Who would withstand...Mordor?
Below is a list of notable cards and a line about how each card relates to the story. Some references will only be understood by those who've read the books, or read a little of the lore. And as I know less about this side of the story, there may be some edits along the way. But what I do know, I share with you. I want to thank the commandersbrew for the idea for this deck. Although I don't think this is very similar to theirs, they gave me the idea. I also have made another deck for The Fellowship. This is where I took The Dark Lord.
The Dark Lord:
(all of these represent different versions of him, once fallen)
The First Age
Sauron the Wolf-like - Nighthowler A prophecy of a werewolf's victory prompted Sauron to take this form, assuming he would fulfil it in this way, but it was only a form, and no prophecy was fulfilled that day
The Second Age
Annatar (Lord of Gifts) - Gray Merchant of Asphodel Sauron, weakened after the defeat of Melkor, his lord, sought to deceive the Elves into making the Rings of Power; no one saw it coming
Gorthaur (The Cruel) - Master of Cruelties He stepped out of the fortress, and streams of minions pouring out around him were all but unnoticed, for he had come, and he had a message to send
The Third Age
Sauron, the Necromancer - Lim-Dul the Necromancer His kingdom lost, and himself in hiding, he begins his work anew, making each opposing force a weapon he can wield, until he finds the one weapon no one else can
The Eye of Sauron - Hour of Revelation He sees you, and then he rends you
The Eye of Sauron - Overwhelming Splendor Though bodiless, his presence is felt
The Nine:
Tymaret, the Murder King He feels no shame in taking life, as long as it means he may cause more pain
Eidolon of Countless Battles The Nine were not always corrupt, and the memories of their incorruption burn white
Brago, King Eternal While they all fell for lust of power, some long for control in death as much as in life
King Macar, the Gold-Cursed All that he wanted took all that he loved, yet at least at that time, there was still hope for him
Vindictive Lich The kings of men were weak against the Ring, and seek retribution on all who do not join them
Cabal Patriarch Here we see the visage of a man, slowly fading from life, yet not dying, and he found he enjoyed inflicting the same experience on others
Havengul Lich He brings them back, using them again and again, until they feel the difference between life and undeath
Eastern Paladin Khamûl, the "Black Easterling," the only Nazgul identified other than The Witch-king of Angmar; he hates the color green
Vengeful Pharaoh The Witch-king of Angmar, viciously waiting, in life or death, to be called upon for service
The Nazgul Mounted:
Hypnotic Specter, Scythe Specter, Nightveil Specter, Whispering Specter, Abyssal Specter, Blizzard Specter, Doomsday Specter, Shimian Specter, Silent Specter
I have thought how sad it is that there are nine; which means King Macar, the Gold-Cursed is among them. It makes you wonder which, though in one sense it does not matter.
Other Important Characters:
Grima Wormtongue - Cunning Lethemancer He offers advice, and you lose your mind, for his words are poison
Ugluk - Brutal Hordechief He knows how to take a life that matters, and hope from those who resist
Shelob - Ishkanah, Grafwidow "She's always hungry. She always needs...to feed." - Gollum
Gollum - Muck Drubb Ruined inside, he serves only himself, and yet somehow others too, perhaps longing for another master; who knows what role he will play
Saruman - Spelltithe Enforcer He was once wise, but now he is only concerned with power, and also how much mana you spend
Smaug - Hellkite Tyrant ...wrong book, but I'm not arguing with him
Melkor, the Morgoth - Ob Nixilis, Unshackled Sauron's second master (for even Sauron, who could control the minds of men and even fool the immortal elves, could not fool himself so as to forget Eru, who made him and all other things). Melkor was bound and defeated in the First Age, yet his influence lives on in the heart of Sauron
The Watcher in the Water - Isleback Spawn Elf 1: There! Finished. "Speak friend and enter." Elf 2: That's a good one. Simple, yet subtle enough to keep the baddies out. But don't you think we should mention the kraken? Elf 1: Riiight. Because if we don't, the dwarves might find a nasty surprise behind them while opening this door we made for them. We do not want that. Can you imagine? (Two hours later) Elf 1 to Elf 2: I have not laughed that hard in three hundred years.
Durin's Bane (Balrog) - Lord of the Pit He will destroy anyone around him, yet there is one whom he has not met that will rival him, and refuse him passage to destroy ever again
Events or Items of Note:
Palantir - Fellwar Stone, Commander's Sphere, Darksteel Ingot, Astral Cornucopia A look beyond what the lidless Eye can see
The Whip of a Balrog - Rakdos's Return When you think you are safe, what is dear can be torn from you in the crack of the falling fallen's whip
Sauron's Ruthlessness - Bontu's Last Reckoning He treasures not his subjects, so long as his ends are met
Sauron's Madness - In Garruk's Wake Sauron was not always powerful, but corruption appears as strength when the Will of the West is crushed
The Oliphants - Siege Rhino Move... (See note below for why no Ivorytusk Fortress)
Old Man Willow - Cankerous Thirst Not all trees in Middle Earth favored the cause of men and elves, yet even one such as this could be tamed by Tom Bombadil (Great Sable Stag), whose words were pure enough to cure the thirst of this old tree.
The Many Resurgences of Sauron - Fated Return Sauron found he could always find a way of escape, though he mistakenly thought it was his own will that brought it about
Mount Doom - Vance's Blasting Cannons
When mountains are angry, they tend to express it (see note below for why no Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle)
The Taking of Osgiliath - Palace Siege Family feuds were no concern of the dark forces consuming Osgiliath, but they were part of the plan of the Dark Lord of Barad-dur.
The Foul Magic of Mordor - Cruel Reality Nothing was sacred within Mordor, and nothing was safe without
The Dead Marshes - Soul of Innistrad The dead filled these lands, a sea of potential for Mordor
Minas Morgul - Crypt of Agadeem Once a place of kings, now it is just plain crypy...crypie (?)...creepy.
Sauron Defeated in Every Age - Child of Alara Pride and power destroyed him and all around him; his infantile dreams were now hidden in a formless evil, for like all others, even when vanquished, he is not therefore inexistent. He now awaits what he fled so many millennia before, judgment.
Most of the other cards are just for utility, though I was able to find a connection between Child of Alara and Sauron. I'd like to find a better version of Mt. Doom, but Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle was out of the question, not only because it's not worth including as it has almost no functionality without mountains, but also because I wanted to keep the costs down. Vance's Blasting Cannons
, if flipped is basically the same. Siege Rhino takes the place of Ivorytusk Fortress because at least it does something in this deck. Without counter enablers, Ivorytusk Fortress is just a 5/7 creature. At least Brago, King Eternal could blink Siege Rhino and even if not, he does something when he enters the battlefield.
"How can there be no rings in this deck?"
That is because Sauron did not have the One Ring for most of the story that we are interested in. Yes, while he had it he was powerful (you could consider Master of Cruelties a time when he had it), but we don't spend much time there. We spend time where he is looking for it, when "all his thought is bent on it." As for the other rings, no one is really interested in them. Are you? They were never more than an afterthought in the movies and books compared to the rings Sauron did not have, especially the One Ring. The Nazgul are the perfect representatives of the rings he possesses, for they were not just rings; they were the chains that held these Nine (formerly) men.
This is a pretty darkly themed deck. I guess I hope it loses, and since much of its game is late game, it might. Against The Fellowship it will be interesting to see if the wrath effects hurt Sauron's cause. I hope so. I'd like to see his wrath backfire and leave him vanquished. But the point of the deck is to win, so of course I think from that perspective, this deck would be fun to play. I hate making people discard, but this deck is not trying to be nice. It is meant to leave a foul taste in your opponent's mouth, and thus make victory sweeter should The Fellowship succeed in their task. I hope you enjoyed these two decks and some of the lore behind them.
