Deck Strategy

This deck has two main objectives:

• Maximize your heroes' equipment to optimize their attack and questing capabilities.
• Optimize card draw to quickly access key cards and maintain a consistent flow of options.

Hero Equipment

Pippin:

• Role: Primary attacker (3 to 7 attack points), temporary questing in the early game.
• Equipment:
  • Valiant Warrior
  • 2 Daggers of Westernesse
  • Unexpected Courage: Allows questing then attacking.

Glorfindel:

• Role: Versatile attacker, able to attack and quest early game without exhausting if possible.
• Equipment:
  • Light of Valinor: Allows questing without exhausting.
  • Rivendell Blade: Reduces the defense of enemies.
  • Glamdring: Provides a +2 attack bonus, bringing Glorfindel to 6 attack points in the SA with Hands Upon the Bow.

Elrond:

• Role: Play cards, especially essential allies, and quest throughout the game.
• Equipment:
  • Vilya: Can be paid for with Frodo's resources.
  • Unexpected Courage: For questing once Vilya is attached, a second Unexpected Courage can be attached for making Elrond a Defender if Boromir or Beorn are not in play
  • Andúril: Primarily for a +1 quest and +1 defense bonus if needed, of course +1 attack in case of Elrond can help to kill the Balrog

Frodo Baggins:

• Role: Quester. Can defend in extreme emergencies, but rarely only in case he has the Mithril Shirt as an attachment
• Equipment:
  • Sting: +1 quest, +1 attack, +1 defense. Its defense ability can deal damage to an enemy it defended against, to be used sparingly.
  • Mr. Underhill: To be used in extreme emergencies to avoid an enemy attack. Can be discarded as a non-objective attachment if a treachery requires discarding an attachment.

Key Points of the Deck

• Rapid search for Vilya: Absolute priority, potentially via a Mulligan.
• Rapid search for Steward of Gondor and Song of Kings: Absolute priority, potentially via a Mulligan. It can help playing expensive cards when draw and not played with Elrond/Vilya
• A Test of Will: Crucial for negating harmful treachery cards.
• Will of the West: This 51st "bonus" card allows you to retrieve additional A Test of Will cards if needed, and to counter cards like "Thirst for Knowledge" (starting with 5 threat) or "Chilling Cold" (which can either wipe the board or cause a game loss by reaching 50 threat).
• Beorn and Boromir: These allies are included to defend effectively and deal heavy damage.
• Gildor Inglorion and Imladris Stargazer: These allies explore the deck and help playing cards with Elrond/Vilya
• Erestor and Gleowine: To draw more cards each turn, the action is useful to discard duplicate card in hand. Erestor car be helped by Erebor Hammersmith with attachments that are unique and already in play
• Will of West: While Erestor discards a card to draw another one, Will of The West will help to renew the player deck if needed

Early Game Progression

• Quickly get Vilya, Steward of Gondor and Light of Valinor into play.
• Play at least two allies early on.
• Equip heroes who will be strong attackers.