Gandalf/Elrond shenanigans

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talonhawk01 2

This is the baseline of a deck I've been playing almost exclusively for about a year. It functions okayish in some solo play, but I'm usually playing games with three and four players at the local store. It's WAY over 50 cards, but I don't have any problems removing any of the named allies to accommodate usage in other players' decks which helps trim it, if only slightly. Between Vilya, Expert Treasure Hunter(s), Galdor, Erestor, Daeron's Runes, Gather Information...the card count matters very little. The 33 starting threat doesn't matter too much either. I end most games with ~15 cards remaining in the deck and in the mid or low twenties for threat.

I've also been proxying the spoiled allies Glorfindel, Deorwine, and Eldahir in addition to this. Glorfindel and the Light of Valinor copies come out if I see hero Glorfindel in play, but I add another copy of Asfaloth in that case. I'm very much looking forward to these three.

If a Círdan the Shipwright player intends to use Narya (hasn't happened yet), I would change my copies of Narya to Song of Kings. Using Narya on Faramir is pretty nuts, particularly when followed by Grim Resolve (thank you, Vilya) to use him a third time. Faramir gives all my dudes +1, everyone else commits, Vilya for Grim Resolve, Faramir again, Narya, Faramir a third time. All my characters committed to the quests with +3 and ready except for Faramir and Gandalf.

Certain scenarios get an extra copy of Elfhelm, the third Northern Tracker, and/or another copy of Beorn.

I've thought about adding Keen as Lances if a Rossiel Victory Display deck is around. I really should as that will typically end up being free money/cards for me while assisting them in playing their own Keen as Lances.

I've added Keeping Count at times to assist a Tactics deck. I can typically my one copy before the Tactics deck can find its second copy.

Steward of Gondor gets replaced by Resourceful. Definitely slower and usually needs to be Vilya'd into play, but I don't end up with a dead card and it's not a terrible victim for Flame of Anor (I avoid doing that though).

Quests that seem particularly deadly get another copy (or two) of Fortune or Fate. Those with nasty conditions get 3 copies of Miner of the Iron Hills.

Overall, I enjoy the slightly complicated motions of the deck. It carries a large mix of abilities and can easily be adjusted between quests to lean more toward questing or combat. I'm always interested in trying other cards we tend to dismiss as a group due to their cost.

2 comments

Jul 10, 2016 TheBeardedOne 2

I'm not seeing where all this magical card draw is coming from. How do you draw enough cards to get Vilya and Arwen Undómiel into play (two cards that look essential to this deck)?

Jul 10, 2016 talonhawk01 2

You're right about Vilya being incredibly important the deck. I'll almost always mulligan if my first hand doesn't have one.

I also play in a group that ends up playing four player games more often than not, so a Gather Information frequently shows up round 1 or 2. When I play solo, I definitely trim down a lot of the non-essential allies.

Expert Treasure Hunter can be very effective card draw for the deck. Each copy I can get in play is practically an extra card draw. Combined with playing a card or two off the top with Gandalf every turn, you can dig through the deck rapidly.