Aragorn Frodon Elrond 1.0

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"The Shadow and the Flame" Strategy: Defeating the Balrog

Main Objective: Quickly deploy low-cost units ("trash") to stall, find Vilya, and mobilize powerful allies to attack Durin's Bane in Phase 3. It is not recommended to attack it before this phase; use your allies to defend with the "trash" or to quest. Frodo will absorb the initial damage from Durin's Bane.

Priority of Cards to Find (in ideal order):

1. Vilya
2. The Sword that was Broken
3. A maximum of "trash"
4. Unexpected Courage
5. The powerful allies

Resource Management and Upgrade Timing:

• Unexpected Courage: Find two copies quickly. The first will be used on Elrond for defense against small enemies, the second on Aragorn to attack those same enemies.
• The Sword that was Broken: Attach it to Aragorn to increase the Willpower of all characters by +1.
• Vilya: Attach it to Elrond to search for powerful allies if possible.
• Protector of Lórien: On Elrond, will primarily improve Willpower in the early or mid-game, and Defense if Arwen Undómiel doesn't appear quickly.
• A Burning Brand: Replaces 3 copies of Hasty Stroke; the lack of space limited the addition of these cards. Ultimately not used in the first game. To be evaluated.
• Light of Valinor: Not used in the first game, never left the deck (see previous point). To evaluate the opportunity to replace these cards with Hasty Strokes.

Ally Strategy:

• Arwen Undómiel: Play this ally quickly to boost Elrond's defense.
• Erebor Hammersmith: Useful in defense and for his Willpower. Use against small enemies preferably. Important against the "Whip Lash" treacheries that discard attachments.
• Faramir: Deploy with Elrond and Vilya, useful in the mid-game to boost the Willpower of all allies.
• Gandalf: Can be played with or without "Sneak Attack" (Note: the latter can be canceled by the "Contr-Spell" condition of "Durin's Bane," so play it once Henamarth Riversong is in play). Primarily used to defend against Durin's Bane.
• Mirkwood Runner: His role is to eliminate small enemies, useful if Aragorn doesn't have his Unexpected Courage.
• Gildor Inglorion: Allows you to return a powerful ally that was drawn to the deck to retrieve it for free via Elrond/Vilya. Difficult to set up because he's expensive, but I find his cost justified, especially in the absence of an Imladris Stargazer in play, and his stats are really interesting. I used him twice to put Beorn and Faramir back in the deck and then play them with Elrond/Vilya.
• Beorn: Deploy with Elrond/Vilya to attack Durin's Bane. Returns to the deck after use and can be replayed each turn if retrieved by Elrond/Vilya multiple times.
• Elfhelm and Háldir: Intended to attack Durin's Bane at the end of the game. Alternatives might exist. To be evaluated.
• Iron Hills Miner: Essential for removing conditions from the Balrog, then useful as "trash."
• The "trash": Veteran Axehand, Gondorian Spearman, Snowbourn Scout.

Hero Roles:

• Elrond: Defends, searches for powerful allies and important attachments. Quests at the beginning and end of the game.
• Aragorn: Quests at the beginning of the game, then attacks systematically after receiving "Unexpected Courage." Resets the threat counter to 0 rather at the end of Phase 2 if possible.
• Frodo: Absorbs damage and converts it into threat.

Expected Outcome:

Establish "trash" units at the beginning of the game to slow down the advance of Durin's Bane. Deploy powerful allies and use Elrond and Aragorn to defend and attack small enemies. Accelerate the attack ("rush") once a maximum number of powerful allies have been recovered by Elrond/Vilya. Finally, coordinate an attack on Durin's Bane with all available forces in Phase 3.