Boots! 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

I have not play tested this deck nearly enough yet, but so far, I am very pleased with the result. I have always wanted a Treebeard deck that I felt was above average, and I think Leather Boots finally made this a reality. In addition, this deck includes a moderate amount of Encounter deck manipulation, which I am extremely fond of.

The first few turns should focus on getting Leather Boots onto Treebeard, hopefully dropping Firyal along the way via Elf-stone. Master of the Forge, Daeron's Runes and Mithrandir's Advice should all be utilized to dig out Leather Boots if a copy is not drawn in the first hand. Lembas can also be used in the first turn or two to cover Treebeard while searching for Leather Boots, and if you happen to have an Erebor Hammersmith, you can bring Lembas right back. If a second copy of Leather Boots comes up, give them to Denethor to allow for a peek and defense, or potentially two peeks if Denethor is not needed to defend. Once Treebeard has Leather Boots, the shenanigans can begin, especially if Firyal is out. Firyal will trigger in the commit to quest phase and if a location is not on top, you will likely want to discard the encounter card. In the action phase following the commit to quest phase, Henamarth Riversong and Denethor should be used to get a location on top of the encounter deck. The order of Henamarth Riversong and Denethor really depends on the risk one wishes to take, and can also depend upon other cards in play, such as having a Lembas on Treebeard. Personally I have found that I usually use Henamarth Riversong first. Necklace of Girion and Glamdring are for the mid and late game once your board state is in pretty good shape, though if you have an early game opportunity to get out one of these items, Necklace of Girion on Treebeard is my go to choice. I would also note that you might be able to get Necklace of Girion or Glamdring out somewhat early by using Henamarth Riversong or Denethor to ensure an enemy card is on top of the deck when playing either guarded card. Gandalf can then be used to blast said enemy, freeing the card for immediate use. This could be done even more cost efficiently if Elf-stone is out and you know you will clear the location.

I believe most of the rest of the deck is self explanatory, with Warden of Healing and Wellinghall Preserver keeping Treebeard healthy to use his action, A Burning Brand on Denethor, and Glamdring on Haldir. Mirkwood Explorer can be used to blast a pesky locations, including ones that might have Glamdring or Necklace of Girion held hostage. Finally, The Hidden Way can also be used to help early if Leather Boots are still stuck in your deck. This is especially true if one is playing true solo.

The side board is not really a side board, but cards I considered including in the deck or have tried to use but not found as effective. That being said, I really think Denethor benefits from Ent Draught, so I am still trying to squeeze that in. Currently, I am considering dropping one copy of Wellinghall Preserver and one copy of Wandering Ent to get Ent Draught into the mix.

My final thought is switching out Haldir of Lórien for Mirlonde. I think the drop in threat might be worth it, and given that I am an avid Silvan player, having Haldir of Lórien free for my Silvan deck might be better anyhow.

As always, thoughts and critiques are appreciated!