by Trevor McGregor

There are several ways a free peoples player can win the race to site nine. He can be sneaky, using stealth cards, hobbit pumps, and enough companions to just keep Frodo from being overwhelmed. Another popular strategy is to plug your opponent's minions with enough archery and directed wounding that any minions who make it through to skirmish are easily dispatched by one or two strong companions. Rohan works a slightly different way. They use consistently strong companions, usually depending heavily on possessions, to eliminate minions from the table and facilitate a fast moving fellowship.

Almost every Rohan strategy begins and ends with their horses. The Horse-lords of Middle Earth make great use of their mounts in battle. The strength of the mounts lies in their ability to effectively issue wounds even if their bearer doesn't win their skirmish. Each of the Rohan mounts forces the minion to exert at the beginning of a skirmish. That these are exertions and not actually wounds helps the Free Peoples player. While minions with only 1 vitality are not affected, cards like Goblin Armory, All Blades Perish, and Saruman, Keeper of Isengard lose some of their effectiveness, because they cannot prevent exertions. It's the same end result - a wound token being placed, but now cards that prevent wounds can't stop it.

As good as the horses of Rohan are, they are only as effective as their riders allow them to be. Far and away the most effective Rider of Rohan is Éomer, Third Marshall of the Riddermark. While Éomer is armed with Firefoot and Éomer's Spear he is 9 strength, damage +2, and defender +1. However, Éomer's real power lies in the way that he feeds off the wounds on the minions he is skirmishing, increasing in strength by +2 for each wound on the any minions he's skirmishing. With this ability he can take on even the largest minion and not be fazed. The Elite Rider has a similar ability; he is strength +2 if the minion he is skirmishing is wounded. When either of these companions is armed with a mount and a weapon, they can beat most minions in the game without a pump card.

So we have strong companions - now we just need a few more tricks to help the Riders of Rohan get to site 9 alive. An Honorable Charge adds +1 for each Rohan man you can spot (limit +3), allowing you to win key skirmishes when you have to. Several of the Rohan Villagers will help a Rohan deck type as well. Aldor, Soldier of Edoras exerts to add to the archery total, which will help add the wounds to make the Elite Rider and Éomer stronger. Also, since he is home site 3 and 6, you have two opportunities to sacrifice him to a big minion to make that move into into Sanctuary al ittle safer. Guma, Plains Farmer exerts to heal a Rohan man; Hlafwine, Village Farmhand exerts to make a Rohan man strength +2; and Léod Westfold Herdsman exerts to make a mounted companion strength +2. With all of the allies who need to exert, a few Well Storeds to heal them at the start of each Fellowship phase can make sure they can keep exerting. Also, Rohan possesses one of the best cards in the game, Simbelmynë This card allows you get any Rohan character or possession from your draw deck when you can spot a Valiant man or two Rohan men. With this, you set up your Fellowship quickly before the Shadow player has had the chance to cycle through his deck and set up his Shadow strategy.

Ringbearer

Frodo, Curious Halfling
One Ring, Isilidur.s Bane

[1] Western Emyn Muil
[2] Eastfold
[3] Stables
[4] Westment Hills
[5] Deep of Helm
[6] Great Hall
[7] King.s Room
[8] Wizard.s Vale
[9] PalantíChamber

Free Peoples (34):
Éomer, Third Marshall of the Riddermark (starting)
Elite Rider (starting)
Éowyn, Lady of Rohan
Elite Rider x3
Théoden, Lord of the Mark
Rider's Mount x3
Rider's Spear x4
An Honorable Charge x3
Simbelmynë x4
Firefoot
Brego
Éomer's Spear
Hlafwine, Village Farmhand
Léod, Westfold Herdsman
Guma, Plains Farmer
Well Stored x2
Fortress Never Fallen x2
Herugrim
Sting
Bounder

Shadow (34):
Uglúk, Servant of Saruman x3
Mauhúr, Patrol Leader x2
Uruk Runner x4
Uruk Plains Runner x4
Uruk Hunter x2
Uruk Chaser x3
Uruk Follower x2
Broad-Bladed Sword x3
Uglúk's Sword x2
Vengeance x4
Worry x3
Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul x2

Rohan is a lot of fun for any player and a very valid Free People's strategy. With the release of the Battle of Helm's Deep expansion they will become even , as a new mechanic - playing possessions outside of the Fellowship phase - addresses one of their major weaknesses, the amount of twilight they offer an opponent.