Descendant of Beorn's Path 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

This deck began as the deck on Beorn's Path, and has used the same hero lineup through all released regular quests and is now working its way through the saga. It has changed its contents progression style, otherwise Gimli and Quickbeam would certainly be in it. I know with the Balrog looming and the fellowship Aragorn there will be hero changes, so I'm giving it in its current form.

The general plan of the deck is the same as its original -- quest with Théodred and Aragorn, hold Denethor back for defense or scrying. If Denethor's scrying reveals that Aragorn won't be needed for fighting, don't ready Aragorn and collect the resource.

Despite two leadership heroes and Denethor not generally questing (for Theodred's resource), the bulk of the cost is in Lore, not Leadership. That's where the Minstrel and the songs come in. The ideal initial hand has Steward of GondorS and Rivendell Minstrel Put Steward on Denethor, use his three resources to play Rivendell Minstrel, and fetch Song of Kings out of the deck, then the rest of the game he generates three Leadership/Wisdom resources.

Always mulligan for Steward of Gondor. Even without Rivendell Minstrel in your hand, it will usually go on Denethor. The exception would be if you have Song of Wisdom in your hand already, or your initial hand is heavy on leadership. In that case put the Steward on Aragorn. Unfortunately, you can't use Sneak Attack with the Minstrel to get your song.

Heir of Mardil will go on the Steward holder, or expected Steward holder. If you have it and Steward together, don't generate Steward's resources in planning, save it until after Denethor has defended (to ready him for another defense or scrying), or to ready Aragorn for another attack. If you have Heir out but not the Steward yet, you can put it on Denethor, quest with him and give him Theodred's resource to ready, and save Aragorn's resource for his readying.

This deck would probably have two copies of Treebeard, except that I use it with the companion decks against quests I can't beat solo, and it has the other two copies of it.

The deck has 53 cards because I choose to believe that Daeron's Runes doesn't really count. If you must go down to 50, I'd drop a single copy of A Burning Brand, Wellinghall Preserver and Ranger Spikes.

In the sideboard, Thror's Map is for quests with obnoxious travel effects, Ravens of the Mountains for location-heavy quests, the extra Warden of Healing for direct-damage quests, Erebor Hammersmith for attachment-hate or deck discarding quests, and Miner of the Iron Hills for quests with conditions.

Gather Information can be included in any quest that can spare a turn.