The deluxe expansion The Wilds of Rhovanion centers around the Dale, which gaming mechanic focusses on attachments on allies. Because with the two containing heroes you cannot play events from the tactics sphere (and I think that a red 3rd here is the least viable option), so I never really payed attention to the card Valour of the North. Just now I realised - contrary to the Dale theme - that the card requires an enemy with an attachement.

Anyhow, I did wonder how other players use this card and searched ringsdb.com for deck containing it. The card is somewhat unpopular! Only 10 decks (with a deck description) include that card. And even not all of them are serious decks. Some others do not contain enough attachments (for enemies) so that this card stays more or less on the frings within those decks.

Sooooo ... anyone willing to build a deck which contains Valour of the North and aims to be tier 1? 😄 I know, this topic does not contribute much new content to the comunity, but anyhow...

13 minutes ago, Flrbb said:

Sooooo ... anyone willing to build a deck which contains Valour of the North and aims to be tier 1? 😄 I know, this topic does not contribute much new content to the comunity, but anyhow...

I guess that card would be most at home on a Lore/Tactics Trap deck, perhaps a Dunedain one, perhaps a Gondor one. Some Guarded attachment too could help. If you want I can try to make something up, I really like to create this kind of fun and particular decks.

Seems like a handy sideboard card for quests that use Guarded objectives, or any quest with those attachment-loving Easterlings.

It would have a nice home in my Bear Trap deck(s), which is a strong multiplayer combat deck. Since it targets the character, you couldn't use it when Beorn is the one attacking or defending, but other characters do a lot of work in that deck also. Here's a link although it doesn't actually have VotN included:

https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/15965/beartrapsoftheking-1.0

https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/376/bear-trap-1.0

Something like this perhaps (with a questing partner deck)

https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/16039/valourofthenortherntraps-1.0

16 minutes ago, Alonewolf87 said:

I guess that card would be most at home on a Lore/Tactics Trap deck, perhaps a Dunedain one, perhaps a Gondor one. Some Guarded attachment too could help. If you want I can try to make something up, I really like to create this kind of fun and particular decks.

I only thought of a trap focussed deck. Did not thought of guarded attachments - but I guess they do count as attached to an enemy, too. Cannot imagine how Dunedain or Gondor will provide something to Valour of the North, though. Do you mind to elaborate?

By Gondor I'm sure he means Damrod and all the traps love he brings (see the deck he just posted above).

Dunedain are also happy to include traps, like Outmatched. So in both cases I'm sure he's talking about just putting traps into a deck with other of those tribal themes.

Just now, Flrbb said:

Cannot imagine how Dunedain or Gondor will provide something to Valour of the North, though

Followed and Outmatched are usually at home in Dunedain decks, and the attack lowering option of the event help with defenses, which Dunedain deck usually struggle a little with. Gondor was mainly brought up for Lore Damrod and Lore Anborn (perhaps in its Messenger of the King version)

Without going much into detail with contructing a deck, I'd say a successfull deck with Valour of the North has to be a trap focussed one.

Then - to be up to date - that deck has to contain Damrod (hero), Amrod (maybe with Messenger of the King) and Emen Arnen Ranger (dunno why I name it here, but that card seems powerfull). On ringsdb there are just 3 decks with that combination. Only one of these ( https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/16039/valourofthenortherntraps-1.0 ) seems to be well-rounded at first glance. Still, not a very popular card. 🙂

Valour of the North is in a weird spot. Most decks would rather use attachments for permanent combat stat boosts or events to straight up cancel attacks. As a response to attacking/defending (which means, defensively, it's only useful if you already know that the enemy's attack is going to exceed the defender's defense before shadow cards are revealed).

Tactics Bilbo might be a good hero for the card, since he already synergizes well with enemies that have attachments and provides the Tactics sphere-match for this card. He'd also allow the player to run Sting.

LORE - Damrod
LORE - (MotK) Anborn
TACTICS - Bilbo

Now you can run, arguably, some of the best Guarded Guards (Stone of Etchilion, Necklace of Girion, Glamdring, Sting) and Traps. The Lore from Damrod/Anborn also means Bilbo can get Fast Hitches to help him Quest and use Sting. As an added "perk," since Anborn, Damrod, and Bilbo all have middling stats for combat, you might actually need the +3/+3 to stats to help take care of enemies (whereas decks with more dedicated attackers/defenders probably just prefer to use attachments to build-up their combantant). As extra toys, given Tactics Bilbo a Spear of the Citadel and Sting would mean he could help kill attackers that were already damaged by his questing (in ideal situations, Sting+Spear+FastHitch Bilbo could quest, deal 2 Damage to an Enemy, and then Defend that enemy and deal 2 more Damage. This outright kills 4HP enemies (5HP if you want to work in Thalin, who could also benefit from Thror's Ring as another great Guarded card). Then maybe Valour of the North just covers early-game combat and then picks up slack when enemies can't be killed by direct damage tricks accessible to the Lore/Tactics spread (Arrows from the Woods, Infighting, Expecting Mischief, Thror's Axe, etc.).

28 minutes ago, Flrbb said:

Only one of these ( https://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/16039/valourofthenortherntraps-1.0 ) seems to be well-rounded at first glance.

That's the one I made in response to this thread 😄

19 minutes ago, AllWingsStandyingBy said:

Tactics Bilbo might be a good hero for the card, since he already synergizes well with enemies that have attachments and provides the Tactics sphere-match for this card. He'd also allow the player to run Sting.

Now you can run, arguably, some of the best Guarded Guards (Stone of Etchilion, Necklace of Girion, Glamdring, Sting) and Traps. The Lore from Damrod/Anborn also means Bilbo can get Fast Hitches to help him Quest and use Sting. As an added "perk," since Anborn, Damrod, and Bilbo all have middling stats for combat, you might actually need the +3/+3 to stats to help take care of enemies (whereas decks with more dedicated attackers/defenders probably just prefer to use attachments to build-up their combantant). As extra toys, given Tactics Bilbo a Spear of the Citadel and Sting would mean he could help kill attackers that were already damaged by his questing (in ideal situations, Sting+Spear+FastHitch Bilbo could quest, deal 2 Damage to an Enemy, and then Defend that enemy and deal 2 more Damage. This outright kills 4HP enemies (5HP if you want to work in Thalin, who could also benefit from Thror's Ring as another great Guarded card). Then maybe Valour of the North just covers early-game combat and then picks up slack when enemies can't be killed by direct damage tricks accessible to the Lore/Tactics spread (Arrows from the Woods, Infighting, Expecting Mischief, Thror's Axe, etc.).

You are right, good ideas.