Help from Distant Lands 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

This is the most fun I've ever had with an Outlands deck.

The addition of the Harad allies to the pool adds an interesting wrinkle to an otherwise straightforward deck. It's fun trying to decide where to spend resources--do I go for the cheap Outlands ally now, or save up for the awesome Harad ally I have in my hand instead? Who do I pull in with A Very Good Tale: two Outlands Allies to buff everyone, or one very powerful Harad ally?

The recent release of The Storm Comes makes it easier to get off-color allies into play, benefiting Outlands and Harad alike. It's definitely a key card in this deck's strategy.

That said, I usually mulligan for Lord of Morthond instead--good card draw can make all the difference in a game, and Lord of Morthond synergizes with both Outlands and Harad's off-sphere allies.

It's worth noting that Harad and Outlands don't really cover each other's weaknesses--both are slow-burning late game powerhouses that can take a few turns to get started. The trick is in playing my cards smart so I can survive the early game, usually by relying heavily on my Heroes to get things done for a few rounds until my ally army is in place.

From a purely mechanical standpoint, I'm not sure that Prince Imrahil was the best pick for the third Hero slot. Denethor or even Sam Gamgee would probably have a little more to offer, but I liked the theme of using Imrahil with Outlands, and I wanted to give Prince of Dol Amroth a try. (In practice, I think it's kind of a win-more card, but it's still fun to see it work). I still manage to make good use out of the Prince's stats, though, especially in the early game or if I take an unexpected ally loss.

I'm still tweaking the deck as I go, but it has been good fun so far!