Intro to Tactics 2018 1.0

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• 1.0

One of my favorite things to do with LotR is to introduce the game to new players, welcoming them into the game which I love so much. One deck I created last year that seems to have some popularity is my Three Hunters: Learn to Play deck (http://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/3906/the-three-hunters-learn-to-play-1.0). This is a deck that is part of a two-player fellowship, that serves as a much more fun deck to teach to a new player than a core set only starter. For its counterpart see: http://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/7914/intro-to-spirit-2018-1.0

This is the deck in the fellowship that I would probably recommend allowing the person you are teaching the game to to use. It is combat heavy and allows for decision making while remaining straightforward.

I recommend a mulligan for Keep Watch because the card is very powerful, and if completed turn 1, the game can be highly turned to the players' favor. From the beginning of the game it would be smart to quest Éowyn and Hirgon, while leaving Théoden as an option for combat. Having an ally that you could use as a defender is also something welcome in the opening hand.

Hopefully as a team, you will be able to quest successfully a majority of the time, giving you the ability to trigger Hirgon's response to get allies in for cheap. The sooner you can have Theoden in a position where he can be an attacker with one of the weapon attachments (Blade of Gondolin, Dagger of Westernesse or Raiment of War) the better. This will allow you to trigger the always powerful Foe-hammer. In order to make this combo more consistent there are 3 copies of Open the Armory to help set it up.

A hard decision to make with this deck is who gets Golden Shield. The attachment itself is very good but who gets it, I would say, is dependent on the board state and if your teammate is able to supply the action advantage in the other deck (Unexpected Courage and/or Snowmane). Statistically, Eowyn is the stronger defender, but she most definitely is a first priority quester. So, if your teammate can supply a Snowmane, the Shield is great on Eowyn. However, if Unexpected Courage is attached to Théoden, he is a better candidate for the shield, since he is more of our combat-focused hero.

When running three heroes it allows for more opportunities to use some of the more expensive events. Instead of using Feint in this deck, I opted for Thicket of Spears and Oath of Eorl to turn the tides of battle. If these events are well timed (there is a fine line between too soon and too late) then it can really offer a satisfying experience.

How do you help your teammate out? The first thing is that you are going to want to take on the brunt of combat responsibility. The other deck has a couple of cards that could benefit from some weapon and/or armor attachments, Jubayr + Raiment of War is just one example.

In summary, try getting allies out on the board at a consistent pace, understand that you are THE combat deck, and don't forget that Eowyn can explode for a huge attack when you need it!