Down From the Hills

"Down leaped Shadowfax, like a deer . . ."

Though this Gandalf culture card is expensive, at a cost of five twilight and exerting Gandalf three times, sometimes it can be worth it. Being a maneuver event, it provides an alternative to giving the shadow side a lot of twilight and hoping for the best - instead, you can hold back and use Down From The Hills after the shadow player has already played their minions; pump up your larger companions and run for the hills.

While it can be used early in the game to reduce the damage that minion who would otherwise kill two companions would do - and maybe even, with other Gandalf signet support such as Trust Me As You Once Did, enable you to win the skirmish! - Down From The Hills really comes into its own late in the game, for that critical double move into site 9.

Requiring an opponent to play one more minion in order to get to the Ring-bearer is often enough to ensure that, though everyone else might sacrifice themselves, Frodo (or Sam) survive unscathed, and the game is won. When combined with a strategy that emphasizes defender +1 - Aragorn, Ranger of the North, or Aragorn, Heir of Elindil both have the Gandalf signet - it can make it extremely difficult for an opponent to mount a serious threat even on a double move into site 9 with minions on the table.