Battle for Middle-Earth | Sauron | Sam & Frodo | Galadriel | Aragorn | LTC Precon | EDH Gameplay #13

Deck Strategies

• 

  Aragorn, King of Gondor

  Focuses on human tribal synergies and Monarch mechanics to control the board, prevent creature aggression, and maintain political dominance.

• 

  Galadriel, Elven-Queen

  Utilizes the Will of the Council ability to force voting and political manipulation, driving opponents to act against one another while gaining incremental benefits.

• 

  Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit & Sam, Loyal Attendant

  Generates food tokens for value and resilience, leveraging token synergies and cheap combat tricks to outlast opponents and gain incremental advantages.

• 

  Sauron, Lord of the Rings

  Aggressively ramps mana and deploys powerful creatures early, aiming to overwhelm opponents with raw power and high-impact threats.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Sauron’s early use of mana acceleration and casting a large creature that produces 14 power for eight mana establishes a commanding board presence early.

• 2

  Sam and Frodo’s ability to create food tokens consistently adds to their defense and resource pool, enabling sustained gameplay through incremental value.

• 3

  Galadriel’s Will of the Council mechanic introduces social politics to the game, forcing players to vote and creating tension and shifting alliances.

• 4

  Aragorn’s Monarch mechanic attempts to control the game tempo by limiting opponents’ aggression and drawing cards, promoting a control-style gameplay.

• 5

  Fiery Inscription’s damage trigger on casting instants or sorceries punishes opponents steadily, adding pressure on their life totals.

• 6

  Harsh Mentor punishes non-mana activated abilities of artifact creatures and lands, potentially deterring opponents from relying heavily on such effects.

Notable Cards

• 

  Fiery Inscription

• 

  Arcane Signet

• 

  Harsh Mentor

• 

  Savvy Hunter

• 

  Rogue's Passage

• 

  Command Tower

• 

  Paradise Druid

Summary

The game features a thematic battle among five commanders from the Lord of the Rings universe, each piloted by players with distinct strategies reflecting their characters. Early gameplay focuses on ramping mana and setting up board presence, with Sauron aggressively establishing a powerful start using mana acceleration and large creatures. The Sam and Frodo deck centers around generating food tokens and leveraging them for value, slowly building resources and resilience. Aragorn aims to control the board through Monarch mechanics and stalling creatures. Galadriel employs a political strategy with Will of the Council to manipulate voting and gain advantages, sowing distrust and chaos among opponents. Key moments include Sauron’s impressive early power surge and the interaction of food token creation by Sam and Frodo, which provides sustainability and incremental advantage. The game progresses with players balancing their ramp, board development, and political maneuvering, setting the stage for decisive combat phases or combo finishes.