My current occupation does not allow me to spend more time here, so I am not exactly up to date with all the discussion, and I hope my topic shall not be entirely redundant.

I do have time for deck-building and playing, however, and the recent releases have produced several exciting prospects.

Out of those, the one that has made the greatest impact on my game experience was surely the Leadership event Reinforcements.

I have had some discussion here about the possibilities of a mono-Leadership Gondor-theme deck. This card has easily lifted such a deck to a higher level.

Even in the deck alone there are so many good candidates. Gandalf is of course the best of them. And the fact you now have both Sneak Attack and this event to put him into play for a phase, increases the chances of seeing the Grey Wizard enter play significantly. All the more with the Tome of Atanatar.

But there are many others who benefit. For the questing, Denethor and Veteran of Osgiliath are great willpower boosts, especially with Visionary Leadership and threat at 40+. Then Mablung is another interesting option, one that easily joins the deck with the possibility to get him into play with Herald of Anórien and A Very Good Tale. Yet, it is perhaps best to put him into play for the questing phase, repeatedly.

Imagine this, you exhaust two allies for the Tale, then use Reinforcements (or Sneak) for Mablung, engage an enemy to lower threat in the staging area, and ready one of the previously exhausted allies thanks to Faramir.

Envoy of Pelargir and Squire of the Citadel work wonders with Leadership Boromir. You can play Reinforcements even on round one, and still have the attack bonus thanks to either of these giving the Leadership to the great Gondor leader.

Finally, the card shines even more with a second player. It really opens so many options. Gandalf can suddenly lower threat or draw cards for the other player as well. And he can quest not exhausted with a player using Galadriel (and perform an action during the quest phase if needed).

The Silvan deck is a great partner in general. It can lend you Galadhrim Minstrel to pick another Sneak, Reinforcements, Tale or Strength of Arms, for instance.

There are many other possibilities, of course, and I am sure every avid deck-builder will enjoy finding them for themselves. I just wanted to share my enthusiasm about this great card.

As a huge fan of mono-leadership Gondor, I was rather underwhelmed by thia card. It may seem good on paper, but to be honest I haven't found much use for it in solo. This deck relies mainly on numerical superiority, playing lots of little allies and buffing them. The thing is, I've found that this card is just not worth it when most of your allies cost 1 or 2. Now of course with Gandalf it's amazing much like Sneak Attack, but to be honest I don't see the adantage of sneaking an Envoy or Guard of the Citadel with this. Squire of the Citadel seems like a waste for this card. For an event that costs 3 I'd much rather pay the permanent cost of the ally than playing it for one phase, even if I have to save resources for 1 turn. The same goes for the 3 cost allies like Veteran or Ingold. Don't get me wrong, I can see how sneaking Gandalf and 1 other ally can help in a game, it's just that for a 50 card deck this seems like a win-more card.

Reinforcements... or refreshments?

As a huge fan of mono-leadership Gondor, I was rather underwhelmed by thia card. It may seem good on paper, but to be honest I haven't found much use for it in solo. This deck relies mainly on numerical superiority, playing lots of little allies and buffing them. The thing is, I've found that this card is just not worth it when most of your allies cost 1 or 2. Now of course with Gandalf it's amazing much like Sneak Attack, but to be honest I don't see the adantage of sneaking an Envoy or Guard of the Citadel with this. Squire of the Citadel seems like a waste for this card. For an event that costs 3 I'd much rather pay the permanent cost of the ally than playing it for one phase, even if I have to save resources for 1 turn. The same goes for the 3 cost allies like Veteran or Ingold. Don't get me wrong, I can see how sneaking Gandalf and 1 other ally can help in a game, it's just that for a 50 card deck this seems like a win-more card.

I remember you said this right away when the card was spoiled. But have you actually tried it?

I was not sure about the card but it has completely changed how the deck runs. As I say above, to double the chance of putting Gandalf into play round 1 is invaluable. And it is now the number one card I am looking for in my set-up hand, maybe next to Steward of Gondor, depending on situation. As the round 1 is usually the most important, the impact Reinforcements have on it is just huge, much much bigger than Sneak Attack.

Use Reinforcements for Envoy of Squire may seem like a waste, but it certainly is not if they are one of the two. Again, as I give the example above, especially with Envoy, it may be a huge difference to have the resource on Boromir for his attack bonus or for Visionary Leadership.

Another great combo is with A Very Good Tale. You use Reinforcements for Gandalf to get all the help out of him, and you use the other ally, like Denethor, Anborn, Ingold, or whoever from your teammate for the Tale. Yes, you need one other ally ready but that should be quite easy to achieve, especially when using Faramir.

If you haven't tried it, I recommend.

Reinforcements... or refreshments?

Amazing.

I haven't had much experience with it to be honest, just played it a few times but mostly it just sat in my hand. I think the card's efficiency could be determined by the heroes we use and the rest of the deck. What heroes do you use in the deck, apart from Boromir? Do you also run x3 Sneak Attack in addition to Reinforcements? How many copies of Reinforcements do you run in the deck?

I just don't see how paying 3 to put Gandalf + another 1 cost ally for a phase is better than paying 1 for Sneak Attack Gandalf and 1 for a permanent ally. It 's just economically inefficient, unless there is some trick or special strategy behind it, which I don't see. Even in the first couple of rounds, spending 3 for an event which has a fleeting ability in a deck that needs to put permanent bodies on the table fast seems really risky to me. Normally those resources will go to pay for attachments or allies, and even if I play Galadriel I'll at least get something on the table for the next round.

To give an example of an optimal first turn, I'll first play Steward, then a 1 cost ally like Squire or Errand Rider or Envoy (which is essentially 1 cost). I'll save 1 resource for Aragorn's ability, and either save the other resource for the next round or play Sneak Attack Gandalf. Reinforcements just doesn't fit with this plan, as it is very expensive early game, doesn't really advance your board state, and most of all, it uses up valuable resources you could use to play cheaper stuff that stays in play. All in all, I see it mainly as a mid to late game "bomb" card like Strength of Arms, something to play in a specific and presumably combat heavy round when you want to get a temporal action and stat boost, but even then I'd just use Strength of Arms. You would say that the two events combine well, but you'd need to have them both in hand as well as 5 resources just for events. I'm still not convinced.

Yeah, I don't see it being worthwhile unless you can bring in two bomb allies. Gandalf, Beorn, Eomund, Elrond, maybe Faramir for a quest phase. If it's just Gandalf and a chump blocker or Gandalf and a 2 WP quester, the cost is too high. Although there is definitely something to be said about having the ability to put them into play under any player's control.

So it probably doesn't make sense for a solo deck, but has the potential to shine in multiplayer.

I remember effect Emery in hurry moments..., i see Reinforcements as a strong Emery situation. In combat phase, of course.

I think first and foremost we should have a consensus whether Gandalf on round 1 is a good play. For me it is still, after all these years of the game, one of the strongest plays, if not the strongest.

Then, and I know I broken-record this a little, having three copies of both Sneak and Reinforcements in your deck doubles the chance to bring him in, right? That on its own is for me reason enough but I will go on more about it.

It makes sense for 1 resource because you can get some allies/attachments into play and Gandalf helps you clear that location or kill that enemy in the staging area. But for a cost of 3, you are starting your second turn with no additional resources, allies, attachments, or cards from where you were on the first turn (unless you also played Steward, in which case it might be worth it).

Basically what Teamjimby said disuades me from wanting to use the card, plus the fact that it consumes Aragorn's ablity first round as well. I really want to like the card though, can you share your list? I'm interested in what choices you make, assuming the deck is suitable for solo.

I can see that in multiplayer the card could be useful for a resource engine deck to offer other decks the chance to use cards in a form akin to Sneak Attack. In solo play I'm less sold on this card (for many of the reasons given above) but in multiplayer it offers quite striking flexibility (although perhaps in practice it would not get used very much?).

This thread has inspired me to play around with Sneak Attack/Reinforcements a bit. I think a strong contender for Reinforcements (after Gandalf and Beorn) is Gwaihir.

After Gwaihir enters play, you can put a Descendant of Thorondor into play from your discard and deal 2 damage to an enemy in the staging area. At the end of the phase, place both allies under Eagles of the Misty Mountains, and deal another 2 damage to an enemy in the staging area.

If done during the combat phase you get:

- 4 direct damage

- 5 attack strength

- permanent +2 atk/def bonus for EotMM

Very fun!

Reinforcements also combos naturally with A Very Good Tale in a way that does actually advance your board state from turn 1. Sam + Good Meal reduces its cost to 1, which is also a worthwhile turn 1 play.

Agreed that it's going to see more play in multiplayer than solo, but I think it has enough compelling use cases that certain mono leadership decks can make good use of it.

Sam + Good Meal reduces its cost to 1, which is also a worthwhile turn 1 play.

Unfortunately that doesn't work because you need to spend resources from 3 heroes.

Basically what Teamjimby said disuades me from wanting to use the card, plus the fact that it consumes Aragorn's ablity first round as well. I really want to like the card though, can you share your list? I'm interested in what choices you make, assuming the deck is suitable for solo.

I play 28 allies, I think. Squire, Errand-rider, Envoy, Veteran, Herald, Watchman, and Gandalf all 3, then a copy of Warden, Mablung, Elrond, Erestor, Ingold, Anborn, Denethor. Then the obvious: 3 of Steward, Leadership, Tome, 1 of Mardil. 3 of Tale, Sneak, Reinforcements, 2 of Strength of Arms, 1 of Send for Aid.

I find Strength of Arms a bit of a win-more card but it feels a natural fit with so many allies. Send for Aid hasn't seen much play. It is the same problem as with other side quests, there just never seems time for them. Though I can see in some quests there has to be: Massing at Osgiliath (stage 1), and especially Assault on Osgiliath (the whole).

And the heroes?

Easy for me, there are only three Leadership Gondor heroes, but they work so well together: Boromir, Faramir, Prince Imrahil: the family bonds.

This thread has inspired me to play around with Sneak Attack/Reinforcements a bit. I think a strong contender for Reinforcements (after Gandalf and Beorn) is Gwaihir.

After Gwaihir enters play, you can put a Descendant of Thorondor into play from your discard and deal 2 damage to an enemy in the staging area. At the end of the phase, place both allies under Eagles of the Misty Mountains, and deal another 2 damage to an enemy in the staging area.

If done during the combat phase you get:

- 4 direct damage

- 5 attack strength

- permanent +2 atk/def bonus for EotMM

Very fun!

Yes, and the best thing about it, you need not have eagles in your deck.

ps: I have enjoyed Sneak Attacking with Beorn from the beginning, I might incorporate him into this deck. And use Strength of Arms to strike for 8 twice.

Ingold is a good ally for this event. If you play the event in combat phase, it means Ingold quested up to 3wp

So, today I included x3 Reinforcements in my mono-Leadership Gondor deck. Played against Treachery of Rhudaur 3 times, lost the first and won the other 2 games, and I drew Reinforcements pretty early on in the three games. Basically, if you thought Sneak Attack sometimes can be unreliable because you need to have a worthwhile ally in hand as well Sneak Attack, this is even more unreliable. Whereas Sneak Attack only costs 1 and pretty much the only ally you need to sneak is Gandalf, with this in solo you pay 3 AND you need 2 allies in hand as well as the event, and if one of those allies is not Gandalf or maybe Faramir, the card wasn't worthwhile. Needless to say I never played it, as I never really needed it or found myself in a good situation to play it. This is a real shame, as I really wanted a thematic solo replacement for A Very Good Tale in the deck.

What is your deck? How many allies and which? Have you happened to have Gandalf in your hand in either of the three games?

This is almost beyond belief that experience with a card can be so different. But it is the beauty of the card then as well. It is rather boring if everyone plays the same way. For me Reinforcements never sits in hand, but I have played more like thirty games with it by now.

ps: But it is true most of the games where 2-player, and sometimes I was using the other player's allies, though less often than not.

pps: I do like A Very Good Tale, and play it here obviously, but it is actually the very card that can make me most regret playing it (or even having it in the deck) when I shuffle my deck consisting of 28 allies and only discard one Errand-rider: I know the odds are against it but it has happened many times. The beauty of randomness, I guess.

...if you thought Sneak Attack sometimes can be unreliable because you need to have a worthwhile ally in hand as well Sneak Attack, this is even more unreliable...

And just a final thought on this. My perception of the game/situation with the mono-Leadership deck is quite the opposite to yours, it seems. Whilst you think Sneak Attack is unreliable, I rather find the expensive allies to be so in the early game -- on most of the quests by far the most important part. There just is no way to put 4+ cost allies into play (well, I am not using Wealth of Gondor for that, and I don't think many players are). It is the Reinforcements that make that possible, or much much more probable. Sneak Attack is just three cards in a deck of 50, the math is simple here. Also, whilst I do hesitate to put the likes of Denethor into play using Sneak Attack, I have no such hesitation doing it with Reinforcements. This notion is multiplied with the cheaper allies; I only need one expensive (or off-sphere) ally to justify the cost of Reinforcements, the other can be cheaper. And really, whilst Envoy of Pelargir effectively costs 1 when you pay it normally, it gives you 1 resource when using Reinforcements -- you see the 2 cost difference, emulating your argument about cost-efficiency. One may argue you lose slots in the deck, but by raising the chances of playing Gandalf, you raise your card draw as well, so you should be better in this aspect as well. The difference is of course that with Reinforcements the allies do not stay in play, but that can be both sometimes beneficial (Imrahil) or totally necessary because in this deck you just rely on chump blockers.

My deck runs Boromir, Aragorn and Balin. The allies are x3 Squire, x3 Rider, x3 Envoy, x3 Guard, x3 Herald, x2 Veteran, x2 WT Watchman, x2 Faramir, x3 Gandalf, x1 Ingold, x3 Galadriel. Basically the idea is to use Galadriel and King Under the Mountain as a replacement of card draw and get allies and attachments like Sword that was Broken in play and build a willpower and attack army.

Note that about Sneak Attack I said it CAN SOMETIMES be unreliable. I never said it IS unreliable. The only problem with it is that sometimes you find yourself in the situation of having Sneak Attack in hand but no allies, as I know has happened to all of us at some point. I still think it's an extemely good card and include at least x2 of it in every deck I build with Leadership (x3 in this one). I am comparing it to Reinforcements to show that in solo that drawback, (which for Sneak Attack is very minor) is doubled (as you need 2 allies in hand to justify it) and the cost tripled, and IMO that doesn't make playing Gandalf plus a weenie for a phase worthwhile. As I said in my initial evaluation of the card, whenever I drew Reinforcements and an ally, unless that ally was Gandalf or Faramir, I preferred to just play the ally for the same cost if not cheaper. For the bigger allies, yes, I too don't play them very early on, but then again I prefer to save my resources to play them permanently the next couple of rounds (which is not hard with Steward).

I have a similar opinion as you do on a Very Good Tale. I've never played more than 2 in a game that I remember, but here's the thing. A Very Good Tale costs 0, and provided you meet the requirements (which are not very different from Reinforcements), it puts 2 allies into play permanently. Reinforcements costs 3, and at the end of the phase you're no better than you were before. At that point Reinforcements becomes a win-more card, as there are cards that do its job better. In my case at least, it was an unnecessary card.

Finally, I don't see the benefit of sneaking chump blockers with Reinforcements. They're dead anyway and are not coming back, so why dedicate slots, resources and events to put a chump into play you could just as easily have played normally?

Besides being able to put the ally into play with any player, the one thing I see that Reinforcements does better than Sneak Attack is allowing you to put two high cost allies into play with a single card (3 card combo total). To do the same thing with Sneak Attack, you need 4 cards total which makes it much more difficult to realize the combo. Now, the reason this is actually somewhat important is because you can then add on A Very Good Tale. It is certainly not outside the realm of possibilities of starting with 1x A Very Good Tale, 1x Reinforcements, and 2x high cost ally. This allows you to start the game with 2 strong allies if you hit with your A Very Good Tale for 3 resources, which is certainly worthwhile. In a multiplayer game, you need not have ANY high cost allies because your partners could give you the allies. There are definitely some strengths Reinforcements has that Sneak Attack does not.

With all that said, in general, I would think it would be hard to make a deck around this card unless your friends constructed decks to work specifically with it.