The Dunland Trap with Minimum Purchase Rohan Deck – January 11, 2020

Introduction

I skipped over Into Fangorn because Dave created a minimum purchase deck for me to try. A bit of background on this since it is when Dave and I started talking on Reddit a couple years ago. Dave posted on r/lotrlcg about an episode highlighting a deck he built. I mentioned there how I appreciated minimum purchase decks (decks using only the player cards that came with expansions necessary to play a scenario) as a great entry point for new players. Dave thought it was a great idea and asked for a scenario to build one for. I suggested The Dunland Trap and he made one and an episode highlighting it. I hadn’t quite gotten to Dunland Trap at the time, but my excitement to try it was strong.

Decklist

Play by Play

(You may note I refer to Westfold Horse-Breaker instead of Westfold Horse-breeder in here. I accidentally put in breaker instead of breeder. I don’t think it made a huge difference but still, whoops!)

Setup: Boar Clan Warrior in the staging area. Old South Road is the active location.

Starting Hand: The White Council x2, Wandering Took, Rohan Warhorse, Westfold Horse-Breaker, Guard of the Citadel

Turn 1: Wandering Took drawn and boar clan warrior gets a Shadow card. Play warhorse on Eomer. Play The White Council to move Theodred’s resource to Eowyn then play Wandering Took. Theodred and Eowyn quest for 5 and give Eowyn a resource. Dunland Ambush attached to the active location. Surge reveals another ambush that is attached. Second surge reveals frenzied attack drawing Gandalf and discarding all allies in hand. Warrior gets second shadow card. 3 progress placed on active location because I don’t want to fight 3 enemies this turn. Warrior engages and gets 3rd shadow then attacks. Took defends, shadows add 3 attack and warrior will attack again, Took dies. Eomer defends, shadow adds 1 attack, and 2 damage dealt. Use The White Council to ready Eomer then attack and kill the warrior. Refresh, threat is 28, time counters removed drawing Gondorian Spearman and A Test of Will.

Turn 2: draw Blue Mountain Trader. Quest only with Theodred because I can’t play anything to deal with 2 enemies this turn. Add a resource to Eowyn. Frenzied attack revealed, draw Snowbourn Scout, discard all allies from hand. Make 1 progress exploring Old South Road. Search and engage 2 Boar Clan Stalkers. Eowyn defends the first one, shadow adds 1 attack and no damage dealt. (Time to roll the dice. ) 2nd one undefended, no shadow, and no damage! Eomer attacks the first one for 3 damage. Refresh, threat is 29, time on quest is 1.

Turn 3: Veteran Axehand drawn and played. Stalkers get a resource. Eowyn quests for 4. Boar Clan Warrior added to the staging area for 2 threat and 2 progress placed on the quest. Warrior engages. Axehand defends the warrior attack first, no shadow but he dies anyway. First stalker attack take undefended (it worked last time!), no shadow, and 1 damage on Eowyn. Second stalker attack also undefended, shadow adds 1 attack, and 2 damage to Theodred. Eomer attacks the damaged stalker for 5 killing it. Use warhorse to ready Eomer. Then attack second stalker with Eomer and Theodred killing it. Refresh, threat is 30, draw Stand and Fight and Westfold Horse-Breaker, give warrior a shadow, and time on quest is 2.

Turn 4: Rohan Warhorse drawn and shadow added to warrior. Play Westfold Horse-Breaker and Stand and Fight to put Spearman into play. Quest with Theodred and Eowyn for 5 giving a resource to Eowyn. Wild Men of Dunland attached to the quest and Dunland Berserker to the staging area for 2 threat. 3 progress placed on the quest. Berserker engages and attacks, horse breaker defends, no shadow, and ally dies. Spearman defends warrior dealing one damage, shadows add 3 , Spearman dies. Eomer attacks and kills warrior. Then readies with warhorse to attack and kill berserker. Refresh, threat is 31, time on quest is 1.

Turn 5: draw Feint. Play second warhorse on Theodred. Deal a damage to Eowyn. Eowyn and Theodred quest for 5. Eowyn gains a resource. Low of Provisions revealed which will deal 3 damage to characters I control. This forces me to kill a hero and next turn I’ll lose another. I’m conceding this one as there is no way to continue with just 1 hero.

Postmortem

I think I got really unlucky turn 1 with 2 ambushes. Plus the turns I had Test of Will weren’t the turns I really needed it. I’ll have to try again later and see if I can get a better set of draws. I’m considering putting Legacy of Númenor in to help get an ally or 2 out first turn.