"Saruman as He Could Have Been" 1.0

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• 1.0

I've been tinkering around with the idea of creating a deck based around Saruman, specifically exploring what might have happened had he taken any of the multiple chances he was given to repent of his folly and devote his considerable powers to doing good. I've sought to blend theme with mechanic in this deck, which will be reflected below:

Heroes

Other than Gandalf, the two characters who can be said to have extended Saruman the opportunity to redeem himself are Frodo Baggins and Galadriel. Although their efforts in the story were ultimately unsuccessful, they play their roles well here. Galadriel provides steady access to reduction in increments of 1, which is critical for keeping the White Wizard in check. Frodo Baggins contributes low starting threat as well as questing and defending support. Ideally, Saruman will be questing for 3 and then readying via Doomed events so that he can put his 4 to good use. Galadriel will provide reduction until Nenya shows up, at which point she can contribute an additional 4 to Saruman (or use Unexpected Courage to do both!). Frodo Baggins is named Protector of Lórien for his efforts at reconciliation, and can turn card draw into either or as needed (both once Fast Hitch arrives).

Allies

All remaining members of the White Council are represented here, with Gandalf and Elrond doing their things. It is only natural that the company would bring more elves along, hence the presence of Arwen Undómiel, Gildor Inglorion, and Haldir of Lórien. And, of course, who better to keep a watchful eye on the White Wizard than his bitter foe, Quickbeam? Note: Treebeard will slide in very nicely here if I ever manage to get my hands on The Antlered Crown.

Galadriel's Handmaiden plays a key role, dropping your threat by 1, questing w/out exhausting on turn one, and then standing by to chump if necessary or contribute her 2 to future quests. The Lady of Lorien has also brought along a few of her Minstrels to fetch more events for Saruman. I don't have a thematic connection for the two Wild Stallions; they're just super fun to attach to the elves ;).

Attachments

It's a toss-up whether Saruman's Staff or Nenya is more critical here, but I've been surprised by how well the deck can survive long enough to achieve victory even when the staff takes awhile to come. Glamdring is a fun card for Saruman (who doesn't want a 6 hero with built-in readying and card-drawing?), as is Stone of Elostirion, though I often put the latter on Frodo Baggins to preserve restricted slots. Elf-stone is critical for dropping in the more powerful allies, and Keys of Orthanc is a nice bonus (there's only one copy b/c it's really unnecessary, plus this lets you decide whether Saruman is ready to get them back from Gandalf).

Events

This is where the bulk of the fun comes in. The synergy between Saruman and the Doomed events makes this deck incredibly versatile.

• Deep Knowledge is a better version of Daeron's Runes once Saruman's Staff is out. Ready the wizard AND draw 2 cards? Yes, please!
• Defiant Challenge readies Saruman as well as your choice of Frodo Baggins (your defender), Galadriel (your extra questing power), or one of your powerful allies (who are already questing for free on their first turn).
• Horns! Horns! Horns! comboes excellently with Gandalf, Elrond, or even a chump blocker. Who needs Sneak Attack?
• The Wizards's Voice substitutes for Feint, plus you now have 4 ready to swing back at the stunned enemy.
• The Seeing-stone is actually one of the most powerful cards at your disposal. For the meager price of 1 , you can ready Saruman AND search for the event that you most need in the moment. You can even use it to fetch another copy of The Seeing-stone to ensure that you have a steady supply of readies available for Saruman to do his thing.
• Word of Command can be used with Gandalf during refresh, but why wait when Saruman can grab whatever you need during Planning, then just ready himself with one of your other Doomed events? This also allows for running fewer than 3 copies of most of your uniques.
• Stand and Fight is one more way to get your expensive allies onto the table, especially when having a hard time finding Nenya.
• A Test of Will needs no explanation.

Miscellaneous

Although my goal was to create a predominantly fun deck, I've been pleasantly surprised by how well Saruman does against quests that require a careful eye on your threat, including Journey Along the Anduin, Nin-in-Eilph, To Catch an Orc, and Trouble in Tharbad. In addition, this became my first solo deck to survive the harrowing Dunland Trap. It may not seem like there's a lot of power cards, but the ability to utilize a hero of Saruman's caliber 2-3 times each round is deceptively strong. Combine this with the pseudo-readying of Galadriel and a steady diet of Defiant Challenges, and you have an elite force that will make you wish that Saruman had listened to the counsel of those around him and turned back to the light.