Secrets and Lies 1.0

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• 1.0

This is a thematic deck built for an ongoing series on my blog, Darkling Door.

Theme: The influence of Saruman

Played Against: Nightmare To Catch an Orc

"Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment. Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves."

—The Voice of Saruman, The Two Towers

Strategy

This is a Doomed deck capable of being both stealthy and aggressive in turn.

The early game

Gríma helps the deck to get off to a good start, letting me play cards a turn earlier than I would normally be able to get them down. I like to start off with a solid quester, like Steward of Orthanc or Isengard Messenger (who generally quests for at least 2 each round). Once I've established my board position a little bit though, I back off on the Doomed for a few rounds.

The midgame

In the midgame, I focus on building up my combat prowess. Éomer is my main attacker. I want to get him equipped with Gúthwinë and a Spear of the Mark so he's swinging for at least 6 against engaged Enemies. If I end up engaged with something that takes more than that, I can usually scrounge up a little extra using Allies or by holding back another Hero.

Ideally, though, in the midgame I can use Éomer's ability to kill medium-strength Enemies (with engagement costs between 30-40) while they're still in the Staging Area. Because his ability costs a resource, I usually give him the Keys of Orthanc if I happen to draw them—but the deck runs a little light on cards anyway, so it's not vital for the deck's functioning. The Grappling Hook makes a great combo here, allowing him to contribute more than his paltry 1 to the quest as well as letting me kill an Enemy as soon as they show up, but before they have a chance to contribute their during the Quest Phase.

Defense is generally handled by chump blockers like Snowbourn Scout, although I can always use Elfhelm's built-in ability to bring in an on-demand defender. I have access to plenty of attack cancellation, too, in the form of Feint and The Wizards's Voice, should I find that I need it.

The endgame

As my threat begins to climb in the later game and it becomes harder and harder to leave Enemies in the Staging Area, I kick back into aggressive mode to close out the quest. Saruman can be a big help here—sometimes I even use Sneak Attack to bring him in on a pivotal turn, eating the extra Doomed 3 cost in exchange for an immediate solution to whatever problem has come between me and victory.

At that point, I've thrown down the gauntlet; it's either me or the encounter deck. One of us is going to burn out fast!

► For more analysis, check out my blog post on this deck.