Defense of Erebor 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

This is a multiplayer focused deck with abundant sentinel and readying. Once setup should be able to put out some ranged damage. Should also be able to help with questing and treachery cancellation. Aside from Dwarf swarm decks, this deck should not cause a lot of unique card problems with other players. The big asks are Legolas, Dain, and Thrors Ring. This deck is not optimal, but its fun, and aside from a couple of Lorien characters that can be easily swapped out, all Mirkwood/Erebor folks. This deck would also play very well with a Silvan or Dale deck, which I see as the bonus.

The strategy of this deck is to be able to defend many attacks, while also being strike across the board with Legolas. Elven-light is a key card, but don't muligan for it if you don't get it in your hand, the draw deck discards will find it and you are golden. It is then used for a card draw for a resource and consistently trigger Legolas to ready Gimli. This card ensures this deck is never "all money, no cards." Legolas is your main Unexpected Courage target.

The cards you really want in your open are Zigil Miner, Ring of Thrór, Erebor Guard or defense for Gimli.

The Ring of Thrór is for readying Gimli for a second defense or counter attack while occasionally getting a free attachment/cache. The Hauberk of Mail are very flexible, one for Gimli and the rest for Erebor guards or Dain. Don't hesitate to use Dain's ability to block damage until Gimli's defense boosts are in play. Fili, Kili, Unlikely Friendship, and Bilbo Baggins help thin the deck, and Dwarf pipe/weaver are for cycling hidden cache back into your deck. Try to resolve shuffle cards after the caches have been added back to your deck. As you deck thins cache will be found (hopefully dscarded) more frequently.

The zigil mining is "blind," and while this is far less consistent, I find it more "fun." This deck is weighted heavily to 2 cost cards, so that is generally your best guess. If you want consistent mining, add Imladris Stargazer to taste. Stargazer in general powers up this deck, but eliminates some of the excitement or frustration, while making things more complicated. Stargazer isn't free of course, and it takes a card slot as well, but the resource performance it would bring cannot be denied.

Will of the West is ideally held for when/if your draw deck is depleted, or too many caches or key cards are in the discard pile.

There are many easy ways to boost the power of this deck for harder quests. Sneak Attack/Gandalf or just Gandalf does wonders for any deck (assuming the big G is available). Steward of Gondor of course. Arwen Undómiel is another no brainer if there is no conflict. King Under the Mountain might work better than Elven-light, being that it is two cost and could help discard caches. Dwarven Shield is not that efficient, but if there was ever a deck that could use it, it is this one.

Any feedback or ideas are welcome.