) > Cloak > Elven Mail is the way to go for the lord of Rivendell.

This. ^

I just don't really get this card. 2 hit points and a keyword for 2-cost isn't bad but I don't know who's supposed to benefit from it. It obviously wants to go on a super-defender but there just aren't many super good options in Noldor or Silvan. 

Elrond can be slotted into that spot, but frankly there are usually more valuable things he could be doing. But like @Serazu said, even if you are going to turn him into a super-defender his access to Lore seems to make some combination of Protector of Lorien + card draw (and lets not forget about Noldor-discard synergy here), A Burning Brand and possibly a Dunedain Signal a better option. 

Elrohir seems the best bet because he is designed to be a primary defender and has some built-in readying to make the Sentinel more valuable. Plus, someone is playing Elladan so there's your resource match. But even here...Dunedain Signal will give him Sentinel for half the price in his own sphere. And while 2 hit points are certainly welcome I don't know that they're clutch...and running the brothers means you aren't running other Noldor and Silvan Heroes with more developed synergy. 

Still, the extra hit points do help with Archery so maybe in an Elladan/Elrohir deck it does make sense to play this. 

Also--this shouldn't really be held against the card but I'm not a fan of the art. It just doesn't seem to fit with the design and aesthetic of most of the elves we have. to put it on. 

2 gold is too expensive for what it grants I believe. For Elrond specifically, if I desperately needed the extra hp (which are really not too important for a Lore hero anyway, taking into account the sphere's abundance of healing and it's not everyday when someone stumbles upon an unopposed Striking Tentacle), I'd firstly look at the much more reasonably costed Ring of Barahir, even if it was the only artifact attached on him (not to mention of course that it ups the bonus to +2 coupled with Vilya, which, incidentally, allows him to pay for the Ring). In short: 1 resource for an extra hp is a better deal than 2 for 2 in my book, at least in solo. The sentinel granting, if important, is easily granted to him by his lovely daughter.

As for the artwork, I'm fine with it. We cannot ask for Magali to illustrate every elf in the game and, thankfully, this one is graced with a host of talented artists. Though I have to admit that whenever such a celebrated piece of armor as the legendary elven chain mail (even though this one looks more like a scale mail), a staple in both Tolkien and D&D, comes into discussion, the first image that always comes to mind is the master Todd Lockwood's excellent piece of art:  http://vignette2.wik...=20100801195943

2 gold is too expensive for what it grants I believe. For Elrond specifically, if I desperately needed the extra hp (which are really not too important for a Lore hero anyway, taking into account the sphere's abundance of healing and it's not everyday when someone stumbles upon an unopposed Striking Tentacle), I'd firstly look at the much more reasonably costed Ring of Barahir, even if it was the only artifact attached on him (not to mention of course that it ups the bonus to +2 coupled with Vilya, which, incidentally, allows him to pay for the Ring). In short: 1 resource for an extra hp is a better deal than 2 for 2 in my book, at least in solo. The sentinel granting, if important, is easily granted to him by his lovely daughter.

 

As for the artwork, I'm fine with it. We cannot ask for Magali to illustrate every elf in the game and, thankfully, this one is graced with a host of talented artists. Though I have to admit that whenever such a celebrated piece of armor as the legendary elven chain mail (even though this one looks more like a scale mail), a staple in both Tolkien and D&D, comes into discussion, the first image that always comes to mind is the master Todd Lockwood's excellent piece of art:  http://vignette2.wik...=20100801195943

Don't get me wrong--I don't expect Magali (sadly), I'm just a bigger fan of Jaskolski and Weber's recent work on the elves. Definitely more stylized than Magali, but fit in better for me to the elves as we have them so far. That is all 100% opinion, though, obviously. 

And I completely forgot about Arwen, which is an even better choice for giving Sentinel than Dunedain Signal. 

As mentioned earlier, I think this pairs just fine with Silvan Tracker. Also in a silvan/noldor heavy deck it´s just nice to have a bit of extra life to act as buffer for things like archery or "deal X damage among characters you control"

As mentioned earlier, I think this pairs just fine with Silvan Tracker. Also in a silvan/noldor heavy deck it´s just nice to have a bit of extra life to act as buffer for things like archery or "deal X damage among characters you control"

Like I said in my original post, I do absolutely see its value in a quest with a lot of archery or direct damage. I just feel like unless you're running Elladan/Elrohir there are better options. 

Heck--you mentioned one. Silvan Tracker only costs one more and would give every Silvan on the board a one hit point heal every round. That's a way better way to deal with those "spread x damage among characters you control" or archery effects. 

And of course you can run both...I just don't think that's necessary against most scenarios. But hey, if you are Quest-Building to go up against a specific Encounter Deck then this card may make a lot more sense.  

The trouble with the tracker is that most Silvans - outside of themselves and heroes - only have 1 HP, so the heal is rather useless unless you have bonus HP.   Honestly though I'd only include this attachment in an Elrohir/Elladan deck that is multiplayer simply to have a way of giving him sentinel.  Steward, Gondorian Shield and Elven mail + Dunedain Warning.   Granted, you could go with the 1 cost attachment to grant Sentinel, and I can see the argument for it.  It would just depend on the deck then to see which resource I'd have more likely available - tactics or leadership.   

I'd surely consider Protector of Lorien / Cloak of Lorien on Elrond before considering this. Even a measly +1 Defense is a much more important bonus for a defender than +2 hp. The "sentinel" granting might come in handy in coop games, though. Still, Protector (if draw is abundant) > Cloak > Elven Mail is the way to go for the lord of Rivendell.

I have to say I disagree with you guys, I think Elven Mail is an amazing card.
yes it does not provide defence but +2 hitpoints and sentinel in specific decks is amazing.
This card on Elrohir or Elrond for example allows them to defend across the board for anyone potentially multiple times (you need readying on Elrond however but with readying, brand and mail he could be an amazing defender) and the extra hitpoints not only help with defense in general but also help with Archery damage and more so undefended attacks. With Elven Mail on one of your heroes if need be you could take a 5 point undefended attack and not lose a hero.
Similarly shadow effects that reduce or do not count the defending characters defense value have less bite when your hero has more hitpoints.
Its also great for boss enemies that attack each player during the combat phase (Watcher, Old Man Willow, Balrog etc) allowing one strong defender with readying to defend each player.

Another point is even though it doesn't add defense just adding those extra hit points provides a boost when defending and at the least allows you to put off and delay a hero dying during defense until you get other defensive attachments or healing out to combo with it. I've gotten through many quests without other defensive attachments showings up simply by combining this with Healing. Elrond or Elrohir can take an 8 power attack with Elven Mail attached without dying. Heal them back with Warden or Lembas both of which combo with Elrond and you are ready to go again.

Also you can stack as many defense attachments as you want to increase a characters defense but there are few that increase hitpoints. Off the top of my card I can only think of Bill the Pony and Ent Draught...


Also the Dunedain attachment does give Sentinel for 1 but 2 for both Sentinel and 2 hitpoints seems like a far better deal to me.

Granted it is only great in certain decks and on certain heroes (wouldn't play it on anyone but Elrohir, Elrond or possibly Rossiel) but for the right deck and in two or more player this card can be crucial and quite powerful.

This. ^

 

I just don't really get this card. 2 hit points and a keyword for 2-cost isn't bad but I don't know who's supposed to benefit from it. It obviously wants to go on a super-defender but there just aren't many super good options in Noldor or Silvan. 

 

Elrond can be slotted into that spot, but frankly there are usually more valuable things he could be doing. But like @Serazu said, even if you are going to turn him into a super-defender his access to Lore seems to make some combination of Protector of Lorien + card draw (and lets not forget about Noldor-discard synergy here), A Burning Brand and possibly a Dunedain Signal a better option. 

 

Elrohir seems the best bet because he is designed to be a primary defender and has some built-in readying to make the Sentinel more valuable. Plus, someone is playing Elladan so there's your resource match. But even here...Dunedain Signal will give him Sentinel for half the price in his own sphere. And while 2 hit points are certainly welcome I don't know that they're clutch...and running the brothers means you aren't running other Noldor and Silvan Heroes with more developed synergy. 

 

Still, the extra hit points do help with Archery so maybe in an Elladan/Elrohir deck it does make sense to play this. 

 

Also--this shouldn't really be held against the card but I'm not a fan of the art. It just doesn't seem to fit with the design and aesthetic of most of the elves we have. to put it on. 

There are only a few characters in the game who can become super defenders and I would definitely put Elrohir in the top of that list. Elrond with his resource match to brand, bonus to healing, 3 defense and 4 hitpoints and the fact he can receive most defensive attachments easily includes him in this list as well.

Yes Dunedain Signal gives him a resource match in his own sphere but you need to keep him on as many resources as possible if he is your super defender so spending tactics resources may actually be a far safer and better option in a brothers deck. On top of this you may be running a second tactics hero alongside the brothers making Elven Mail a far better option.
Running the brothers does not necessarily mean that you are not running decks with other Silvan and Noldor heroes or builds... I use them with their sister across from Elrond, Glorfindel and Aragorn.. plenty of Elven synergy!
Also hitpoints can definitely be clutch in nightmare quests or quests with tons of archery, those two points can be the difference between a hero death and no hero death.

Have to say I agree with you 100% about the art! Not a fan either and I think we definitely could have seen something cooler for sure...

I feel like some folks seem to have forgotten about a little thing called Archery.