The most recent spoiler of the Ring-maker cycle is for the fifth Adventure Pack: Celebrimbor’s Secret. For those not familiar with the deeper history behind Tolkien’s works, Celebrimbor was a very important Noldor craftsman. It was from Annatar (as Sauron was then known) that Celebrimbor learned the secrets of Ring-making. After creating sixteen rings of power for his Vanya “friend”, Celebrimbor then made three Elven rings in secret. Because they were never touched by the Dark Lord, these rings remained uncorrupted.

In the Second Age, Vilya, Narya and Nenya would allow the Elves to create havens beyond the reach of the Dark Lord. With the help of Nenya, Galadriel founded Lothlórien to the East of the Misty Mountains. Gil-galad, last high king of the Noldor, wielded Vilya and Narya as he ruled Lindon to the North. The tragic deaths of Gil-galad and Elendil at the hands of Sauron, and the subsequent heroism of Isildur to slay the Dark Lord, ushered in the Third Age of Middle-Earth. After the siege of Barad-dûr and the overthrow of Sauron, Vilya was given to Elrond the Half-Elven, founder of Imladris, and Narya was given to Círdan of the Grey Havens.

Later in the Third Age, Sauron, then without physical form, exerted his evil influence over Greenwood the Great and turned it into Mirkwood. In one one of their last true interventions, the Valar sent Istari into the East. The wizards were tasked with aiding the free peoples of Middle-Earth in their struggle against the gathering shadows. Together, the Istari and the leaders of the Elves formed The White Council. Círdan immediately recognized wisdom in the newcomer Mithrandir, and the ring Narya passed into the hands of the one who would become Gandalf.

This deck attempts to recreate the White Council, in all of their wisdom and power. This deck has a high starting threat, which makes sense when it comprises all of the most powerful enemies of Sauron. Still, there are plenty of solutions for threat reduction. Galadriel is the spiritual center of the deck, providing consistent card drawing and threat reduction, as well as helping to bolster our allies. Celeborn, in addition to strengthening out Silvan allies specifically, gives us access to Sneak Attack. This already great card has been given new relevance with all of the “comes into play” effects around Silvan cards in this cycle. It also allows us to get multiple uses out of Gandalf, which is always welcome. Lastly, The Galadhrim’s Greeting is another powerful and thematic option for keeping our enemies at bay.

With a name like Ring-maker, this cycle promises to highlight the power of the Elves and their rings of power. Appropriately, Vilya and Nenya both feature in this deck. Master of the Forge, Imladris Stargazer and Galadriel herself can all help in retrieving these powerful artifacts. With the rings attached, the Lady of Lórien and the Master of the Last Homely House manifest their true power. Indeed, the rings of power were one of the primary reasons the White Council was able to protect Middle-Earth from Sauron’s influence for as long as they did.

The synergy across these cards is truly awe inspiring. Celeborn gives a stat boost to each Silvan ally the round it enters play. Galadriel allows them to commit to the quest without exhausting – which actually matters with their improved stats. Finally, Elrond allows us to get these allies into play without paying for them. The attention to detail and theme that went into the design of these new Elven archetypes is breathtaking. This is exactly the kind of deep strategy with narrative focus that makes The Lord of the Rings LCG more than just a card game.

Even so, this deck does not take full advantage of Silvan synergies. There are doubtless more Silvan-related cards to come, which will improve this deck even further. As it stands, this list is more focused on The White Council than being a Silvan deck, per se. Just taking the cards that have already been spoiled it is safe to say that the Silvan archetype will be a legitimate deck build alongside other powerhouses like Dwarves and Rohan. These spoilers really bring anticipation for the Ring-maker cycle to a fever pitch. For now, those who don’t mind making proxies can enjoy this deck featuring The White Council – some of the most powerful beings in all of Middle-Earth.

Heroes:

Elrond (SaF)

Celeborn (TDT)

Galadriel (CS)

Allies: 26

Silvan Refugee (TDF) x2

Naith Guide (TDT) x2

Arwen Undomiel (TWitW) x2

Imladris Stargazer (FoS) x2

Master of the Forge (SaF) x2

Saruman (VoI) x2

Orophin (CS) x2

Silverlode Archer (Core) x2

Daughter of the Nimrodel (Core) x2

Silvan Tracker (TDM) x2

Haldir of Lórien (AJtR) x2

Rúmil (TDT) x2

Gandalf (Core) x2

Attachments: 14

Light of Valinor (FoS) x2

Miruvor (SaF) x3

Elf-stone (TBR) x2

Protector of Lórien (Core) x2

Nenya (CS) x2

Vilya (SaF) x2

Unexpected Courage (Core) x1

Events: 10

Children of the Sea (TBoG) x2

Elrond’s Counsel (SaF) x2

The Tree People (TDT) x2

Sneak Attack (Core) x2

The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core) x2