Come get some 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

This deck is a compromise between thematic decks (dúnedain theme) and efficiency (it tries to cover issues such as card draw thanks to not very thematic characters). In the end, the deck is all about versatility, and can be tuned to suit several quests. It mostly lacks willpower (though it can pack quite a bit once The sword that was broken is attached) and works well in a 2 player game, dealing with combat while paired with a spirit/lore deck.

The synergy between the heroes is quite obvious: engage the enemies via Dúnedain Hunter, Son of Arnor, or Aragorn's response to generate extra resources outside the engagement phase thanks to Mablung.

Mulligan for Steward, as it's the key piece, but settle for lots of card draw.

Steward goes always on Amarthiúl: don't be fooled, you'll need every resource on him. This makes him a Gondor hero, which can defend for 5 once you equip him with the Gondorian shield. The Rohan Warhorse is meant for Aragorn, in order to get the most out of his response. The rest of the attachments are all about versatility: if Amarthiúl is taking too much direct damage, don't be afraid to swap the shield for the Raiment of war in order to grant him 2 more hit points at the cost of 1 defense. The second Raiment may always be placed on Legolas in order to boost his attack to 4. Ideally, the second shield goes on Mablung, and every hero gets a dagger of Westernesse, so Mablung may attack for 3 (the eventual Gondorian fire goes on him too) and defend for 4; Amarthiúl may defend for 5 and attack for 4 (alternatively he may attack and defend for 4 having the Raiment, in exchange for more hit points), Aragorn attacks for 4 and is able to ready thanks to the Rohan warhorse.

The beauty of the trio comes from the fact that you can excel in battle or siege quests thanks to Amarthiúl and the attachments, and divide defense and attack duties as you see fit, until dúnedain allies come to help. I found Steward way more useful than Heir of Valandil, but since the Steward is often a very chased card by everyone else, you may swap it for Heir, since most of the common allies are dúnedain: be aware, once you'll do this, the Gondorian shield won't no longer be worth on Amarthiúl, so you'll want to adjust your strategy, maybe with a couple of Dúnedain Warnings and/or the excellent Armored Destrier.

Card draw is provided thanks to Legolas, Erestor and Foe-hammer. Bofur is there to fetch the weapons if need be and to provide much needed willpower, but also to shuffle your deck if you don't like what you see via Galadriel or you want to see soon again the event you recycled with the Book of Eldacar. The Book may recycle any tactics event you desperately need, be it another feint, quick strike, or card draw in the form of Foe-hammer. Only one copy is included to prevent finding the book before any event is played.

Don't be afraid to engage lots of enemies: even if no Forest Snare features in the deck, Feint, Thicket of Spears (easily playable thanks to Mablung) and the Guardian of Arnor will provide an excellent defense against most enemies. Kill the enemies in the planning phase with Quick strike, if possible, after having collected two resources for Amarthiúl. No more than two weak enemies survive your combat phase, ideally. This deck deals well (and loves) swarming enemies, but you may include nonetheless Descendant of Kings if action advantage is required to beat the quest.

In the first versions I included Landroval for solo play, as I had no means to heal my heroes and Amarthiúl's weak point is taking spike damage, so I had to "resurrect him" thanks to the eagle. Nowadays we have Dúnedain remedy, which will solve a lot of problems in this deck if the quest asks for healing. In general, dúnedain allies are tough guys and don't require healing unless archery damage goes crazy.

A little bit of shadow control is provided thanks to the precious Dúnedain Watcher, otherwise, if you can't afford to take risks, resort to feint, thicket or quick strike. Déorwine wasn't available when I first built the deck, nowadays may be an excellent fit, but although he's a warrior, he's sadly not a dúnedain. I could also see a copy of Sterner than steel being included.

Threat is the obvious weak point of this deck, along with a somewhat slow start (it should take you the second turn to have the Steward; if the quests punished you too hard in the first turn, try including Song of kings in order to have the Steward on the first turn: play it on Mablung, as Aragorn will have his own Leadership sphere as soon as his sword will be attached). Sadly, the only mean to reduce your threat is via the good old Sneak Attack Gandalf. Like bacon and eggs, those two go together, don't waste your sneaks on anything else. After some turns you'll be swimming in resources and will be able to play Gandalf from your hand if you have used up your Sneaks. I tried to add Favor of the Valar, but I couldn't find room for it and couldn't justify the cost. Other than being eliminated due to hitting 50, taking threat shouldn't be a problem, as you're equipped to deal with everything but the most formidable foes; in fact, you're eager to engage each and every enemy.

Your first one or two turns may be punishing if you're not playing a battle or siege quest, don't be afraid to eat up some threat: once you'll get your motor going, you'll be unstoppable (disclaimer: this deck is mostly thematic and cannot take on the hardest quests. Your concept of unstoppable and the author's may severely differ).

I hope you have as much fun with the deck as I did building it!