To Catch An Orc with a Minimum Purchase Deck 3 – January 19, 2020

Introduction

I was traveling last weekend and didn’t a chance to try The Weather Hills again. Instead I have another attempt at To Catch An Orc with my minimum purchase deck for that quest. If you missed my earllier attempts, they are linked below.

• Attempt 1
• Attempt 2

I made a few changes to the deck after the first couple attempts. I replaced Saruman with Gandalf. I often found when I might play Saruman that he wouldn’t have a target for his ability. Also the deck needed more threat reduction which Gandalf can do. The Wizards’s Voice replaced with Rohan Warhorse x2 and a The Galadhrim’s Greeting. More threat reduction and hopefully a way for Eomer to attack twice since it is easy in the quest to get 2 enemies engaged.

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, Westfold Horse-breeder, Rohan Warhorse, Strength of Will, Gondorian Spearman, and Lórien Guide.

Turn 1: Westfold Horse-breeder drawn. Play deep knowledge to draw Stand and Fight and Secret Paths. Threat is 30. Use Grima ability to help play Gondorian Spearman and threat is 31. Play Westfold Horse-breeder and no mount found. Eowyn and Grima quest for 6. Staging adds Orc Hound and Mugash’s Lair for 7 threat. Play Secret Paths to ignore Lair threat and quest successfully. Time is 3. Travel to the Lair. Stand and Fight discarded from out of play deck for Lair. Orc Hound engages and exhaust breeder. Spearman defends, deals a damage, shadow exhausts Eomer, and Spearman dies. Refresh, threat is 32, and time is 2.

Turn 2: Westfold Outrider drawn. Use Grima ability to play Westfold Horse-breeder and threat is 33. Rohan Warhorse #2 found and played on Eomer. Grima and Eowyn quest for 6. Take cover deals a damage to them and Methedras Orc added to the staging area from surge for 5 threat. Discard the second warhorse to explore the Lair. Time is 3. Travel to Methedras. Orc engages, attacks, and Lórien Guide shuffled into out of play deck. Breeder defends, shadow exhausts 2nd breeder, and 1st one dies. Hound attack undefended, no shadow, and Eomer takes 2 damage. Eomer attacks and kills the hound, readies via warhorse, and attacks orc for 2 damage. Refresh, threat is 34, and time is 2.

Turn 3: Strength of Will drawn. Use Grima ability to play Stand and Fight and put Gondorian Spearman back into play. Threat is 35. Play Westfold Outrider. Grima and Eowyn quest for 6. Staging adds Orc Skirmisher for 3 threat. Methedras explored, search 3, no enemies, and add Gandalf to hand. Time is 3. Orc Skirmisher engages. Remove a time and time is 2. Spearman defends Methedras orc, deals a damage, no shadow, and dies. Breeder defends the Skirmisher, dies, and shadow removes a time. Time is 1. Eomer attacks the Methedras orc for 5 dealing 2 damage to kill it. Then readies with warhorse. Eomer and Outrider attack Skirmisher for 7 killing it. Refresh, threat is 36, last time removed. Broken lands and Skirmisher added to the staging area. Time is 2.

Turn 4: Gondorian Spearman drawn and played with Doomed 1. Threat is 37. Play Gandalf lowering threat by 5 to 32. Eowyn, Grima, and Gandalf quest for 10. Staging adds Orc Cave for total threat of 8. Time is 3. Travel to the cave and discard Orc Territory from the encounter deck. Skirmisher engages and deals 3 damage to Gandalf. Spearman defends, deals 1 damage, shadow exhausts Outrider, and Spearman dies. Eomer attacks Skirmisher for 5 killing it. Discard Gandalf, refresh, threat is 33, and time is 2.

Turn 5: Blade of Gondolin drawn and played for Doomed 1. Threat is 34. Eowyn and Grima quest for 6. Orc Territory adds Methedras to the staging area for 4 threat. 2 progress on Orc Cave and time is 3. Refresh, threat is 35, and time is 2.

Turn 6: Deep Knowledge drawn and played drawing Veteran Axehand and Northern Tracker. Threat is 37. Play Axehand with Doomed 1 and threat is 38. Eowyn and Grima quest for 6. Broken Lands #2 added to the staging area for 6 threat. Time is 1. (This is looking like game over.) quest forces effect adds 4 threat to the staging area and my next draw will only add 2 more willpower. Scoop to location lock.

Postmortem

Gandalf definitely helps with threat management. The shadows that exhaust a character are tough to deal with. Hesitant to put in Hasty Stroke because the deck for trisphere is already pretty spirit heavy. Losing Lórien Guide to out of play deck hurt. Those were awesome in my earlier plays.