Footsteps Like Drums 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

FOOTSTEPS LIKE DRUMS

"Then with a crash came a great ringing shout: ra-hoom-rah! The trees quivered and bent as if a gust had struck them. There was another pause, and then a marching music began like solemn drums, and above the rolling beats and booms there welled voices high and strong."

--LotR III, p.111

DECK OVERVIEW

This deck is half of my "March of the Ents" Fellowship, along with "Voices Like Horns", and focuses on Ents of the Tactics sphere. The role of this deck in the Fellowship is to engage enemies from both decks, while "Voices Like Horns" quests and provides healing, card drawing & threat reduction.

HEROES & ATTACHMENTS

Faramir 2 4(9) 2 5
Faramir is Steward of Gondor & Heir of Mardil and armed with Black Arrow & Sword of Númenor x2. His Ranged ability lets him attack across the board, while Heir of Mardil (triggered by Steward of Gondor, Sword of Númenor or Wealth of Gondor) lets him quest & attack or attack twice, drawing cards with Foe-hammer and possibly gaining a resource when he destroys an enemy.

Beregond 0 1 6 6
Beregond, outfitted with Gondorian Shield, Spear of the Citadel & Raven-winged Helm (all played on him at 0-cost), as well as Ent Draught (from "Voices Like Horns"), is the go-to defender and can defend across the board with his Sentinel ability. Sterner than Steel lets him cancel shadow effects; Behind Strong Walls lets him defend multiple times; and The Day's Rising can gain him a resource.

Mablung 2 34 4
Mablung is equipped with Gondorian Shield & Sword of Númenor, and is the "utility player" of the deck, being able to quest, defend, or attack, as needed. He is also the main generator of resources and can potentially gain up to 3 additional resources in a round with his effect.

ALLIES & EVENTS

The main mechanic of the deck is engaging enemies in as many phases as possible to trigger Faramir's ally-readying effect & Mablung's resource-gaining effect multiple times each round.:

1. Planning Phase: Play an Ent ally, then play Dúnedain Hunter to search for and engage an enemy from the encounter deck, thus readying the Ent ally.
2. Encounter Phase: Engage an enemy (optionally, if needed) to ready an ally who committed to the quest (especially Gandalf) or exhausted for its effect or an Ent ally played earlier in the round.
3. Combat Phase: Play Tireless Hunters to engage an enemy engaged with the other deck and discard a shadow card from that enemy, then ready an ally to defend and/or attack vs. that enemy.

While engaged with multiple enemies, Feint helps protect the deck, and Fornost Bowman gets an bonus. Fornost Bowman can also attack across the board and Derndingle Warrior can defend across the board.

Since all the Ent allies enter play exhausted, they are naturally good targets for Faramir's readying effect, as are allies who exhaust for an effect: Bofur for weapon delving, Errand-rider for resource moving & Honour Guard for damage cancellation. Errand-rider & Honour Guard can affect characters in either deck.