Author: Matt Kell (kattattack22)

Battle of Carn Dum with a Revised Card Pool Minimum Purchase Deck – May 29, 2023

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
mec43

Introduction

Trying again with Elrond’s Champion as my chosen boon.

Decklist

Battle of Carn Dum – ROC Minimum Purchase Deck

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Amarthiúl (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
Denethor (Core Set)
Éowyn (Core Set)

Ally (20)
2x Daughter of the Nimrodel (Core Set)
1x Faramir (Core Set)
2x Fornost Bowman (The Dread Realm)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
2x Gléowine (Core Set)
3x Guardian of Arnor (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
1x Henamarth Riversong (Core Set)
3x Northern Tracker (Core Set)
3x Sarn Ford Sentry (The Lost Realm)

Attachment (17)
1x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
2x Citadel Plate (Core Set)
3x Favor of the Valar (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
3x Forest Snare (Core Set)
2x Heir of Valandil (The Lost Realm)
3x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)
3x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)

Event (8)
3x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
2x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)

Player Side Quest (1)
1x Gather Information (The Lost Realm)

Campaign (6)
1x Amarthiúl’s Courage (Angmar Awakened Campaign Expansion)
1x Determination (Angmar Awakened Campaign Expansion)
1x Mail of Eärnur (Angmar Awakened Campaign Expansion)
1x Orders from Angmar (Angmar Awakened Campaign Expansion)
1x Stalwart (Angmar Awakened Campaign Expansion)

3 Heroes, 52 Cards
Cards up to Angmar Awakened Campaign Expansion

Sideboard

Hero (1)
Halbarad (The Lost Realm)

Ally (33)
1x Beorn (Core Set)
3x Curious Brandybuck (The Wastes of Eriador)
3x East Road Ranger (The Wastes of Eriador)
1x Erebor Hammersmith (Core Set)
2x Faramir (Core Set)
3x Galadhrim Weaver (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
1x Gléowine (Core Set)
3x Guard of the Citadel (Core Set)
2x Lindir (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
3x Miner of the Iron Hills (Core Set)
3x Ranger of Cardolan (The Wastes of Eriador)
3x Snowbourn Scout (Core Set)
2x Warden of Annúminas (The Lost Realm)
3x Weather Hills Watchman (The Lost Realm)

Attachment (13)
3x Self Preservation (Core Set)
3x Silver Harp (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
1x Star Brooch (The Lost Realm)
3x Sword of Númenor (The Dread Realm)
3x The Favor of the Lady (Core Set)

Event (21)
3x A Test of Will (Core Set)
3x Dwarven Tomb (Core Set)
2x Ever Vigilant (Core Set)
3x Feint (Core Set)
3x Lore of Imladris (Core Set)
3x Stand and Fight (Core Set)
1x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)
3x Will of the West (Core Set)

Player Side Quest (1)
1x Scout Ahead (The Wastes of Eriador)

Deck built on RingsDB.

Attempt 1

Campaign Pool

  • Stalwart on Denethor
  • 1 damage on Arnor Ravaged
  • Amarthuil’s Courage
  • Thaudir’s Spite
  • Determination
  • Starting threat lowered by 2 for completing Fend Off Despair in Wastes of Eriador
  • Amarthuil is Determined
  • Fend Off Despair
  • Starting threat lowered by 2 for completing Fend Off Despair in Escape from Mount Gram.
  • Mail of Earnur
  • Gandalf is Determined.
  • Losing Time x2
  • Orders from Angmar

Starting Hand

  • Unexpected Courage
  • Forest Snare
  • Orders from Angmar
  • Fornost Bowman
  • Sarn Ford Sentry
  • Gleowine
  • I probably shouldn’t keep this without Steward of Gondor or Heir of Valandil but I don’t want to mulligan away from Forest Snare, Orders from Angmar, Fornost Bowman, and Unexpected Courage. Gleowine can help me dig for it if necessary.

Setup

  • Thaurdir (Captain), Carn Dum Garrison, and Arnor Ravaged with 1 damage in the staging area.
  • Thaurdir’s Spite attached to Thaurdir.
  • Accursed Battlefield is the active location.
  • Elrond’s Champion adding to my opening hand and the campaign pool.
  • Fend Off Despair and Losing Time x2 shuffled into the encounter deck.
  • 1 resource on each hero for Easy mode.
  • Threat – 23

Turn 1

1.3 Draw

  • Gandalf

1.3 Action(s)

  • none

2.2 Planning

  • Orders from Angmar and Unexpected Courage on Denethor.

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

  • none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Main Quest

  • Eowyn
  • Amarthiul
  • Total Quest Power = 4

3.2 Action(s)

  • none

3.3 Staging

  • Vile Affliction deals 0 damage since my discard pile is empty.
  • Thaurdir and Carn Dûm Garrison get shadow cards.
  • Thaurdir’s Spite attached to Eowyn.
  • Total Staging Area Threat = 6

3.3 Action(s)

  • none

3.4 Quest Resolution

  • Threat – 25

3.4 Action(s)

  • none

4.2 Travel

  • none

4.2 Action(s)

  • none

5.2 Optional Engagement

  • Carn Dûm Garrison

5.2 Action(s)

  • none

5.3 Engagement

  • none

5.3 Action(s)

  • none

6 Combat Phase

6.2 Action(s)

  • none

6.3 Enemy Attacks

6.4b Enemy – Carn Dûm Garrison

  • 6.4b Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.1 Defender – Denethor
  • 6.4.1 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.2 Shadow – +1 attack and whiff because not Thaurdir (Angmar Orc and Blight of Carn Dûm)
  • 6.4.2 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 0
  • 6.4.3 Action(s)
    • Denethor readies with Unexpected Courage.
    • Denethor sees the top encounter card is Losing Time and put it on the bottom of the deck.

7 Refresh

  • 7.3 Threat – 26
  • 7.4 Action(s)
    • none

Turn 2

1.3 Draw

  • Gather Information

1.3 Action(s)

  • none

2.2 Planning

  • Gather Information
  • Forest Snare on Carn Dûm Garrison
  • Fornost Bowman

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

  • none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Gather Information Quest

  • Eowyn
  • Amarthiul
  • Fornost Bowman
  • Total Quest Power = 6

3.2 Action(s)

  • none

3.3 Staging

  • Heavy Curse on Gather Information. *Very glad that did not end up on the main quest.
  • Each enemy gets a shadow.
  • Thaurdir’s Spite moves to Amarthiul.
  • Orc Grunts
  • Threat – 27
  • Losing Time raises threat by 3. Threat – 30
  • Furious Charge
  • Orc Ambush and put Angmar Orc into play engaged with me. *Well that was quite a surge train.
  • Total Staging Area Threat = 6

3.3 Action(s)

  • none

3.4 Quest Resolution

  • No progress and no threat gained.

3.4 Action(s)

  • none

4.2 Travel

  • none

4.2 Action(s)

  • none

5.2 Optional Engagement

  • none

5.2 Action(s)

  • none

5.3 Engagement

  • Orc Grunts

5.3 Action(s)

  • none

6 Combat Phase

6.2 Action(s)

  • none

6.3 Enemy Attacks

6.4b Enemy – Orc Grunts

  • 6.4b Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.1 Defender – Denethor
  • 6.4.1 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.2 Shadow – +1 attack (Angmar Marauder)
  • 6.4.2 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 0
  • 6.4.3 Action(s)
    • Unexpected Courage readies Denethor.

6.4b Enemy – Angmar Orc

  • 6.4b Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.1 Defender – Denethor
  • 6.4.1 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.2 Shadow – +2 attack and Guardian of Arnor, Determination, and Hasty Stroke mined from my deck. (Terror of the North)
  • 6.4.2 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 0
  • 6.4.3 Action(s)
    • none

7 Refresh

  • 7.3 Threat – 31
  • 7.4 Action(s)
    • none

Turn 3

1.3 Draw

  • Citadel Plate

1.3 Action(s)

  • none

2.2 Planning

  • Pay 4 for Elrond’s Champion.

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

  • none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Gather Information Quest

  • Eowyn
  • Amarthiul
  • Fornost Bowman
  • Elrond’s Champion
  • Total Quest Power = 11

3.2 Action(s)

  • none

3.3 Staging

  • Angmar Marauder
  • Total Staging Area Threat = 8

3.3 Action(s)

  • none

3.4 Quest Resolution

  • +3 Accursed Battlefield progress (3 / 3) and explore it.

3.4 Action(s)

  • none

4.2 Travel

  • none

4.2 Action(s)

  • none

5.2 Optional Engagement

  • none

5.2 Action(s)

  • none

5.3 Engagement

  • none

5.3 Action(s)

  • none

6 Combat Phase

6.2 Action(s)

  • none

6.3 Enemy Attacks

6.4b Enemy – Angmar Orc

  • 6.4b Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.1 Defender – Denethor
  • 6.4.1 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.2 Shadow – +3 attack (Accursed Battlefield)
  • 6.4.2 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 1 +1 from Arnor Ravaged (2 / 3)
  • 6.4.3 Action(s)
    • none

6.4b Enemy – Orc Grunts

  • 6.4b Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.1 Defender – Denethor
  • 6.4.1 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.2 Shadow – +3 attack (another Accursed Battlefield)
  • 6.4.2 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 1

Postmortem

I’m going to blame Orc Ambush for this loss. It keeps pushing the Orcs past Denethor’s strongest defense. I think I’m going to have to take the boon that discards the shadow card when defending.

Attempt 2

Starting Hand after mulligan

  • Unexpected Courage
  • Guardian of Arnor
  • Heir of Valandil
  • The Galadhrim’s Greeting
  • Sarn Ford Sentry
  • Daughter of the Nimrodel

Setup

  • Thaurdir (Captain), Carn Dum Garrison, and Arnor Ravaged with 1 damage in the staging area.
  • Thaurdir’s Spite attached to Thaurdir.
  • Accursed Battlefield is the active location.
  • Elrond’s Champion adding to my opening hand and the campaign pool.
  • Fend Off Despair and Losing Time x2 shuffled into the encounter deck.
  • 1 resource on each hero for Easy mode.
  • Threat – 23

Turn 1

1.3 Draw

  • Gandalf

1.3 Action(s)

  • none

2.2 Planning

  • Unexpected Courage on Denethor

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

  • none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Main Quest

  • Eowyn
  • Amarthiul
  • Total Quest Power = 4

3.2 Action(s)

  • none

3.3 Staging

  • Terror of the North mines Gather Information, Forest Snare, and Guardian of Arnor resulting in 6 staging area threat. Losing that Forest Snare sucks.
  • Thaurdir’s Spite attached to Eowyn
  • Shadow card dealt to Thaurdir and Carn Dûm Garrison.
  • Total Staging Area Threat = 11

3.3 Action(s)

  • none

3.4 Quest Resolution

  • Threat – 30

3.4 Action(s)

  • none

4.2 Travel

  • none

4.2 Action(s)

  • none

5.2 Optional Engagement

  • Carn Dûm Garrison

5.2 Action(s)

  • none

5.3 Engagement

  • none

5.3 Action(s)

  • none

6 Combat Phase

6.2 Action(s)

  • none

6.3 Enemy Attacks

6.4b Enemy – Carn Dûm Garrison

  • 6.4b Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.1 Defender – Denethor
  • 6.4.1 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.2 Shadows – +1 attack (Angmar Orc) and +1 attack (Accursed Battlefield)
  • 6.4.2 Action(s)
    • none
  • 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 2 + 1 Arnor Ravaged
  • 6.4.3 Action(s)
    • none
  • Denethor destroyed.

That is another quick loss. Next player card is Steward of Gondor too! I think I’m going to call it there tonight and hope my luck is better another day.

Gandalf’s Search

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Player Card Categories
    • Card Search
    • Player Scrying

LotR LCG’s much worse version of Magic the Gathering’s Brainstorm or Ponder.

Background

The card refers to Gandalf searching the records of Minas Tirith for any mention of The One Ring. He recounted the events during The Council of Elrond. There he found Isildur’s Scroll that detailed that he kept it and made it an heirloom of Arnor. Also the scroll detailed how to identify the ring by the inscription that it bore that would only reveal itself in fire.

Card Theme

This game often represents knowledge as card draw. The Lore sphere in particular is full of examples cards representing Middle-Earth’s knowledge, stories, and songs with Gleowine, Daeron’s Runes, Deep Knowledge, Erestor, Drinking Song, and Mithrandir’s Advice representing the knowledge, stories, and songs present in Middle Earth. Gandalf’s Search centered around finding a very specific piece of knowledge. Mechanically looking at cards in a player’s deck to find 1 particular card fits very well with the theme.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Istari

Gandalf’s Search can assist in setting up Gandalf hero’s ability. Especially if the top card isn’t that helpful or just trying to find an event Gandalf can play to maximize on the once per phase limit. It also plays well with Flame of Anor to maximize the attack boost to the Istari heroes and allies. Any high cost card the search can put on top works. A player knowing what their top card is also helps enable Messenger Raven’s ability. Messenger Raven is run in a lot of Radagast hero decks to give him a repeatable way to quest without exhausting. The player just returns the raven to hand and plays it next round with the added bonus of possibly drawing a card.

Elrond Vilya

It is is not the most efficient option to set up putting an expensive card into play with Vilya’s effect compared to Imladris Stargazer, Gildor ally, or Wizard Pipe. Still it is an option that can be cheaper than Gildor in the same sphere as Elrond hero.

Dwarven Mining

The Dwarven Mining cards discard cards from the top of the player deck for an effect. Zigil Miner in particular it helps to know what the top 1 or 2 cards of a player’s deck are to gain resources. Rearranging more than 2 can help set up gaining 2 resources. The other mining cards get an effect no matter what the top cards are, but the rearranging effect if enough resources are paid can help avoid discarding key cards. Then there are two cards are designed to be mined. Hidden Cache offsets the nerf Zigil Miner received from its errata down to 1 resource per card with a matching cost. Ered Luin Miner is not an efficient ally for 3 cost, but great value when put into play for free.

Expert Treasure-hunter

Expert Treasure-hunter is similar to Dwarven Mining cards since it discards the top card of the player deck. A player that knows what the card is can always guess correctly to draw it instead.

Resource Acceleration

  • Legacy of Numenor - Leadership Event - 0 Cost - Doomed 4. Action: Add 1 resource to each hero's resource pool.

More resources or cost reduction increases X and the player can see and rearrange more cards. Steward of Gondor was the big one in the Core Set and still strong today. In Lore, options are more limited with Master of Lore that can only reduce the cost by 3 at best. Love of Tales while cheap requires multiple copies in play to generate significant resources and many song cards or Drinking Song with Scroll of Isildur. Hobbits with a Good Meal can basically turn the effect into X + 2. There are all the Leadership events like Tighten Our Belts, Legacy of Numenor, and Captain’s Wisdom that can add resources to heroes.

Ring Rating

Card Talk uses the highly scientific yet arbitrary scale of 1 ring for the card to rule them all to 10 to be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

I rate Gandalf’s Search at 9 rings. I strongly suspect Nate French modeled this card on Brainstorm or Ponder. Brainstorm is incredibly strong in Magic the Gathering, and Ponder while weaker is still very good. Both are cheap and have great ability to set up combos and find answers to cards played by the opponent. Brainstorm especially is strong because it lets you swap cards in your hand with the top 3 of your deck and then put them back in any order at any time. Ponder is much closer to Gandalf’s Search since it draws only 1 deck, the player reorders the rest, and its timing is limited to main phases (equivalent to LotR’s Planning Phase.)



Like many LotR Core Set cards, cost was set fairly high compared to cards that came later. This could be Nate trying balance the card search and draw effect, or possibly it made sense with unknown plans for more strong resource acceleration on par of Steward of Gondor and original Zigil Miner. Either way, the cost never made much sense when Lorien’s Wealth can draw 3 cards for 3 cost. Gandalf’s Search for the same cost looks at 3 cards, draws 1, and the player puts the other two back on top in the order they want. Lorien’s Wealth effectively set the standard cost to draw a card at 1 resource. If you are paying more than 1 for Gandalf’s Search, then the player is better off just playing Lorien’s Wealth and drawing all the cards you get to look at. There also wasn’t any cards in the Core Set that trigger off what a player’s top card is. Getting to choose the order of cards is only setting up draws. It isn’t until Expert Treasure Hunter in The Hobbit Over Hill and Under Hill and Zigil Miner came out in Khazad-Dum that it could do more. Original Zigil Miner could help recoup the cost of it looking at more than 1, but with the errata version, it still wouldn’t be worth it.

The good news is we eventually got the better version of this card, Heed the Dream. That’s why despite the card have a few potential uses, I rated it so low. The cost is just too high for them and many cheaper more efficient alternatives exist.

  • Dave – 10
  • Grant – 10
  • Ted – 10
  • Matt – 9
  • Average 9.75

External Links

Sample Decks

Low-Cost Very Efficient 1 Core Set Deck by nelloianiro

Pretty much as the title says, a single (original) core set deck full of low cost cards.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Aragorn (Core Set)
Eleanor (Core Set)
Glorfindel (Core Set)

Ally (17)
2x Daughter of the Nimrodel (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
2x Gléowine (Core Set)
3x Guard of the Citadel (Core Set)
1x Henamarth Riversong (Core Set)
1x Lórien Guide (Core Set)
2x Miner of the Iron Hills (Core Set)
3x Snowbourn Scout (Core Set)

Attachment (13)
1x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
1x Dark Knowledge (Core Set)
2x Forest Snare (Core Set)
1x Power in the Earth (Core Set)
2x Protector of Lórien (Core Set)
1x Self Preservation (Core Set)
2x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)
2x The Favor of the Lady (Core Set)
1x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)

Event (20)
2x Common Cause (Core Set)
1x Dwarven Tomb (Core Set)
2x Ever Vigilant (Core Set)
2x For Gondor! (Core Set)
1x Gandalf’s Search (Core Set)
1x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
2x Lore of Imladris (Core Set)
1x Lórien’s Wealth (Core Set)
2x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
2x Stand and Fight (Core Set)
1x Strength of Will (Core Set)
2x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)
1x Valiant Sacrifice (Core Set)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to Core Set

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

The Three Trials with a Minimum Purchase Deck 5 – February 7, 2020

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment

Introduction

One last time with this build.

Decklist

Riders & Scouts Three Trials Minimum Purchase

Hero (3)
Éomer (The Voice of Isengard)
Éowyn (Core Set)
Idraen (The Three Trials)

Ally (26)
1x Beorn (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
3x Gondorian Spearman (Core Set)
3x Greyflood Wanderer (The Three Trials)
3x Lórien Guide (Core Set)
2x Northern Tracker (Core Set)
3x Veteran Axehand (Core Set)
2x Wandering Took (Core Set)
3x Westfold Horse-breeder (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Westfold Outrider (The Voice of Isengard)

Attachment (9)
2x Dwarven Axe (Core Set)
1x Horn of Gondor (Core Set)
3x Silver Lamp (The Voice of Isengard)
1x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)
2x Warden of Arnor (The Three Trials)

Event (15)
2x A Test of Will (Core Set)
1x Dwarven Tomb (Core Set)
2x Feint (Core Set)
2x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
3x Stand and Fight (Core Set)
2x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)
3x The Wizards’s Voice (The Voice of Isengard)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards

Deck built on RingsDB.

Attempt 5

Set up: Stage 2 is Trail of Intuition. Raven Guardian and Cave Barrow randomly selected. Time is 4. Threat is 30.

Starting Hand: Northern Tracker, Gondorian Spearman, Westfold Horse-breeder, Feint, Veteran Axehand, and Greyflood Wanderer

Turn 1: Gandalf drawn. Play Westfold Horse-breeder. Eowyn quests for 4. Cursed Forest added to the staging area for 6 threat. Threat is 32. Travel to the Barrow. Breeder defends the guardian attack, no shadow, and breeder dies. Eomer and Idraen attack dealing 3 damage. Refresh, threat is 33, and time is 3.

Turn 2: Silver Lamp drawn. Play Spearman and wanderer. Wanderer and Eowyn quest for 6. Tangled Forest added to the staging area for 5 threat resulting in one progress on the active location. Spearman defends, deals a damage, no shadow, and dies. Idraen and Eomer attack dealing 3 damage. Refresh, threat is 34, and time is 2.

Turn 3: Dwarven Axe drawn. Eowyn and wanderer quest for 6. Treachery removes a time. 1 progress on the active location. Feitn the guardian. Eomer and Idraen attack and defeat the guardian. Refresh and threat is 35.

Turn 4: The Galadhrim’s Greeting drawn. Play Northern Tracker. Tracker, wanderer, and Eowyn quest for 7 plus 1 progress on locations in staging area. Treachery puts Barrow in staging area for 8 threat. Threat is 36. Travel to the Barrow exhausting Idraen. Refresh and threat is 37.

Turn 5: Lórien Guide drawn. Play Veteran Axehand. Eowyn, wanderer, and tracker quest for 7 and a progress on locations in staging area. Treachery adds guardian to staging area and he engages. 2 progress on active location. Axehand defends, shadow exhausts Idraen, and Axehand defends. Refresh, threat is 38, and time is 3.

Turn 6: The Galadhrim’s Greeting drawn. Play Lórien Guide. Eowyn, tracker, and guide quest for 6 plus a progress on all locations in play. Cursed Forest explored. Treachery returns Barrow to the staging area. Top encounter card discarded but no key. Wanderer defends, Idraen exhausted by shadow, and wanderer dies. Refresh, threat is 39, and time is 2.

Turn 7: Guide #2 drawn and played. Play Dwarven Axe on Eomer. Eowyn and tracker quest for 5 and a progress on each location. Tangled Woods explored. Another Tangled Woods added to the staging area for 5 threat. Guide defends, no shadow, and guide dies. Other guide, Eomer, and Idraen attack for 10 dealing 5 damage. Refresh, threat is 40, and time is 1.

Turn 8: Stand and Fight drawn. Play it to get breeder back in play. Eowyn and tracker quest for 5 and a progress on each location. Spirit of the Wild added to the staging area for 6 threat. Threat is 41. Spirit engages. Breeder defends guardian attack, shadow removes a time dealing a damage to each character, and breeder dies. Guide defends spirit attack, no shadow, and guide dies. Eomer and Idraen defeat the guardian. Refresh and threat is 42.

Turn 9: Silver Lamp #2 drawn and played. Tracker quests exploring the Barrow. Staging adds key and advance to Trial of Perservance. Stone Barrow and Wolf Guardian added. I scoop because I will lose a hero to guardian attack and won’t be able to recover.

Henamarth Riversong

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Player Card Categories
    • Encounter Scrying
    • Encounter Control
    • Messenger of the King

True solo king

Background

Henamarth appears to be a character created by FFG as there is no mention of him in any of the books. Presumably he is one of the elves of Mirkwood that lived in the Woodland Realm under King Thranduil. This assumption comes from that the Core Set is part of the Shadows of Mirkwood cycle and set in and around Mirkwood. It is still quite possible he is one of the Galadhrim Silvan elves as there many different peoples of Middle Earth represented therein.

Card Theme

Knowing little of Henamarth, there is really only the card art to go by. He is all dressed in various shades of green seemingly to blend in better with the grass and forest around him. He has hand raise shielding his eyes as if trying to see something in the distance. It appears he is being depicted as a scout or sentry of some kind. In either case, seeing dangers before they are generally known fits well with his ability to see the top card of the encounter deck.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Quest Control / Willpower Bonus

Henamarth is a true solo king because knowing the top encounter card gives a player the exact staging area threat they’ll be questing against most of the time. That is barring surge and other similar effects that would lead to another card being revealed or added.

This allows the true solo player to send exactly amount of necessary willpower or hold back enough characters for combat. Willpower bonus abilities that be added are still good to have. These allow the player to use their characters more efficiently and keep as many as possible open for combat.

Encounter Control

There are a number of cards that trigger based on when a certain kind of card is revealed during staging. Thalin from the Core Set is an example of the later and works really well with Henamarth. Thalin’s 1 willpower is not that helpful for questing. A player knowing when to send him, especially in true solo, to trigger his ability versus hold him back to use his 2 attack or 2 defense is much more efficient. Expecting Mischief is very similar to Thalin but being a one time event is much riskier to play blindly. Warden of Arnor being the location version of Thalin can ensure that the Scout hero is only questing when needed. Spirit Merry hero and can quest if Henamarth shows no enemy is expected in true solo. There are also a few cards like Leadership Gimli ally, Leather Boots, and Wingfoot that can ready a character depending on the card revealed. Henamarth can ensure a player knows when the ready will be triggered and send them to the quest without worry.

There are also a few cards that trigger based on looking at the top card of the encounter deck. The Longbeard Elder gets to do a little location control if the top card is a location. The Ithilien Lookout can help set that up with his response to discard the top encounter card if it is an enemy. That would also allow the player to draw a card when playing a Cautious Halfling. Otherwise the Celduin Traveler can get rid of the top location if the player(s) don’t like it.

Messenger of the King

Henamarth as a Messenger of the King (MotK) hero doesn’t bring much in stats, but the threat cost of 3 is prime to enable Secrecy. The biggest problem with Henamarth as a MotK hero is his 1 health. He is only a single undefended attack or direct damage from a treachery away from dying. There is Elven Mail to give him 2 more hit points. Still very risky and potentially lose a Lore resource per round. Gleowine for the same threat cost can quest for the same, has 2 hit points, and can draw a card. Gleowine for the cost seems to be a better pick than Henamarth.

Silvans

Henamarth doesn’t have the enter play effects of the later Silvan allies that came out in the Ringmaker cycle. He can still benefit from Celeborn’s stat boosting ability and the cost reduction offered by O Lorien!. Galadriel synergizes well with him too since he can quest when he comes into play and still be ready to use his ability. Targeting him with The Tree People is a decent option since he is cheap to replay.

Silvans also have a few attachments that can played on allies. Generally they’re better on the stronger Silvan allies like Legolas or Marksman of Lorien or a Silvan hero. They’re still an option to make Henamarth into a ranged attacker that lowers enemy defense by 2 or potentially a secondary defender for weaker enemies with 1 defense and 3 hit points from Elven Mail and Cloak of Lorien. Silvan Trackers can heal off any damage taken quite easily.

Ring Rating

Card Talk uses the highly scientific yet arbitrary scale of 1 ring for the card to rule them all to 10 to be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

I rate Henamarth at 2 rings. He is cheap to play, gives the player 1 willpower or 1 attack, and has a useful ability. Worst comes to worst, a player can always chump block with him as well. Just tremendous value for his cost.

Then his ability is just so strong in true solo. Knowing exactly what the staging area will have most turns allows a player to split their heroes and allies most efficiently between questing and combat. If there is a treachery, foreknowledge of its effect can let a player play around it. For example, knowing the top encounter card is Necromancer’s Reach that will deal a damage to each exhausted character, then the player can just commit characters that have more than 1 hit point remaining. His ability can also help in defending because it can show what the first shadow card will be. That foreknowledge can make the difference between losing a defending hero and losing a cheap ally in their place.

The low cost means he can slot into just about every deck with Lore. He doesn’t synergize perfectly with the Silvan cards that came later, but he still works with them although there might be better options. There isn’t really any downside to him. If I’m not playing him in a deck with Lore then it is because it is built around a theme or trait.

  • Dave – 3
  • Grant – 2
  • Ted – TBR
  • Matt – 2
  • Average 2.33

External Links

Sample Decks

Pretty Fly for a Scry Guy by Durins Father

An encounter scrying deck full of direct damage effects. The direct damage is meant to kill enemies as soon as possible after they’re revealed in staging.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Damrod (The Land of Shadow)
Denethor (Core Set)
Thalin (Core Set)

Ally (14)
2x Anborn (The Blood of Gondor)
2x Descendant of Thorondor (The Hills of Emyn Muil)
2x Henamarth Riversong (Core Set)
2x Ithilien Tracker (Heirs of Númenor)
2x Marksman of Lórien (The Drowned Ruins)
2x Master of Lore (Heirs of Númenor)
2x Warden of Healing (The Long Dark)

Attachment (16)
2x A Burning Brand (Conflict at the Carrock)
2x Ambush (The Land of Shadow)
2x Forest Snare (Core Set)
2x Gondorian Shield (The Steward’s Fear)
2x Ithilien Pit (Encounter at Amon Dîn)
2x Poisoned Stakes (The Blood of Gondor)
2x Protector of Lórien (Core Set)
2x Ranger Spikes (Heirs of Númenor)

Event (27)
2x Arrows from the Trees (Temple of the Deceived)
3x Behind Strong Walls (Heirs of Númenor)
3x Daeron’s Runes (Foundations of Stone)
3x Deep Knowledge (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Expecting Mischief (Over Hill and Under Hill)
3x Feint (Core Set)
2x Forest Patrol (Assault on Osgiliath)
2x Infighting (A Journey to Rhosgobel)
2x Interrogation (The Drowned Ruins)
2x Risk Some Light (Shadow and Flame)
2x Rumour from the Earth (Return to Mirkwood)

Player Side Quest (1)
1x Scout Ahead (The Wastes of Eriador)

3 Heroes, 58 Cards
Cards up to The Drowned Ruins

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

The Three Trials with a Minimum Purchase Deck 3 & 4 – February 2, 2020

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment

Introduction

Two more attempts at the The Three Trials without any changes to my deck so far.

Decklist

Riders & Scouts Three Trials Minimum Purchase

Hero (3)
Éomer (The Voice of Isengard)
Éowyn (Core Set)
Idraen (The Three Trials)

Ally (26)
1x Beorn (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
3x Gondorian Spearman (Core Set)
3x Greyflood Wanderer (The Three Trials)
3x Lórien Guide (Core Set)
2x Northern Tracker (Core Set)
3x Veteran Axehand (Core Set)
2x Wandering Took (Core Set)
3x Westfold Horse-breeder (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Westfold Outrider (The Voice of Isengard)

Attachment (9)
2x Dwarven Axe (Core Set)
1x Horn of Gondor (Core Set)
3x Silver Lamp (The Voice of Isengard)
1x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)
2x Warden of Arnor (The Three Trials)

Event (15)
2x A Test of Will (Core Set)
1x Dwarven Tomb (Core Set)
2x Feint (Core Set)
2x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
3x Stand and Fight (Core Set)
2x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)
3x The Wizards’s Voice (The Voice of Isengard)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards

Deck built on RingsDB.

Attempt 3

Set up: Stage 2 is Trail of Intuition. Raven Guardian and Hill Barrow randomly selected. Time is 4. Threat is 30.

Starting Hand: Feint, The Wizards’s Voice x2, Greyflood Wanderer, Northern Tracker, and The Galadhrim’s Greeting

Turn 1: Stand and Fight drawn. Eowyn quests for 4. Treachery removes a time. No progress and no threat gained. Travel to Hill Barrow. Guardian gets 2 shadow cards and play The Wizards’s Voice. Threat is 33. Idraen and Eomer attack for 6 dealing 1 damage. Refresh, threat is 34, and time is 2.

Turn 2: Wandering Took drawn. Play Northern Tracker. Eowyn quests for 4. Grim Foothills added to the staging area for 1 threat. Three progress on Grim Foothills exploring it and my threat is 36. Guardian attacks, tracker defends, shadow gives guardian another attack, and a damage dealt. Wizard’s Voice the second attack and threat is 39. Idraen and Eomer attack for 1 damage. Refresh, threat is 40, and time is 1.

Turn 3: Gandalf drawn and played. Deal 4 damage to Guardian. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Tangled Woods added to the staging area for 2 threat. Active location explored, added to the victory display, and Idraen readies. Top encounter card discarded and not the key. Gandalf defends the Guardian’s attack, shadows do not have any effect other than adding more shadows, and no damage dealt. Idraen, Eomer, and tracker defeat the guardian. Refresh, threat is 41, and Gandalf discarded.

Turn 4: Hasty Stroke drawn. Idraen and tracker quest for 3 and a progress on Tangled Wood. Treachery adds Raven Guardian to the staging area.

I scoop because that destroys my plan to build up for a few turns.

Attempt 4

Set up: Stage 2 is Trail of Intuition. Boar Guardian and Cave Barrow randomly selected. Time is 2. Threat is 30.

Starting Hand: Westfold Horse-breeder, The Galadhrim’s Greeting, Veteran Axehand, Unexpected Courage, Warden of Arnor, and The Wizards’s Voice

Turn 1: Stand and Fight drawn. Play Westfold Horse-breeder. Eowyn quests for 4. Treachery deals 1 damage to breeder. Discard top encounter card and it is not a key. Travel to the Barrow. The Wizards’s Voice the Guardian and threat is 33. Then Idraen and Eomer attack for 8 dealing 4 damage. Refresh, threat 34, and time is 1.

Turn 2: Hasty Stroke drawn. Play Veteran Axehand and Unexpected Courage on Eomer. Eowyn quests for 4. Treachery returns Barrow to the staging area. Discard top encounter card and not a key. Travel to Barrow. Axehand defends the Guardian attack, shadow exhausts Eomer, and Axehand dies. Eomer readies via Unexpected Courage. Eomer and Idraen attack for 8 dealing 4 damage. Refresh, threat is 35, and time is 2 as no allies in play to discard.

Turn 3: Gandalf drawn. Eowyn quests for 4. Tangled Wood added to the staging area for 2 threat and 2 progress on the active location. Stand and Fight the breeder so it can defend the Guardian attack. No shadow but breeder dies. Eomer and Idraen defeat the Guardian. Refresh and threat is 36.

Turn 4: Stand and Fight drawn. Play Warden of Arnor on Idraen. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Treachery whiffs as no non unique characters in play. 4 progress added to active location for 6. Play The Galadhrim’s Greeting to reduce threat by 6 to 30. Refresh and threat is 31.

Turn 5: A Test of Will drawn. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Grim Foothills added to staging area, it gains 1 progress thanks to warden, threat is 3, and my threat is 33. Grim Foothills explored and Barrow progress is 7. Refresh and threat is 34.

Turn 6 Stand and Fight drawn. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Spirit of the Wild added to the staging area for 3 threat. Active location explored, Idraen readies, 2 encounter cards discarded, and no key found. Travel to woods tapping Idraen. Spirit engages and attacks. Eomer defends, no shadow, and nod damage dealt. Eomer readies and attacks dealing 1 damage. Refresh and threat is 35.

Turn 6: Silver Lamp drawn and played on Idraen. Eowyn quests for 4. Treachery returns woods to staging area. 2 encounter cards discarded and no key. Tap Eomer to travel to woods and ready him with Unexpected Courage. Eomer defends the spirit attack, no shadow, and no damage. Idraen attacks dealing 1 damage. Refresh and threat is 36.

Turn 7: Feint drawn. Eowyn quests for 4. Cursed Forest added to the staging area for 3 threat. 1 progress on the active location. Spirit attack defended by Eomer, shadow is key that gets shuffled back into the encounter deck, and no damage. He readies. Idraen and Eomer kill the Spirit. Refresh and threat is 37.

Turn 8: Gandalf drawn. Idraen and Eowyn quest for 6. Grim Foothills added to the staging area, threat is 4, my threat is 39, and it is explored. Refresh and threat is 40.

Turn 9: Dwarven Tomb drawn (where are all my regular allies?). Idraen and Eowyn quest for 6. Ancient Forest added to the staging area for 7 threat. Threat is 41. Refresh and threat is 42.

Turn 10: Warden of Arnor drawn. Play Gandalf and lower threat to 37. Eowyn, Idraen, and Gandalf quest for 10. Cancel Guardian’s Fury with A Test of Will. Active location explored, Idraen readies. Travel to Ancient Forest. Refresh and threat is 38.

Turn 11: Greyflood Wanderer drawn and played without doomed. Play Dwarven Tomb to get Test of Will back. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Ancient Forest #2 added to the staging area for 7 threat. Discard Warden to avoid gaining threat. Refresh and threat is 39.

Turn 12: Lórien Guide drawn and played. Play Gandalf and draw Gondorian Spearman, The Galadhrim’s Greeting, and Silver Lamp. Eowyn, Idraen, Gandalf, guide, and wanderer quest for 13 and 1 progress on the active location. Treachery fails to remove any time. Active location explored. Travel to Ancient Forest #2. Refresh, threat is 40, and discard Gandalf.

Turn 13: Gondorian Spearman drawn and played. Eowyn, Idraen, wanderer, and guide quest for 9 and a progress on the active location. Key added to the staging area and attached to Idraen. Advance to the Trial of Perservance. Hill Barrow and Raven Guardian added to the staging area. Raven key attached to the Barrow. Raven Guardian engages. 7 threat in the staging area, discard Silver Lamp for a willpower, and active location is explored. Idraen readies. Travel to the Barrow. Guardian attacks. Spearman defends, shadows add 1 attack, and he dies. Refresh, threat is 41, and time is 3.

Turn 14: Westfold Outrider drawn and played. Play Stand and Fight bring back Gandalf and drawing Horn of Gondor, Westfold Horse-breeder, and Westfold Outrider. Play Westfold Horse-breeder and Horn of Gondor on Eowyn. Idraen, Eowyn, Gandalf, guide, breeder, and wanderer quest for 14 and an active location progress. Treachery removes a time for 2 on Guardian. Active location explored, Idraen readies, raven key claimed, and advance to Trial of Strength. Wolf Guardian engaged and Stone Barrow added to the staging area. Guardian attack defended by Westfold Outrider, shadow adds 2 attack, and Outrider dies. Eowyn gets a resource. Eomer attacks for 5 dealing 2 damage. He readies and attacks with Idraen for 5 more damage. Refresh, threat is 42, and time is 2.

Turn 15: Westfold Outrider drawn and played. Eowyn, guide, wanderer, and breeder quest for 8. Staging reveals Guardian’s Fury. Eomer defends the attack, no shadow, and 3 damage dealt. Ready Eomer. Outrider defends during combat, cancel shadow that would exhaust a character, and Outrider dies. Eomer and Idraen attack for 8 defeating the guardian and claiming the last key. Advance to stage 3. Guardians all engage and Hallowed Circle added to the staging area. Refresh, threat is 43, and time are 3, 2, and 1.

(This is where not getting my allies for most of my early turns early on hurt.)

Turn 16: Lórien Guide drawn. Play last Stand and Fight to bring back Gandalf and deal 4 damage to Boar Guardian. Eowyn quests for 4. Grim Foothills added to the staging area for 5 threat. Threat is 46. Travel to the foothills. Feint Wolf Guardian since its shadow gives it 2 more shadow cards and can’t have it attack twice or exhaust a character. Wanderer and breeder defend the other Guardian attacks, no shadows, and they die. Eowyn gets 2 resources. Eomer, Idraen, and guides attack Boar for 10 defeating it. Eomer readies and attacks the Wolf with Gandalf for 9 dealing 6 damage. Refresh, threat is 47, discard Gandalf, and time is 2 and 1.

Turn 17: Dwarven Axe drawn. Play Gondorian Spearman and The Galadhrim’s Greeting. Threat is 41. Eowyn, Idraen, and a guide quest for 7 and 1 active location progress. Grim Foothills #2 added to the staging area for 5 threat which gets a progress for warden. Grim Foothills #2 is explored. Spearman defends wolf dealing a damage and dies. Guide defends raven and dies. Eomer attacks wolf twice dealing 4 damage. That is basically game because undefended wolf attack at the end of the turn will kill a hero and won’t be able to get enough quest or attack power going to finish.

Horn of Gondor

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Card Talk Season 6 Episode 7
    • Video episode
    • Audio episode
  • Cycle
    • Shadows of Mirkwood
  • Set
    • Core and Revised Core Set
  • Player Card Categories
    • Resource Acceleration
    • Burglar Treasure

Pre-Errata Version

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

Background

Vorondil the Hunter created the horn from a wild ox of Rhun. Vorondil was the father of Mardil, the first ruling steward of Gondor. The horn passed down to the eldest son until borne by Boromir. Legend had it that the horn’s call would not go answered if sounded within Gondor. In the Lord of the Rings, Boromir sounded the horn to call for aid in fighting off the Uruk-hai at Amon-hen. While the Fellowship heeded its call, they were too late to help Boromir.

Card Theme

The resource acceleration mechanism for a character being destroyed fits with Boromir’s sort of. The one resource can help put an ally into play which would fit with the horn’s legend of always being answered. That it gives resources for multiple characters falling to Sauron’s forces is quite a mismatch. A more thematic mechanism would have been a mustering effect like Elf-stone or Timely Aid.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Leaves Play

Cards that have effects when a character or itself leaves play can increase the value of a destroyed character. These are generally better since they work with Sneak Attack like effects. Horn of Gondor will only trigger when damage on a card is equal or greater than its hit points. Still stacking effects to get more value out of a chump block or losing a character to Archery can make the resources better spent. There are many useful effects this can trigger. Tactics Eomer can get his attack to 5 without any attachments and Leadership Prince Imrahil can ready. Allies like Descendent of Throndor, Meneldor, Squire of the Citadel, or Eomund can deal damage, place progress, get more resources, or ready characters if they are the chump blocker with Horn of Gondor essentially defraying the cost a bit. Valiant Sacrifice, Rallying Cry, or Horn of the Mark help with the card disadvantage created by a character being destroyed.

Burglar’s Turn

The Burglar’s Turn contract allows items like the horn to be put in a loot deck. The loot are attached to locations when they are made the active one. Exploring the active location will put the attached card into play. This is much more valuable for high cost attachments, but it can still work with Horn of Gondor.

Cheap Allies

Zero or one cost allies work best in a chump blocking strategy and the Horn. The Horn of Gondor will recoup the resource cost the lost ally. The main issue will be drawing enough cards to keep playing allies to defend with. Some of the cards mentioned earlier with leaves play effects can help offset the card disadvantage there.

Quest Specific

Basically any scenario where a player is better off using a chump blocking strategy. The Against the Shadow cycle particularly any scenario with the Mordor Elite and the Orc Vanguard with 8 attack. The cycle’s propensity for multiple shadow effects makes chump blocking generally safer.

Fire in the Night, there is a side quest that stops characters from using their defense versus the dragon, Dragnir. When it is in play a chump blocking strategy is better than losing a hero.

Ring Rating

Card Talk uses the highly scientific yet arbitrary scale of 1 ring for the card to rule them all to 10 to be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

I rate Horn of Gondor at 8 rings. I’m really tempted to go even to 9 rings. It does have some use with a chump blocking strategy and multiplayer since it is not limited to characters the owner controls. The pre-errata version I would probably would have rated 2 or 3 rings. It had many more uses synergizing really well with Rohan, Eagles, Sneak Attack, To Me! O my kinsfolk and many other effects that put an ally into play temporarily. It would have been overpowered with Silvans of course. I understand why it received errata, but the nerf hammer hit it into near irrelevance. That is because the trigger is less under the player’s control. It also has the Brok Ironfist ability problem, its an effect that a player typically would rather not trigger. The player loses an ally that had to be drawn and paid for to get a single resource.

  • Dave – 7
  • Grant – 7
  • Ted – TBR
  • Matt – 8
  • Average – 7.33

External Links

Sample Decks

Meat and Potatoes (And Awesome) by stephenball

A deck that centers around leaves play effects plus The Horn of Gondor of course!

Meat and Potatoes (And Awesome)

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Éomer (The Voice of Isengard)
Éowyn (Core Set)
Prince Imrahil (A Journey to Rhosgobel)

Ally (23)
2x Arwen Undómiel (The Watcher in the Water)
2x Bofur (The Redhorn Gate)
3x Envoy of Pelargir (Heirs of Númenor)
3x Errand-rider (Heirs of Númenor)
3x Ethir Swordsman (The Steward’s Fear)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
3x Squire of the Citadel (The Blood of Gondor)
2x Westfold Horse-breeder (The Voice of Isengard)
2x Westfold Outrider (The Voice of Isengard)

Attachment (13)
3x Ancient Mathom (A Journey to Rhosgobel)
1x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
3x Firefoot (The Dunland Trap)
2x Gondorian Shield (The Steward’s Fear)
2x Horn of Gondor (Core Set)
1x Rohan Warhorse (The Voice of Isengard)
1x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)

Event (14)
3x A Test of Will (Core Set)
2x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
3x Quick Strike (Core Set)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
3x Valiant Sacrifice (Core Set)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The Dunland Trap

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

The Three Trials with a Minimum Purchase Deck 1 & 2 – January 26, 2020

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment

Introduction

Skipping over The Dunland Trap as I had skipped ahead to beat it with Dave’s minimum purchase deck. This is going to be the last scenario in Ringmaker with a minimum purchase deck. This one broke me a bit on that kick. You’ll see why over the course these playthroughs.

Decklist

Riders & Scouts Three Trials Minimum Purchase

Hero (3)
Éomer (The Voice of Isengard)
Éowyn (Core Set)
Idraen (The Three Trials)

Ally (26)
1x Beorn (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
3x Gondorian Spearman (Core Set)
3x Greyflood Wanderer (The Three Trials)
3x Lórien Guide (Core Set)
2x Northern Tracker (Core Set)
3x Veteran Axehand (Core Set)
2x Wandering Took (Core Set)
3x Westfold Horse-breeder (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Westfold Outrider (The Voice of Isengard)

Attachment (9)
2x Dwarven Axe (Core Set)
1x Horn of Gondor (Core Set)
3x Silver Lamp (The Voice of Isengard)
1x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)
2x Warden of Arnor (The Three Trials)

Event (15)
2x A Test of Will (Core Set)
1x Dwarven Tomb (Core Set)
2x Feint (Core Set)
2x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
3x Stand and Fight (Core Set)
2x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)
3x The Wizards’s Voice (The Voice of Isengard)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards

Deck built on RingsDB.

Attempt 1

Threat is 30, and time is 4.

Starting hand: Celebrían’s Stone, Westfold Horse-breeder, Saruman, Henamarth Riversong, Deep Knowledge, and Wandering Took

Turn 1: Legacy of Númenor drawn. Play Deep Knowledge to draw Saruman #2 and Legacy of Númenor #2. Threat is 32. Play a legacy for resources and threat is 36. Play Celebrían’s Stone on Eowyn. Play Henamarth Riversong and breeder. Exhaust Henamarth to see top encounter card. Top card is low provisions. Eowyn, Gloin, Glorfindl, and Breeder quest for 12. Low provisions deals 3 damage to Gloin and 2 to Glorfindl. 3 resources added to Gloin. 10 progress placed on the quest. Travel to the Edge of Fangorn. Add Dark Hearted Huron to the staging area. It engages and removes a quest progress to reduce it to 9. Heal 1 damage on Gloin with Glorfindl. Refresh, threat is 37, and time is 3.

Turn 2: Threat is 39. Steward of Gondor drawn and played on Glorfindl. Exhaust Steward for resources. Exhaust Henamarth to see that another Dark Hearted Huron is the top card. Play Saruman and threat is 42. Eowyn quests for 6. Huron added to the staging area and results in active location explored plus 2 quest progress for 11 total. Exhaust Gloin to capture Mugash. Advance to stage 2. Deadly Huron added to the staging area for stage 2 and engages. The hurons can’t remove any progress. Saruman, Glorfindl, and Wandering Took attack a Dark Hearted Huron killing it. Glorfindl pays a resource to heal a damage on himself. Refresh, threat is 43, discard Saruman, and time is 3.

Turn 3: Threat is 45. Glorfindl takes 3 damage from Deadly Huron. Exhaust Steward for resources. Westfold Horse-breeder drawn and played. Play second Saruman and threat is 48. Quest with everyone for 18. Heart of Fangorn added to the staging area for 3 threat. 15 progress added to the quest to win.

Setup: The trial of Intuition for first stage 2. Raven’s Gaurdian engaged. Stone Barrow in the staging area. Threat is 30.

Starting Hand: The Galadhrim’s Greeting, Feint, Unexpected Courage, Lórien Guide, Veteran Axehand, and Gondorian Spearman

Turn 1: Beorn drawn. Play Unexpected Courage on Idraen. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Treachery removes a time from Raven’s Guardian. 4 encounter cards discarded. Travel to Stone Barrow. Ready Idraen with Unexpected Courage. Guardian attacks, threat is 33, Idraen defends, no shadow, and 1 damage dealt. Refresh, threat is 34, and guardian time is 2.

Turn 2: Dwarven Axe drawn. Play Spearman. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Spirt of the Wild added to the staging area for 1 threat and discard 5 cards. 5 progress on the active location. Idraen readies. Spirit engages and attack undefended, shadow returns Barrow to the staging area and a damage assigned to Eowyn. Guardian attacks, threat is 37, Spearman defends, deals a damage, shadow exhausts Idraen, and Spearman dies. Eomer attacks spirit for 5 dealing 3 damage. Refresh, threat is 38, and time is 1.

Turn 3: Lórien Guide #2 drawn and played. Eowyn quests for 4. Cursed Forest added to the staging area for 5 threat. Threat is 39. Travel to the barrow. Guide defends the guardian attack, threat is 42, no shadow effect, and guide dies. Spirit attack undefended, shadow returns Barrow to the staging area, and 1 damage to Eomer. Idraen attacks the Spirit killing it. Eomer and Idraen attack the guardian for 8 and deal 3 damage. Refresh, threat is 43, and last time removed dealing a damage to all heroes. Time is 4.

Turn 4: The Wizards’s Voice drawn. Play Veteran Axehand. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Tangled Woods added to the staging area. It adds a a forced effect that requires a hero to exhaust which pretty much means location lock for me.

Attempt 2

Setup: The trial of Intuition for first stage 2. Raven’s Gaurdian engaged. Cave Barrow in the staging area. Threat is 30.

Starting Hand: Silver Lamp, A Test of Will, Stand and Fight, Northern Tracker, Horn of Gondor, Gondorian Spearman

Turn 1: Westfold Outrider drawn. Play Horn of Gondor on Eomer. Eowyn quests for 4. Spirit of the Wild added to the staging area for 4 threat. Discard Spearman to discard the top encounter card. Travel to Cave Barrow. Stand and Fight the Spearman. Spirit engage, attack is undefended, no shadow, and 1 damage assigned to Eomer. Guardian attack defended by Spearman, deals a damage, shadow gives guardian another attack, and Spearman dies. 1 resource added to Eomer. Idraean defends the 2nd attack, no shadow, and 1 damage dealt. Eomer attacks the spirit dealing 2 damage. Refresh, threat is 31, and time is 3.

Turn 2: A Test of Will drawn. Play Westfold Outrider. Eowyn quests for 4. Treachery deals a damage to Outrider. 4 progress on the active location. Outrider defends the guardian attack, no shadow, Outrider dies, and Eomer gets a resource. Spirit attack undefended, no shadow, a damage assigned to Eomer. Idraen and Eomer attack guardian for 8 resulting in 3 damage. Refresh, threat is 32, and time is 2.

Turn 3: Silver Lamp drawn. Northern Tracker played. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Treachery removes a time counter from Guardian and time is 1. Active location explored, top 2 encounter cards discarded, and Idraen readies. Tracker defends the guardian attack, no shadow, and 1 damage dealt. Spirit attack undefended, no shadow, and 1 damage assigned to Eowyn. Eomer and Idraen attack guardian for 6 dealing a damage. Refresh, threat is 33, time removed dealing a damage to each character, and time is 4.

Turn 4: Gandalf drawn and played dealing 4 damage to the guardian killing it. Eowyn and Gandalf quest for 8. Spirit of the wild added to the staging area for 1 threat resulting in 7 top encounter cards being discarded. Key of the Raven discarded, added to the staging area, and attached to Eowyn. Advance to Trial of Perseverance. Stone Barrow, Wolf Key, and Wolf Guardian added. Guardian engaged. Travel to the Barrow. Spirit #2 engages. Tracker defends guardian attack, no shadow, tracker dies, and Eomer gets a resource. Eomer and Idraen defend the spirits attacks and no damage dealt for those. Gandalf discarded and Eomer gets a resource. Refresh, threat is 34, and time is 2.

Turn 5: Gandalf drawn and played. Deal 4 damage to undamaged spirit killing it. Eowyn and Idraen quest for 6. Cursed Forest added to the staging area for 3 threat. Discard a silver Lamp to place 4 progress on the active location. Gandalf defends the guardian attack, no shadow, and 1 damage dealt. Eomer defends the spirit attack, shadow adds 1 attack, and no damage dealt. Gandalf discarded and Eomer gets a resource. Refresh, threat is 35, and time is 4.

Turn 6: Westfold Horse-breeder drawn and played. Eowyn quests for 4. Grim Foothills added to the staging area for 4 threat and threat is 37. Breeder defends the guardian attack, no shadow, breeder dies, and Eomer gets a resource. Idraean defends the spirit attack, no shadow, and no damage dealt. Eomer attacks and kills the spirit. Refresh, threat is 38, and last time is removed killing a hero. I scoop at this point as I’m falling too far behind.

Postmortem

I should not have quested with Gandalf on turn 4 and tried to build up for another turn or 2.

Hasty Stroke

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Card Talk Season 6 Episode 6
    • Video episode
    • Audio episode
  • Cycle
    • Shadows of Mirkwood
  • Set
    • Core and Revised Core Set
  • Player Card Categories
    • Shadow Control

Basic shadow cancelation

Background

The flavor text refers to when Aragorn tells Gimli and Legolas the he used the palantir of Orthanc. Gimli expresses concern that Sauron is aware of them now. Aragorn responds with basically saying he is intentionally forcing Sauron to attack them. The intent is have to misled Sauron to attack them and lead him away from Frodo and The One Ring.

Card Theme

As Aragorn hinted at in the flavor text, Sauron will attack them, but the attack won’t be effective. This is because it will be misdirected away from the true threat to his power. Shadow cards typically make attacks stronger and canceling one will make it less effective. The parallel between the theme and mechanism is there although the scale is different. Aragorn is using a metaphor to explain his strategy for the war. The card affects only an attack by a single enemy.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Discard Recursion

The big downside of the card is that it is an event and can normally be used once. Fortunately, Spirit is the sphere of Discard Recursion. Dwarven Tomb can get it back directly to hand to play Hasty Stroke again. Will of the West, Galadhrim Weaver, and The White Council will only shuffle it back into a players deck. These do make it possible to get another play Hasty Council, but then a player has to draw it again.

Map of Earnil should be noted won’t work to recur Hasty Stroke. This is because the shadow reveal that would trigger Hasty Stroke’s response doesn’t happen during an action window. The player can’t activate the Map’s action to play Hasty Stroke from the discard pile.

Gloin Decks

A big weakness of Gloin decks are shadow effects. A big attack boost that would go beyond his hit points or an effect that discards attachments can wreck the whole strategy. Also taking multiple undefended attacks increases the chances of seeing a bad shadow. Most of shadow control alternatives require the hero to defend, but Hasty Stroke does not.

Quest Specific

Not all shadows are created equal in this game. Early in the life of the game, scenarios are notoriously swingy. There were some encounter cards that would do virtually nothing and others would basically require the players to cancel them or lose. Shadow effects suffered from the same variability. Darrowdelf known for it’s terrible treacheries doubled up with many awful shadow effect’s like Sudden Pitfall discarding the defending character. Sleeping Sentry already notorious is arguably worse as a shadow since it will discard all exhausted cards.

Against the Shadow is also notorious for bad shadows because so many can add more shadow cards to an enemy. It is even possible to have a chain of several shadows on a single enemy.

Later scenarios, has many enemies immune to player card effects. That immunity doesn’t extend to shadow cards except for a few exceptions. Fire in the Night, The Road Darkens, and The Battle of Pelennor Fields make the big boss enemy’s shadows immune as well. Hasty Stroke won’t be as helpful in those scenarios.

Ring Rating

Card Talk uses the highly scientific yet arbitrary scale of 1 ring for the card to rule them all to 10 to be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

I rate Hasty Stroke at 4 rings. The effect can be very useful, but not every scenario has shadows that require cancelation. There are also many alternatives in the full card pool that provide shadow cancelation like Erkenbrand, A Burning Brand, Armored Destrier, Jubayr, Sterner than Steel, Balin, etc. Many of their shadow control effects are repeatable. Doubling up on shadow cancelation only makes it more consistent. It will still make it into many decks or at least their sideboard.

  • Dave – 5
  • Grant –
  • Ted –
  • Matt – 4

External Links

Into Fangorn with a Minimum Purchase Deck 7 – January 25, 2020

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment

Introduction

Grant, Micah, and I have been playing some multiplayer eating up all my LOTR time. Here is some Ringmaker minimum purchase play until I get back to Angmar.

Decklist

Doomed Last Alliance – Into Fangorn – Minimum Purchase

Hero (3)
Éowyn (Core Set)
Glóin (Core Set)
Glorfindel (Core Set)

Ally (26)
3x Daughter of the Nimrodel (Core Set)
2x Faramir (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
1x Gléowine (Core Set)
2x Guard of the Citadel (Core Set)
1x Henamarth Riversong (Core Set)
3x Isengard Messenger (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Orthanc Guard (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Saruman (The Voice of Isengard)
2x Wandering Took (Core Set)
3x Westfold Horse-breeder (The Voice of Isengard)

Attachment (5)
1x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
2x Keys of Orthanc (The Voice of Isengard)
2x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)

Event (19)
2x A Test of Will (Core Set)
2x Deep Knowledge (The Voice of Isengard)
1x Dwarven Tomb (Core Set)
3x Legacy of Númenor (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Power of Orthanc (The Voice of Isengard)
2x Radagast’s Cunning (Core Set)
2x Secret Paths (Core Set)
2x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
2x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards

Deck built on RingsDB.

Play by Play

Threat is 30, and time is 4.

Starting hand: Celebrían’s Stone, Westfold Horse-breeder, Saruman, Henamarth Riversong, Deep Knowledge, and Wandering Took

Turn 1: Legacy of Númenor drawn. Play Deep Knowledge to draw Saruman #2 and Legacy of Númenor #2. Threat is 32. Play a legacy for resources and threat is 36. Play Celebrían’s Stone on Eowyn. Play Henamarth Riversong and breeder. Exhaust Henamarth to see top encounter card. Top card is low provisions. Eowyn, Gloin, Glorfindl, and Breeder quest for 12. Low provisions deals 3 damage to Gloin and 2 to Glorfindl. 3 resources added to Gloin. 10 progress placed on the quest. Travel to the Edge of Fangorn. Add Dark Hearted Huron to the staging area. It engages and removes a quest progress to reduce it to 9. Heal 1 damage on Gloin with Glorfindl. Refresh, threat is 37, and time is 3.

Turn 2: Threat is 39. Steward of Gondor drawn and played on Glorfindl. Exhaust Steward for resources. Exhaust Henamarth to see that another Dark Hearted Huron is the top card. Play Saruman and threat is 42. Eowyn quests for 6. Huron added to the staging area and results in active location explored plus 2 quest progress for 11 total. Exhaust Gloin to capture Mugash. Advance to stage 2. Deadly Huron added to the staging area for stage 2 and engages. The hurons can’t remove any progress. Saruman, Glorfindl, and Wandering Took attack a Dark Hearted Huron killing it. Glorfindl pays a resource to heal a damage on himself. Refresh, threat is 43, discard Saruman, and time is 3.

Turn 3: Threat is 45. Glorfindl takes 3 damage from Deadly Huron. Exhaust Steward for resources. Westfold Horse-breeder drawn and played. Play second Saruman and threat is 48. Quest with everyone for 18. Heart of Fangorn added to the staging area for 3 threat. 15 progress added to the quest to win.

Score 83 = 3*10 + 6 hero damage + killed heroes + 48 threat – 1 victory

Postmortem

One and done!

Guard of the Citadel

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Card Talk Season 6 Episode 5
    • Video episode
    • Audio episode
  • Cycle
    • Shadows of Mirkwood
  • Set
    • Core and Revised Core Set

The most basic of allies.

Background

Guarding the citadel and the White Tree was the highest honor and duty to the guards in Minas Tirith. They couldn’t leave their posts for any reason except if commanded by their lord. They could wear Elendil’s livery of the White Tree with a silver crown and stars on a field of black. They also wore mithril helms with wings of sea birds. The flavor text comes from The Council of Elrond. It is near the closing of Elrond’s recounting of The One Ring’s history and the aftermath of the Last Alliance.

Card Theme

The theme here is all in the name and traits since there are no mechanisms other than its stats.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Gondor Global Stat Boosts

The Core Set alongside this ally introduced the first Gondor global stat boost with For Gondor!. It worked to give each a character + 1 attack. It also gave Gondor characters +1 defense. The enemies in the core set often had 2 attack and the defense could save the Guard assuming there was no shadow effect. Faramir doesn’t just provide his bonus willpower to Gondor characters, but he is Gondor traited. Simliarly, Sword that was Broken thematically should be Gondor related as the sword of High King Elendil although the boost is given to all characters.

Then the Against the Shadow cycle introduced more Gondor centric cards. Leadership Boromir hero gave all Gondor allies +1 attack as long as he had a resource in his resource pool. Then much later in the cycle, Visionary Leadership could give all Gondor allies an extra willpower.

The Outlands, representing the southern fiefs of Gondor, provide global boosts to other Outlands characters. Sword of Morthond allows a Gondor ally to gain the benefit of these global bonuses as well.

Gondor Swarm

The global boosts available to Gondor are better the more allies they can get into play. Fortunately, the trait has many cheap allies like Guard of the Citadel. Some even help find or put additional allies into play like Soldier of Gondor and Herald of Anorien. Soldier of Dol Amroth can make Tactics Gondor allies cheaper. Pelargir Ship Captain, Envoy of Pelargri, and Errand Rider can help smooth resources for more allies in addition to being more cheap allies. Squire of the Citadel has one of the cheapest printed costs and Citadel Custodian can become free with enough Gondor allies in play.

Ally Attachments

Gondor doesn’t get any specific bonuses for attachments on allies like Dale. Guard of the Citadel does have a very useful trait to get ally attachments, Warrior. There are several that can increase the Guard’s combat ability with bonus attack, defense, and hit points. Bonus willpower is hard to come by with only Wild Stallion as an option.

Ring Rating

Card Talk uses the highly scientific yet arbitrary scale of 1 ring for the card to rule them all to 10 to be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

I rate Guard of the Citadel at 7 rings. I view the Guard as the Grizzly Bears of LOTR LCG. For those that haven’t played Magic the Gathering, Grizzly Bears is the epitome of a vanilla creature. It costs 2 for 2 attack and 2 defense/hit points. Nothing really bad about it other than it lacks any abilities. Great for a beginner deck. Guard of the Citadel fills the same role. It is a low complexity ally that is cheap and good enough. Later on as people build out their card pools, there’s usually not much reason to pull out Guard of the Citadel as there are many other 2 cost Gondor allies with the same or better stats and an ability.

  • Dave –
  • Grant –
  • Ted –
  • Matt – 7

External Links

Sample Decks

The Armies of Gondor by Gizlivadi 

Mono Leadership Gondor Swarm

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Aragorn (Core Set)
Boromir (Heirs of Númenor)
Denethor (Flight of the Stormcaller)

Ally (27)
3x Envoy of Pelargir (Heirs of Númenor)
3x Errand-rider (Heirs of Númenor)
2x Faramir (Core Set)
2x Galadriel (The Road Darkens)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
2x Guard of the Citadel (Core Set)
3x Herald of Anórien (Trouble in Tharbad)
1x Ingold (The Wastes of Eriador)
3x Squire of the Citadel (The Blood of Gondor)
3x Veteran of Osgiliath (Escape from Mount Gram)
2x White Tower Watchman (The Drúadan Forest)

Attachment (16)
2x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
2x Heir of Mardil (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
3x Rod of the Steward (Flight of the Stormcaller)
3x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)
2x Sword that was Broken (The Watcher in the Water)
1x Tome of Atanatar (The Blood of Gondor)
3x Visionary Leadership (The Morgul Vale)

Event (8)
3x A Very Good Tale (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
3x Strength of Arms (The Drúadan Forest)

3 Heroes, 51 Cards
Cards up to Flight of the Stormcaller

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.