Ride them Down! 2.0

• Versions
• 2.0
• 1.0

This is a rebuilt version of an earlier deck designed to use Herugrim and Galadriel with Nenya to boost Éomer's attack into the staging area.

An earlier iteration of this deck used Arwen Undómiel, for resource generation and strong questing right out of the gate. However, that deck struggled significantly against early low-engagement-cost enemies, often needing to take undefended attacks. Based on significant feedback from the community, I have replaced Arwen Undómiel with Fastred.

Fastred ensures that Éomer can consistently use his ability by bouncing engaged enemies back to the staging area, and provides needed threat reduction for the deck. Boosted by Arwen Undómiel, several copies of Dúnedain Warning, and Livery of the Tower, he can become an impressive defender.

With very little hero-based available initially, this deck can struggle in the early turns if Nenya does not turn up in the opening hand. A host of low-cost questing allies are included to try and mitigate that threat. In the later game, this suite of allies can provide almost obscene levels of willpower, making the use of cards like Ride Them Down or Rally the West effective.

Fastred can generally handle most of the enemies which cannot be left in the staging area to be killed at leisure, however, some enemies cannot be safely defended. Against those enemies, or in situations where a swarm of enemies revealed during staging threaten to overwhelm your defenses, Ride Them Down offers game-saving insurance. Firefoot - paid for using A Good Harvest - can offer valuable help against enemy swarms as well. Since Éomer is often attacking for well above the combined defense and hit point values of his targets in the staging area, Firefoot can use the overkill to destroy an enemy engaged with the deck.

Against enemies that either cannot be returned to the staging area via Fastred, or that cannot be attacked while in the staging area, Firefoot, The Favor of the Lady and Rally the West boost Éomer's attack power in the combat phase, where Galadriel and Nenya cannot.

To help pay for the many allies in the deck, Steward of Gondor should be played on Fastred. In addition to the extra resource generation, it grants him the Gondor trait so that he is eligible for the Livery of the Tower, if it shows up.

A few useful but not essential cards have only one copy present in the deck. Firefoot, Rally the West, and Celebrían's Stone can each provide an effective +2 boost to Éomer's , while the Warden of Healing counters direct damage and Elfhelm provides extra threat control and combat power. The Errand-rider helps ensure both that Éomer can pay for cards in addition to using his ability, and that resources don't pile up on him if few enemies are revealed, and the Livery of the Tower lets him use extra resources from Steward of Gondor as a buffer for his small hit point pool. With Mirror of Galadriel and Silver Harp, even these singleton cards can fished out from the deck with little trouble. And what the Mirror can't find, Galadriel can help you draw.