Dain, King Under the Mountain 1.0

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• 3.0
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• 1.0

Ever since We Are Not Idle received an errata a few months ago, I have been working on a new Dwarf swarm deck that doesn't rely on Steward of Gondor or the late Thorin Oakenshield. I was taken in a new direction I hadn't explored with Dwarves before, Dwarf mining. Dwarves now have a good deal of cards that synergize with discarding from the player deck, enough at least to make this deck. It has been shown to work quite well as far as swarming the board with Dwarves, sometimes even playing as many as 6 or 7 allies by turn 2!

The Heroes Obviously, Dáin Ironfoot is central to the plan of this deck, providing his global boost to all dwarf characters and defending in a pinch. Nori gives access and consistent threat reduction over time so the deck can often avoid higher engagement enemies. Ori draws an extra card for us once the "5 or more Dwarves" threshold is reached. Between Nori and Ori, you have 6 on round 1 and Ori can also contribute his 2 at times.

The Deck Usually, this deck won't be able to play anything in the first round since most of the cards are a tad beyond the 1-resource price range. So round 2 is when this deck really swings into gear. Being lucky enough to draw a Tighten Our Belts in the opening hand helps, as does playing Zigil Miner or Magic Ring (which I often put on Dain) in the early game. With Zigil Miner, you should name 2 everytime since about half the deck is comprised of 2-cost cards. A Very Good Tale also offers a way to bust out more allies, and comes with the benefit of potentially discarding Hidden Cache or Ered Luin Miner to trigger their effects. Don't forget that Ered Nimrais Prospector's effect can be useful for shuffling back in a Hidden Cache or whatever else you like.

For card draw, Daeron's Runes, Legacy of Durin and King Under the Mountain are included. Compounded with Ori, all this card draw should keep your hand well-stocked with cards. The deck will blaze through itself very fast, so Will of the West allows for another run through. Narvi's Belt smooths out the spheres and can go on any one of the Dwarf heroes, after which they will be a prime receptacle for resources from Zigil Miner.

The Sideboard There are a number of Dwarf cards here that work best in specific contexts, such as Ever My Heart Rises and Ancestral Knowledge. The unique Dwarf allies listed here could all fit well in this deck and can be included when uniqueness conflicts at the table are not an issue. Fili and Kili are up to personal preference, just Steward of Gondor is if it suits your style. Hardy Leadership and Untroubled by Darkness may be the most notable cards here and are worth consideration for certain quests, plus they both cost 2.

Final Thoughts

I'll admit that I have enjoyed this deck a lot, even more than pre-errata Dwarf decks I have played that did not use mining. It can feel like a gamble seeing whether or not your Zigil Miner miner strikes mithril, but it is also a tactical puzzle figuring out each turn the best way to maximize your means of getting more cards on the table. The deck performs quite well as a questing deck primarily, but can deal with some combat after it has built up a bit, maybe with ranged or sentinel help. In addition, the theme of Dain's reign as King Under the Mountain comes across strongly here. Why, they are even mining the riches of Erebor once again. Please, give it a try if the prospect of Dwarf mining interests you.