THE MOST INSANE GAME OF LORD OF THE RINGS EVER | Saruman, Frodo, Fangorn, Aragorn Wed | WPCS #65

Deck Strategies

• 

  Frodo, Sauron's Bane

  Aggressively tempt opponents with the Ring through combat damage, using cards that make Frodo unblockable or increase tempt triggers, aiming to force opponents to lose the game after four temptations.

• 

  Saruman of Many Colors

  Mill opponents' libraries heavily and exile their enchantments, instants, and sorceries to recast them for free, generating value and control while aiming to win either through milling or a life loss combo involving Dusk Mantle Guildmage and Minecrank.

• 

  Aragorn and Arwen, Wed

  Build a token army with one-one counters and gain life, then leverage powerful combat finishers like Finale of Devastation combined with Craterhoof Behemoth to overwhelm opponents in a single decisive attack.

• 

  Fangorn, Tree Shepherd

  Generate large amounts of green mana and create endless squirrel tokens via a combo with Scurry Oak and Ivy Lane Denizen, aiming to flood the board with creatures and win through overwhelming board presence.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Saruman's use of Tasha's Hideous Laughter to mill 20+ mana worth of cards from each opponent drastically shifted resource availability and enabled multiple free recasts.

• 2

  Frodo's transformation into a rogue with lifelink and the ability to tempt the Ring was a consistent threat that pressured all opponents to respond or face an instant loss.

• 3

  Aragorn and Arwen's token generation paired with 1-1 counters and life gain created a resilient board state that could be turned lethal with a well-timed Finale of Devastation and Craterhoof Behemoth combo.

• 4

  Fangorn’s combo with Scurry Oak and Ivy Lane Denizen to produce infinite squirrel tokens was a potent win condition that required opponents to find answers quickly.

• 5

  The presence of multiple alternate win conditions, such as Halo Fountain's tap-to-win ability, added layers of strategic tension and forced players to balance offense and defense carefully.

Notable Cards

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  Frodo, Sauron's Bane

• 

  Saruman of Many Colors

• 

  Tasha's Hideous Laughter

• 

  Finale of Devastation

• 

  Craterhoof Behemoth

• 

  Scurry Oak

• 

  Ivy Lane Denizen

• 

  Nissa, Who Shakes the World

• 

  Halo Fountain

Summary

The game featured an intense four-player Commander match with decks built around the new Lord of the Rings cards. Frodo, Sauron's Bane quickly became a key threat, transforming into a life-linking rogue that could tempt opponents with the Ring and potentially cause an instant loss after four successful temptations. Early aggression from Frodo pressured the table, while Saruman of Many Colors employed a mill strategy, using spells like Tasha's Hideous Laughter to exile large chunks of opponents' libraries and then recasting milled enchantments, instants, or sorceries for value. This milling plan aimed to deplete opponents' resources while potentially winning through a combination of Dusk Mantle Guildmage and Minecrank if successful. Aragorn and Arwen, Wed focused on token production and life gain, leveraging one-one counters and combos such as Finale of Devastation into Craterhoof Behemoth to push through lethal damage. Fangorn, Tree Shepherd created exponential mana and squirrel tokens through a combo of Scurry Oak and Ivy Lane Denizen, producing overwhelming board presence. The match was marked by pivotal moments like Saruman's massive mill spell and Frodo's combat damage temptations, with each deck pursuing unique paths to victory. The interplay of mill, token swarms, and combat damage win conditions created a dynamic and chaotic game state, showcasing the synergy of the new Middle-earth-themed cards.