A Bear on Vacation 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

A viable mono-Tactics deck is a holy grail for this game. So many players have sought it, and it seems always elusive, always just around the next corner. I do not pretend that this deck is a definitive answer to a question as old as the game. Still, the integration of some newer cards does provide this deck with versatility which was not available to early incarnations of this archetype.

Most decks built around the Big Bear have some means for keeping him alive, given that healing is not an option. Another option is simply to switch him from defender to attack in the mid-game, to avoid risking any further damage. This deck definitely wants to maximize his action advantage, so Honour Guard and Vigilant Guard are included to prevent and redirect damage from our dedicated defender.

Given that none of our other heroes has the Warrior trait, Vigilant Guard is intended for one of our larger allies. Boromir is a great target for this card, but the deck is chock-full of Warrior allies, so he is not the only viable target. Many of our allies have 3 hit points, so Vigilant Guard and Raiment of War can give them a massive pool of 7 hit points, along with the ability to redirect damage that is intended for Beorn. Horn's Cry is yet another card that can help Beorn, but the single copy is better saved for the late game, when the Valour effect is much more powerful.

Another new addition to this archetype is Proud Hunters. Because it adds resources to a hero's resource pool without targeting the hero itself, it is one of the few events which can be used on Beorn. Between Mablung's ability and Proud Hunters, the deck actually has a good bit of resource acceleration. A favorite combo is to play a first turn Dúnedain Hunter to gain an extra resource, then play a powerful 4-cost ally like Legolas, Boromir or Eagles of the Misty Mountains. Card draw is provided by The Eagles Are Coming! and Legolas.

It should also be noted that Forth Eorlingas! is actually a proxy for the upcoming event Oath of Eorl, which allows us to attack before the enemy does. Again, because it changes the order of framework steps, this card can work with Beorn. Éowyn's once per game effect is a great candidate for the turn when you play Oath of Eorl - allowing you to clear out all of the enemies before they attack.

With relatively high willpower (for Tactics characters), and cards like Wait no Longer, this deck can meaningfully contribute during the quest phase. Still, the combat phase is where this deck truly excels. Thicket of Spears, Feint and Grimbold can all help avoid attacks. The aforementioned Oath also helps in this regard, so long as we can finish off enemies with our attacks.

Tactics will probably never be the most powerful mono deck (Caldara all but ensures that Spirit will always hold that title), but cards like Wait no Longer and Proud Hunters are improving Tactics decks by leaps and bounds. These events, along with attachments like Raiment of War and Vigilant Guard, are providing interesting decisions for a sphere which was originally very one-dimensional.