You send a group of brave hero's into the Lands of the Enemy under cover of night. They push straight on down into Sauron's breeding pits, in search of knowlegde and long lost treasure. - It takes three turns to get to the Under-galleries, by then you will certainly have at least one playable item in your hand. - After that you might pick up some more treasure on your way back up or at Cirith Ungol or Minas Morgul. The Lords Dain and Gloin will recruit the Nurniags and the Easterlings and perhaps gather a few horses along the way. Star price is to kick a Nazgul of his horse, but only one dared to face me so far. Meanwhile Gandalf sits at Rivendell gathering those who pass by under his banner and devoting his crafts to the making of a Wizard's Ring. Outside Snowstorms are blowing and drakes roam the lands. Near the end of the game Gandalf picks a quiet moment to move with his followers to Old Forest and ask for Tom Bombadil's help.
Dain II, Gloin (with Shield of Iron-bound Ash), Elladan, Gildor Inglorion, backup: Beorn, Elrohir, Boromir II, Peath backup, but also in the deck: Haldalam, Ghan-buri-Ghan
Characters in deck
Balin, Faramir, Elrond, Beretar, Gandalf, Gandalf, Pallando
Resources
Aiglos, Dragon-helm, Orcrist, Wormsbane, Durin's Axe, Nurniags, Easterlings, Wain-easterlings, Noble Steed 2x, Mount Slain, Praise to Elbereth, Dark Quarrels 3x, The Cock Crows, Lordly Presence 2x, Marvels Told 2x, A Friend or Three, Risky Blow 3x, The Dwarves Are upon You!, Many Foes He Fought, Hundreds of Butterflies, Smoke Rings 2x, Twilight
Hazards
Cave Worm 2x, Cave-drake, True Cold-drake, True Fire-drake 2x, Were-worm, Marsh-drake, Assassin, Corsairs of Umbar, Daelomin at Home, Power Built by Waiting 2x, Dragon's Blood, Summons from Long Sleep 2x, Mouth of Sauron, Uvatha the Horseman, An Unexpected Outpost 2x, Doors of Night 2x, Withered Lands, Snowstorm 2x, One Foe to Breed a War, Beorning Skin-changers, From the Pits of Angband, Twilight 2x
Sideboard
Free to Choose, A Friend or Three, Crept Along Carefully, Mount Slain, Praise to Elbereth, Washed and Refreshed, Radagast, Wizard's Ring, Tom Bombadil, Itangast Ahunt, Itangast, Bairanax Ahunt, Earcaraxe Ahunt, Scorba Ahunt, Lost in Free-domains 2x, River 2x, The Way is Shut, Ice-drake, Cave-drake, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, Pilfer Anything Unwatched 2x, Unabated in Malice 2x, Neither so Ancient Nor so Potent, In the Heart of his Realm, Rolled down to the Sea, Alone and Unadvised