Trade small creatures, make flying tokens, and keep a Ring-bearer attacking.
Trade small creatures, make flying tokens, and keep a Ring-bearer attacking. Denethor replaces one turn’s loss with a Soldier at your end step; legendary creatures help Errand-Rider draw without putting a card back.
Choose these colors when useful cards and the support below keep arriving. One gold card is a possibility, not an obligation.
Four checks while you draft
Can this pick help me play a creature or answer by turn two?
Keep time to set up without taking free attacks.
Am I adding the missing half of the plan?
Summoning gives two flying tokens. When one dies, Denethor can replace it at your end step; his sacrifice ability can also drain the opponent when you have spare mana.
Can I win without drawing my best rare?
Trade small creatures, make flying tokens, and keep a Ring-bearer attacking. Denethor replaces one turn’s loss with a Soldier at your end step; legendary creatures help Errand-Rider draw without putting a card back.
Can I stop a threat my creatures cannot block profitably?
Keep real removal or a counterspell for the card that changes the game.
Choose the missing job before another reward that needs it.
You have Denethor, Ruling Steward but need support.
Look for Dunland Crebain or Shadow Summoning.
Useful creatures to trade or sacrifice. Denethor makes only one token at your end step. Sacrificing several creatures does not make several replacement Soldiers.
You already have Denethor, Ruling Steward.
Consider Shadow Summoning if it fills a useful job.
Summoning gives two flying tokens. When one dies, Denethor can replace it at your end step; his sacrifice ability can also drain the opponent when you have spare mana.
The support is missing
Take castable creatures and answers. If the engine never arrives, use the good cards rather than forcing narrow support.
Repeated useful cards are clues, not proof that the colors are open.
Denethor makes only one token at your end step. Sacrificing several creatures does not make several replacement Soldiers.
Save an answer for Denethor or another engine. Exiling a creature avoids death triggers, and pressuring their life total limits how freely they can spend turns drawing.
Nazgûl64.2% GIH · 9,052 instances
Shadow Summoning63.5% GIH · 25,218 instances
Gollum, Patient Plotter62.5% GIH · 9,553 instances
Claim the Precious62.3% GIH · 23,713 instances
Denethor, Ruling Steward62.0% GIH · 19,188 instances
Gothmog, Morgul Lieutenant61.8% GIH · 8,053 instances17Lands ↗ · Jun 15–Aug 28, 2023 · at least 100 card-in-hand instances in this pair’s no-splash decks. Choose the job your deck needs first.
Orcish Bowmasters 1BTake it early. Keep two mana available for flash, especially before an extra draw. One black pip makes a splash possible with reliable fixing; it is strongest when you can cast it on time.
Witch-king of Angmar 3BBBuild a black deck with early defense and five mana. Save a spare card to discard for indestructible when needed; double black is a poor casual splash.
Andúril, Flame of the West 3Fits any colors, but needs creatures and two mana to equip. A legendary attacker, including your Ring-bearer, makes the Spirits attack immediately. Keep your creature count high.
Horn of Gondor 3Fits any colors. Defend while you spend three mana per activation; existing Humans make the token growth faster. Do not cut the early creatures that keep you alive.
Palantír of Orthanc 3Fits any colors and improves your draws or pressures the opponent each end step. Keep early defense; it does not affect attackers immediately. Watch your shrinking library in a long game.17Lands Premier Draft ↗ · Jun 15–Aug 28, 2023 · 100-instance minimum
Easterling VanguardA two-mana creature that leaves an Army or grows the one you have when it dies. Useful early defense and later sacrifice material.
Took ReaperAn early creature that advances the Ring when it dies. Trading it in combat can help another creature become your next Ring-bearer.
Dunland CrebainA flyer plus an Army supports both attacks and sacrifice. A small flyer also makes a useful Ring-bearer.
Shadow SummoningTwo flying blockers enter tapped. Plan around that delay; they also supply evasive attackers and sacrifice material.
Denethor, Ruling StewardTrade small creatures, make flying tokens, and keep a Ring-bearer attacking. Denethor replaces one turn’s loss with a Soldier at your end step; legendary creatures help Errand-Rider draw without putting a card back.
Rosie Cotton of South LanePick support you can cast in your final colors. Each token you create grows another creature. Food, Soldiers and a newly created Army all work; adding counters to an existing Army creates no token.
NazgûlPick support you can cast in your final colors. Each Ring temptation grows every Wraith you control. You may play any number in Limited, but still need early defense and ways to tempt the Ring.
Examples apply the printed rules; judge the board, costs and timing.
| One-pick | Sealed |
|---|---|
| Use three Draft Boosters each and take one card per pick. Premier data describes Arena games, not an exact forecast for a family draft. | Build from the cards you opened. Choose colors with enough early plays, answers and a way to win before chasing a theme. |
