The Steward's Fear Nightmare Solo Progression 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

DECK NAME - Guards of the Citadel, Indeed

https://youtu.be/3zegn9cXa1g

OVERVIEW - The NM version of The Steward's Fear presents a challenge for solo players. If you focus on battling against the enemies from the Underworld deck, it's likely treacheries and locations will be your downfall. If you focus on location control, the enemies will overrun you. The key to this deck is avoiding the Underworld deck for as long as possible while setting up our board state. Direct damage and low are the winning strategy here.

HEROES

• Bilbo Baggins - attach Hobbit Pipe and 2x Resourceful; his card draw ability is integral to this deck's success (bonus: Local Trouble doesn’t fire from his constant ability of drawing 2 cards a round)
• Frodo Baggins - attach Good Meal and Hobbit Pipe; his response will likely trigger a few times per play
• Glorfindel - attach Asfaloth, Light of Valinor, and 1x Resourceful

STRATEGY

• OPENING HAND - I mostly look for card draw, but with our starting threat of 21 we are just out of Secrecy; Elrond's Counsel w Risk Some Light is great to see as is Hobbit Pipe, Resourceful, A Test of Will, Peace, and Thought, and Strider's Path
• STAGE 1 - The worst strategy against this quest is rushing stage 1 and then revealing the Plot and languishing at stage 2 because we can explore the needed 4 active locations; as such, we want to bide our time at stage 1 while accumulating locations in staging and keeping our below 20
  1. DO NOT explore locations with attached Underworld cards for as long as possible; the goal is to amass locations in staging and keeping our threat in Secrecy; if possible, wait until you have 3x Ithilien Tracker w Ranger Bows attached and Gondorian Spearman in play before clearing the first location with an Underworld card attached
  2. Destroying enemies - if Murderous Turncoat is revealed you'll have to defend with Frodo Baggins (we have enough reduction to overcome this); after the attack use then use 3x Ranger Bow x 3 while MT is in staging, then optionally engage and declare Gondorian Spearman as the defender to destroy MT; to destroy Faithless Conspirator (assuming no active location with Underworld card attached), 3x Ranger Bow and then optionally engage and finish off with Gondorian Spearman; all other enemies can be destroyed easily with 3x Ranger Bow
  3. Problem Locations - using 3x Risk Some Light and 3x Strider's Path, the hope is to never leave a copy of Rath Celerdain in staging; if a copy of Traitor's Den enters play, use Asfaloth to explore it before the forced effect fires
• STAGE 2 - because we waited at stage 1 and amassed a few locations in staging, the Plot will not present a problem; should be able to advance in 3 rounds (using Asfaloth to clear the active location after traveling in 3rd round)
• STAGE 3 - our should be close to 0, meaning we can Ranger Bow the Villain in a couple of rounds; leave Frodo Baggins ready just in case a few attacks sneak through; should take 2-4 rounds to secure the win

CARDS

• Gondorian Spearman - discard using Daeron's Runes and then bring into play using Stand and Fight before playing 1st Will of the West
• Ithilien Tracker - don't forget its action; helpful against Underworld Dissident and Faithless Conspirator
• Ranger Bow - attaches to Ithilien Trackers and is how we damage enemies in the staging area
• Resourceful - be sure to play when in secrecy for discount; attach first 2 copies to Bilbo Baggins and the final copy to Glorfindel
• A Test of Will - allow one copy of Local Trouble to attach to Glorfindel as it won't hurt us but cancel all others; cancel treacheries early to get ahead on tempo; insure no allies are discarded to A Knife in the Back; you may want to cancel the when revealed on Sewers (just not in early game)
• Deep Knowledge - keep in mind that lowest engagement in encounter deck is 20; use accordingly
• Hasty Stroke - save for the possibility of a Lost in the City shadow effect
• Peace, and Thought - a vital card to the success of this deck; exhaust Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins
• Risk Some Light - use to bury problem cards; should be free since we will have low
• Strider's Path - 3x might feel like overkill but this card plus 3x Risk Some Light is how we are mitigating against an early Rath Celerdain or Traitor's Den