Council of Elrond

Please note that I was fluid with unique items during the game to find the best
deck for the item avoiding duplicates. You will see an item played one turn, then
see it replaced with another the following turn.

This player had great success gaining 32 MPs. So many cancelers allowed the easy 1 or 2 region
movement to avoid creatures. Easterling Camp was the only long distance site. Magic Ring of
Savagery is a useful item. Smaug the Golden flew away with 4 Game Points for his hoard.

Luitprand was killed on Turn 1 by Ambusher. Smart and Secret and battle-gear items are keeping
the characters alive. Gisulf was played on Turn 1.Gergeli was played on Turn 8 to give two
strong companies moving. Enslaved Dwarves were played on Turn 11 and two dwarves played
on Turn 16. One company now has four characters with two having 9 body and the others with
10 body.

11 Sites were tapped including 7 Lairs. Thundercleft was not tapped after its host was killed
by Alatar using Sacrifice of Form and Old Thrush. It was this player’s Home manifestation.
The Dwarven Ring was played on Turn 14 and given to King’s Judge. Turn 17 will have that
dwarve also with belegennon to influence Daelomin Roused; that is 7 CPs.

Gleaming Golden Hoard now gives +1 hand and 1 MP.
Long Lying on His Costly Bed is given +2 body. [I do count Necklace of Girion as 3 MP since
that is normally worth 3 MP. Cheesy, but its Smaug; he made it into the book by name.
Turn 7 Long Marshes a Dragon’s Abode with Made His Dwelling There. This other Dragon Den
allowed limited turns forcing influence checks to keep characters in play.
This player faced 39 hazards. 7 were creatures. He exhausted on Turn 10 when starting that turn
with 3 cards in the discard pile. The second deck should exhaust on Turn 17.


Something Has Slipped is an effective card on this player with so many low prowess characters.
What an opponent must do is to wound the minions forcing healing. That will cause the avatar to
seek shelter at the other Dragon’s Den. Move to that Den forcing a choice of either CvCC or
making rolls when with his own characters.


4 creatures were killed. The Reek was useless for the first deck missing the Spawn hazards.
Black Vapour did not have the Spider creature in hand. 14 starting hazards were discarded in that
first deck.

OVERVIEW
Smaug the Golden gained 32 MPs, which he lost 2 MP from too much in Items. Thus, he was
four MP short of tying “Mouth” for the last Power Deck slot. A few more Character MPs could
be gained with 12 GI available. Both Dragon factions were killed. Thus, active movement may
be needed to trouble heroes killing the Roused factions. Short movements were key for this
player. Only 7 moves of the 54 were more than two regions. There were more corruption checks
than strikes rolled. Thank the cancellers for that fact. Eight sites tapped in first eight turns. Fear
of movement was lacking for the characters. He ended with 14 SP and burden by Riches
Gathered. Long Marshes became a Dragon’s Den. Four characters were killed.
Smaug was mostly in Roaming mode almost every turn. He moved to seven non-Dragon Den
sites and x3 outside of Northern Rhovanion. This player often had three companies every turn. A
few Gathered Troops were needed, but it was mostly for dwarves. He ended with 28 general
influence and had plenty to spare. Two CvCC were initiated. Smaug played Memories Stolen on
a Bain. Covert minions visited Lord Thorin and the new King Under the Mountain at Long Peak
for CvCC. Northman was killed. Lord Thorin and Lord Dain visited the Lonely Mountain on
Turn 24, but both were cancelled.
Hazard play was mixed. 108 draws were made from the starting cards and 42 were discarded
from hand. Several hazard cards never played.
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MAJOR NEWS
Four CvCC were enjoyed. 13 Hoard Points were stored. A lucky ring test played the Dwarven Ring;
first test for such ring made. Lord Thorin did not come east until Turn 18; he killed Angurth. Birthspot
played x2 on this avatar.
King’s Judge received a Dwarven Ring on Turn 17. he had 6 cp with Old Treasure. It was shaky
at this point. Cave Worm was on Foes Shall Fall. Turn 18 was tense. His four character company
moved from Withered Hearth to Collarmount. Northman was tapped by Snow in the Mountains. Then Grimson taps to use his magic ring to cancel True Spirits of the North Winds. Then a Rain-drake attackes. Disciple taps Beast-Thrall and rolls a 12 to take creature as an ally. Only Judge untapped along with ally. Ally faces the Collarmount automatic-attack. Then Judge uses Old Treasure and Consumed by Dragon Fire on the Ring of Power rolling 10 to beat the value by 4. Lomaw Roused killed later that turn by Alatar.
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CARDS
Never or little played: Share of the Treasure, Whispering Voices p1/6, Roaming p1/6, Thranduil’s Folk p2/9, Black Vapour p1/9, The Reek p2/7, Flies and Spiders p0/5. Desire All for Thy Belly never.
STATS
31 strikes were rolled for this player with 15 strikes rolled for last 8 turns. 13 body checks
resulted in 3 deaths and 0 discard. 35 corruption checks were made. Now, there are no typographical errors here. That is an abysmal. You can thank playing Hidden Ways x6, Down Down to Goblin-town x5, Crept Along Cleverly x8, Ruse x8 and taping Magic Ring of Savagery x5. Also, half of creatures faced were low strike dragons/drakes. In response, I switched Hidden Ways with Lomaw the Old for his There’s Queer Folk About. Lomaw can already see the hand, but can use the help in Wilderness. The benefit for Smaug is that there is an extra Ranger untapped to use Raised Again to untap Magic Ring of Savagery. The low prowess characters is a reason for the high percentage of strikes resulting in body checks. No character other than Smaug faced more than 4 strikes.
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This player faced 18 creatures from 70 hazards, but 6 were agent actions. There were 54 moving companies and 71 total companies. Average hazard limit was 2.7; that is high. About 100 regions were moved through including 5 Double Wilderness, 83 Wilderness, and 10 Shadow-lands.
Half of creatures were drakes or dragons. He had the most moving companies. That is a reason for his high card draw. He rolled the second most corruption checks of minion players – 54. Only 7 moves more than two regions. 28 moves had multiple Wildernesses. He had the most site phases at a haven – 46. He tied for the fewest site phases at a non-Ruins&Lairs sites – 7. Dark Dwarf also had seven. He had the most site phases at Lairs – 14. Lonely Mountain is not counted. He visited nine other Lairs of the 13 in that area (avoided Shab Arch, Steel Fall, Irerock, Thundercleft). But he tapped Gondmaeglom and Caves of Ulund twice. Only 10 turns had rolled strikes. Others had 18-20 turns with at least one rolled strike.
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DECK PLAY
First deck exhausted on Turn 10. Second deck exhaust on 17. First deck shuffled 9 cards and drew 9.5 cards/turn. Second deck shuffled 12 cards and drew 12 cards/turn. Third deck shuffled 4 cards and
drew 11 cards/draw. The game ended with 11 cards in the play deck. This means that another game will provide this player a mechanism to play cards timely likely on Turn 22 from the sideboard.
22 sites were tapped or otherwise used.

Moving with one covert company.
Still seeking a new Dragon's Den.
Iron Crown and Necklace of Girion in play now
awaiting the use of Rage Past Description.

Slow, but okay. Magic Ring of Savagery very useful.