Secret Lorien Protectors - Thorongil Merry 2.0

• Versions
• 2.0
• 1.0

This is really a third version of a previous deck: https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/23971/secretlorienprotectors-thorongilmerry-1.0

You can read can read the extensive notes in the link above if you like, but the Deck Goal remains the same: Stay in Secrecy as long as possible so you can engage enemies on your own terms (i.e. when you have enough fire power to engage, block, and then one-shot an enemy).

The biggest changes are swapping in Drinking Song at a member's suggestion (works great, thanks!), and trading out Asfaloth and one Song of Healing for two Steed of Imladris. I also swapped out Unexpected Courage for Silver Harp but kept to former in the Sideboard because I'm still unsure (and Glorfindel can no longer Defend and Attack on the same turn without Unexpected Courage).

I've also added a single Miner of the Iron Hills and Power of Orthanc to deal with pesky conditions.

I've placed Glorfindel in the Sideboard for situations where healing is important and I need him instead of Merry when I play Thorongil.

Healing Herbs is in the Sideboard too because this deck just isn't fast enough, especially in solo (it wants to take its time building up allies), to beat scenarios in which you'll lose if certain objective allies have even a single point of damage on them when you reveal the final quest card. I'll sub all three of these in for a Protector of Lórien and two Woodmen's Clearings in such scenarios.

I've also found that I play a little differently than I'd originally planned, and that actually happened because Pippin got Sacked! I didn't want to attach a Resourceful to him because I was afraid he'd be Roasted Slowly, so I put my first (and second) Resourceful on the heroes instead and the deck played a lot smoother, despite only being able to play one card per turn or every other turn (except for the 0-cost cards or course).

Finally, while the attack combo with Glorfindel and Merry (once you play Thorongil and get Merry) can theoretically make four attacks as long as you're killing enemies with each of them and have two Fast Hitch on Merry, I've never had more than two enemies engaged with me at once, and then only when I optionally engaged one while knowing a low-threat enemy would also engage me. That said, I still like putting both Fast Hitch on Merry so he can Quest, use his ability, and attack once all on the same turn.