tHe BeSt DeCk EvEr 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

This might just be one of the strongest decks in the game for true solo. It's packed with powerful combos, trait synergies, and one weird trick Caleb doesn't want you to know.

A few highlights:

-There's nothing the worse than revealing a nasty treachery card on set-up. But here's the weird trick: thanks to the ruling on the timing of contracts, which come into play after performing scenario setup instructions, you can use MotK Elrond to heal a hero or discard a condition attachment before the first round even begins! Plus, you still get to quest with him for 3! But here's the best part: he leaves at the end of the round, so you don't have to worry about him clogging up a valuable hero slot.

-To get even more out of Elrond, consider mulliganing for Asfaloth. That way you also get to place 1 progress on any location before Elrond leaves play.

-Much of the deck's power comes from its flexibility. For example, with Dáin Ironfoot + Bombur, you face a tough but interesting choice each round: should I quest with Bombur for 1, or should I quest with Dain for 1?

-Since Bombur counts as two dwarves, all you have to do is get Fili and Brok Ironfist into play, and bam, you'll have five dwarves in play.

-Fast Hitch is amazing: it's a 1-resource equivalent of Unexpected Courage. Not only that, you can play it on any Hobbit characters, not just heroes. Keen-eyed Took makes a great target. Say you're playing The Dead Marshes. You can quest with Keen-eyed Took for 1, ready him with Fast Hitch, and then use him again on an Escape Test! But here's the real kicker: play Sword-thain on him and you can now play Tom Bombadillo!.

-Part of what makes this deck so powerful is that it takes advantage of multiple tribal synergies. Why run just a Silvan deck when you can run a Silvan-Dwarf-Ent-Hobbit deck? Consider Silverlode Archer, which has long been a staple in Silvan decks. Here's a cool combo allowing you to make the most of this powerful ally. First, put Elf-friend on Dain. That allows you to give him The Elvenking. Then you can return Silverlode Archer to your hand to ready Dain any time you like.

-There are a few more secrets, but part of the fun of this deck is discovering its power for yourself.

-Here's a final tip for novice deck-builders: usually it's best to stick to 50 cards, but when every card in your deck is awesome, it's fine to go up to 60 or even 70. I once went up to 80 for a Folco Boffin Grey Wanderer Valor deck. But that's a decklist for another time.