Category: Leadership

Common Cause

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Card Talk Season 7 Episode 1
    • Video episode
    • Audio episode
  • Cycle
    • Shadows of Mirkwood
  • Set
    • Core and Revised Core Sets
  • Player Card Categories
    • Readying

Binder fodder replaced completely by Cram.

Background

The flavor text on the card is from after Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli send Boromir on his final journey down the Anduin. Aragorn makes the decision they will follow the orcs that took Merry and Pippin. That is the chase referred to in the card that the 3 races will marvel at.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Messenger of the King Arwen

Arwen ally is the only one that isn’t an objective that generates an effect as response when exhausted. This is opposed to heroes like Beravor, Galadriel, or Lore Denethor that as an action can exhaust to generate an effect. This means that finding more ways to exhaust Arwen ally can generate her effect multiple times. There aren’t many ways to do this.

Heroes with Strong Stats, Built-in Readying, and Lower Stats

The best targets to ready will be the heroes with stats of 3 or more especially if they have more than 1. They can leverage the readying effect to quest and attack, quest and defend, or defend and attack. Those that can boost their own stats are great targets as well to use their bolstered stat more than 1 like Treebread hero, Core Set Gimli, and Hirulan the Fair. Those that have built-readying are good targets for the cost like Leadership Aragorn, Tactics Boromir, Leadership Imrahil, Leadership Gimli, or Spirit Legolas. This gives the player some tactical options. For example, a player might exhaust Tactics Boromir to ready another hero with a strong attack stat. Then ready Tactics Boromir for both of them to attack together rather than use Boromir’s readying to attack 2 different enemies. Heroes with lower stats of 2 or less are also good targets for the cost to ready the stronger stat heroes like most Hobbit heroes, many of the Dwarf heroes, and Ranger heroes often have balanced stats of about 2 each. There are many more often with a threat cost of less than 10.

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 Common Cause at 10 rings. I’ve played this card once back when I just had the Core Set. Even then the cost of exhausting a hero to use this card was too high. Heroes are often the cornerstone of what a deck can do. It is rare to have one just sitting ready with nothing better to do. Besides that, this card has been replaced with a better version not long after the Core Set came out, Cram. It has the same resource cost of 0 and same Leadership sphere. Only differences are Cram is attachment and doesn’t require exhausting another hero which is marked improvement. Attachments in my experience are a little more vulnerable than cards in hand. Attachment hate is just a little more likely than encounter cards that force a player to discard a card. Still I’d take that chance over having to leave a hero ready to later ready a different one.

  • Dave – 8
  • Grant – 8
  • Ted – 6
  • Matt – 10
  • Average – 8

External Links

Sample Decks

Have you tried mercenary work? It might suit you. by Darkling Door

Thematic Nightmare Peril in Pelargir deck for the Darkling Door blog. Battle-questing (or combat) deck that focuses on using Na’asiyah to kill an Enemy every round, regardless of how big it is.

 Strategy

This is a

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Boromir (Heirs of Númenor)
Denethor (Flight of the Stormcaller)
Na’asiyah (A Storm on Cobas Haven)

Ally (23)
2x Anborn (The Land of Shadow)
3x Envoy of Pelargir (Heirs of Númenor)
3x Errand-rider (Heirs of Númenor)
2x Guard of the Citadel (Core Set)
1x Ingold (The Wastes of Eriador)
3x Knight of the White Tower (The City of Corsairs)
3x Pelargir Ship Captain (The Morgul Vale)
3x Squire of the Citadel (The Blood of Gondor)
3x Veteran of Osgiliath (Escape from Mount Gram)

Attachment (11)
3x Gondorian Fire (Assault on Osgiliath)
2x Rod of the Steward (Flight of the Stormcaller)
3x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)
3x Visionary Leadership (The Morgul Vale)

Event (16)
2x Captain’s Wisdom (The Thing in the Depths)
2x Common Cause (Core Set)
3x Feint (Core Set)
3x Quick Strike (Core Set)
3x Valiant Sacrifice (Core Set)
3x Wealth of Gondor (Heirs of Númenor)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The City of Corsairs

Sideboard

Attachment (3)
3x Rohan Warhorse (The Voice of Isengard)

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Longbeard Orc Slayer

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Player Card Categories
    • Direct Damage
    • Enters Play

tagline

Background

The Longbeards are the only Dwarves introduced in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings although there are other clans of Dwarves descended from the original 7 fathers created by Aule. The Longbeard Dwarves during both books lived in the Iron Hills or Dunland. The Hobbit saw the Longbeards reclaim Erebor from the Dragon Smaug during the Third Age not long prior to Sauron’s return.

The Longbeards had clashed with orcs since Durin’s Folk claimed the Grey Mountains in the First Age. In the Second Age after Morgoth’s defeat saw orcs coming from the East to attack Dwarven lands again. The Third Age saw orcs move into Khazad-dum after the Balrog drove out the Longbeards.

Card Theme

Longbeard Orc Slayer deals damage to all orcs in play. It is a pretty self-evident mechanical link to the theme.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Put Into Play

There are a few actions that can put an ally into play at any action window. Sneak Attack, To me! O my kinsfolk!, Horns! Horns! Horns!, and Reinforcements work great with the slayer. They allow putting it into play after staging to maximize the number of orcs it can hit. If using other direct damage effects, it could even destroy some orcs before quest resolution to lower staging area threat. Timely Aid and Stand and Fight still can get the slayer into play at an action window after staging, but they won’t go back to a player’s hand or deck to play again later. If slayer chump blocks, Stand and Fight and To me! O my kinsfolk! can bring it back for another round of damage.

synergies

More Direct Damage

There are only 2 orc enemies in the game with 1 hit point. As a result, the Longbreard Orc Slayer most of the time won’t be able to destroy an orc with their ability alone. Fortunately there are many more direct damage effects. Thalin also from the Core Set will deal a direct damage to each enemy as it is revealed. Thalin combined with the slayer can kill every 2 hit point orc. Gondorian Spearman (also in the Core Set) can kill a 3 hit point orc while defending. Spear of the Citadel on Gondorian Spearman can make this even better with another damage to take out 4 hit point enemies.

Galadhon Archer, Descendent of Throndor, Rumil, Gandalf ally have direct damage effects like the hunter dealing direct damage when they enter play. These also can be doubled up to take out tougher orc enemies and make more consistent combos with put into play effects.

Tactics Bilbo has a similar ability to Thalin although it targets only 1 enemy and they already need to be in play. Then with his trusty sword, Sting, Bilbo can deal a direct damage in combat. Dwarves also have Darrowdelf Axe and Thorin Stonehelm that can do some additional direct damage while attacking. There are also many event based ones like Swift Strike, Heavy Stroke, Hail of Stones, and Goblin-Cleaver just to name a few.

Lore is the other main sphere with direct damage effects. Argalad similar to Bilbo can deal 1 damage to an enemy in the staging area provided he has enough attack power to reduce their threat to 0. Expecting Mischief is very similar to Thalin since it triggers to deal 2 damage when an enemy is revealed. There are also a couple thematically tied to the Ithilien Rangers like the trap, Poisoned Stakes. It unfortunately deals 2 damage at the end of the round. Arrows from the Trees also can deal damage to enemies in the staging area and more when Tactics resources are spent, but the players have to avoid engaging any enemies. Both given the timing and needing or better to avoid engagement don’t work that well with the hunter to eliminate orcs before having to defend any attacks.

Dwarf Tribal

Leadership Dain, the first tribal lord type card for LOTR LCG does a lot for all Dwarf allies. The attack boost is the most useful with the hunger to get him up a respectable 3 attack for 4 resources. Erebor Record Keeper for a Lore resource can either help make sure the slayer has the bonus or make use of it twice in a round. Legacy of Durin when the players play the slayer from hand will draw them a card.

Quest Specific

The first 2 cycles and The Hobbit Saga offer many opportunities for the slayer to shine. Orc enemy swarms were featured quite a bit. Into the Pit and the second half of Over the Misty Mountains Grim in particular feature many low hit point orcs.

Intruders in Chetwood, Dungeson of Cirith Gurat, The Uruk-Hai, and Helm’s Deep are all ones to avoid using the Longbeard Orc Slayer in. Intruders in Chetwood enemies can’t be damaged while Orc War Party is in play. The quest starts with one in play and there are 2 others in the encounter deck. More often than not, enemies won’t be able to take direct damage. Dungeons of Cirith Gurat during the second stage when the players have to avoid engaging enemies for 2 turns, the slayer weakening them would be quite beneficial except they’re all immune to damage. The Uruk-Hai and Helm’s Deep many of the enemies have the toughness X keyword that cancels the first X damage any time damage is dealt to them. The slayer damage then will just get canceled every time it is used against them.

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 Longbeard Orc Slayer at 7 rings. There are a lot of orc enemies in the game. A player isn’t going face several at one time in true solo all that often. It is better in multiplayer when there will likely be more orcs in play and deal several points of damage. The hit point creep as the game develop made that 1 point of damage to each enemy less effective. The game also saw more enemy traits introduced with undead, werewolves, Harad, and more. Those early quests the slayer was a pretty useful toolbox ally for swarm quests. The high cost is also a barrier to play. Especially as more cost efficient allies like Treebeard and Legolas ally were introduced. The cost can be mitigated by put in play effects which work great with the enter play effect. Still a really strong ally that is intended to stick around will do more for a player than a one time blast of global damage.

  • Dave – 9
  • Grant – 8
  • Ted – TBR
  • Matt – 7
  • Average – 8

External Links

Sample Decks

Dwarf Rules, Thorin age / Hobbit Saga by LOIS

Thematic dwarf deck, using only dwarves allies and Gandalf and cards up to dwarrofelf cycle + Hobbit Saga

Dwarf Rules, Thorin age / Hobbit Saga

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Dáin Ironfoot (Return to Mirkwood)
Ori (Over Hill and Under Hill)
Thorin Oakenshield (Over Hill and Under Hill)

Ally (26)
2x Bifur (On the Doorstep)
2x Bofur (The Redhorn Gate)
2x Dori (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Dwalin (On the Doorstep)
2x Erebor Battle Master (The Long Dark)
2x Erebor Hammersmith (Core Set)
3x Erebor Record Keeper (Khazad-dûm)
2x Fili (Over Hill and Under Hill)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
2x Glóin (On the Doorstep)
2x Kili (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Longbeard Orc Slayer (Core Set)

Attachment (10)
1x Cram (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Dwarrowdelf Axe (Khazad-dûm)
2x King Under the Mountain (On the Doorstep)
3x Narvi’s Belt (Khazad-dûm)
2x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)

Event (14)
2x A Very Good Tale (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Durin’s Song (Khazad-dûm)
1x Ever Onward (Khazad-dûm)
2x Lure of Moria (Road to Rivendell)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
2x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)
2x To me! O my kinsfolk! (On the Doorstep)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to On the Doorstep

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

I’ll Damage You Directly by Durin’s Father

Thematic dwarf deck, using only dwarves allies and Gandalf and cards up to dwarrofelf cycle + Hobbit Saga

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Dáin Ironfoot (Return to Mirkwood)
Éomer (The Voice of Isengard)
Thalin (Core Set)

Ally (18)
1x Azain Silverbeard (Flight of the Stormcaller)
2x Descendant of Thorondor (The Hills of Emyn Muil)
3x Errand-rider (Heirs of Númenor)
2x Farmer Maggot (The Black Riders)
2x Galadhon Archer (The Nîn-in-Eilph)
2x Gandalf (Core Set)
3x Gondorian Spearman (Core Set)
3x Longbeard Orc Slayer (Core Set)

Attachment (24)
3x Cram (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Dúnedain Mark (The Hunt for Gollum)
2x Dúnedain Quest (A Journey to Rhosgobel)
2x Dwarrowdelf Axe (Khazad-dûm)
2x Firefoot (The Dunland Trap)
1x Hardy Leadership (Shadow and Flame)
1x King Under the Mountain (On the Doorstep)
2x Mighty Prowess (The Drúadan Forest)
2x Rohan Warhorse (The Voice of Isengard)
1x Song of Battle (The Dead Marshes)
1x Song of Kings (The Hunt for Gollum)
3x Spear of the Citadel (Heirs of Númenor)
2x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)

Event (9)
2x A Very Good Tale (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Feint (Core Set)
2x Parting Gifts (A Journey to Rhosgobel)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)

Player Side Quest (1)
1x Send for Aid (The Treachery of Rhudaur)

3 Heroes, 52 Cards
Cards up to Flight of the Stormcaller

Sideboard

Ally (2)
2x Beorning Beekeeper (Conflict at the Carrock)

Attachment (1)
1x Song of Kings (The Hunt for Gollum)

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Celebrian’s Stone

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Card Talk Season 6 Episode 26
    • Video episode
    • Audio episode
  • Cycle
    • Shadows of Mirkwood
  • Set
    • Core and Revised Core Sets
  • Player Card Categories
    • Willpower Bonus
    • Resource Smoothing
    • Burglar Treasure

One of the best willpower boosting attachments that is even better on Aragorn.

Background

Celebrian’s Stone is an elfstone that Galadriel gave to her daughter. Celebrian then later gave it to her daughter, Arwen. In the books, we find out Galadriel has it. She gives it Aragorn before the Fellowship leaves Lothlorien “as a token of hope”. The elfstone was also worked into Bilbo’s verses about Earendil at Aragorn’s insistence. This is what the flavor text is referring to as Bilbo explained to Lindir what Aragorn added after reciting the verses in Rivendell.

Card Theme

The Stone representing hope to the Fellowship is meant to inspire their determination and strengthen their resolve. It is fitting that it bolsters a hero’s willpower to represent this in the game.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Aragorn Hero Cards

It makes sense that Celebrian’s Stone given to Aragorn synergizes well with him. It combos with the Core Set’s ability considering the player can quest with him and then ready for combat. The stone makes the questing with him on par with Spirit Eowyn’s 4 willpower. It is conveniently even in the same sphere as the first version of him. The Lore and Tactics version don’t synergize as well although poor spheres are often “willpower poor”. The willpower boost can go a long way considering there are few options to 2 willpower for 2 cost. Spirit Aragorn doesn’t benefit from the Spirit resource icon, but it does make his ability better. He can reduce most locations threat to 0 once the Stone is attached and put a progress on it. The Fellowship versions work well with it too. The Treason of Saruman one can ready him himself to quest and be available for combat a little less efficiently than his core set version. The Flame of the West gets a bit more benefit because the Stone’s artifact trait will let Aragorn quest without exhausting.

Convert Willpower to Another Stat

There are some cards that help make more use of the willpower stat than just questing. Tale of Tinuviel, Fair and Perilous, and Herugrim can add willpower to the character’s attack. Golden Shield will do the same for defense. Against the Shadow will substitute the hero’s bolstered willpower for defense.

Forth, the Three Hunter’s Contract

The Stone works really with this contract. It has the restricted keyword to help flip the contract and give the attached hero an additional bonus willpower. It can go on any hero providing flexibility to help flip the contract faster. The Three Hunters contract also works best when each hero specializes with one questing, one attacking, and one defending. Celebrian’s Stone is one of the few options to help the main questing hero. Especially as the contract limits how much willpower the player can bring to bear with only 3 characters available.

Burglar’s Turn

The Stone can be one of the loot cards for this contract. It also can help explore the active location once it is attached to a hero to gain more loot.

Quest Specific

Escape from Dol Guldur limits the players to playing only 1 ally per round. Celebrian’s Stone is one of the few ways to get additional willpower without running afoul of the ally limit.

Characters can die in The Redhorn Gate‘s Stage 3B if their willpower is ever at 0. Celebrian’s Stone offers a bit more buffer against this.

In the Treachery of Rhudaur one of the starting side quests gives all allies -2 willpower when it is the active quest. A voltron or tower of attachments approach is much more effective to complete the side quest and claim the Clue objective on the other side.

Mount Doom, similar to Treachery of Rhudaur, punishes players that use a large number of allies. Although it does so via The Tower of Barad-dur raising their threat each round by the number of non-Fellowship characters they control. Stacking willpower on as few of characters as possible is a good strategy.

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 Celebrian’s Stone at 2 rings. Two willpower for 2 resources is the standard for questing allies. Two resources is low on the cost curve to work well in dual and tri-sphere decks. Two willpower is material enough to really advance a player’s ability to quest. It is rare to find 2 willpower on an attachment. The first cycle had the non-unique willpower boosting attachments of Favor of the Lady and Dunedain Quest cost 2 but add only 1 willpower. It is not quite as good as a two cost, two willpower ally because the ally can always chump block if needed. The ally also can increase the benefits of global willpower boosts from effects like Leadership Faramir ally. It does come with some advantages in scenarios that punish ally swarms. Heroes also have more readying available to leverage the higher willpower in quests with tests like the Hide test in A Shadow of the Past. If anything that keeps this from always being in Leadership decks is that it is unique. It adds some coordination issues in multiplayer. It also usually ends up being a 2 of in decks to avoid being a couple of dead draws after the first copy is played.

  • Dave –
  • Grant –
  • Ted –
  • Matt – 2
  • Average –

External Links

Sample Decks

Eomer Carries Galadriel’s Favor by kattattack22

Same strategy as Onidsen’s Ride Them Down! deck this is based on. Use Nenya and Heugrim to boost Eomer’s attack while he quests. Fastred can bounce enemies back into the staging area for Eomer to attack.

Mainly added some of the newer willpower boosting attachments (Silver Circlet, Necklace of Girion, and Stone of Elostirion) to make it more hero centric.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Éomer (The Mountain of Fire)
Fastred (The Black Serpent)
Galadriel (Celebrimbor’s Secret)

Ally (13)
2x Arwen Undómiel (The Watcher in the Water)
3x Galadhrim Weaver (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
3x Galadriel’s Handmaiden (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
2x Warden of Healing (The Long Dark)
3x Westfold Horse-breeder (The Voice of Isengard)

Attachment (29)
2x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
3x Dúnedain Warning (Conflict at the Carrock)
1x Firefoot (The Dunland Trap)
3x Herugrim (The Treason of Saruman)
3x Mirror of Galadriel (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
1x Necklace of Girion (The Wilds of Rhovanion)
3x Nenya (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
3x Silver Circlet (Wrath and Ruin)
2x Silver Harp (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
1x Song of Travel (The Hills of Emyn Muil)
2x Steed of Imladris (Across the Ettenmoors)
2x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)
1x Stone of Elostirion (Under the Ash Mountains)
2x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)

Event (7)
2x A Good Harvest (The Steward’s Fear)
3x A Test of Will (Core Set)
2x The King’s Return (The Fate of Wilderland)

Player Side Quest (1)
1x Rally the West (The Black Serpent)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to Under the Ash Mountains

Sideboard

Ally (1)
1x Warden of Healing (The Long Dark)

Attachment (3)
1x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)
2x Windfola (A Storm on Cobas Haven)

Event (6)
3x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
3x Power of Orthanc (The Voice of Isengard)

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Sneak Attack

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Player Card Categories
    • Leaves Play
    • Mustering

Half of the best core set combo

Background

The flavor text comes from when Frodo awakens in the barrow after being captured by a barrow-wight. It only describes Frodo preparing himself to do something. Soon after that then Tom Bombadil’s song begins and light enters the barrow. Frodo sees an arm reach for Sam. Frodo takes up a nearby sword to cut off the hand reaching towards Sam.

Card Theme

I think this card should really be called harry or hit and run. That would fit the effect better. I would expect sneak attack to let a character attack an enemy with lower defense or no defense. The main thing of a sneak attack is catching an enemy off guard and unprepared. The hint of theme from the flavor text and image of a Hobbit attacking seems more appropriate for Unexpected Courage.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Enters or Leaves Play Abilities

The big one is of course Core Set Gandalf. I wrote in our Core Set Combo series about how amazing this combo is. There are many allies with abilities that trigger when they enter play. Silvans in particular have them. You will find some allies with them in nearly every major trait in the game. These offer card draw, location control, direct damage, conditional removal, threat reduction, action advantage, resource smoothing, engagement control, healing, etc. All of which can be activated for the low cost of 1 Leadership resource.

There are only 3 cards that can trigger an effect when an ally enters play. Galadriel is the most general purpose since any ally gets to quest without exhausting. Celeborn and Gwaihir are trait specific to Silvans and Eagles, respectively.

There are only 2 allies that only have abilities when they leave play, Eomund and Squire of the Citadel. Descendant of Thorondor and Meneldor Eagle allies have both enter tna leave play trigger and get to double dip on Sneak Attack. Sneak Attack making a character leave play will open playing cards that respond to that like Valiant Sacrifice, Leadership Prince Imrahil hero, Tactics Eomer hero, and Defender of the Naith.

Strong Allies

Allies like ally Beorn that have strong stats and/or good abilities can get put into play cheaply at least for 1 activation. Beorn in particular is great since the first player can choose to resolve Sneak Attack’s return to hand before his shuffle back into the deck.

Allies Promoted to Hero

Any ally you put into play with Sneak Attack that subsequently becomes a hero does not return to hand. Sword-thain on a unique ally, Spirit Prince Imrahil once a hero is in the discard pile, and Thalion when there are 3 side quests in the victory display could all enter and stay in play cheaply. This confirmed via a FAQ.

Nonbo – Play from Hand

Nonbo is a term for a card paring that seems to play off each other but actually does not.

There are quite a few allies that say “after you play <insert card name here> from your hand” then trigger an effect. This is different from enters play or put into play. Playing a card per the rules means paying the resources to play the card into your playing area. Sneak Attack won’t trigger these effects because you’re not playing the card but putting it into play.

Nonbo – Ents

Ents are very strong allies that normally would be great to use for a phase. Unfortunately they don’t work with Sneak Attack because they all enter play exhausted.

Quest Specific

Escape from Dol Guldur has a limit on the number of allies the players can play. Sneak Attack gets around the play 1 ally per round limit. This is because as mentioned earlier playing an ally and putting an ally into play are different under the rules.

Desert Crossing Stage 1 and Crossing of Poros The Desert Path can limit the effectiveness of Sneak Attack. Each of these have a Forced effect that exhaust or deal 1 damage to a character when it enters play.

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 Sneak Attack at 2 rings. Amazing with the right allies, but it doesn’t work with all allies. I think when people talk about how amazing this card is they’re mostly thinking of Sneak Attack + Gandalf. That combo does a lot for a player, granted. It can’t be in every deck though because of Hero Gandalf and coordination issues with uniqueness in multiplayer. Plus it can become a crutch for players. Those cards take up 6 card slots that could go to allies and /or attachments that stay in play and advance the overall strategy of the deck.

I recognize it can be used many more ways than for a cheap Gandalf trigger. I’ve used it for ally Beorn’s massive attack, a big quest push with Faramir ally, and an emergency chump. I also really like the trick you can pull off with allies being promoted to heros. That’s the sort of subtle combo I wish this game had more of. I think this game has diversified especially with Three Hunters contract decks that ally based decks aren’t the end all and be all. Sneak Attack is great, but it doesn’t belong in all decks or is universally good like A Test of Will or Steward of Gondor are.

  • Dave – 1
  • Grant – 1
  • Ted – TBR
  • Matt – 2
  • Average – 1.33

External Links

Sample Decks

Wandering Burgler Discovers Fate of Numenor by kattattack22

Basic idea is to leverage Bilbo’s ability combined with direct damage from Gandalf and Descendent of Thorondor to clear enemies guarding Sting or Necklace of Girion. Also the Eagles of the North might discard a non-unqiue enemy guarding a card. Azain’s direct damage ability is another possibility since can engage an enemy not guarding a card that shares a trait and have ability deal more damage to enemy in the staging area.

If Necklace is guarded by a location, then Sneak Attack + Meneldor or Meneldor + Flight of the Eagles + Meneldor again would clear most locations. Otherwise, Timely Aid putting some early Northern Trackers or Mirkwood Explorers into play can help clear the guarded location

Main Deck

Hero (1)
Bilbo Baggins (Mount Gundabad)

Contract (0)
1x The Grey Wanderer (Challenge of the Wainriders)

Ally (22)
3x Azain Silverbeard (Flight of the Stormcaller)
3x Descendant of Thorondor (The Hills of Emyn Muil)
3x Eagles of the Misty Mountains (Return to Mirkwood)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
1x Gwaihir (Trouble in Tharbad)
3x Meneldor (Roam Across Rhovanion)
3x Mirkwood Explorer (The Thing in the Depths)
3x Northern Tracker (Core Set)

Attachment (16)
3x Fast Hitch (The Dead Marshes)
3x Necklace of Girion (The Wilds of Rhovanion)
3x Resourceful (The Watcher in the Water)
3x Sting (Mount Gundabad)
1x Strider (The Drowned Ruins)
3x Support of the Eagles (Return to Mirkwood)

Event (12)
3x Flight of the Eagles (Roam Across Rhovanion)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
3x The Shirefolk (Mount Gundabad)
3x Timely Aid (The Redhorn Gate)

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

1 Hero, 51 Cards
Cards up to Challenge of the Wainriders

Sideboard

Ally (9)
3x Eagle of the North (Roam Across Rhovanion)
3x Vassal of the Windlord (The Dead Marshes)
3x Winged Guardian (The Hunt for Gollum)

Attachment (6)
3x Born Aloft (Conflict at the Carrock)
3x Poisoned Stakes (The Blood of Gondor)

Event (6)
3x The Eagles Are Coming! (The Hunt for Gollum)
3x The King’s Return (The Fate of Wilderland)

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Ever Vigilant

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

The basic ally readying card

Background

The flavor text comes from when Pippin and Gandalf arrive at Minas Tirith. They meet some workers repairing the wall facing in the direction of Rohan lead by Ingold. Ingold asks if Rohan’s armies are coming to their aid. Gandalf tells Ingold they are, but they fought battles in their lands already. The quote is warning them they might find danger coming from Rohan.

Card Theme

I actually think this card’s theme and mechanism pairing is Nate French winking at Magic the Gathering. Magic has a keyword called Vigilance. Creature cards (ally equivalent in Magic) that have Vigilance can attack without tapping (same as exhausting in LOTR LCG). This leaves them free to defend during the opposing players turn or use abilities that require them to tap after combat.

Card Synergies and Interactions

High Value Allies

Allies with strong stats of 3 or higher can be great targets for Ever Vigilant. A player can get 2 uses of their stats especially if they have 2 good stats. Allies like Beorn, Gandalf, Saruman, and more that might leave at the end of round can do more in that single round. Even better are those with useful abilities like Legolas, Yazan, Deorwine, and Azain that trigger when attacking or defending. Allies that can build up very strong stats like Eagles of the Misty Mountains, Erebor Battlemaster, Guardian of Arnor, Warden of Annuminas, Fornost Bowman, and Guardian of Esgaroth.

Allies with Exhaust abilities

Master of the Forge

These allies offer a wider variety of benefits to the players when readied. The players can get card draw from allies like Gleowine, Master of the Forge, and Bofur. Scrying of either encounter and player decks is available from Henamarth, Gildor, and Imladris Stargazer. Leaderhip Faramir, Bombur, and Sulien can give players a willpower bonus or pseudo-willpower from staging area threat reduction. Not to mention healing, resource acceleration, resource smoothing, and even discard recursion are possibilities.

Event Recursion

The only in sphere option to recur Ever Vigilant is Tome of Atanatar. The players at least get to play Ever Vigilant from the discard pile and put it back into the deck. Will of the West, The White Council, Galadhrim Weaver, and Nori ally all just put it back into the deck.

Quest Specific

There are some scenarios where players are given an objective ally to help them in the scenario. The Redhorn Gate, Road to Rivendell, Encounter at Amon Din, The Blood of Gondor, The Fords of Isen all feature objective allies that are not immune to player cards and have useful abilities when exhausted. Conflict at the Carrock has Grimbeorn. He doesn’t have an ability when exhausted but he does have very good combat stats. The Angmar Awakened cycle also featured Iarion or Amarthuil both of which have versatile stats that Ever Vigilant can leverage.

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 Ever Vigilant at 7 rings. It has its uses, and can end up generating a variety of effects via the ally it readies. In the full card pool, it has largely been replaced by cards like Narya, Valiant Determination, or even Spare Hood and Cloak that can repeatedly ready allies. Readying for heroes and mass readying also became more prevalent crowding out a more narrow and limited readying card like Ever Vigilant. A player using more hero readying also doesn’t run into a problem I’ve seen occasionally with Ever Vigilant. That is not having a good target out to use it on. A player has that coordination problem of drawing not only this card but a good ally to target and then keep them in play. I’m sure it can be used to good effect as I have done it at least once in a minimum purchase deck. Unfortunately, like many other Core Set cards there are just better options in later expansions.

  • Dave – 7
  • Grant – TBR
  • Ted – 4
  • Matt – 7
  • Average – 6

External Links

Sample Decks

Memories of Ages Past ~Second Breakfast~ posted by Feonix

Grey Havens minimum purchase deck reported posted in an FFG news article. I wasn’t able to find the original article though.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Círdan the Shipwright (The Grey Havens)
Galdor of the Havens (The Grey Havens)
Théodred (Core Set)

Ally (17)
1x Faramir (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
1x Gléowine (Core Set)
1x Henamarth Riversong (Core Set)
3x Lindon Navigator (The Grey Havens)
3x Sailor of Lune (The Grey Havens)
3x Snowbourn Scout (Core Set)
2x Warden of the Havens (The Grey Havens)

Attachment (10)
1x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
3x Narya (The Grey Havens)
2x Protector of Lórien (Core Set)
3x To the Sea, to the Sea! (The Grey Havens)
1x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)

Event (23)
2x A Test of Will (Core Set)
3x Anchor Watch (The Grey Havens)
1x Dwarven Tomb (Core Set)
3x Elwing’s Flight (The Grey Havens)
2x Ever Vigilant (Core Set)
2x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
2x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
2x Stand and Fight (Core Set)
3x The Evening Star (The Grey Havens)
1x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)
2x Will of the West (Core Set)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The Grey Havens

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Silverlode Archer

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Player Card Categories
    • None

Near vanilla over costed ally that is obsolete outside the Core Set.

Background

Silverlode is a stream that went from the Misty Mountains through Lothlorien to the Anduin. Silverlode here in this instance is a way to refer to the elves of Lothlorien indirectly.

Card Theme

There is a tiny bit of theme in the mechanics considering the Ranged keyword allows characters to attack enemies engaged with another player. The Silverlode Archer with its bow to attack far away enemies makes sense to have Ranged.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Resource Acceleration

The archer’s three cost is difficult to pay outside of a mono-Leadership deck without some help. Steward of Gondor in the Core Set with the archer makes it palyable in a single turn. O Lorien provides some trait specific acceleration to make the archer only cost 2 resources.

Celeborn

Celeborn provides stat boost when the archer is played. There is little incentive to use the other Silvan cards to replay the archer without Celeborn since it does not have its own enters play ability.

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 Silverlode Archer at 9 rings. The archer was a bit subpar in the Core Set. The 2 attack stat is the only part to really recommend it. There was one really glaring drawback to the card though, its 1 hit point. This is because of the direct damage treacheries, Necromancer’s Reach and Evil Storm. Son of Arnor offered the same attack, an ability with similar utility to help another player in combat, and 2 hit points. The final nail in the coffin for the card is the Greenwood Archer. It costs 2 for 2 attack ally with Ranged and a enters play response ability that synergizes with the Silvan bounce in and out of play deck type.

  • Dave – 9
  • Grant – TBR
  • Ted – 9
  • Matt – 9
  • Average – 9

External Links

Sample Decks

Leaf and Land by Darkling Door

Quad sphere Silvan deck leveraging Celeborn and Galadriel bonuses for playing Silvan allies.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Celeborn (The Dunland Trap)
Galadriel (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
Gandalf (The Road Darkens)

Ally (22)
3x Galadhrim Healer (The Dread Realm)
3x Galadriel’s Handmaiden (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
3x Greenwood Archer (The Sands of Harad)
1x Haldir of Lórien (A Journey to Rhosgobel)
1x Henamarth Riversong (Core Set)
1x Legolas (The Treason of Saruman)
3x Naith Guide (The Dunland Trap)
1x Orophin (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
1x Rúmil (The Three Trials)
2x Silverlode Archer (Core Set)
3x Woodland Courier (The Drowned Ruins)

Attachment (14)
2x Gandalf’s Staff (The Road Darkens)
2x Hithlain (The Drowned Ruins)
2x Narya (The Grey Havens)
1x Nenya (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
2x O Lórien! (Trouble in Tharbad)
1x Shadowfax (The Treason of Saruman)
1x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)
3x Wizard Pipe (The Road Darkens)

Event (15)
3x A Test of Will (Core Set)
3x Feigned Voices (The Three Trials)
3x Island Amid Perils (The Nîn-in-Eilph)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
3x The Tree People (The Dunland Trap)

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

3 Heroes, 52 Cards
Cards up to The Sands of Harad

Sideboard

Attachment (1)
1x Narya (The Grey Havens)

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Son of Arnor

Matt Kell (kattattack22)Leave a comment
  • Card Talk Season 6 Episode 13
    • Video episode
    • Audio episode
  • Cycle
    • Shadows of Mirkwood
  • Set
    • Core and Revised Core Sets
  • Player Card Categories
    • Engagement Control
    • Staging Area Control
    • Enters Play

Looking for trouble

Background

Son of Arnor as implied by the name is a descendent from the people of Gondor’s sister kingdom, Arnor. After the death of its last king, Arnor split into three smaller kingdoms, Cardolan, Arthedain, and Rhudar. The people of these successor kingdoms dwindled after wars with Angmar and a plague until only scattered settlements and wandering bands remained. It is from these descendents that the Rangers of the North and Aragorn come from.

The flavor text is an excerpt when Elrond is telling everyone The One Ring’s history. It is just a brief mention of Elendil, Isildur, and Anarion coming out of the sea to found Gondor and Arnor.

Card Theme

The card’s mechanism here to engage an enemy fits with what the Rangers of the North did during the Watchful Peace. During that time they fought many minor battles with orcs and goblins to keep the lands of Eriador safe. This to the people of Bree it just appeared that the Rangers were just wandering East and South telling tales of older times. In reality they were going where there was trouble. In this case the Son of Arnor is kinda bringing trouble to him but considering that enemy engages a player and player engages an enemy are considered the same in game it still works.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Traps

One of the core set combos is Son of Arnor and Forest Snare. The downside to Forest Snare as a trap is that typically a player has to defend the enemy once before they can play Forest Snare during planning. Son of Arnor fixes that by engaging the enemy during the Planning phase. It also works really well with the 2 Tactics traps because they attach when an enemy is engaged. The player can basically pick any enemy in play to trap even those engaged with other players.

Engagement Bonus

Angmar Awakended introduced more Dunedain themed cards that benefit from having enemies engaged. Halbarad and Amarthuil heroes gain additional abilities when engaged with an enemy. There is a set of allies that have effects that scale with the number of engaged enemies and getting another to boost their stats or draw another card from Sarn Ford Sentry is nice. There are also some support cards that scale to engaged enemies as well to provide resource acceleration and readying. Star Brooch like the heroes just needs an enemy engaged for its stat boost. Steed of the North triggers on enemy engagement that is similar to most of the other engagement bonuses.

Mablung hero and Leadership Faramir hero have resource acceleration and readying that trigger on engagement. It is a little odd they have these abilities considering Gondor doesn’t have more like them.

Hobbits also have many abilities that can trigger for engaging or being engaged with an enemy although a little more conditionally. The enemy has to have higher engagement cost. Son of Arnor is useful to engage an enemy with higher threat besides just optionally engaging one. Especially if Son of Arnor is put into play outside the planning phase.

Put into Play

There are a few actions that can put an ally into play at any action window. Sneak Attack, Reinforcements, and Horns! Horns! Horns! work great with allies that have enter play effects like Son to trigger their effect and then go back to hand or deck to trigger the ability again later. Timely Aid and Stand and Fight still can get Son of Arnor into play at an action window like after staging but before quest resolution to remove staging area threat, but won’t go back to hand to play again later.

Quest Specific

The Shadows of Mirkwood featured the Goblin Sniper that could only be engaged if it was the only enemy in the staging area. This could lead to the dreaded double Goblin Sniper situation where neither can be engaged optionally. This left only Son of Arnor and reaching 48 threat as a solution early on in the game’s life.

A Knife in the Dark has Bill Ferny start the game in the staging area where he will add Ringwraiths to the encounter deck or raise the players’ threat. Any way to engage and get rid of him sooner than later helps the players significantly in this quest.

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 Son of Arnor at 7 rings. His biggest drawback is the 3 cost. It is expensive for just a 2 attack ally. He is in Leadership which helps mitigate it a little bit. The ability can be useful, but there are many alternatives now in the full card pool like Mablung ally, Westfold Outrider, Tireless Hunters, and Tactics Aragorn. It has a role to play that can be helpful to a couple different deck types and useful tech in a few quests.

  • Dave – 8
  • Grant – 6
  • Ted – 5
  • Matt – 7
  • Average – 6. 5

External Links

Sample Decks

Battle deck for Three Trials Minimum Purchase by kattattack22

Part of minimum purchase 2 deck fellowship to beat The Three Trials.

Battle deck for Three Trials Minimum Purchase

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Aragorn (Core Set)
Legolas (Core Set)
Théodred (Core Set)

Ally (33)
1x Beorn (Core Set)
1x Faramir (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
3x Gondorian Spearman (Core Set)
3x Guard of the Citadel (Core Set)
2x Horseback Archer (Core Set)
3x Orthanc Guard (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Rivendell Scout (The Three Trials)
1x Rúmil (The Three Trials)
2x Silverlode Archer (Core Set)
3x Snowbourn Scout (Core Set)
2x Son of Arnor (Core Set)
3x Veteran Axehand (Core Set)
3x Westfold Outrider (The Voice of Isengard)

Attachment (6)
1x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
2x Dwarven Axe (Core Set)
1x Horn of Gondor (Core Set)
2x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)

Event (11)
2x Feint (Core Set)
2x Legacy of Númenor (The Voice of Isengard)
2x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
3x The Wizards’s Voice (The Voice of Isengard)
2x Valiant Sacrifice (Core Set)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The Three Trials

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Grim Resolve

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

A big bomb like card that is just too expensive to play regularly.

Background

The art and flavor text refer to Frodo trying to enter Mordor by sneaking in the The Black Gate. Gollum begs Frodo to not take the Ring back to Sauron by going through that gate. Frodo knowing no other way, tells Gollum as much and his resolution to take The Ring to be destroyed.

Card Theme

I don’t get how readying all characters fits with just Frodo being determined to enter Mordor. I think it would have made more sense to choose when Aragorn attacked The Black Gate. At least it would have involved large armies that synergize with the mass readying effect.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Mustering

Grim Resolve readies all characters. The more characters in play then maximizes its effect. Mustering refers to all effects that put allies into play. This is effective for playing stronger more expensive allies like Legolas, Treebeard, and Faramir since the cost to put the ally into play typically isn’t in resources. The best ones for Grim Resolve will get them from a player’s deck. The classic mustering card is A Very Good Tale. It will let try player put 2 allies into play from the top 5 of their deck at the cost of exhausting 2 allies and discarding the other cards. It basically works like resource acceleration and card draw. Send for Aid is similar but the players need to complete the side quest instead of just exhausting allies. Vilya can do this repeatedly with hero Elrond.

Ally Swarm

Cheap allies and card draw can put several allies on the board for Grim Resolve to ready. While not as strong as those mustering can put out, there’s strength in numbers. Gondor, Outlands, and Silvans have a several 2 cost allies and even a few 1 cost to play them out quickly. Lots of card draw ensures that a player can keep pumping out an ally or 2 per turn. Erestor hero giving 3 additional cards per turn is king of swarm card draw since playing all the allies possible each turn is the ideal. Rod of the Steward being only limited by the resources a player works well to refill a player’s hand. Soldier of Gondor does double duty in being a cheap ally and finding more to be played.

Tome of Atanatar

The Tome can recur Grim Resolve and allow players to play it on multiple turns. Granted, it will take several resources due to the 5 cost, but it could be done in a Mono-Leadership deck with Steward of Gondor. A Gloin deck can also generate the necessary resources. Still there are cheaper alternatives like Strength of Arms that would be better to recur.

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 Grim Resolve at 7 rings. It is just so expensive. I remember when I first saw this card back when I was more rooted in Magic the Gathering’s resource and cost curve thinking that 5 cost wasn’t that bad. I soon learned that resources being spent with getting only 1 per hero each turn meant resource ramp for higher bigger costs just didn’t work like it does in Magic. How expensive it was became more evident as the card pool developed and the cost curve for most cards became cheaper. A player can reasonably expect for 5 resources to play 2 allies and maybe an event card. Even in the sphere with Steward of Gondor ,it would take 3 Leadership heroes with Steward or some other resource acceleration to get enough resources for it in a single turn.

This said, I think the effect is sufficiently big to warrant a higher cost. It just doesn’t usually seem like even a bombastic even like this will turn the tide of a game enough compared to just playing more allies or attachments. I think that is because this game compared to competitive card games is a marathon and not a sprint. For example, Magic the Gathering’s tempo is set by the players playing the game. A player can attempt a quick win by playing an aggressive deck that can deal 20 damage in a few turns. A big one time effect can give the player the last push they need to win. LOTR LCG the win conditions of the scenarios are varied with often multiple quest stages to defeat with only 1 stage being able to be completed each turn. That’s assuming there’s no other perquisites besides making sufficient progress. There are a few quests like Into Fangorn that players can rush through but that is the exception rather than the rule. The encounter deck also often starts strong with enemies and/or locations in the staging area. A strong board state to deal with the encounter cards and make consistent progress is often a better strategy than trying to rush through.

I can see this card doing well in swarm decks which tend to run resource acceleration already. It also can work well in multiplayer since the effect affects all players’ heroes and allies. Those couple of niches use cases are way I’m only giving it a 7.

  • Dave – 6
  • Grant – 5
  • Ted – 4
  • Matt – 7
  • Average – 5.5

External Links

Sample Decks

Event-heavy Multiplayer Vilya by HappyHappy

The deck is designed to play 1 big event outright and 1 with Vilya. It is designed for 4 player play so it has great player scaling cards like Campfire Tales, Deep Knowledge, and of course, Grim Resolve.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Arwen Undómiel (The Dread Realm)
Elrond (Shadow and Flame)
Gandalf (The Road Darkens)

Ally (6)
1x Bilbo Baggins (The Road Darkens)
1x Gildor Inglorion (The Hills of Emyn Muil)
1x Imladris Stargazer (Foundations of Stone)
3x Zigil Miner (Khazad-dûm)

Attachment (10)
2x Expert Treasure-hunter (On the Doorstep)
2x Gandalf’s Staff (The Road Darkens)
2x Song of Kings (The Hunt for Gollum)
3x Vilya (Shadow and Flame)
1x Wizard Pipe (The Road Darkens)

Event (34)
3x A Test of Will (Core Set)
2x Campfire Tales (The Hunt for Gollum)
3x Daeron’s Runes (Foundations of Stone)
3x Deep Knowledge (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Elrond’s Counsel (The Watcher in the Water)
3x Gildor’s Counsel (The Hills of Emyn Muil)
3x Grim Resolve (Core Set)
3x Hidden Cache (The Morgul Vale)
3x Legacy of Númenor (The Voice of Isengard)
3x Light the Beacons (Heirs of Númenor)
3x We Are Not Idle (Shadow and Flame)
2x Will of the West (Core Set)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The Dread Realm

Sideboard

Hero (1)
Glorfindel (Foundations of Stone)

Ally (2)
1x Gléowine (Core Set)
1x Warden of Healing (The Long Dark)

Attachment (3)
1x Light of Valinor (Foundations of Stone)
2x Narya (The Grey Havens)

Event (9)
3x Doom Hangs Still (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
2x For Gondor! (Core Set)
2x Heed the Dream (Flight of the Stormcaller)
2x Inspiring Presence (The City of Corsairs)

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

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.

Dúnedain Message

Card Talk: An LOTR LCG PodcastLeave a comment
  • Card Talk Season 6 Episode 4
    • Video episode
    • Audio episode
  • Cycle
    • Angmar Awakened
  • Set
    • Across the Ettenmoors
  • Player Card Categories
    • Card Search

Basically an extra copy of a side quest.

Background

The flavor text comes from The Council of Elrond chapter in The Fellowship of the Ring. More specifically when Gandalf is telling of how he came to suspect and eventually know Bilbo’s magic ring was The One Ring. He was relating when he first started to wonder, he notice many spies around the Shire. He then asked the Dunedain for help and they increased their watch over The Shire.

Card Theme

Many cards that draw additional cards or search for a particular card are associated with knowledge. Particularly in the form of the spoken or written word. Dunedain keeping watch over The Shire and the surrounding areas would have considerable knowledge of it and the happenings there. A message from them would contain intelligence especially considering the added context of Gandalf asking them to watch The Shire for him from the flavor text.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Side Quests

Dunedain Message needs side quests to find. It is hard to go wrong with the first player side quest, Gather Information. It is only 4 quest points making it one of the easier quests to complete. It is also neutral making it easy to slot into a deck with Dunedain Message. The Storm Comes is also a neutral side quest that offers great resource smoothing for ally cards. The Leadership side quests, Send for Aid and Prepare for Battle offer powerful benefits although their a little harder to complete with 6 quest points. Outside the Leadership sphere Keep Watch, Scout Ahead, and Double Back all have very useful effects worth having sooner than later.

Side Quest Bonus

Thurindir is amazing to run in any deck with a side quest in it because he gets a bonus willpower once the side quest is completed. He automatically gets to search for one at the start of the game. Dunedain Message can help find more side quests to complete and power him up. This is especially helpful as many of the side quests are limited to 1 copy per deck.

Thurindir is not the only player card to get better as players complete or attempt to complete side quests. East Road Ranger in particular is helpful because they can quest for 3 when the active quest is a side quest. The others like Thalion, Vigilant Dunadan, Rider of Rohan, Halfast Gamgee, and Legacy Blade require the quest to be completed. Thalion and Legacy Blade like Thurindir are better the more side quests are completed. Thalion can become a hero if 3 or more are completed. Legacy Blade gives +1 attack per side quest completed to max of 3.

Weather Hills Watchman

The Weather Hills Watchman can search the top 5 cards of the deck for a card with the Signal trait. This includes the Dunedain Message helping to make Dunedain side quest bonus a little more consistent.

Quest Specific

Running player side quests is very scenario dependent. Some scenarios purposely get harder the longer players take to complete them.

  • The Ringmaker cycle with the Time mechanism is the prime example. Every few turns, an encounter card will trigger a nasty effect the player(s) will have to deal with or survive.
  • Journey in the Dark from the LOTR Saga players gives players only so many turns before the Balrog arrives.
  • The first stage in the Over the Misty Mountains Grim, has very strong and tough Giant enemies and bouncing boulders that are are hero killers. It is best in that quest to hurry to the second stage.
  • Flight of the Stormcaller and Race Across Harad, the players are chasing the enemies and being chased, respectively. Delays in questing means letting the enemies escape or catch up and it is game over.
  • Deadman’s Dike and Under the Ash Mountains the scenario is trying to mine the player(s) deck(s). Each turn whittles away a little more at the deck. If deck(s) run out, it is game over.

On the flip side, there are quests where it is helpful to not advance too quickly or even stay on a particular stage for awhile.

  • Journey Along the Anduin in the Core Set, staying on stage 1 even after defeating the Hill Troll is a good idea. Stage 2 forces the players to reveal an additional encounter card so questing through it quickly to avoid location lock or having too many enemies is ideal. Then the last stage could introduce up to 4 enemies in true solo for a player to fight. Both of these stages are much easier with a large board of allies.
  • Conflict at the Carrock and We Must Away ‘Ere Break of Day it helps to stall on Stage 1. Once the player(s) have a strong board state, then advance to Stage 2 to take on the strong trolls that ambush them.
  • There are quests with no quest points like The Steward’s Fear or The Morgul Vale because advancing the quest is dependent some other trigger. In those scenarios a player might as well quest against a side quest and get a benefit beside not just raising their threat.

These are by no means exhaustive lists. The Vision of the Palantir’s scenario analyses, however, indicate at the start of each if a quest is good to use side quests in or not.

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 Dunedain Message at 8 rings. There is some utility to the card considering that the side quests from the Angmar Awakened cycle are limited to one copy per deck. The card can act like an additional copy of a side quest to increase the chances of finding it. Unfortunately, it is in Leadership which doesn’t have many side quest centric cards. Lore has more of the side quest bonus cards including Thurindir that can search for a side quest at set up anyway. On top of that, Lore has more card search cards like Word of Command and Heed the Dream that can find side quests or whatever card a player needs. Dunedain Message just is a very limited use case card that is easily overshadowed by better alternatives.

  • Dave – 9
  • Grant – TBR
  • Ted – 8
  • Matt – 8

External Links

Sample Decks

The Storm Comes! by ksym77

Deck uses Kahliel hero and The Storm Comes side quest to play many powerful unique allies.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Faramir (The Land of Shadow)
Kahliel (The Mûmakil)
Théodred (Core Set)

Ally (28)
1x Beorn (Core Set)
1x Déorwine (Temple of the Deceived)
3x Dwarven Sellsword (The Drowned Ruins)
1x Elfhelm (The Dead Marshes)
2x Elrond (The Road Darkens)
3x Elven Jeweler (Escape from Mount Gram)
3x Errand-rider (Heirs of Númenor)
3x Firyal (The Mûmakil)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
1x Gildor Inglorion (The Hills of Emyn Muil)
1x Glorfindel (Flight of the Stormcaller)
3x Jubayr (The Mûmakil)
3x Yazan (The Mûmakil)

Attachment (6)
2x Kahliel’s Headdress (The Mûmakil)
3x Lord of Morthond (Encounter at Amon Dîn)
1x Tome of Atanatar (The Blood of Gondor)

Event (13)
3x Captain’s Wisdom (The Thing in the Depths)
3x Dúnedain Message (Across the Ettenmoors)
2x Reinforcements (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
2x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
3x Strength of Arms (The Drúadan Forest)

Player Side Quest (3)
1x Prepare for Battle (The Mûmakil)
1x Send for Aid (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
1x The Storm Comes (The Sands of Harad)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The Mûmakil

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.