The Watcher in the Water - Progression Series #16

A pair of decks intended to be played against The Watcher in the Water, for use in the Lord of the Rings: The Card Game Progression Series.

Against this scenario, threat matters little, as each Tentacle enemy has an engagement cost of 12. Note that each deck has a 5 HP Hero to help withstand potential undefended attacks from Striking Tentacle, and ensure that you use effects like Hail of Stones to accomplish things such as destroying Thrashing Tentacle before it has to be attacked. Additionally, Hail of Stones can also allow you to destroy Mountain Wargs that return to the staging area. Steward of Gondor is best played on Frodo Baggins, as is Song of Kings; each deck contains a small number of copies of several different cards (e.g., Sword That Was Broken), to increase the likelihood that one eventually sees play. Consider using Unexpected Courage to ensure that each player will have a ready Hero during the combat phase, which will prevent untimely death via Wrapped! Shadow effects are generally inoffensive, but A Test of Will can prevent either threat gain, additional enemies entering play, or a significant loss of resources.

Thalin with Gondorian Spearman can slay only a small number of enemies this time around, but Northern Tracker, though expensive, can still be helpful to eliminate several locations simultaneously. Each deck has access to Sneak Attack and Gandalf to destroy troublesome Tentacles prior to their becoming problem, and Henamarth Riversong enables players to check whether Forced effects will resolve; additionally, it facilitates opening up the Doors of Durin. Note that you can use throwaway allies such as Snowbourn Scout to handily remove Grasping Tentacle from play. Be conservative, and this scenario shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge.

Good luck!