Council of Elrond

Bellakar has been unfriendly to Gondor since last King Earnur ruled from Minas Tirith.
Corsairs and lesser pirates have polluted trade and politics between kin.
Sauron knows this land is the fulcrum to invade Gondor. Strong hero factions
can support Lord Denethor that otherwise could be hurried elsewhere.
The fighting beasts of the Uttersouth need a clean path up the coasts.


Northwards Adunaphel will invade the belly of Gondor to destroy help from Prince Imrahil for Pallando.
Adunapel will send factions from Umbar to Andrast to battle the Knights of Dol Amroth.
Umbarean Corsairs and a Numenor's Legacy Black Numenoreans will anchor first in Anafalas
to force Prince Imrahil to play his knights. Then the minion factions will move westward to Andrast.
Now, the Knights of Dol Amroth must move three regions and so tap.
[should sea movement and cavalry movement to force tapping if 3 regions are used?] Let's go it for now.
These two factions will handle the three factions in Gondor (Knights, Navy, Men of Anfalas]
Adunaphel will find success in the destruction of the Knights.
Victory will then move the factions south to join the others.

11__Adunaphel---Southern Gondor---Black Numenoreans
13__Adunaphel---Southern Gondor---Umbarean Corsairs


If Adunaphel plays Southrons and Haradhrim and the Mumakhril are in trouble,
then these two man factions will move south to help. If Imrahil plays these factions,
then the factions will move south along the coasts for battle. All four of Adunaphel's
factions in Bellakar are dual factions. Imrahil will play two of them: Southrons & Bellakaze
Southrons and Haradrim are Heavy Infantry with 9 FN. The Ringwraith must remove
Imrahil's factions in this part of the coast. Failure means abandoning Gondor for now.
Success will move the minion factions south to aid Akhorahil.

9__Adunaphel---Southern Gondor---Bozishnarod
16__Adunaphel---Southern Gondor---Bellakaze
16__Adunaphel---Southern Gondor---Southrons
22__Adunaphel---Southern Gondor---Haradrim




Prince Imrahil has the worst situation for battles. He must protect Gondor
and attack in Bellakar with an ocean in between. The Knights must stay
in Gondor with a threat from Eriador. Numenor's Legacy was considered.
Keep Men of Anfalas garrisoned unless a minion faction can move to Lond Galen.

5__Imrahil---Southern Gondor---Men of Anfalas
14__Imrahil---Southern Gondor---Royal Navy
17__Imrahil---Southern Gondor---Knights of Dol Amroth


Dual factions will be the prize for Prince Imrahil and Adunaphel. Two factions are shared
among the five that will battle along the coast. The Southrons must not be played by the enemy
else it will be fatal. But if all three can be played against two (Bozishnarod & Haradrim) then victory
is can be felt with the ocean breeze. Prince Imrahil must cause trouble enough to delay reinforcements
south. Southrons are Heavy Infantry.

14__Imrahil---Far Harad---Bellakaze
20__Imrahil---Far Harad---Etulians
21__Imrahil---Southern Gondor---Southrons












Imrahil needs
to kill both naval minion factions before the War of the Ring.

Note that the Battle of the Pass has to do with stopping flow of factions northwestward near Bosiri. Some battles of both wars (Pass, Sands) happened in the same region, but many turns apart.

Battle of the Pass was much less than I expected due to moving Mumakaniril early and using The Whips of Their Masters before Valdacli could block passage. Then the minions rushed to Bozisha-Miraz for its haven FN bonus. Therefore, the heroes failed in that War. The War started with 3 Valdacli against Orcs of the Yellow Mountains killing the Orcs. That war was stopped until more Valdacli factions were moving north through Bosiri. The minions were then the blockage. Men of Miredor was up against Bellakaze, Gusar, and Visi. Men of Miredor was killed. Then Nar’s Folk entered and was killed by Visi. A healed Sirani killed Gusar. Bellakaze tied Sirani and later killed by them. Visi was wounded by Sirani, then kills the late comer Etulian. Finally, Sirani rewounds Visi. The deck ends with Sirani and Visi in Seznebab and Magri in Chennacatt.

War of the Sands too was a failure for the heroes, but getting Southrons, Easterlings, and Variags of Khand on the hero side was a great success. Now, the heroes must send characters to that region with the factions to heal them. Sauron will likely wait on Gondor until the Mumakanirl have a clear path to Anorien.

Adunaphel’s use of Filled with Fury was monumental. I did put a note in the new deck to replace one copy with Numenor’s Legacy. Black Numenoreans killed three factions in four battles. Umbarean Corsairs killed two in three battles. One battle was a tie and another would have been a tie that eventually killed the hero faction. It took Adunaphel until turn 13 to play these two factions. Later, Bellakaze was influenced away from Imrahil. But Imrahil stole Southrons, which did not move after its play on Turn 16. Haradhrim was played on Turn 23. Bellakaze was important in four battles dying on the fourth. The two factions (UC, BN) was important on Turn 18 in Bozisha-Miraz protecting the war-beasts – two hero factions were killed before more could provide help. The 12 FN allowed wounding hero factions so Bellakaze had chance to kill later.

Imrahil had a tough task. He had to fight in three areas. Men of Anfalas survived three battles and Knights killed one in four battles. In Gondor, Men of Anfalas battled in the First Wain-Rider war. Royal Navy was played on Turn 14. It uses Numenor’s Legacy to reach Bozisha-Miraz, then promptly killed by 11 from Mumakaniril.

Consideration for the Knights to use Numenor’s Legacy to battle in Bellakar was in much debate. Finally, on Turn 17 the faction is played and battles next turn on a tapped Asdriags, but wounds the minion faction. It tied Wain-Easterlings the next turn. Then the Knighes leave to kill Aukuag far away in Ammu Baj. Next, Knights move to Andrast to battle WM Wolves, but is wounded on its roll of 2. A 3 roll would have been a tie. Finally, Etulians were played late on Turn 22. It moved to battle at the Pass a wounded Visi, but was killed.
Southrons were influenced away on Turn 20. That greatly helped. Imrahil did play first Bellakaze, but Adunaphel got it later. Adunaphel used that faction in six battles. Imrahil needs to keep it in play, which is a main reason faction port movement was conjured. The minion version ties Clans of Pel on Turn 17 &18 and Sirani on Turn 22. Then battles again and is killed by Sirani. Bellakaze battles and wounds Nar’s Folk on Turn 18 &19 winning both battles. That faction won the stout award with its low 5 body.

The game ends with Men of Dorwinion, Easterlings, Variags of Khand, and Southrons for the heroes and Wain-Easterlings, Nurniags for the minions in Mardruak. Balchoth, Asdriags, Black N, U Corsairs and Mumakaniril are all untapped in Felayja. This means that the start of the Power decks with have characters rushing to those regions for healing and eventual CvCC. It will be bloody, which will keep attention away from the Fellowship.