Escape from Dol Guldur (1 Core)

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Description

If you're wondering whether Escape from Dol Guldur (EfDG) can be beat using a single core or, more importantly, how it can be beat, you've come to the right Fellowship! It doesn't matter who gets solitary confinement, as you're gonna bust them out quicker than they can spell Bombadil.

Deck Size

Notably, these decks are thirty cards each instead of the "tournament legal" fifty. This allowance was made because these decks:

  1. are built from a single core
  2. can reliably beat EfDG on "normal" mode (i.e., include the yellow/gold-ringed encounter cards)
  3. can recover from any Hero being captured

While it'd be easy to fluff using a second core, or play EfDG on "easy" mode, those deckbuilding exercises are left to the reader.

Strategy

First off, teamwork is key. If you're playing with a friend, communicate. These decks are meant to feed each other. Secondly, go fast; you need to rescue the prisoner ASAP -- turn 2 is ideal, turn 3 is okay. You can safely ignore the Nazgul if you have Radagast's Cunning or Feint.

  • Keep any hand that has either Steward of Gondor (SoG) or Protector of Lórien (PoL).
  • SoG goes on a hero.
  • PoL goes first on whomever has the most cards to pitch for +.
  • Unexpected Courage on Gimli as he has the stats to quest, defend, attack, or defend then wreck face.
  • Discard allies to Éowyn (or PoL) so your hero w/ SoG can use Stand and Fight (S&F) to skirt the EfDG 1-ally restriction.
  • Glorfindel's resources are mainly squandered for events and critical healing; use S&F to play a Daughter of the Nimrodel.
  • Quest early, quest often! Gimli and Glóin have 4 combined. On turn one, and whenever they're not axe-deep in enemies, they should be on the quest.
  • A Citadel Plate on either Gimli or Glóin greatly increases their ability to survive an undefended attack. However, don't forget that shadow cards are a thing!
  • Using Sneak Attack to play a +5 Beorn allows you to return him to your hand at the end of the phase. This is especially brutal with Quick Strike or Ever Vigilant.
  • Gléowine can help either player draw into their missing pieces.
  • Never exhaust Daughter of the Nimrodel until after the quest phase. Learn and use action windows. (If you don't know the card I'm thinking about, you'll soon find out! :) )

Good luck, and happy questing!

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