Caught Between the Shire and Lothlorien 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

This deck capitalizes on a combo that Onidsen first brought to my attention in their deck: http://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/6478/caught-between-morning-and-evening-1.0 (which is super fun, btw). That combo involves getting Herugrim on Éomer and Nenya on Galadriel, allowing Eomer to quest for 5 and then attack for 8, making him super effective at running baddies down in the staging area. I thought I'd try taking this combo in a new direction.

By including a low ally count and Strider, I found another reliable way to boost Eomer's while waiting for the Nenya/Herugrim combo to get up and running and give Eomer some useful action advantage. While I was at it, I included Folco Boffin, which opened up an interesting bevy of secrecy cards, too.

How to Play

Opening Hand: In my opening hand, I have found it is best to have Herugrim. Strider or Nenya are helpful, too, although I also don't mind if Mirror of Galadriel or Heed the Dream is there, so I can start fetching the required pieces. Normally, one wants secrecy cards in their opening hand, but not in this case, as you likely won't be triggering Folco for a few turns.

Early Game: In the early game, the goal is to find Herugrim and a boost as fast as possible, while keeping your threat in check. Galadriel's ability to allow you to draw cards and lower your threat, then, should be used generously, perhaps with the assistance of Cram as needed. Cards like the Mirror, Heed the Dream, and Captain's Wisdom allow you to fetch and play those combo pieces early, too.

Mid Game: Once Eomer is up and running and you have secrecy cards in hand, triggering Folco should become a viable decision. If Galadriel has found Nenya, even better, because now she can pay for the cards! Triggering Folco allows you to drop your threat and play Resourceful and Timely Aid. The first Resourceful should go on Eomer to fuel his ability. I tend to put the second on Galadriel to round her out. Timely Aid is a nice addition to this deck, but it may not give you the bomb effect it does in other decks, because there are only 4 different allies here! It's more effective in the mid/late game once your draw deck is more depleted and you have sufficient resources on Eomer that spending one to gamble on an ally appearing (or not) isn't going to ruin your turn.

Late Game: Once Folco is gone and the Resourcefuls are out, the boosting cards really show their utility. Song of Hope takes care of excess resources on EITHER Galadriel or Eomer (since they effectively share their willpower), just as Protector of Lórien takes care of duplicate uniques in hand. Windfola is also a fun addition, though sheerly for its boost, as the response ability doesn't work with Galadriel.

Other Card Decisions

Why Gimli and Not Prince Imrahil?

At first glance, ally Imrahil might make more sense. Once Folco is gone, why not have another hero step up? Well, the disadvantage is that this shuts off Strider's ability to let Eomer quest without exhausting. Gimli has his own action advantage, and in a deck with Resourceful, actions are more valuable than the resource Imrahil would contribute.

Terrible to Behold

This is not a thrilling card, but it actually works quite well with Eomer, especially if he is ready during combat (not so hard to do with Strider). Not only does an unmanageable attack not trigger, but Eomer is ready to take out that enemy during the next quest phase. Lots of fun!

Late Adventurer

This card is great fun with Eomer. If there are no enemies in the staging area at the start of the quest phase, just wait to commit Eomer until after staging! Any enemy that appears he likely can destroy. It's almost like not revealing a card at all!

Sneak Attack/Gandalf

In a deck that thrives on card draw, threat management and another way to deal with enemies, this classic combo pulls major weight! Just keep in mind that if you already have five characters out, you might be temporarily shutting off Eomer's +2 from Strider. There are only 2 sneak attacks because I wanted it to be 1-core friendly. If you have more, definitely not a bad choice.

Quickbeam or Gléowine?

In my experience, Gleowine's card draw can be terrific for getting the combo up and running, but in solo, Quickbeam allows this deck to handle combat somewhat better.

Dúnedain Mark

This can be subbed in (probably for Cram) if you feel like amping up Eomer's attack. Not a bad choice, as his second attack (once he's not exhausting to quest/attack) can be for up to 6 .

Vanish from Sight

I don't particularly like "in case of emergency" cards, and this one is no exception. It helps, however, if you are playing a quest with lots of threat-raising mechanics to either play secrecy cards or to avoid engagements, and therefore I've included it in the sideboard.

Weaknesses

This deck has plenty - it's no "One Deck." It's heavily dependent on getting Herugrim in place. Additionally, enemies engaging is not something this deck likes. Low threat and another player with a sentinel blocker majorly help in this department. (It pairs swimmingly with a solid Dúnhere/Fastred deck, btw).

Summary

This deck is a lot of fun. I love it because it makes use of uncommon cards, contains quirky combos, and a truly bizarre hero lineup. While it's not the greatest deck you'll see on RingsDB today, it is a lot of fun and absolutely worth a try. I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on it or ways you've tweaked it. I think my next iteration will substitute Fastred for Galadriel... Thanks for reading and happy questing!