just realised Estel needs to be out of deck for Aragorn's setup, so there is a slot to fill.

i might also cut Miruvor for the nonbo with Seasoned Forager

resource is short but i can't find anything better than Seasoned Forager within the constraints.

u want my opinion on this, u get it ;)

so fundamentally said, i see not so much sense in trying to breack the system with infinitive build(s) (and if i understand you correctly, you want to make infinitive defnses with a vigilant dunedain in a partnerdeck) but i see in this builds mostly good ideas to make often usable builds, that are strong, and theoreticially for pure deck-tinkering its fun to get the infinitive thing (and perhaps use them on black gate, thats the only quest where i found it worth of it there could be up to 4 infinitive decks, that could be fun)

means in this case, the mainpart is to exhaust arwen more than once. to do that with Salvaged Supplies and refresh by toy of aragorn. thats fine as soon she is on the table (with 2 refreshes you can exhaust her 3 times) i think more is not needed, if the other deck have a defender who get 4 defense on himself, or use it on erestor with Cloak of Lórien.

while it is a good idea leave her ally and use special aragorns ability with his title, you never know when you get arwen and renewer to get it rolling. you only can start if you have that 2 attachments and supplies in the discard. that is a bit to much efford for my taste. IF following that path, i would include 3 Spare Hood and Cloak and at least 1 Ioreth and 1 Galion to give more options to ready-exhaust before the whole setup stands.

my version would be make Arwen Undómiel hero from the start is the best way to get her in, so you need only refreshes and supplies in the discard. you say using Unexpected Courage is expensive but playing Salvaged Supplies gives you ressourses. in addition, there are many options that are cheaper:

• good old Cram
• Miruvor
• Spare Hood and Cloak

a big benefit from using her as hero is, one of my fav. card in the game: Thorongil then she can discard of her own and exhaust to get back. doing so it might be better to have leadership from the start so Aragorn should take Elessar that synergys well with the ability of Arwen Undómiel if used on the same ally.

i would not use Seasoned Forager because then you will not get any res from Salvaged Supplies and with Salvaged Supplies you are more flexible who get the res.

as tank in would suggest either some good allies or Boromir, he has a readying inbuild from the start. if no multiple immideatly defenses are needed, Elrohir is the better option specially if Thorongil is out, he can get a res from Arwen Undómiel a gondor-defender has more readying-options himself (Behind Strong Walls if its Beregond then Hold Your Ground! in addition to Gondorian Discipline and the obious Feint, you can even put in a Armored Destrier doing it my way.

and you have options, with Elessar and Arwen Undómiel a Defender of Rammas cheap and playable 1. round, can defend with 6 doing it 2 times (3 times with 7 when Narya hits the table). and that needs no refresh from the heroes. so you have good options from the start and everything comes makes it better, but no infinity. i think that is much more fun to play and no "get special cards or be useless" situation.

i would add 1-2 Will of the West to get more cycles of Cram and Elrond's Counsel and perhaps Stand and Fight

@doomguard appreciated :)

It tickles my inner tinkerer to see how far i can stretch the game which is not necessarily relevant, i agree. But i think this deck can be made into a version that doesn't necessarily care about giving Vigilant Dúnadan (or any other defender) ridiculous , but rather use the mechanic as redundancy to reliably reach high enough , even with some pieces missing.

for that reason i think there is a good Messenger of the King version to compete with this one, especially if we can use secrecy to solve the need for resource generation.

In testing, with Erestor+Círdan the Shipwright+Estel finding Arwen Undómiel by round 2 wasnt a problem. I don't see the point of Ioreth and Galion there.

I'm not sold on Thorongil, you can't waste any of your 3 first rounds playing it and then it just spends the next 2 rounds paying back for itself so you don't get anything from it until round 6 which is far too slow.

I've toyed with from the start, but Estel is so useful in assembling the key pieces. I am more tempted by Denethor, just because i have discarded several Narya on first rounds. With active, Seasoned Forager would become redundant, so we would need other forms of resource generation.

We already talked about Boromir in a Vigilant Dúnadan fellowship, i dig it.

Elrohir doesn't need this tech to be a good defender, that's another strategy entirely.

I don't see how you play Defender of Rammas round 1?

Will of the West is justifiable.

What hero would you choose as third in a (MotK) Arwen Undómiel+Erestor line-up?

i thought it was meant multiplayer, and then one of the partners can play the defender 1. round. with erestor, cirdan synergies so well, would keep him,or if you want to discard first round take good old Éowyn.

if you want to play the defender yourself, the Guardian of Rivendell is the best, but then i would do more noldor at all (with To the Sea, to the Sea! and Elven-light )

@ioreth and galion, best targets for Spare Hood and Cloak for additional refresh of Arwen Undómiel early no matter if she is hero or not

gotcha, yes Defender of Rammas would be good for round 1 defense but i'm not thinking about that part yet. First round discard is not that much of an issue, and cirdan is great. My reason to consider someone else is trying to get secrecy for resource acceleration.