One of the most common resource strategies oddly revolves around a single character (which makes it hard to fight itself). Aragorn-based Gondor strategies were helped some by Dark Minions, though the expansion also brought some threats.
Sentinels of Numenor # Resource # Permanent-event
Place this card in your marshalling points pile. Any attempt (by any player)
to influence a faction playable at a site in Anorien, Lebennin, Lamedon,
Belfalas, or Anfalas is modified by -2 and cannot be attempted with Muster.
Place any such faction you successfully influence (while this card is in play)
under this card. All factions under this card give an additional marshalling
point. Discard when any faction under this card is discarded (all other
contained factions remain). Cannot be duplicated.
This card can greatly help a Gondor faction strategy. And while it has a couple drawbacks, they may actually hurt your opponent more than you.
The typical Aragorn-Gondor deck's ideal situation is Aragorn with Return of the King under control of Arwen with Choice of Luthien. This lets Aragorn automatically influence any faction in Anorien, Lamedon, Lebenin, Anfalas, or Belfalas other than the Woses of the Druadan Forest (worth a total of 16 MPs not counting Army of the Dead). Once Sentinels of Numenor comes into play, he has to beat a two or three for all the checks (accepting the Woses again). And for that slightly reduced chance of influence, if you influence them all in, you get an additional 7 MPs (though you have to somehow get both the Tower Guard and the Men of Anorien).
This card is also useful in its own defense. While it's still pretty easy for you to influence the factions, your opponent will find it harder to influence them away. The -2 modification can help quite a bit when either a character or agent is going after your faction. Also, your opponent can't try to Muster them away, one of the most effective ways to get rid of a faction. And while it's still possible for your opponent to try it, its harder than normal. If he does manage it, though, you lose the extra MPs permanently (unless they all get discarded and you try again after cycling or with Horns, Horns, Horns). You can also keep this card in your sideboard and bring it in to defend against a Gondor strategy (they don't get extra MPs).
This card is somewhat useful without Aragorn, but not as much. Gondor strategies can work without the king, you basically just need a dunedain with a Horn of Anor and maybe a couple influence cards. Sentinels of Numenor counterbalances the Horn's bonus, so with someone like Imrahil you've just got to beat a 4 or 5.
So Sentinels of Numenor can be a great addition to some decks, though like most area specific cards, worthless in others.
| Ratings for Sentinels of Numenor: | |
|---|---|
| Isildur: | 7.5 |
| Frodo: | 7.0 |
| Samwise: | 8.1 |
| Cirdan: | 8.0 |
| Beorn: | 7.0 |
| Fingolfin: | 6.5 |
| Strider: | 6.5 |
| Legolas: | 6.0 |
| Bandobras Took: | 7.0 |
| Farmer Maggot: | 7.5 |
| Alatar: | 7.0 |
| Average: | 7.1 |
Card names and text copyright 1996 by Iron Crown Enterprises, all rights reserved. This document copyright 1996 by Trevor Stone. Permission given to duplicate so long as no profit is made and the copyright notice is kept in tact, blah, blah, blah.