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jww 134
Setup Breakdown
Saruman is your only starting hero. Strider enters play viaThe Grey Wanderer’s setup effect.
The One Ring attaches to Saruman during setup by its own game text: “Attach to a hero. The One Ring is immune to non-Master card effects and cannot leave play.”
Crucially: Saruman’s passive ability discards attachments you play from your hand at the end of the round — but The One Ring is never played. It enters play via setup, and thus is not affected by Saruman’s text.
Because The One Ring cannot be discarded, you retain continuous access to all four spheres of influence, making it possible to include and play powerful cards from any sphere — crucial for triggering Council of the Wise and enabling diverse event-based control strategies.
The result is a unique Council deck where Saruman starts fully equipped with powerful tools before the first planning phase even begins.
Gameplay Strategy
This is a control-heavy, toolbox-style deck. Saruman begins play empowered by The Grey Wanderer, equipped with Strider, and bearing The One Ring — ready to shape the course of the game from turn one.
Early Game
Strider gives Saruman readying and reliable willpower in solo play.
Use Wizard Pipe, Word of Command, or Daeron’s Runes to curate your hand.
Trigger Council of the Wise by playing exactly one event from your hand during each phase — choose to draw 1 card, gain 1 resource, or reduce your threat by 1.
Midgame Tempo
Saruman’s ability lets you play high-impact artifact attachments like The Arkenstone, or The Red Arrow, even if they’re off-sphere.
Use Bilbo Baggins to fetch Wizard Pipe, and Erebor Hammersmith to recur discarded attachments.
Stack Saruman with legendary relics, and tools: Andúril, Palantir, Magic Ring...
Palantir and Far-sighted grant encounter deck control.
Late Game Lockdown
Saruman becomes a powerhouse: readied each round, stacked with attachments, and immune to many effects thanks to his gametext, the contracts and The One Ring.
Utility allies like Frodo Baggins (play it with Sneak Attack), Thalion, and the Variag Recluse Recluse offer flexibility.
Will of the West recycles your discard pile, enabling event-looping and late-game resets.
Use Power of Command and Double Back to manipulate the game state in your favor.
Key Interactions
Saruman + Wizard Pipe + Flame of Anor = burst attack from hand.
Strider + The Grey Wanderer = early tempo and built-in readying.
Sneak Attack + Gandalf = clutch defense, escape, or damage.
“Victory cannot be achieved by arms, whether you sit here or we go forth.” — Gandalf “Deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised.” — Aragorn
| 9 comments |
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Jul 30, 2025 |
Jul 30, 2025Why The One Ring can be played and is not discarded. Saruman discards cards you play using his ability at the end of the round — this includes attachments, allies, and events played via his text. However, The One Ring is not played during the game — it enters play during setup, completely independently of Saruman’s effect. Because it was not played with Saruman’s ability, it is not subject to the discard clause. Furthermore, The One Ring has built-in immunity to non-Master card effects, reinforcing that it stays attached throughout the game. |
Jul 30, 2025The passive restriction: “Artifact cards cannot be attached or unattached from him except by the effect below.” This is a static restriction that is always in effect, including during setup. So in principle, no Artifact card can be attached to Saruman — except via the Action printed on his card. So why does The One Ring work? Because The One Ring attaches to a hero via its own setup instruction: “Attach to a hero.” This is not a player action. It is not “played,” and it is not done from your hand. It happens automatically during the setup phase due to the card’s own rules. And according to the official rules: “Any setup instruction on a card takes precedence over normal play restrictions.” So: The One Ring’s setup effect is not affected by Saruman’s restriction, because: It is not an attachment played from hand, It does not rely on eligibility, It is not an Action (so it doesn’t fall under the “except by the effect below” clause), And it is initiated by the card itself during setup. Static benefits active immediately Also, the other passive text: “While Saruman has an Artifact card attached, he is considered to have the printed [Leadership], [Lore], [Spirit], and [Tactics] icons.” Does apply during setup. Since The One Ring is attached immediately, Saruman has access to all four spheres from the very start of the game — including the planning phase of round 1. |
Jul 31, 2025Very creative deck! Although it looks like ALEP’s FAQ already clarified that this Saruman is not allowed to have the one ring (citing Hero Beorn and Sméagol). |
Jul 31, 2025Can you show me this clarification? |
Jul 31, 2025Never mind I found it: Q: How does Saruman interact with The One Ring [ASitE 1] player card? A: Saruman is not eligible to have The One Ring attached to him through The One Ring Setup text (in a similar vein to Beorn [OHaUH 5] or Sméagol [ASitE 72]). |
Jul 31, 2025In that case: Play other Saruman and replace Blue staff for Thorongil and Anduril for Saruman's staff. Problem solved. |
Jul 31, 2025That’s an impressive workaround - I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an instance where you can have two passive effects in play which directly conflict like that. I like how specialized your setup is to enable the combo though. |
Jul 31, 2025Let me see if I can update it later today, how then the deck should be build. |
How are you interpreting the restriction in Saruman's game text, though? "Artifact cards cannot be attached or unattached from him except by the effect below." It seems that you can't attach The One Ring to him in the first place.