Hints & strategie notes for this Deck
One of the more fun Dunland decks to play is site control. It isn't as
consistent as, for example, focusing on possession removal and fierce
skirmishes, but when it works, it really works - and it's great fun to
try.
There are two parts to the deck - controlling
the sites, and then making use of them. Careful balance is needed to
ensure that you can actually get some sites early enough in the game to
make a difference, and that you have enough cards to take advantage of
it when you do.
This need to control sites early also leads to a dilemma - Dunland site
control keys off minions winning skirmishes, so you want to be having
those skirmishes when there are sites available to be controlled. In
the early game, this means that you need to be ahead of your opponent,
because you can only control sites when both players have passed them.
This usually means going first though, which in turn not only means you
have to bid higher than you might be comfortable with, but deprives you
of being able to use your first two sites, both of which are important
to keeping you minions alive by preventing archery.
If you choose to go first, you'll be able to
control sites from the very early stages of the game (especially
because it will be easier for your minions to win the skirmishes they
need to because your opponent's fellowship won't be set up yet), but
your minions won't have the protection from archery that they might
need to stay alive to get to those skirmishes; however if you go
second, you can't control any sites until, potentially, both players
are at site 4, and you might not be able to get enough sites controlled
by the end-game to be as damaging as you need to be then.
The common response to this problem is to go
second anyway, if you have the choice, and include more site control
capability to compensate for not being able to start until the
mid-game, but it can be just as effective to go first, and rely on the
Hillman Horde and Hides to keep your minions alive through the archery
phase. Which works best for you will depend on the deck you're facing,
and the style of play you're comfortable with.
Once you have those sites controlled, you have
to make use of them to deal large amounts of damage, quickly. There are
a number of extremely useful effects that require only a single site to
be controlled, such as being able to assign your minions with Over the
Isen, or forcing your opponent to double move when they don't want to
with No Retreat, each of which can have game-winning effects. Some of
these also require additional setup, such as stacking a minion on a
site for No Refuge to add +5 twilight to the pool each time your
opponent moves.
Combining these effects, and introducing
possibly the most difficult to pull off combination, controlling four
sites to make all your minions immune to archery, fierce, and damage +1
- especially if you can make them move a second time into site 8 with a
number of minions on the table and one stacked on a site! - is where
the fun in playing a Dunland site control deck comes from. Getting all
those cards on the table, meeting their costs, and controlling enough
sites, is hard to make work - but when it does, your opponent will need
a miracle to survive, and the satisfaction you'll feel at bringing it
all together is well worth the risk.
Here's a sample deck that tries to maximize the
chances of successfully combining the effects of site control. One
thing to note is the large size of the deck. This is partly due to the
cycling ability of Hides and the Hill Chief, but it still needs to be
paired with a Free Peoples side that can help with throughput.
Companion (1):
Ally (5):
Companion (3):
Companion (1):
