Develop creatures that can attack past ground blockers.
Develop creatures that can attack past ground blockers. Draw a second card on your turn to make extra Soldiers with Prince Imrahil. The second Ring ability supplies a repeatable draw when your bearer attacks.
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?
On your turn, the normal draw is card one. Birthday Escape draws card two, so Imrahil makes a Soldier; the Ring advances as well.
Can I win without drawing my best rare?
Develop creatures that can attack past ground blockers. Draw a second card on your turn to make extra Soldiers with Prince Imrahil. The second Ring ability supplies a repeatable draw when your bearer attacks.
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 Prince Imrahil the Fair but need support.
Look for Errand-Rider of Gondor or Birthday Escape.
Ways to draw after the normal draw. A draw-two reward does little if you spend all your mana on creatures and never draw another card.
You already have Prince Imrahil the Fair.
Consider Birthday Escape if it fills a useful job.
On your turn, the normal draw is card one. Birthday Escape draws card two, so Imrahil makes a Soldier; the Ring advances as well.
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.
A draw-two reward does little if you spend all your mana on creatures and never draw another card.
Remove Imrahil before their second draw if possible. Keep a small blocker that can block their Ring-bearer; a large blocker may be unable to.
Saruman's Trickery61.9% GIH · 4,056 instances
Horses of the Bruinen60.8% GIH · 3,708 instances
Birthday Escape59.3% GIH · 12,930 instances
Glorious Gale59.0% GIH · 9,736 instances
Samwise the Stouthearted59.0% GIH · 4,579 instances
The Bath Song58.7% GIH · 4,484 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.
Rangers of Ithilien 2UUPlay enough blue sources for double blue and protect Rangers after stealing a creature. If Rangers leaves, the creature goes back. Not an easy splash.
Faramir, Prince of Ithilien 2WUBest in white-blue with blockers: either outcome of his delayed reward helps a stable board. A splash can work in a slower deck with dependable fixing for the missing color.
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
Pelargir SurvivorAn early blocker whose mana casts instants and sorceries only. It cannot pay for your next creature.
Took ReaperAn early creature that advances the Ring when it dies. Trading it in combat can help another creature become your next Ring-bearer.
Birthday EscapeReplaces itself while advancing the Ring. After level two, attacking with your Ring-bearer helps discard excess lands.
Bill the Pony
Prince Imrahil the FairDevelop creatures that can attack past ground blockers. Draw a second card on your turn to make extra Soldiers with Prince Imrahil. The second Ring ability supplies a repeatable draw when your bearer attacks.
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.
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. |
Errand-Rider of Gondor
