Editing Throne of Minas Tirith (17R36)

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{{CardTabs|Gondor}}

[[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}]] is a {{C|Gondor}} [[Artifact]] from the [[Rise of Saruman]] set.

{{CardInfobox|17R36}}

{{QueryCardCategories|17R36}}
= Strategy =
The {{C|Gondor}} card in [[Rise of Saruman]]'s [[cycle]] of Throne cards, '''Throne of Minas Tirith''' is a very powerful card. It's a cornerstone of the [[Gondor Tokens]] deck, as it turns {{Card|Noble Leaders}} and {{Card|The Faithful Stone}} into self-replenishing [[Value Engine|engines]] while doubling as strong [[Possession Removal|possession removal]]. What's more, it's a [[support area]] [[artifact]], and as a result almost impossible for the Shadow player to remove once it's played.

The core of the Throne engine is the [[interaction]] between Throne and {{Card|Noble Leaders}}. Noble Leaders helps your strong skirmishers not only win skirmishes, but kill the opposing minion because of its [[Damage|damage]] bonus. Every time a minion gets killed in a skirmish, the Throne generates a [[culture token]], which can go right back on Noble Leaders. If you only needed one token for that skirmish, you break even, and if you didn't need any, you come out ahead, generating a small trickle of [[Value|value]] at pretty much every site.

The rest of [[Gondor Tokens]] plugs into this engine. One way is by just killing or discarding more minions in skirmishes without any help from Noble Leaders at all. {{Card|Anduril, Flame of the West}}, {{Card|Anduril, Sword that was Broken}}, and {{Card|Narsil, Forged by Telchar}} all have inherent [[Damage|Damage +1]], making it easier to kill minions when you win a skirmish. {{Card|Boromir, Bearer of Council}} always discards the opposing minion when he wins a skirmish. {{Card|Kings' Legacy}} and {{Card|Gondorian Blade}} let you spread Damage bonuses to your less kingly companions. And there's always the option of softening up minions with [[direct wounding]] or [[archery]].

You don't have to put those tokens on Noble Leaders, though. {{C|Gondor}} has many other strong [[culture token]] [[condition]]s, which can either benefit from being reinforced by the Throne or fuel the Throne's ability to discard possessions. {{Card|The Faithful Stone}} generates a pile of tokens inherently, and has a powerful ability to negate a minion for a site. {{Card|Storied Homestead}} can negate obnoxious abilities. {{Card|Heirs of Gondor}} is strong (if somewhat [[flood]]-prone) healing. {{Card|Garrison of Osgiliath}} is a weaker alternative to Noble Leaders, and useful chiefly to work around the [[unique]] limitation.

The Faithful Stone and Throne of Minas Tirith [[combo]] in particular is a strong [[Hate|counter]] to Shadow strategies that rely on [[possession]]s. Faithful Stone generates a lot of tokens, and the Throne can funnel them into wiping out Shadow possessions. Older decks like [[Corsairs]] and [[Dunland Site Control]] rely on their [[boats]] and {{Card|Hides}}, {{Card|Grond, Hammer of the Underworld}} and {{Card|Grond, Forged with Black Steel}} are both very obnoxious, {{C|Orc}} [[corruption]] decks want to trigger {{Card|Retribution}}, and {{C|Men}} often rely on possessions like {{Card|Pavise}} (but also have {{Card|Countless Companies}}).

You already have all these {{C|Gondor}} artifacts, culture token cards, and unique {{C|Gondor}} characters, so it's easy to graft on more cards that spot or benefit from them. {{Card|Scroll of Isildur}} and {{Card|Narsil, Blade of the Faithful}} both [[spot]] artifacts, and you can fit more artifacts like {{Card|Sapling of the White Tree}}, {{Card|Ring of Barahir}}, or {{Card|Seeing Stone of Orthanc}}. {{Card|Aragorn, Isildur's Heir}} loves to see all these tokens. {{Card|Stewards' Legacy}} benefits characters you're probably already playing, although its strongest effect, negating minion abilities, is a bit redundant with Storied Homestead. If you are playing Stewards' Legacy, you probably have [[ranger]]s to exert for {{Card|Soldier's Cache}}, which serves as a way to generate tokens and prevent excess healing from a [[sanctuary]] (or {{Card|Mithlond}} or {{Card|Neekerbreekers' Bog}}) from going to waste.

The Throne of Minas Tirith is a support area artifact, and as such it's pretty close to indestructible. The only card in the entire game that can force you to discard it is {{Card|Grond, Hammer of the Underworld}}, and the Throne can simply discard Grond first. Its weakness is instead the {{C|Gondor}} token conditions it relies upon to work, especially {{Card|Noble Leaders}}. If those conditions are discarded, then Throne can't do anything. Be careful of strong [[Condition Removal|condition removal]], especially multitarget cards like {{Card|Saruman's Power}}, {{Card|Tempest of War}}, or {{Card|You Do Not Know Fear}}. Additionally, because the Throne [[Reinforce|reinforces]] tokens rather than placing them, remember that you'll need to leave at least one token on each condition you want to refuel. Don't use that last token on Noble Leaders if you can avoid it!

= Strengths and Weaknesses =
== Synergizes With... ==

* {{Card|Anduril, Flame of the West}} and other [[damage]]-granting effects. 
* {{C|Gondor}} token conditions, particularly {{Card|Noble Leaders}}
* {{Card|Narsil, Blade of the Faithful}} and {{Card|Scroll of Isildur}} spot {{C|Gondor}} artifacts for useful effects 

== Strong Versus... ==

* [[Corsair]] [[Boats]], {{Card|Hides}}, {{Card|Grond, Hammer of the Underworld}}, and {{C|Men}} [[stack]]ing [[possession]]s like {{Card|Ceremonial Armor}} and {{Card|Wildman's Oath}}
* Strategies that play possessions on minions, particularly {{C|Orc}} [[corruption]] using {{Card|Retribution}} and [[Warg Super Swarm]]. Helpful but somewhat less so against {{C|Men}} weapon possessions, since they usually use {{Card|Countless Companies}}
* [[Beatdown]]

== Weak Versus... ==

* {{Card|Grond, Hammer of the Underworld}} is the only card that can force you to discard it.
* [[Condition Removal|Condition removal]]. {{Card|Saruman's Power}}, {{Card|Tempest of War}}, or {{Card|You Do Not Know Fear}} can wipe out your conditions, leaving you with no culture tokens to work with.
* {{Card|Assault Denizen}} can get very large with lots of tokens to spot.
* It's more of a comedy option than a practical counter, but {{Card|Corsair Freebooter}}, {{Card|Easterling Runner}}, and {{Card|Sauron's Might}} might be able to strip the last culture tokens off of a key condition, preventing it from being reinforced.