Challenge: Saruman versus Return to Mirkwood

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Truck 1480

I was recently challenged with this:

Play a Saruman Doomed deck against Return to Mirkwood.

It wasn't easy.

The plan was to get Elfhelm out ASAP via Timely Aid, to help counter Gollum's threat raise. So of course what happened? I got off 2 copies of Timely Aid while I was still in secrecy, and I didn't get him out. To make things worse, the round after I got out of secrecy I drew him. I felt so mocked. The 2 copies of Isengard Messenger that I got out via Timely Aid did help immensely, though. Everything went pretty smoothly until stage 3. Then I had to engage an easy Mirkwood Bats but that nearly had my Messengers dead, and then Saruman became Caught in a Web. A copy of Hummerhorns came out right before I advanced. Before the end of the Quest Phase, I used Saruman's Staff to search for Close Call and I Actually Got It!! I was forced to take a full-out Doomed 5 after Hummerhorns engaged me, and I was able to dispose of them easily. A the beginning of the next quest phase, I played a Doomed event to give my Messengers +1 , and that boosted my threat up to 48. I was questing for 9, and I had no in the staging area. The active location was The East Bight, so no threat could come out. And I revealed...

Suspense...

Caught in a Web!

It was the first time I have ever been happy (or even not mad) that Caught in a Web was revealed. It was insane.

I do not recommend this deck.

2 comments

Jul 30, 2021 jvader 135

can elfhelm be used to counter gollum's threat. he is an objective not a quest or encounter card

Jul 30, 2021 Truck 1480

@jvader I'm pretty sure Gollum is an encounter card. In my understanding of the rules card with encounter backs (not counting player cards with the Encounter keyword) are considered encounter cards.