While the typical Moria Swarm strategy features several small minions swarming the Fellowship player, Troll's Keyward does not fit the mold with its higher vitality, strength, and twilight cost. His attributes make him instead a key minion in the less used (but not less powerful) Moria Beatdown shadow. Troll's Keyward has game text that intrinsically makes the Cave Troll of Moria's twilight cost - twilight. The high vitality of the Troll's Keyward makes the minion a mighty wielder of the Moria Axe hand weapon. Or a strong choice to absorb Fellowship archery. With a vitality greater than , Troll's Keyward can exert for cards such as Threat of the Unknown, Troubled Mountains, What Is This New Devilry?, or Through the Misty Mountains.

As a unique minion, multiple copies of Troll's Keyward can be cycled out of hand via They Are Coming to prevent hand clog. In a somewhat interesting coincidence, Troll's Keyward receives a boost from Dark Places like the Balrog, The Cave Troll, or Watcher in the Water, Keeper of Westgate, potentially making him a solid “bruiser” minion alongside the Troll.

• Archery/Wounding
• Low Strength companions
• Has synergy with Cave Troll of Moria, Scourge of the Black Pit
• Effective with Moria Axe, and other exertion cards (such as Threat of the Unknown)
• Works well with Goblin Swarms (if he bears a Moria Axe, he's almost guaranteed to win)
• Unique minion for Dark Places

• High-strength companions (if not bearing the Moria Axe)