This is a rip of a deck Joe Bisz has been playing for some time now. Considering the fact that he’s played it all over, I doubt he’ll mind if I put a a version of it up here. Anyway, I’m sure his is more tweaked.
Start:
Balin
Nain
Arwen
Annalena
Calendal / Thrall / Forge-Master
Foul-Smelling Paste
Foul-Smelling Paste
In Deck:
Layos
Ciryaher
Belegorn
Dorelas
Galdor
Voteli
Resources:
2 Awaiting the Call
2 We Have Come to Kill
2 Saw Further and Deeper
2 Longbottom Leaf
2 Smoke Rings
2 Weigh All Things to a Nicety
2 Rebuild the Town
2 Dark Tryst
2 Hiding
2 Hide in Dark Places
3 Double Dealing
1 Wizard’s Myrmidon
1 Great Patron
1 Gatherer of Loyalties
1 Man of Skill
2 That Ain’t No Secret
1 Petty Dwarves
Key Sideboard Cards:
1 Anduril The Flame of the West
1 Noble Hound
1 Elves of Lindon
2 When You know More
2 When I know Anything
1 Mischief in a Mean Way
1 Keys to Orthanc
1 Dagger of Westernesse (for first turn on Balin — anti skin-changers)
1 Barrow Blade
1 Tom Bombadil
Play Tips:
Turn 1 use the Forge-Master to give Balin a Dagger. You are now protected against Skin Changers. Go to the Worthy Hills. Stay there all game, playing Hiding/Hide in Dark Places for Protection, Double Dealing to allow hero stuff, rebuild the town to deal with the nasty auto attack, and lots of info events for mps. Man of skill makes all your info worth 2 MPs, so you can get 12 from regular info and 2 more from anduril (item points!). Use the When foo Knows blah cards for corruption protection and influence help. You can pop layos or ciryaher up at their home sites and kamikazi to the Easterling camp if you need cards. Galdor influences his home faction pretty well. Just pray you don’t run out of hiding cards, or scouts, because your company is full of wimps.
MP Breakdown:
Character: ~15
Item: 2-4
Ally: 1
Faction: 2-4
Misc: 12
Total: 32-36