LotR TCG Card Strategies - #4 (in an inaccurately named Trilogy)

Ulaire Nelya, Lieutenant of Morgul

The first thing that stands out about this Ringwraith is his site number of 2. The other eight Ringwraiths all roam until Site 3. That means Nelya is the cheapest Ringwraith to play at Site 2, the others cost at least 6, and possibly 8 or 10. This could be the difference between having a Minion to attack the opponent and sitting there waiting for Site 3. and if there's no skirmishes at Site 2, there's a good chance whatever damage you deal at Site 3 will simply be healed by that Sanctuary. so getting an early Minion out is very important, especially if it's one with 10 Strength.

The 5 Twilight Cost is actually a big benefit for this minion. With most Ringwraiths being 4 or 6, you may have one odd Twilight token left in the pool. Nelya, however, can be played instead of one of the 9 Strength Wraiths who cost 4. That one extra Twilight can make the difference quite often when you consider that the more dangerous Companions, Aragorn and Gimli, tend to increase their Strength by +2's. A 10 Strength Minion instead of a 9 Strength can mean the opponent needs an additional Skirmish Event to boost their Strength.

It's Nelya's special ability that realy sets him apart. You can exchange any site for your own. Unlike Pathfinder or Thror's Map, this doesn't have to be the Fellowship's next site. If your opponent goes first, this lets you exchange Site 1 before your turn, allowing you to use the text of your own Prancing Pony or Bag End or Westfarthing. You can also exchange for other sites that you'll need in your Fellowship phase, like Frodo's Bedroom or Galadriel's Glade. In multiplayer, you can also use this to alter where other players are starting their turn, denying them certain gametext. If you went first, and moved to the opponent's Site 2, you can then replace Site 2 with your Weathertop to make Nelya Fierce. Later sites are also useful if you can catch the opponent there after they move, like Mithril Mine or Anduin Banks. Ford of Bruinen can be a real killer here. (even if Nelya is played at Site 3 then you swap the site for the Ford, the next Nazgul you play will be the first one played *to the Ford*.) Regardless of where you are when Nelya arrives, he's very useful for Site 3 or Site 6 when you're playing Silinde and/or Uruviel.

In fact, Nelya's ability is so good he may find his way into a number of decks that have no other Nazgul or Nazgul-related cards. He has enough raw power that you don't really need to stack cards like Threshold of Shadow to help him.