Hunters of the North 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

Deck: This is a side quest deck intended to provide a strong questing presence, location control, and ranged combat support in a multiplayer setting. In addition, it also provides treachery cancellation and threat control, while the side quests provide a number of utility functions.

Thurindir is the star of the show. His ability to fetch a side quest at the start of the game sets the stage for an impressive start. Gather Information should be the first quest you bring up, unless pressing concerns dictate otherwise. The fetch effect can bring you up another quest, and if a partner deck also has Gather Information included, they can ensure that all 3 side quests in this deck see play - eventually boosting Thurindir up to 6 .

The side quests also unlock the ability on Halfling Bounder, providing the equivalent of 3 extra copies of A Test of Will, in addition to extra willpower if no cancel-worthy treachery comes out.

Finally, the side quests power up the Legacy Blade. With 2 copies in play, Lanwyn can be attacking for 9 anywhere on the table. Fully powered-up, the blade is the single most powerful attack-boosting attachment available, and so a third copy should find an easy home on any other attacking hero on the table.

To ensure that the side quests and important attachments get into play, the deck includes a great deal of card draw. Beravor, Daeron's Runes, Master of the Forge, and the filtering effect of Dúnedain Pipe ensure that the important cards show up. And if you're forced to drop a useful card that you just can't pay for yet to the bottom of the deck, you can use Master of the Forge to shuffle the deck again and hopefully bring it closer to the top.

Questing: In addition to a powered-up Thurindir, the deck features several powerful questing allies. While it can't post the same questing numbers that other, more focused decks can, it still offers a significant contribution. In addition to pure , the deck also offers some cancellation effects, to help get out of locked staging areas. Between Mirkwood Pioneer, Secret Paths, and Radagast's Cunning, the deck can consistently negate staging area threat.

The deck also includes a number of allies designed to help combat location lock. Rhovanion Outrider and Northern Tracker help keep the staging area clear of locations, while Thror's Map makes sure that the highest-threat locations stay in the active location.

The location-control allies are expensive and often difficult to get into play on their own, so Elf-stone and Song of Travel help make sure that you can get them into play.

Combat: In combat, this deck primarily contributes through Lanwyn's ranged attack. Using Elf-stone, Yazan can also be brought into play to provide 3 more ranged , as well as some direct damage. Against enemies that engage you, Northern Trackers and Rhovanion Outriders give the deck some teeth.

Because this deck is very weak on the defense, the two copies of Unexpected Courage are often best played on a strong sentinel hero, or one which can be made sentinel via Arwen Undómiel. Alternatively, the lady of Rivendell can make another deck's chump blocker take your attack for you. In an emergency, the Northern Tracker also makes a reasonably stout defender.

If multiple attacks are needed out of Lanwyn, the single copy of Magic Ring (proxied here by Narya) can serve double duty as readying and resource smoothing.