LotR TCG Card Strategies - #16

Saruman's Ambition

This card is so useful, it's the first thing players add to their Aragorn starters.

Why is this card so good? It's a free strength-booster for Uruk-hai. In a roundabout way, this is similar to Drums in the Deep or Their Halls of Stone. The other Uruk-hai strength-modifying actions (both Events and those actions printed on minions) either cost Twilight or require you to exert an Uruk. (Savagery to Match Their Numbers is the only other free Skirmish card, but Ambition also has this cool secondary ability. More on that later.)

What makes this card really different from those Events I mention is that it's a Condition. That can be a lot better than an Event. You get to play this card on the table as soon as possible, then let it sit there until you need it. That means you get to draw an additional card at the end of turn. Most Uruk minions are expensive, especially before Site 5, so you don't play many a turn. Getting other cards out of your hand can keep your deck moving. Another advantage from a Condition is that once it's on the table it's no longer vulnerable to those annoying Elf discard decks. "Holding" Ambition in-play can be a big advantage over holding Bred for Battle in your hand.

The down-side of having this card in play is that the opponent will see the +2 bonus long before you use it. That's not a problem since most Uruk's are so large the opponent won't be able to do much about an extra +2 anyways. Also, showing that +2 on the table as a threat may be enough to make the opponent change their gameplan - anything that disrupts the opponent's strategy can give you an advantage.

Being a Condition makes this card vulnerable to a few counters from the opponent. Most of the effects that discard Conditions, however, are played in the Fellowship Phase. If your opponent has a number of anti-Condition cards, just play Ambition and use it on the same turn. If you're playing other Conditions, like Uruk-hai Armory and Worry, they may take some of the focus off Ambition.

What about that other ability? There are 7 Isengard Events that cost Twilight. Some of them, like Parry and Hunt Them Down, suddenly become a lot more appealing if you reduce their cost. (Remember, 2 copies of Ambition will each reduce the cost of your Events.) Playing Lurtz's Battle Cry for free will be a big advantage, especially after paying for the Skirmish abilities on some of the Isengard minions. Unless you're really desperate, you wouldn't want to use Ambition to reduce the cost of Saruman's Power. :-)

Remember what I said before about Uruks being very expensive at early sites, anything to reduce that cost is useful, especially if you're getting two great abilities on one card.