Solo 1-Handed Through Dwarrowdelf Cycle (Bond of Friendship) 9.0

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Description:

This is my first attempt at a Bond of Friendship 1-handed solo deck making use of the card pool through the Darrowdelf cycle (my current collection). The basic strategy is to rely on heroes w/ attachments to perform the heavy lifting, Vilya, and cheap, staple events.

This is the first deck I've built after returning to the game when for years it has sat on my game shelf. I gave up on the game because it became evident to me that it wasn't very feasible to play single-handed solo (with my given card collection), and 2-handed solo just took too long to play. I was very excited to build a Bond of Friendship deck as it appears to be the optimal way to play single-handed solo (which for me is the ideal way to play), and cards through the Darrowdelf cycle can apparently support a pretty decent Vilyadeck.

The object of the deck is to just slam down all the good attachments where they are needed most, and then go to town with heroes that can generate lots of resources of whatever sphere I need using Steward of Gondor and Songs/Resourceful, can quest effectively using Celebrían's Stone/Light of Valinor/Asfaloth, and can then ready themselves with Unexpected Courage to defend with extra hit points (Citadel Plate) and attack with the Rivendell Blade. Elladan and Elrohir are bash brothers like no other in this deck when fully stocked with both attachments and resources. Warden of Healing gets 2 copies to keep the heroes in top shape, and Arwen Undómiel can lend a hand a hand to fix the defense numbers when needed. Daeron's Runes and Erestor pitch the duplicate unique attachments for card advantage, and Imladris Stargazer/Master of the Forge/Gildor Inglorion help with getting/maximizing Vilya. Vilya targets include Radagast/Landroval/Eagles of the Misty Mountains/Beorn/Faramir/Gildor Inglorion/Gandalf, but the cheap, staple events help to conserve resources in case Vilya doesn't show up. Sneak Attack + Gandalf + Ever Vigilant for good measure, and Ever Vigilant otherwise gets more value out of the many important exhaust abilities that the deck needs to function at its best.

This is fun, flexible deck that can put up very good numbers. I will look for a way to slot in Stand and Fight, but spirit is one of the toughest spheres to cap at 10 cards. Elrond's Counsel has been very good at 0 cost to reduce the high starting threat and boost questing strength, so that is something to consider as a comparison to the effect of being able to play anything out of the discard using any combination of resources (when the deck runs a lot of single copy allies).

Update:

Decided to condense the strategy by leaning in on double copies of vilya targets (Gildor Inglorion, Beorn, Faramir, and a defensive Landroval), accelerators (Imladris Stargazer, Master of the Forge, and quite significantly the decision to swap 2 of Daeron's Runes for a pair of Peace, and Thought, the theory being that leftover actions is a real possibility not only due to having 4 heroes, but also because of the action saving attachments as well as twin's (Elladan and Elrohir) abilities to buy an action for 1 resource each, which at worst would be 5 cards costing 3 resources. To help protect the heroes I have added 2 of Shadow of the Past, a card which fixes with certainty the encounter deck, as opposed to the Henamarth Riversong which I had substituted for the 2nd Gildor Inglorion, as well as doubled down on Landroval, a card that could serve many different purposes, including keeping my amazing Elves on the ground running (albeit without attachments, which is why I'm doubling down on attachments and cutting the discard effects). It was hard letting go of Citadel Plate, but honestly losing it helps with balancing restricted attachments. Cut 2 Ever Vigilant for 1 of each of Dúnedain Mark and Dúnedain Warning to get more value from my heroes. This probably will have bigger impacts on most games than Ever Vigilant will on average, especially since the Dunedain attachments can produce value on turn 1 while Ever Vigilant will probably be used at least a few turns later, if at all.

Update:

I didn't realize that Peace, and Thoughtis a Refresh Action, so that it happens after readying characters means that it has less value than previously thought. Therefore, I have cut it in favor of Daeron's Runes. I should have enough discard targets considering that I am running multiple copies of unique characters/attachments.

Update:

A Radagast can be played turn 2 which adds a minimum turn 7 inevitability of Landroval, a card that would be tougher to play without Vilya. Out goes Shadow of the Past.

Update:

The Dunedain attachments are very useful in this deck, considering that I usually have plenty of resources to ready Elladan and Elrohir (especially as Elladan only has a few 1-cost cards to spend resources on, and Elrohir will hopefully have Steward of Gondor attached) in order to make the greatest impact with their blocks and attacks. This comes at the cost of having to drop Faramir, which is obviously a great card, but I do believe that my willpower is sufficient enough already, and Radagast by default becomes the questing ally (that comes with added benefits of being able to play and keep alive Landroval with greater consistency. I've also thought more deeply about the songs, and come to the conclusion that I only really want Song of Wisdom, the theory being that A Burning Brand can be an Elrohir attachment if it becomes a Lore character. The only aspect of the Songs that I'd be missing out on is the Spirit cost for Unexpected Courage. By doubling up on Song of Wisdom to give the maximum odds of giving A Burning Brand to Elrohir and cutting the other Songs, I have 2 free slots to give to Resourceful which could be Vilya targets for Elladan to attack more per turn.

Update:

The deck needs more threat reduction, hence why Elrond's Counsel is out, and The Galadhrim's Greeting is in. To help pay for it, Resourceful is out for 2 copies of Song of Travel. I would also not mind using Vilya to play it, either.

Update:

Having 2 copies of Song of Wisdom allows Elrohir to accept A Burning Brand, which is ideal, but 2 copies of Song of Travel really just accelerates Unexpected Courage and The Galadhrim's Greeting. There are a good number of cards that could benefit from Glorfindel having a Song of Wisdom (8 total) compared to only (4) that would truly benefit from the Song of Travel. While it would be nice to accelerate Unexpected Courage, I think there is not a significant amount of spirit costs to be concerned with being deprived of resources without it. Imladris Stargazer can be played from the resource pool of Elrond, Light of Valinor costs only 1 resource as does A Test of Will, I can be patient with The Galadhrim's Greeting and it is also a Vilya target, and that leaves Unexpected Courage. With 2 copies of Resourceful, I can have both Elrohir and Elladan generating additional resources per turn, turning them into total power houses. Therefore, I am cutting both copies of Song of Travel, and slotting in 2 copies of Resourceful.