To Catch An Orc with a Minimum Purchase Deck 2 – January 18, 2020

Introduction

I didn’t get a chance to build the revised card pool minimum purchase deck I wanted to try for the Angmar Awakened campaign. I got the campaign cards printed a few weeks ago, and got them sleeved. Just need to find the time to play it. In the meantime, here is a game from a few years ago with a very different minimum purchase deck.

Decklist

Play by Play

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

Starting Hand: Deep Knowledge, Veteran Axehand x2, Blade of Gondolin, Strength of Will, Westfold Outrider

Turn 1: Lórien Guide drawn. Play Deep Knowledge and draw Keys of Orthanc and Feint. Threat is 30. Play keys on Eowyn. Play Veteran Axehand using Grima’s ability, exhaust keys to add a resource to Eowyn. Threat is 31. Grima and Eowyn quest for 6. Broken lands added to the staging area for 4 threat. Time on the quest is 3. Travel to broken lands. Refresh, time is 2, and threat is 32.

Turn 2: Isengard Messenger drawn. Play Lórien Guide and Blade of Gondolin on Eomer. Eowyn, Grima, and guide quest for 7 and 1 progress on the active location. Orc Cave added to the staging area for 5 threat total. 2 progress placed on the active location and time is 3. Refresh, time is 2, and threat is 33.

Turn 3: Westfold Horse-breeder drawn. Play Isengard Messenger and Westfold Horse-breeder. Use Grima ability to play Veteran Axehand #2, exhaust keys, add a resource to Eowyn, messenger gets a willpower, and threat is 35. Eowyn, Grima, messenger, and guide quest for 9 and place a progress on the active location. Methedras #2 added to the staging area for 7 threat. Active location explored and time is 3. Travel to the Orc Cave and play Strength of Will exhausting breeder to put 2 progress on it. Mugash’s Lair discarded for travel effect. Refresh, time is 2, and threat is 36.

Turn 4: Strength of Will drawn. Play Veteran Axehand #2. Eowyn, Grima, guide, and messenger quest for 8 and 1 progress on active location. Methedras #3 added to the staging area via Orc Territory. Active location explored, search 5, no enemies revealed, A Test of Will added hand, and time is 3. Travel to Methedras, play Strength of Will and exhaust breeder. Refresh, threat is 37, and time is 2.

Turn 5: Lórien Guide drawn and played. Eowyn, Grima, guides, and messenger quest for 9 and 2 progress on the active location exploring it. Search 3, no enemies, and Northern Tracker added to hand. Prowling wolf added to the staging area for 7 threat and time on quest is 3. Travel to another Methedras. Wolf engages and attacks. Axehand defends, shadow adds an attack, and Axehand dies. Eomer attacks the wolf for 5 killing it and placing a progress on the active location due to Blade of Gondolin. Refresh, threat is 38, and time is 2.

Turn 6: Westfold Horse-breeder drawn. Eowyn, Grima, and guides quest for 8 and place 2 progress on the active location exploring it. Search 3, no enemies, and A Test of Will added to hand. Broken Lands added to the staging area for 4 threat. Travel to Methedras. Refresh, threat is 39, and time is 2.

Turn 7: Veteran Axehand drawn and played. Same questers for 8 and 2 active location progress. Methedras Orc added to the staging area for 6 threat. Active location explored, search 3, no enemies, add Gondorian Spearman to hand, and time is 3. Travel to Broken Lands. Orc engages. Play Feint to avoid shuffling in a random card to out of play deck. Eomer and Axehands attack for 8 killing the orc and placing a progress on the active location. Refresh, threat is 40, and time is 2.

Turn 8: Henamarth Riversong drawn and played. Exhaust him to look at top encounter card which is a prowling wolf. Eowyn and guides quest for 6 and 5 active location progress for guides and questing successfully. Time is 3. Wolf engages and attacks. Messenger defends, no shadow, and no damage dealt. Eomer and Axehands attack and kill the wolf. Refresh, time is 2, and threat is 41.

Turn 9: Gondorian Spearman drawn and played. Play Northern Tracker. Exhaust Henamarth to look at top encounter card which is an Orc Skirmisher. Eowyn quests for 4 and time is 3. Skirmisher engages, 3 damage dealt to messenger, and attacks. Breeder defends, dies and shadow removes a time counter. Eomer and Axehands kill the Skirmisher. Refresh, threat is 42, and time is 1.

Turn 10: The Galadhrim’s Greeting drawn. Exhaust Henamarth and see Take Cover is top card. Eowyn quests for 4 and takes a damage from Take Cover. Mugash’s Lair added to the staging area for 4 threat. Discard breeder from hand to quest successfully and time is 2. Travel to the lair. Discard Mugash’s Guard from out of play deck from lair forced effect. Guard engages and attacks. Spearman defends, deals a damage, no shadow, and dies. Eomer and Axehands attack for 8 killing the guard, putting him in the victory display, and 1 progress on the lair. Refresh, threat is 42, and time is 1.

Turn 11: Keys of Orthanc drawn. Play Gondorian Spearman. Exhaust Henamarth and top card is an Orc Hound. Eowyn, Grima, and guides quest for 8 and 2 active location progress. Lair explored. Orc Hound added to the staging area, surge adds Orc Hunter, and Orc Hunting Party added for Orc Hunter. Time is 2. Enemies engage and attack. Tracker defends hound attack, no shadow, and no damage. Spearman defends the hunter, deals it a damage, shadow gives it another attack, and Spearman dies. Axehand defends the 2nd attack, dies, and shadow removes a time. Time is 1. Eomer attacks and kills the hunter. Remaining Axehand attacks hound deing 1 damage. Refresh, threat is 43, and last time removed. Shuffle in encounter discard and reveal Orc Skirmisher and Take Cover. Take Cover deals no damage but it surges into Broken Lands. Time is 2 again.

Turn 12: Stand and Fight drawn. Exhaust Henamarth and Methedras is on top. Play Outrider using Grima to make it Doomed 1 and exhaust keys to give Eowyn a resource. Threat is 44. Eowyn, Grima, and guides quest for 8 resulting in 3 time. Travel to Methedras. Orc Skirmisher engages removing a time. After shadows dealt, play Stand and Fight for 2 to get Gondorian Spearman. Spearman defends the hounds attack killing it. Skirmisher attack defended by Outrider, shadow adds 1 attack, and Outrider dies. Eomer attacks Skirmisher, kills it, and places a progress on Methedras. Refresh, threat is 45, and time is 1.

Turn 13: Erebor Hammersmith drawn and played. Exhaust Henamarth and Take Cover is top encounter card. Eowyn, Grima, and guides quest for 8 and Methedras explored. Search 3, no enemies, and add Saruman to hand. Take cover cancelled with A Test of Will. Surge adds prowling wolf. Time is 2. Travel to Broken Lands. Wolf engages and attacks. Tracker defends, shadow exhausts Spearman, and no damage. Eomer and Axehand kill the wolf and place a progress on Broken lands. Play The Galadhrim’s Greeting to lower threat to 39. Refresh, threat is 40, and time is 1.

Turn 14: Dwarven Tomb drawn. Exhaust Henamarth and see Orc Skirmisher is on top. Eowyn and guides quest for 6 and 5 progress on active location exploring it. Time is 2. Orc Skirmisher engages and removes a time. Spearman defends, no shadow, and dies. Eomer attacks for 6 killing Skirmisher. Refresh, threat is 41, and last time removed. Mugash’s Lair and Methedras added to the staging area. Time is 2.

Turn 15: Blade of Gondolin drawn and played. Exhaust Henamarth and Methedras is top card. Eowyn, Grima, guides, and tracker quest for 9 and put progress on the 2 locations in the staging area. Time is 3. Travel to first Methedras. Saruman discarded by Lair. Refresh, threat is 42, and time is 2.

Turn 16: Westfold Outrider drawn and played. Henamarth sees Orc Hunting Party on top. Eowyn, guides, and tracker quest for 7, place 2 progress on active location exploring it, and 1 on staging area locations exploring the Lair. Search last 3 cards and finally get Mugash. Orc Hunting Party gives Mugash a shadow card. Advance to stage 3. Time is 3. Mugash engagement and gets 2nd shadow card. Play Dwarven Tomb to get Stand and Fight and replay Spearman. Spearman defends, deals a damage, shadow gives Mugash 2nd attack, and Spearman dies. Hammersmith defends, shadow exhausts Outrider, and hammersmith dies. Grima, Eomer, and Axehand attack for 10 dealing 6 damage. Refresh, threat is 43, and time is 2.

Turn 17: Gondorian Spearman drawn and played. Eowyn and guides quest for 6. Active location explored. Methedras added to the staging area. Travel to it. Mugash attacks, Spearman defends, and Mugash defeated. Exhaust Grima to attach Mugash. REFRESH, threat is 44, and time is 1.

Turn 18: Secret Paths drawn. Eowyn, guides, tracker, and Henamarth quest for 9 and 2 active location progress. Methedras Orc added to the staging area for 3 threat. 5 quest progress and active location explored. Orc engages and attacks. A Test of Will shuffled into out of play deck. Spearman defends, deals a damage, no sahdow, and dies. Eomer and Axehand easily kill the orc. Refresh, threat is 45, and Mugash back in staging area. Time is 3.

Turn 19: Lórien Guide drawn and played. Eowyn, guides, and tracker quest for 8. Orc hunter added and remove a time. Both enemies engage. Henamarth defends vs Mugash and dies. Shadow discards Keys of Orthanc. Axehand defends hunter attack and dies. Eomer and Outrider attack Mugash for 5 damage. Refresh, threat is 46, and time is 1.

Turn 20: Isengard Messenger drawn and played. Play Keys of Orthanc on Eowyn. Eowyn quests for 4. Take Cover deals a damage to Eowyn. Orc Hunter added from surge. Orc Hunter engagement removes a time putting Mugash back into Staging area. Then Mugash engages. Tracker defends hunter attack, no shadow and takes 1 damage. Messenger defends Mugash attack, dies, and sahdow removes a time. Grima defends Skirmisher attack, shadow gives it another attack, and 2 damage dealt. A guide defends the 2nd attack, no shadow, and dies. Eomer kills the Skirmisher. Guides and Outrider kill the hunter. Refresh, threat is 47, and time is 1.

Turn 21: Stand and Fight drawn. Eowyn quests for 4. Methedras orc added to staging. During Travel Stand and Fight 2nd tracker (discarded from out of play deck.) Orc engages and attacks. Secret Paths put into out of play deck. Guides defend and die but 1 shadow gives Mugash a second attack that kills the Outrider and removes the last time counter. Mugash in staging area. Eomer and trackers kill orc. Refresh, threat is 48, and time is 2.

I’m going to threat out pretty sure at this point.