Beregond

With Blood of Numenor and Livery of the Tower, spirit becomes a serious defending sphere

I realize the role that Livery should serve, and I suppose it is necessary if you aren't including tactics cards, but I wouldn't really ever use Livery as a restricted slot unless I'm stuck with mono-spirit.  and even then, it likely pans out to be too expensive to justify a slot.

 

This Beregond though, is amazing.  

True. I thought of a mono-spirit deck to support the group in heavy-enemy adventures when one aggro deck is not enough. The economy will be a problem, though. Will try and see how it works, but blood of numenor is the better option

I realize the role that Livery should serve, and I suppose it is necessary if you aren't including tactics cards, but I wouldn't really ever use Livery as a restricted slot unless I'm stuck with mono-spirit.  and even then, it likely pans out to be too expensive to justify a slot.

 

This Beregond though, is amazing.  

 

Is he amazing? I just feel like tactics version is so much better. If it didn't have a limit on the threat reduce can maybe make  something happen. 

So for teaching the game I had a Eowyn, Arwen, Galadriel deck paired with a Beregond (T), Mablung & Treebeard deck.  However, the spirit deck would be bored during combat.  Switching Beregond to Spirit and Eowyn to Tactics (and swapping heroes - so now Beregond is in the spirit deck) gives both players something to do during each stage of the game.   There is no loss in defense as I still put the shield I included on Beregond and the first Unexpected Courage still goes on him.

 

I think he is amazing because it gives spirit more tools to branch out and be involved during ever stage of the game.  A mono-sphere build doesn't have to be "i kneel everyone to quest and wait until the next turn to do the same thing and occasionally I spend my resources cancelling things".

So for teaching the game I had a Eowyn, Arwen, Galadriel deck paired with a Beregond (T), Mablung & Treebeard deck.  However, the spirit deck would be bored during combat.  Switching Beregond to Spirit and Eowyn to Tactics (and swapping heroes - so now Beregond is in the spirit deck) gives both players something to do during each stage of the game.   There is no loss in defense as I still put the shield I included on Beregond and the first Unexpected Courage still goes on him.

 

I think he is amazing because it gives spirit more tools to branch out and be involved during ever stage of the game.  A mono-sphere build doesn't have to be "i kneel everyone to quest and wait until the next turn to do the same thing and occasionally I spend my resources cancelling things".

You added an important point, that many do not consider in discussions here: variety and fun.

In competetive games like GOT or others, this might be different. But in this cooperative game its also fun to try experimental decks when the group doesn't win (although some of the group complain sometimes )

 

In our group of three everyone has a spirit-support deck, an aggro deck and at least an additional flexible one (e.g. Lore, Gandalf/Ent, Woodelves). There certainly is a combination that is best, but normally we only play this combination in nightmares or when we tried an adventure to often unsecessfully with other combinations. But the weaker combinations are for fun.

 

Beregond, is a very nice addition/alternative to Spirit-Characters like Theoden, Glorfindel or Idraen (and most recently Lanwyn): giving the spirit-player the chance to participate in the game after the questing phase. Beeing sentinel, he can participate in almoust any situation.

Yea, I normally play 2 player and we definitely min/max with a spirit questing deck with a tactics combat deck.  But then the phases are very one sided.  While it is efficient, it leaves people being bored during certain phases of the game.   I love that you can get questing and combat out of both spirit and tactics now, so I don't feel as compelled to just focus on questing.   The biggest hurdle now is that you have to include tactics to get at the weapons, but you could run Beregond(S), Glorfindel(S) and Eowyn(T) and have questing, combat and cancels covered.  And low enough threat that you don't have to engage much.

I've been using Spirit Beregond lately and curiously found that his biggest drawback is that you cannot attack the ever useful Spear of the Citadel to him (unless via a song, Galadriel or whatever). Having in mind that the Tactics version has the Spear attached for free, that's a high con. Anyway, at the end of the day, my (quite obvious) verdict is that they're so different and meant for different purposes that they shouldn't compete for the hero slot, unlike Glorfindel.

I have never found Beregond to be a good target for Spear of the Citadel. I would rather use his two restricted slots for Gondorian Shield and Armored Destrier.

Also, since doing one isolated non-lethal point of damage to an enemy is only of modest aid I find the Spear works best when the blocking response can immediately kill the enemy. That gives it a mild anti-synergy with high defense characters since their defense doesn't get used.

I agree with you to a great extent, however the Destrier wasn't able for as long as the traditional spear, it doesn't share sphere with Beregond, is not an armor nor a weapon and as such doesn't benefit from the built-in discount from Beregond. Of course I also like better when direct damage kills the attacker (who wouldn't?), but in my experience every point of damage counts (the spear often finishes an already damaged attacker), and I often trust in Behind Strong Walls when action advantage is required, when leadership is not available. So I still miss the spear and I think I have a point despite the Destrier being awesome.