Power Too Great And Terrible 1.0

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• 1.0

"With that power I should have power too great and terrible. And over me the Ring would gain a power still greater and more deadly." - Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

We knew this had to happen: Gandalf gets The One Ring. I just had to try it. I held off publishing until the full cycle was available, and then I held off longer to test some variations. It ended up being quite some time, because I've been playing less frequently, but now I think I can safely call this the final list.

This is a more fluid deck than Three Wise Men, relying on events much more than permanents. It also starts with 2 cards already pulled out of the deck; and for both those reasons, it cycles slightly faster. I usually search at setup for The Master Ring, to prevent a really awful start, but for some quests Inner Strength right from the start is better. (But don't search for Power of Command, because it's best played off the top of the deck!)

Elrond is no longer the preferred blocker - in fact, hardly blocks at all - instead using Gandalf and Giant Bear for preference, with Beorn in a pinch. The tricky part has been including enough Events that can be played at any time. The other tricky part is that threat really is an issue now. The old Wise Men deck ran high, but would get back in control with time to spare. Now with Master events and lower threat elimination, the danger is very real. On the flipside, with so many more zero-cost events, Zigil Miners have become a bit more efficient.

Things to Consider:

• Beorning Skin-changer helps smooth out the Vilya pipeline, or can be used to recycle Beorn and Giant Bear quickly. I tried without for a bit, but it's been notably useful after I put it back in.
• Obviously, Shadowfax for multiplayer games, but I still find this is most fun as a solo deck.
• In a quest with zero Condition attachments, Bulwark of the West could be swapped with just about any sideboard card, for great success.
• Eleanor in the sideboard for certain Saga quests.

Other Things I Tried:

• I tried 1x Hobbit Pipe briefly, but was unimpressed. I've added Gléowine back in instead.
• I also tried 1x Island Amid Perils for extra threat reduction, but it's a dead card far too often.
• The Gathering Storm was supposedly another way to make money early. I never found it early enough, and on further reflection I don't like it.
• I have often run with 2x Will of the West, but replacing one with a Dwarven Tomb gives a lot more flexibility for threat and/or A Test of Will. It's fun to play twice, but by the time I reach the second I've already won anyway.

Cuts From Three Wise Men:

• Steward of Gondor?! Yes, I keep ending up with TOO MUCH MONEY.
• Imladris Stargazer, Stand and Fight: see above, more fluid play style.
• Unexpected Courage #2 and #3: largely replaced by The Ring of Power.
• A Burning Brand: see above, no longer blocking with Elrond.
• Magic Ring: great for flexibility, but the threat ends up being too much. 1x Unexpected Courage for Gandalf is better.
• Heir of Mardil: I kept it for Elrond for a while, and found it often got discarded in favor of better things.