To Catch An Orc with a Minimum Purchase Deck – January 18, 2020

Introduction

After the successful completion of The Dunland Trap with Dave’s minimum purchase deck, I decided to try one of my own. I went back to To Catch An Orc since I didn’t beat with the Silvan deck.

Decklist

Play by Play

Setup: Methedras selected to be in the staging area. Stage 2b has 2 time. Threat is 28.

Starting Hand: Westfold Outrider x2, Northern Tracker, Secret Paths, Feint, and The Wizards’s Voice

Turn 1: Gondorian Spearman drawn and played using Grima’s ability to give it doomed one. Threat is 29. Grima and Eowyn quest for 6. Another Methedras added to the staging resulting in 4 threat in the staging area. 3 time on the quest. Travel to a Methedras. Refresh, time is 2, and threat is 30.

Turn 2: A Test of Will drawn. Play a Westfold Outrider and threat is 31. Same questers for 6. Orc Skirmisher added to the staging area for 6 threat. Play Secret Paths to ignore Methedras #2. Active location explored, search 3, add Henamarth Riversong to hand, and time on quest is 3. Travel to Methedras #2. Optionally engage Skirmisher and deal 3 damage to outrider which dies. Spearman defends the Skirmisher attack, deals a damage, Shadow exhausts Eomer, and Spearman dies. Refresh, time is 2, and threat is 32.

Turn 3: Stand and Fight drawn. Play Northern Tracker and threat is 33. Play Henamarth Riversong Eowyn, Grima, and tracker quest for 7. Prowling wolf added to the staging area for 3 threat. Active location explored, search 3, add Saruman to hand, and time on quest is 3. Wolf engages. Feint the Skirmisher. Henamarth defends the wolf attack, shadow adds no attack because no locations in the staging area, and Henamarth dies. Eomer attacks the Skirmisher for 5 and kills it. Ready, time is 2, and threat is 34.

Turn 4: Veteran Axehand drawn. Eowyn and Grima quest for 6. Orc Cave added to the staging area for 3 threat. Time on the quest is 3. Northern Tracker defends the wolf attack, shadow adds 1 attack, tracker takes 1 damage. Eomer attacks dealing 2 damage to the wolf. Refresh, time is 2, threat is 35.

Turn 5: Veteran Axehand drawn and played. Eowyn, Grima, and tracker quest for 7. 1 progress placed on Orc Cave. Take cover deals each quester 1 damage. 2 Orc Hounds and a Orc Hunter added to the staging area for 7 threat.

Postmortem

I scoop because I would need Eomer and axehand to defend but they will exhaust when hounds engage. Too bad because I could stand and fight the Spearman to kill wolf and wizards voice the hunter but undefended hound attacks would kill a hero.