Editing Hrethel, Rider of Rohan (6C95)

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{{CardTabs|Rohan}}

[[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}]] is a {{C|Rohan}} [[Companion]] from the [[Ents of Fangorn]] set. He is the only Free Peoples card in the game which can heal an arbitrary minion.
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= Strategy =
== Gameplay Strategy ==
Hrethel, put simply, is a replacement for {{Card|Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}}. Both get up to 9 strength when facing a minion with one wound, a slight edge over the 8 strength that the non-unique {{Card|Elite Rider}} offers. Higher strength means winning more skirmishes and taking fewer wounds, but because Hrethel heals minions to achieve it he will also apply fewer wounds himself. This sometimes keeps a minion alive that Eomer or Elite Rider would have killed, an important consideration for the Free Peoples when deciding whether to [[double move]].

Usually whether to use Hrethel's text is a simple consideration of a minion's strength against its vitality and overall importance. Many minions exert themselves, however, with their vitality the natural limit to the effect. Healing them with Hrethel might be worse in the end than simply losing the skirmish. A wounded {{Card|Wulf}}, for example, can be beaten by Hrethel bearing a hand weapon after being healed, but if the Shadow player can block the wounds with {{Card|Hides}} then Wulf's ability may cause more harm long-term.

Most of the time, healing the minion is an appropriate and meaningful cost to Hrethel's strength gain. In a few cases, however, it winds up in the Free Peoples player's favor and may even be worth using several times. This is clearest for [[Enduring]] minions and those in the {{Card|Uruk-hai Berserker}} line, as they gain strength for wounds on themselves and can be difficult for even Third Marshal to beat. One of Rohan's biggest weaknesses, corruption, can be covered by Hrethel -- {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Thrall of the One}} normally has a field day adding burdens thanks to Rohan's mounts. Healing cuts its burden-adding abilities in half, rounded down since the Free Peoples player gets to take the first action every phase. Between Hrethel and {{Card|Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien}}, Enquea can either be killed immediately by Eowyn at 2 wounds or add no burdens thanks to Hrethel at 1 wound.

Sometimes, though, it is in the Free Peoples player's interest to keep a minion on the table. {{Card|Gollum, Stinker}} usually can't be allowed to win a skirmish, and at the same time if he is killed the Shadow player may be able to play him again and cause more harm with his fresh vitality by replaying a minion with {{Card|Evil-smelling Fens}}. In a similar vein, {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}} is often left alive when a large fellowship needs to move again, but that usually means taking two more wounds. By healing Enquea before beating it, the Free Peoples player can ensure that Enquea stays exhausted without taking any additional wounds.

For fierce minions, Hrethel's heal can be a blessing or a curse. {{Card|Fortress Never Fallen}} rewards winning as many skirmishes as possible, so if Hrethel can win a skirmish against a relatively weak fierce minion without killing it the Free Peoples player is able to get extra tokens. Of course, a stronger minion that required pumps to beat the first time often won't be any easier the second time around. In fact, sometimes it's be better to lose a skirmish against a higher vitality minion without using Hrethel's ability if possible to let the exertion from the mount sticks around for the next skirmish.

Rohan has many effects which key off of wounded or exhausted minions, which are more complicated to use with Hrethel than other companions. This comes up most often with {{Card|We Left None Alive}}: the Free Peoples player will often use a token or two and then Hrethel's text last for the strength gain needed to win the skirmish. If the Shadow player has a pump of their own, Hrethel will be uniquely unable to use the condition again.

== Deckbuilding Strategy ==
Unlike Elite Rider, Hrethel is culturally enforced and unseen outside of a dedicated Rohan deck. In [[Towers Block]] he is chosen for his extra strength over wounded minions compared to Elite Rider. In [[Movie Block]] and beyond, his unique ability to heal [[Enduring]] minions is more often his greatest feature: whether he earns a spot in a decklist depends on whether being able to heal a minion is valued rather than his skirmish potential.

{{Card|Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}} is almost always superior and must spot a man to be played for 2, leaving no place for Hrethel in a starting fellowship. While this would normally mean he must be drawn to be played, thanks to {{Card|Simbelmyne}} there's not much benefit to a second copy.

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

* {{Card|Rider's Mount}} and {{Card|Rider's Spear}}
* {{Card|Merry's Sword}}
* {{Card|Thundering Host}} and similar Rohan effects which go naturally with a fully armed Rider
* Free Peoples archery, especially a lone arrow from Legolas or {{Card|Hornburg Parapet}} which could otherwise have no impact

== Strong Versus... ==

* [[Enduring]] minions, especially Nazgul such as {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Thrall of the One}} who would use their wounds to pay for their own effects
* Similarly, certain minions in the {{Card|Uruk-hai Berserker}} line
* Generally good skirmisher against wounded minions of almost any sort

== Weak Versus... ==

* Minions which exert to some effect in the Skirmish phase, such as {{Card|Easterling Army}}, {{Card|Berserk Slayer}}, or {{Card|Mordor Defender}}
* Disposing of minions, especially when lacking any damage bonuses

= See Also =
== Decks ==
'''"Fear This" - Michael Dalton's Worlds 2003 Champion deck''' ([https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=12100.msg99058 Click here for the full decklist])
* Format: [[Towers Standard]]
* Ring-bearer: {{Card|Frodo, Tired Traveller}}
* Ring: {{Card|The One Ring, Answer To All Riddles}}

* 1x {{Card|Elite Rider}} (Starting)
* 1x {{Card|Éomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}} (Starting)
* 1x {{Card|Éowyn, Lady of Rohan}} (Alternate starting, when bidding 9)
* 1x {{Card|Sam, Proper Poet}} (Alternate starting, when bidding 9)
* 1x {{Card|Legolas, Greenleaf}}
* 1x {{Card|Aragorn, Ranger of the North}}
* 1x {{Card|Hrethel, Rider of Rohan}}
* 1x {{Card|Hlafwine, Village Farmhand}}
* 1x {{Card|Leod, Westfold Herdsman}}
* 1x {{Card|Brego}}
* 1x {{Card|Eomer's Spear}}
* 1x {{Card|Firefoot}}
* 1x {{Card|Rider's Mount}}
* 2x {{Card|Rider's Spear}}
* 1x {{Card|Rohirrim Bow}}
* 1x {{Card|Frying Pan}}
* 2x {{Card|An Honorable Charge}}
* 4x {{Card|Simbelmyne}}
* 3x {{Card|Arrow-slits}}
* 2x {{Card|Fortress Never Fallen}}
* 3x {{Card|Thundering Host}}
* 1x {{Card|We Left None Alive}}