As there is apparently no thread that handles the new secrecy mechanic, I am opening this one to discuss the concept itself, strategy and the cards using the secrecy concept already. Players can also share their experience with secrecy decks. I'd like to begin with some general thoughts:

1) The concept

I have to say that I wasn't a friend of the secrecy concept when it was announced by FFG. Why should I do with one hero less only to be able to play some cards with lesser costs? I thought this to be less fun, because of the lesser variety of heroes, and not very helpful to increase my chances of winning the game. Ok, perhaps secrecy might work in a multi player game, but as I am playing in solo mode only, I was less than excited.

However, I changed my mind once I was using secrecy in Juicy's tournaments playing Road to Rivendell. The scenario is not very difficcult, that is, but still I could see how the secrecy mechanics worked in my favour. One of tbe first things I realized is that the low starting threat helps you to build up your deck before the nasty enemies can attack you. In most of my games I didn't make much progress in the first three turns, because either I had a lot of enemies waiting in the staging area or I had to explore several locations, but once I had enough allies in play, my fellowship was almost unstoppable.

I don't want to get into a discussion about RtR strategy, but those who played this scenario know that one has to be careful to engage with an enemy because of the brutal shadow effects in this game. That's why secrecy is more than handy, as you can choose if you want to engage an enemy or not (except for Goblin Spearman). Enemies like Wild Bear or Mountain Warg will never engage you, if you don't want them to.

2) Threat management

Of course starting with a low threat is not enough, but you have to keep your threat low to use the secrecy mechanic. I feared that this might be difficult, as there are only few cards that can lower your threat (but more if you onw more than one core set). However, I played 9 games so far and only one or two times my threat was over 20 points. Threat management is thus doable, even more so as there will be coming more cards that are threat lowering.

3) Secrecy cards

There has been some discussion already about the usefulness of "Out of the WIld". For one lore resource a player can possibly get rid of a dangerous encounter card. That's pretty much awesome, but for me this is not the best secrecy card.

My favourite is "Timely Aid", as it can give you a costy ally for one leadership resource only. Especially early in the game this card is simply the best you can play, especially if you build your deck around this card, adding lot of 4 or 5 cost allies. Imagine Gildor Inglorion joining your fellowship in round 1 (his special ability btw works fine in combination with Timely Aid)! Or Beon. Or Brok Ironfist. Even allies from other spheres can be played via Timely Aid.

The third card I am using right now is "Dúnedain Wanderer". He is not that helpful in RtR, as I avoid fighting if possible (and have Mirkwood Runner for killing enemies), but in other scenarios it's nice to have a solid fighter early in the game. And in multiplayer games this guy should rock, having both the Sentinel and the Ranged keyword.

"Needful to Know" isn't in my deck so far, but I plan to use it next time. Obviously this card works well if you have either Denethor or Henamarth Riversong. Lowering your threat and paying nothing for it is great.

4) Heroes

Perhaps the most important question is the choice of your heroes. You can only pick two which makes each hero's advantages and disadvantages an even more important issue as it already is. There are several categories which are important for your hero choice:

a) Sphere

All of the four secrecy cards are from either the lore or the leadership sphere. "Resourceful", which will be in TWitW is a neutral card. One or better two of the heroes should belong to these spheres. As the spirit sphere has all the cards to lower your threat, spirit heroes are also a good choice.

b) Starting threat

The lower, the better. In my opinion the maximum starting threat of both heroes combined should be 18, otherwise a player is probably not able to use the secrecy keyword at all.

c) Special abilities

A hero should have abilities that make up for the lack of a third hero. Additional attacking, defending, questing, resources, cards etc is what you need in a secrecy deck.

Heroes who thus qualify for a secrecy deck are:

Lore: Beravor, Bifur, Bilbo, Denethor, Glorfindel

Leadership: Aragorn, Dáin, Glóin, Théodred

Spirit: Dwalin, Dunhere, Éowyn, Frodo

Dáin should obviously only be used combined with another Dwarf (preferably Bifur). I left out the Elladan and Elrohir, because they're only useful if used together which makes a starting thread of 20. Also their abilities can only be triggered if they're not questing. Prince Imrahil didn't make it on my list, because his ability triggers only when an ally leaves play. In a secrecy deck you need every single ally, so his ability is mostly a waste. Eleanor has a low starting threat, but her ability is not very helpful to compensate the lack of a third hero. All other heroes not listed are either from the tactics sphere or their staring threat is too high. Glorfindel and Aragorn are in the list, but they have to be combined with a hero that has a starting thread of 7.

I'm a big fan of Timely Aid for the same reasons you mentioned, namely bringing out a big hitter early on. I do think, however, I will really like Needful to Know even better, because it combos so well with Lore's encounter preview abilities and is very playable even away from secrecy.

One hero you didn't mention here was Boromir. I can understand why because I can see the shortcomings: You only have two spheres naturally available and one of them is going to be tactics, the most limited of them. Plus, the ability raises your threat, something you are trying to avoid. Finally, with low threat, you avoid most enemies, yet you may end up with a very combat-ready deck. Nevertheless, he intrigues me in this context.

I am going to wait at least until the next pack to make a real secrecy deck, however. In my opinion, the cards are still too few and confined to a couple of spheres. More variety is still needed.

I commented a little in another post, but I repeat again here. I am exited knowing that this secrecy mechanich works. This was something that didn't appeal much to me, but after your review, and knowing that you have used it successfully in the tournament, I will give it a try soon.

Great work by the way, lepokurt .

Greetings.

After trying out some secrecy decks against Into the Pit and The Seventh Level I can say that it doesn't work against KD scenarios. There are just too many low threat enemies or guys like Goblin Plunderer who attack you regardless of their threat level. The KD scenarios also have quite a lot of cards that raise a player's threat, so it's almost impossible to keep your threat below 20. I fear it won't even work in multiplayer games.

No wonder FFG introduced the new concept after releasing the KD expansion. My guess is that the next few scenarios will be similar to RtR, with high threat enemies and some more opportunities to lower a player's threat level. There should also be some low threat heroes which makes me quite convinced that we will see the one or the other hobbit hero.

Next I'm going to try some secrecy decks against the Mirkwood cycle too see if they're useful here. I will start with Conflict at the Carrock.

Just yesterday we played the scenario with the location that can reduce your threat by 11 when you travel there, and I was using the dwarf (whose names escapes me) that reduces your threat by 2 when you kill an orc with him, and after we triggered the location I never had my threat rise to 20 for the rest of the game (which was about 6 more turns). Sadly, I didn't have any secrecy cards in my deck, but it shows that the right scenario can allow you to get off the Secrecy cards early and often.

I've been trying a (Lore) Aragorn and Theodred deck and have had a bit of success. Solo games only, so far. The main problem is that since I start at 20 threat, i really need the right cards at the get go or I'm going to be toast.

To be honest secrecy is still doesn work. Maybe against certain quest you can get success but there is no secrecy Rule them all deck for now.

But same time who cares. There is no tourny system so every one do what he want right?

Well, it makes for a different play experience.

If you know that you can slam a certain quest with your favorite deck, try that quest again with a secrecy deck. It's not about makes the most competitive deck, it's about new and different ways to play the game.

It already seems to work against the Dwarrowdwelf scenarios, but it's not an improvement to a three hero deck. This is mainly because in RG and RtR Arwen seves basically as replacement for a third hero.

gatharion said:

Yes yes you right there is other way to play this game. Just from the beginning they say tournament deck 50 cards no more then 3 copies……

I really love tournaments and really miss it. With all my respect i dont interesting play this live tournaments by Juicebox cose there is no control.

I really hope we come to tournament system (maybe already just a dream….) and the real game begin.

I too would like tournaments, or at least some sort of "organized social play".

Most of the cards of the Foundations of Stone have been spoilt; however, none were secrecy, so I assume we shall see one or two among the yet not revealed ones. The cardpool certainly is very limited yet but Glorfindel opens up new options dramatically. What is lacking most perhaps for secrecy are allies, there's only one and he's quite unimpressive. Timely Aid is superb and works with allies but when that doesn't come (or worse, misfires) the beginning is usually too tough. So I expect to see an ally of cost 3 and secrecy 2. It would be fun if he were Tactics as we haven't got a Tactics secrecy card yet.

And overall, I agree Boromir can be huge for secrecy, his ability to overcome several low jumping enemies is exactly what such a deck needs. But the cardpool is really lacking there right now and you're not going to get under the line with three heroes - not even if another 5-threat cost arrives (which I believe won't for a while at least).

I have also done the math for Timely Aid in your opening hand, as I was using Strider and Théodred as starting just at 20. I was playing 51 card deck and having 3 copies of Timely Aid. The chances are 46% to draw it (counting a possible mulligan). Add a percent or so with the first round draw. Add a slight more when you only run a 50 card deck. Add at least two percent if you run Beravor or Bilbo. All I am saying you're on about or just under 50% chance of playing Timely Aid on round one, then it has to combine with some (or most) of these: Gandalf, Gildor Inglorion, Haldir of Lórien, Faramir, Nothern Tracker (even Beorn) and you have a very nice chance (in every other game) to begin your first round with one of these impressive allies. I usually don't pick Gandalf above Gildor or Tracker because it seems better to have a constant support but Gandalf can really change the opening round dramatically; and the new one will be able to stay (although you might say goodbye to your secrecy then).

Bottom line, Timely Aid really is the card to build around a secrecy deck I believe. But we may be getting more before this cycle is over.

lleimmoen said:

That's true. I played a secrecy deck with Loragorn and Thédored against Anduin (result:2-3), and everytime I got Timely Aid I either won or had a good game.

What I'd like to have for a secrecy deck is a solid 3 point defender ally. Daughter of the Nimrodel is still too busy when I am playing secrecy.

I really think (hope) the next big secrecy thing is a good ally. Then I also feel there should be a drawing card, something like: Cost 2 Secrecy 2 Draw 2, perhaps make it only for you (and not another player) not to make Lórien's Wealth obsolote. I actually thought it has long become that but I have recently begun playing it again and I was surprised how well it fit into a deck, you either need a good resource engine or Good Meal but then this card is quite nice.