B - RELEASE THE PRISONERS ALATAR'S CHALLENGE DECK Elrond leads Alatar's companies into the Orc-holds of the mountains surrounding Rivendell. Their errand is to rescue Free People captives and recover stolen items. Gates of Morning and strong warriors see them through. The hazards feature a classic mix of corruption with Undead. Starting Company • Elrond controls Elladan. Erkenbrand controls Orophin. Elrond has Cram and Erkenbrand has Shield of Iron-bound Ash. If you have multiple site-tapping resources in your initial draw, consider starting them as 2 companies: Elrond and Elladan, Erkenbrand and Orophin. Suggested Sites for Resources • Book of Mazarbul - Moria [storing it at the Blue Mountain Dwarf - hold] • Goldberry - Old Forest • Gollum - Goblin-gate • Orcrist - Carn Dum or Mount Gundabad • Rangers of the North - Bree • Rescue Prisoners (x3) - tapped Cam Dum, Mount Gram, Goblin-gate, Moria, or Mount Gundabad • Scroll of Isildur - Carn Dum or Mount Gundabad • Sword of Gondolin - Barrow-downs or Zarak Dum • The Windlord Found Me - Mount Gram • Blue Mountain Dwarves (sideboard) - Blue Mountain Dwarf-hold • Great-shield of Rohan (sideboard) - Zarak Dum or Barrow-downs Resource Play Alatar's deck makes active use of Gates of Morning. Its most powerful tactic is to cancel and discard the final hazard played against a company with Many Turns and Doublings if Gates of Morning is in play. Gates of Morning provides a natural defense against some of the more powerful hazards that require or benefit from Doors of Night. A patient player can elegantly rise to the threat of most hazards. Take the time to move Elrond to Rivendell to play Vilya. Store a Rescue Prisoners as soon as you can to get its character untapped. Do not forget you can do this at Bree, Old Forest, and the Blue Mountain Dwarf-hold in addition to at a Haven. You will face strong creatures in the mountains, but always consider tapping your characters to face strikes and waiting another turn to play that resource. You should receive many kill marshalling points. Alatar Alatar works well being active and traveling with his characters. If his company is at a Haven, move it last to give him the option of "teleporting" to another company facing an attack. He has enough direct influence alone to bring any faction into play, but look to give him followers to free general influence in your defense. This deck is vulnerable to Muster Disperses. Hazard Play Play corruption cards as soon as you can. As an exception, consider placing Lure of Expedience on-guard if you feel fairly certain a company will play an item. Then reveal it and place it on the character playing the item. He must make a dangerous corruption check. The Undead are fairly effortless to play. You can increase the threat of the corruption cards by playing Corpse-candle and Barrow-wight on corruption-laden companies. Hold off playing Chill Douser until you can follow it up with another Undead. If an opponent is moving to a site with an Undead automatic-attack, Chill Douser during the movement/hazard phase should make him think twice about entering the site. Consider this with The Moon Is Dead in play. Amassing bonuses to Undead prowesses and strikes during a turn gives its own reward. Sideboard After playing the Book of Mazarbul, tap Alatar to bring in the Blue Mountain Dwarves. Try to both store the item and recruit the faction with one trip to the Dwarf-hold. Of course, storing this item before the Free Council begins is the most important thing.