Elves of Lorien updated with Ered Mithrin 1.0

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• 1.0

This is my attempt to update the Elves of Lorien starter deck with cards from the Ered Mithrin player card expansion. I didn't touch the heroes, though I'm not exactly a fan of Haldir of Lórien in this deck. I experimented with Thranduil in his stead, as his ability as well as Galadriel gaining a Lore icon when equipped with Nenya would allow to keep the Lore cards, but this ultimately proved to be too inconsistent, especially since you can't play Daeron's Runes to search for key cards if you haven't found Nenya yet.

I replaced Defender of the Naith with Greenwood Defender for the extra hit point, and I also found his ability to be surprisingly useful. Galion and The Elvenking (usually on Celeborn) are a fantastic addition to the deck, as these two cards allow you to quest for an additional 2 and ready Celeborn each turn for free; of course, returning other cards like Galadhrim Minstrel can also be fantastic. Quicker Than Sight is another outstanding "0-cost-return-a-Silvan-to-your-hand" event.

I threw out Lembas and Elrond's Counsel because Silvan Tracker, Galadriel and her Galadriel's Handmaiden provide enough healing and threat reduction respectively.

I also added the Sneak Attack/Gandalf combo for some much needed additional firepower and occasional defense.

Regarding the unique cards, I'm still running playsets of Nenya and O Lórien!, as they are just too vital for the deck, especially if they get removed by some encounter cards.

The deck has a ton of card draw with Galadriel, Daeron's Runes, Galadhrim Minstrel and The Tree People, and questing is usually not a problem thanks to Celeborn, returning ally shenanigans and Galadriel+Nenya. Threat management should also be fairly easy thanks to Galadriel and replayed Handmaidens; in an emergency, you still have Gandalf. The deck struggles a bit more with combat, which is where the sneaky Gandalf comes in. Greenwood Defender and/or Celeborn are your primary blockers against weaker enemies; stronger ones may need to eat a Naith Guide or a surplus Minstrel if Feigned Voices or Gandalf aren't available.

As I said, the weakest link in the deck is probably Haldir of Lórien, but the Minstrel and The Tree People are just too good to pass up a Lore hero.