LotR TCG Card Strategies - #5

Servant of the Secret Fire

The obvious benfit of this card is a 3-Strength change during a skirmish. Most Skirmish actions only give a reliable +2 bonus. There are a few greater than +2, but they're all keyed to having specific circumstances or opponents. In fact, most of the +2's require a specific target, this card can be played for Dwarves, Elves, Hobbits, whoever. The only thing you need for Servant of the Secret Fire is Gandalf, and in a Gandalf-themed deck that's not really a problem. Being a Gandalf card, you also get the benefit of bringing it back to hand with Barliman Butterbur.

What makes this card really unique, though, is that it's not a +3 bonus, it's a -3 penalty to the opponent. Does it really matter? Usually, no. +3 to your Companion or -3 to their Minion will have the same impact on who wins the skirmish. If you're in danger of being overwhelmed, -3 will be as effective because the opponent likely needs 2 boosts to get their Strength high enough. Since few Minions overwhelm companions by themselves, the opponent has probably already used up resources trying to overwhelm you and doesn't have many options left.

Where Servant makes a difference is if you're trying to overwhelm the opponent. For example, Aragorn faces an Uruk Fighter. You'll need any Strength boost to win that fight, but that only does 1 damage and the Uruk will follow you to the next site. However, if Aragorn is a 10 and then you reduce the Fighter to a 5, you get rid of the Uruk for good. Without Servant of the Secret Fire you would need another +6 on Aragorn to overwhelm the Uruk. OK, this won't happen all that often, but it's a nice option to have on a card that's already very flexible.

Servant costs 1 Twilight. That's the small price you pay for the flexibility and the extra +1 over cards like Swordsman of the Northern Kingdom. Actually, many +2 effects cost 1 as well (Defiance, Border Defenses, etc) so this is not really any different. By the time you reach the Skirmish Phase, how much Twilight can the opponent use? You'll see effects like Uruk-hai Rampage and Uruk Slayer on the table, so you'll know if they will be a problem. Nazgul have a few Skirmish Events that cost Twilight, but with the high cost of their Minions they usually have Twilight left unused from the Shadow Phase. (It's tough to find a use for (2) or (3) when your minions all cost 4-6. it's difficult to hold the right combination of costs to use the whole pool efficiently.)

So what are you waiting for? go set a Minion on fire! (or... something like that.)