The scrying doomed outlands [hard thematic] 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

Disclaimer : I decided to play the deluxe expansions following the order of the story they are telling us : the adventures of a bunch of heroes, coming from Grey Havens to help Gondor finding lord Faramir and are involved in bigger and bigger quests. I played those scenarios in the most roleplay way, with thematic characters and items.

First cycle : heirs of Numenor + against the shadow.

Second cycle : voice of Isengard + ringmaker.

Third cycle : lost realm + Angmar awakened.

Fourth cycle : Grey Havens + Dream-chaser.

Fifth cycle : the sands of Harad + haradrim.

Sixth cycle : the wilds of Rhovanion + Ered Mithrin.

Seventh cycle : a shadow in the East + vengeance of Mordor.

I tried to beat this cycle with a full Gondor deck but the lack of and solutions to break locations started to become a real problem at the steward fear (and Pelagir was also a problem). So I came back to a more brainless and powerful doomed Outlands deck.

The deck

The novlety is the use of Denethor instead of his version. My deck is clearly slower (2 resource against 4) than the mono version but it gains encounter deck micro management, draw (with a full use of Heed the Dream) and heal which give this deck a control aspect.

Denethor is usually used for scrying before quest phase or in defense during combat phase. In that case, Dark Knowledge can be very usefull, specially in early game. Favor of the Valar is here to avoid threat death. The rest of the deck is very classic.

The sideboard

Classic core set combo Gandalf+ Sneak Attack against high threat scenarios or mini bosses, Infighting for damage management, Bulwark of the West to cure conditions and Woodmen's Path for painfull locations.

Weaknesses

The deck is highly dependent to Ethir Swordsman for questing and Steward of Gondor for playing allies (although, a hero allows to play some allies). It's essentially an allies deck, which in that case, are barely fragile. A wipe of the player board (master's malice, necromancer's reach or high archery value) often means a defeat.

Roleplay fault

The use of Woodmen's Path in the side board is a necessary evil and Daeron's Runes allows to recycle unique cards already in play.

Results

• Peril in Pelargir : 1/1.
• Into Ithilien : 1/2.
• The siege of Cairn Andros : 1/1.
• The Steward fear : 1/1.
• The Druadan forest : 1/1.
• Encounter at Amon-Din : 1/1.
• Assault on Osgiliath : 1/1.
• The blood of Gondor : 1/1.
• The Morgul Vale : 1/3 (was won with sneak attack + Gandal + infighting on Morgul boydguard).