Solo - Trap Deck - Mono-Lore 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

Thank you ALeP for making a Solo Trap deck viable vs meme. It's alot of fun, feels like the right level of challenge, super satisfying as there are lots of options for handling the encounter deck. You can tinker per scenario from sideboard, eg location control, more questing allies etc.

In short: Trap Trigger Engine, MOTK Firyal allows you to manipulate the encounter deck nicely for solo so you can better plan questing and combat, Celador is a beast with Ranger Spears (and coolaf), Damrod smooths resources especially once Seasoned Forager online giving you equivalent to 5 resource spend power per round.

Opening Hand:

1. You want to see a Trap to kick start engine, 'Entangling Nets', 'Ithilien Pit' or 'Ranger Spikes' is arguably the best of all three as gives you most protection
   • Example: Playing 'Ithilien Pit' + 'Entangling Nets' for 1 resource (Damrod first Trap resource free) in Round 1 > start reducing threat with Celador by 1 or 2 (pending preference) + 2x card draw with Damrod on first round + can start to handle higher threat enemies in staging area if want to
2. 'Coney in a Trap' an emergency button in early/all rounds (+ sets up Forest Snare)
3. Seasoned Forager early is a win for resource acceleration, it basically allows Ranger Spikes / Ambush / any 2 cost Trap or 2x 1 cost Traps for free from next round onwards and you can use your other 3 resources per turn elsewhere
4. Others scenario dependent, for example Deeping Defender if know have some brutal enemies or enemies starting in the staging area, Quickbeam to ramp up combat etc

Core Engine & Early Rounds: - KEY: Try and play one of the 12 traps every round, this in the engine of the deck, even if just Entangling Nets or Ithilien Pit for free with Damrod even if doubling up if nothing else to play, most of the time its not about their direct effect its triggering the other effects. If you don't play enough traps you will run out of cards, whilst threat rockets and can end up location locked

• Every time a Trap attaches it triggers multiple options beyond the direct effect of the Trap itself, pending what you need that round, including:
  1. Ready Celador or reduce threat by 1 per trap
  2. Plus card draw from Damrod
  3. Plus can trigger other events like Spring the Trap to bring in Yazan (great fun out of sphere ally)/Anborn/Grey Companion/Faramir/Tracker
  4. 'It Should be Spared' to get all the above effect triggers and still recycle it if don't like the enemy the trap has attached to (if you save one for when you use Forest Snare you can use it and get Double Bonus Attach during planning phase with 2x extra cards plus -2 threat etc)
• Quest first with Firyal and look at the top card of the encounter deck, if you dont like it eg surge/nasty treachery/mumuk, discard it, if its an enemy you can trap then likely keep it and then you can plan out who else to commit to the quest and who to hold back to handle said encounter card

Questing & Threat & Card Draw - Straight out the blocks getting 7 Quest Power which is reasonable, it gives you a good foundation to build on, if feel like need more can bring in Emyn Arnen Ranger and/or Wellinghall Preservers / other. Thanks to Celadro, traps that arent triggered in staging area reduce staging threat which is useful especially if you have been consistent in putting 1-2 out each round

• 27 Threat is sensible starting point with most scenarios, if you play at least one trap each round and maybe two once have 'Seasoned Forager' online each round you'll consistently get -2 Threat Reduction option which can stabilise/reduce threat nicely to make Ithilien Pit quite potent
• 'It Should Be Spared' is amazing for recycling Traps whilst triggering the effects of Damrod & Celador too. Anborn Trap Recycle is great too once have a couple of other allies out eg Treebeard/Yazan/Quickbeam, especially to bring back Ambush each round and nail pretty much anything that comes out of the encounter deck that can have attachments (this was key to winning Siege on Cair Andros for example)
• Mithrandir's Advice accelerates card draw, Drinking Song if you feel stuck with a bunch of high cost allies in hand when need traps can help reset hand, especially if Gaffer Gamgee in play for +1 draw. Haleth helps with questing whilst also accelerating card/trap/attachment draw. Gildor is a bit rogue and wasn't sure but in mid-late game his extra horsepower is very helpful for Lore

Combat - Attack /Defense & Handling Big Enemies - Defense: You have multiple lines of defense in this deck and in alot of scenarios you wont (nor want to) use your Heroes. 1st. you have Firyal to manage the next card to come out from encounter deck (obviously you are then flying blind if you discard but sometimes necessary) 2. Traps 3. If engage and worried you have 'Coney in a Trap' (which then gives you time for Forest Snare next round eg for nasty ones like Orc Vanguard), 4. Gaffer Gamgee effect 5. Deeping Defender / Grey Companion / Treebeard Ally to defend

• Attack: Load up Celador with Ranger Spears and he can do alot of the work (Wingfoot + Firyal means you can Quest + Attack with him very often), pair him with Treebeard, Yazan and Quickbeam and you have some pretty solid combat strength. Yazan is just satisfying out of sphere to bring in with Spring the Trap (or Elfstone if running that as useful for Gildor too)
• Handling Big Enemies/Bosses: The immune to effects/attachments hurt this deck to the most so some chumping and moving fast to remove those enemies is key. If not, 'Great Hunt' can be fantastic and pending scenario may bring a couple, if a nasty Mumuk or a Troll turns up you can just get rid of them. Or Forest Snare if attachments are possible. 'Coney in a Trap' is great too as is 'Gaffer Gamgee' so can avoid attacks all together.

First couple of rounds can feel like the enemy will break through your defenses/traps whilst you wait for reinforcements, it feels thematic and satisfying given its an Ithilien Rangers Trap deck. Once start to build out board with their fellow forest dwelling Ent and Ranger/Scout friends, the party starts and the arrows fly. Give it a whirl, let me know what you think.