- Card Talk Season 7 Episode 12
- Video episode
- Audio episode
- Cycle
- Shadows of Mirkwood
- Set
- Core and Revised Core Sets
- Player Card Categories
- Willpower Bonus
- Defense Bonus
- Discard from Hand
Make use of those duplicate uniques!
Background
The Fellowship after meeting her and talked briefly about her secret messages communicated to them seemingly with her eyes. Frodo wouldn’t say anything about it despite Boromir pressing. While pressing Frodo, Boromir expressed doubt about Galadriel. The flavor text is Aragorn’s defense in response.
Card Theme
The theme of discarding cards from hand representing the Noldor’s knowledge and power fading from Middle Earth was not established in the Core Set. It came later in the 6th cycle, Dream-chaser. A protector of Lorien likely Also this attachment isn’t limited to Noldor or Silvan elves. I don’t see much link here in the theme of the card and its mechanism.
Card Synergies and Interactions
Card Draw
This the most obvious synergy considering a player needs cards in hand to power the action effect. Erestor hero provides the most cards on a turn over turn basis. Protect of Lorien provides a good use for any cards that get discarded at the end of turn anyway. Lore has the lion’s share of card draw including repeatable sources like Lore Bilbo, Gleowine, Stone of Elositirion, and Expert Treasure-hunter. There are some good out of sphere options too like Galadriel hero, Rod of the Stewart, and Stweard of Orthanc.
Discard Recursion
There are a few types of recursion that work well with Protector of Lorien. The first would be cards that put cards from discard back into the deck. These can be used to refill it so the player can continue to draw extra cards and discard them for the bonuses. The prime example would be Will of the West that shuffles the entire discard back in but most will only do so for 1 card at a time.
The second type puts cards into play directly out of the discard pile like Stand and Fight, Reforged, Caldara hero, Beorning Skin-changer, Master Ironsmith, and Gwaihir. This can be a way to feed the discard pile to play off-sphere cards since they put them directly into play. This doesn’t work Caldara because her effect requires them to be Spirit ally cards. Still it is useful to help fill the discard with targets for her ability.
There are some the combine both effects like the set of Records cards that play events from the discard pile and then put them back at the bottom and To Me O My Kinsfolk that puts a Dwarf ally into play temporarily.
Noldor
Noldor have many cards that require discarding to activate their effects like Protector. As a result, there are some Noldor cards that are designed to take advantage of discarded cards. There are the set of allies that gain bonuses depending on the top card of the player’s discard pile. Glorfindel ally, Lords of Eldar, and Elven-light can be played out of the discard by themselves. Galdor ally will draw a card when a card is discarded. Survivor of Eregion gains bonuses if the player’s hand is empty. Lindir will draw 3 cards if played when the player has less than 3 cards in hand.
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 Protector of Lorien at 5 rings. It was certainly a good card early in the life of the game when defense bonuses where few and far between. The game has released many attachments now that give good permanent willpower or defense bonuses. Those are mostly in other spheres and still a decent option for mono Lore or mostly Lore decks. Additionally the introduction of many Noldor cards that use discard effects and Erestor hero to fuel them have given this card a solid place in those types of decks as well. It still has it uses, but there are quite a few better options outside of Lore heavy decks or Noldor Discard.
- Dave – 3
- Grant – 4
- Ted – 3
- Matt – 5
- Average –
External Links
Sample Decks
The Kids Gather ’round the Christmas Tree by Card Talk Dave
Inspired by the 2019 Card Talk Christmas episode https://youtu.be/D7dBd3ZIJEY
If you are stuck in a rut in how to use Treebeard in a deck that is not expressly Ent themed, this may be your choice. It was a debate on the show if there is enough Ent traited cards to make sure that Entmoot would hit. My solution is to not use any Ent cards, save for Treebeard and Ent Draught and what I got is a pretty fun deck to play and is decently thematic in that it’s not so hasty.
Main Deck
Hero (3)
Bilbo Baggins (Mount Gundabad)
Frodo Baggins (A Shadow in the East)
Treebeard (The Treason of Saruman)
Ally (11)
1x Elrond (The Road Darkens)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
1x Gildor Inglorion (The Hills of Emyn Muil)
3x Ioreth (A Storm on Cobas Haven)
3x Rosie Cotton (The Mountain of Fire)
Attachment (26)
3x Cram (Over Hill and Under Hill)
3x Ent Draught (The Treason of Saruman)
3x Fast Hitch (The Dead Marshes)
2x Necklace of Girion (The Wilds of Rhovanion)
3x Protector of Lórien (Core Set)
3x Self Preservation (Core Set)
2x Spear of the Citadel (Heirs of Númenor)
3x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)
2x Sting (Mount Gundabad)
2x The Arkenstone (The Withered Heath)
Event (17)
3x Daeron’s Runes (Foundations of Stone)
3x Drinking Song (Mount Gundabad)
3x Halfling Determination (The Black Riders)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
3x Taste it Again! (The Land of Shadow)
2x The King’s Return (The Fate of Wilderland)
Player Side Quest (1)
1x Gather Information (The Lost Realm)
3 Heroes, 55 Cards
Cards up to A Shadow in the East
Sideboard
Event (3)
3x Feint (Core Set)
Decklist built and published on RingsDB.