It’s amazing what diamonds you can find in the rough: As of this writing, today’s feature deck is four months old and has a grand total of zero likes, zero favorites, and zero comments. How good could it possibly be?
The answer is “really good”, and not only is it a capable solo deck, but also quite multiplayer-friendly.
Join us today, as CoTR shines a spotlight on…
Mettle of the Strong
Hero (3)
Beorn (Over Hill and Under Hill)
Beregond (The Flame of the West)
Círdan the Shipwright (The Grey Havens)
Ally (19)
2x Arwen Undómiel (The Watcher in the Water)
2x Dúnedain Hunter (The Lost Realm)
3x Ethir Swordsman (The Steward’s Fear)
3x Galadhon Archer (The Nîn-in-Eilph)
3x Galadriel’s Handmaiden (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
1x Lindir (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
3x Rhovanion Outrider (Temple of the Deceived)
2x Westfold Outrider (The Voice of Isengard)
Attachment (13)
3x Ancient Mathom (A Journey to Rhosgobel)
3x Gondorian Shield (The Steward’s Fear)
3x Light of Valinor (Foundations of Stone)
2x Narya (The Grey Havens)
2x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)
Event (17)
3x A Test of Will (Core Set)
3x Feint (Core Set)
2x Fortune or Fate (Core Set)
3x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
3x Revealed in Wrath (Temple of the Deceived)
3x Strength of Will (Core Set)
Player Side Quest (1)
1x Gather Information (The Lost Realm)
Mettle of the Strong is a deck that has been carefully tuned to provide just the right amount of balance. You always seem to have just the right amount of everything; attack, defense, willpower, threat mitigation, and card draw; as well as a number of failsafe cards to bail you out of jam: Fortune or Fate, Revealed in Wrath, and the cancellation cards. I even found myself making use of Strength of Will, which was a blessing to see when I ran this deck against Celebrimbor’s Secret.
It’s instructive to understand why this deck works. A big part of it is the hero line-up: we have a strong defender, a literal beast of an attacker, and one of the strongest questers. This means that you’re not stuck trying to mulligan for the missing piece required to survive the first round; instead, you can focus on grabbing whatever tool you think will help you most against the scenario that you are playing.
Another point that deserves mention is that there are relatively few unique cards in this deck, which makes it great for pickup games. The only popular uniques (at this point in the cardpool) are Light of Valinor and Arwen, though I would argue that neither are essential to the deck’s function. This deck even has ample sentinel defense, which your friends will surely admire.
Whether you are playing solo or multiplayer, this is a powerful deck. Since it can hold its own in most respects, you could slot it into most fellowships, though it tends to pair nicely with lore. Consider it the next time you need to pick a deck at a moment’s notice.
– WanderingTook
Cardboard of the Rings 
Good find Took! Lovely deck Wingfootranger! I advise everyone to check out the sideboard too. It has loads of great options.
Funny, WingfootRanger has popped up a few times on my radar. He (or she) comes up with some interesting lineups. When I was struggling for a Bifur deck I came across his Bifur/Elfhelm/Erkenbrand deck – Masters of Support I think it was called. It was a great deck and didn’t conflict with many uniques.
I have played with WingfootRanger multiple times via Skype, and it has gone very well. His decks are innovative and very well thought out. It has been great fun so far and we are looking to do more! Cheers that he got a deck featured here!