Secret Paths 3.0

• Versions
• 3.0
• 2.0
• 1.0

Goal

A solo-Beorn deck, with fun shenaningans and synergies.

Starting hand

With A Good Harvest or Stand and Fight, you can play any combination of allies for 4 ressources or less. This would be a very good start. Another acceptable start is any hand including Elven-light.

Early game

Slow-paced Ents will allow Beorn to shine here.

Don't be afraid to let our favorite bear get hits, that's his purpose. Your goal at the very begining of the game is to put one or two ents on the table. Wellinghall Preserver and Treebeard are top priorities, but literally any ally in the list is a good play.

Use Arwen ability and discard an ally if it allows you to get ressources to Stand and Fight it, or use A Good Harvest to get one in play in the very first turn. Discarding Giant Bear is a good choice too, as you can call'em back from discard pile with the Beorning Skin-changer. They are a good discard card with Daeron's Runes too, of course.

The White Council can be use as a ressource smoother too, for exemple to transfer a ressource from Arwen to Beorn (yup, it works, the ressource pool is a different target than the hero itself).

Dont hesitate to play Shadow of the Past to replay an easy encounter card, or Wait no Longer to ensure the next quest step runs fine.

Mid game

Careful ressource management and a wise use of your tools lead you to gather a small but consistent party. You can now begin to switch some defense from Beorn to Ents/Bears. A punctual Feint will help you to manage this phase. You've a good variety of events in your hand to prevent main dangers.

End game

Your nasty forces walk noisily over lands and rares are enemies who can impress you now.

Pros / Cons

+A reliable deck with a good consistency +Good card synergies and uses. You'll almost never have a dead card in hand

+FUN to play

-In multi : Arwen and Treebeard are commonly used, in ally or hero forms. You'll have to roar louder than your teammates.

Super Secret Tech of Doom

Secret Paths is a more versatile tool than it may look first. Instead of just pushing the quest forward, you can use it to adjust smoothly the amount of will you need and keeping back some of your allies for the fighting phases. In that point of view, Secret Paths helps you to manage the fight. With Rumour from the Earth or Shadow of the Past, its even more powerful.

Features

Action advantage : Beorn (built-in capacity), Treebeard (built-in capacity), Beorning Skin-changer, (The White Council if you ever need to untap Arwen of Bifur)

Draw : Elven-light, Daeron's Runes, Gléowine, (The White Council)

Ressources : Arwen Undómiel (built-in capacity), Treebeard (built-in capacity)

Ressources smoothing : Bifur, A Good Harvest, Stand and Fight, The White Council

Encounter/quest control : Secret Paths , A Test of Will, Hasty Stroke, Shadow of the Past, Wait no Longer, Rumour from the Earth

Location control : Ghân-buri-Ghân

Discard pile manipulation : Stand and Fight, The White Council

Healing/Damage mitigation : Wellinghall Preserver, Honour Guard, Close Call

Threat control : Elrond's Counsel

Pro-tip

You should definitely replace Rumour from the Earth with Henamarth Riversong. I can't help it, i LOVE the small/costly/not that much optimized event more...

Some results so far

(win-loss)

Nightmare The Hunt for Gollum (1-0)

Nightmare Fondation of stone (3-0)

Nightmare Conflict at the Carrock (1-0)

Nightmare Journey along the Anduin (4-0)

Nightmare The Ring Goes South (2-0)

Nightmare Breaking of the fellowship (1-0)

Ruins of Belegost (1-5)

Massing at Osgiliath (4-0)

Battle of the Pelennor Fields (1-0)

Attack on Dol Guldur (1-2)

The Mumakil (1-0)

Race across Harad (1-0)

Lost in Mirkwood (2-0)

Fire in the Night (1-0)

The Siege of Annuminas (1-0)