Durin beats up sauron? The most base strength I’ve ever seen Durin have IN AN ACUTAL GAME is 16-17. Still needs a lot of pumps to trump the dark lord.

AC, I think you’ll still run into twilight troubles with Sauron, especially against Nine-Fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom. But you are right that he’s cheap to play with Gollum, Stinker and Captured by the Ring.

However...how do you exactly plan to win skirmishes with Gollum, Stinker? I don’t see a single card to boost his strength or wound his opponent to death.

I disagree with your statement, when you refer to the Dwarf match-up, of "you should be able to manipulate the site path enough to add lots of burdens and exert all their companions." Do some simple math...Neekerbreekers’ Bog and Courtyard parapet only trigger when the fellowship moves to them. So...to get 5 burdens, you’d have to bring back Courtyard Parapet 5 times, thus at Site 6. Which only lets you use Neekerbreekers’ Bog three times. That’s not enouch to "exert all their companions". So Durin still lives, and beats up on Sauron. Enquea can’t work his magic until much later, and the dwarves live on. And if it’s Site 6 or 7 we’re talking about...your Freeps might not last that long.

Finally, I think you should make it a little more interesting to read. Use some humor, some color...after all, it may be a Strategy Article, but it’s also a Strategy Article.

Final gripe: where’s the Knights match-up? That one is actually the most dangerous to this deck. Fourth Level + Citadel of the Stars kills Sauron, and Sweeter Meats can’t ever kick in. Not to mention that a couple of First Level disables Gollum, Stinker from adding burdens, and stops Not Yet Vanquished and Incited.

BTW, how would your freeps fare against heavy corruption? Would it make it to Region 3?

The main thing I’m not seeing: Ithil Stone. It cycles, and you can ditch it to play Sauron for -2? I think you could drop 1 sweeter meats unless wounding is heavy in the meta. Once again, great article!