Beneath the Mountains (2R1)
 Back to Mines of Moria Index |
Disquiet of Our People (2C2) 
|
Beneath the Mountains (2R1) is a 
Dwarven Condition from the Mines of Moria set.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strategy[edit]
Gameplay Strategy[edit]
One of many Dwarven tales introduced in Fellowship block, Beneath the Mountains ensures that a culture dependent on possessions can keep their weapons on the table. This can be crucial against Nazgul in Fellowship block which threaten to overwhelm any unarmed Dwarf and prominently feature Úlairë Cantëa, Lieutenant of Dol Guldur (1R230)
. It can also allow the discard pile to serve as a makeshift Gandalf's Cart (1U73)
, throwing away possessions that come before their bearers and arming companions when they arrive. Because it allows the Free Peoples to play cards from the discard pile, it has good synergy with other Dwarven effects that "dig" through the draw deck and ensures that weapons are never truly lost.
Deckbuilding Strategy[edit]
As with all Dwarven "mining" cards which dig through the top of your deck for some effect, the real cost of this card will depend on how many cards you bring to the table. If you would have any cards left in the bottom of your deck at the end of a match, the cost is effectively nothing -- the 3 cards discarded from the top could just have easily been 3 cards from the bottom. Large decks also have more room for weapons and since Dwarven Axe (1C9)
and Hand Axe (2C10)
play for free (as well as Heavy Axe (15U7)
in the right deck}}), Beneath the Mountains can be used to quickly arm a fellowship without giving up any twilight.
For a small deck that may run out of cards at site 9 already, any additional discarding is a big liability. Rather than rely on Beneath the Mountains to return lost weapons (and endanger other essential cards in the process), it is usually better to include extra copies of key possessions to draw them earlier and replace them as needed. Still, it is a tale for Glóin, Friend to Thorin (2R7)
and the rare opportunity to use its text may be reason enough to justify including it in a deck.
Effects which put cards on the bottom of the draw deck such as Goblin Sneak (1U181)
and Dear Friends (2U98)
can benefit greatly from burning through the top by allowing you to control the pace of when those cards are drawn. However, if this is your goal then Realm of Dwarrowdelf (2R12)
or Ever My Heart Rises (4R46)
are better suited for the task: they can be used any number of times while Beneath the Mountains requires a Dwarven weapon in the discard pile before use.
Strengths and Weaknesses[edit]
Synergizes With...[edit]
- Glóin, Friend to Thorin (2R7)
- Hand Axe (2C10)
, which can be discarded in a pinch and pulled back next turn
- Mitigates the danger of deck-discarding effects such as Ever My Heart Rises (4R46)
or Search Far and Wide (4C56)
by allowing key possessions to be recovered (albeit at the cost of even more cards from the deck)
Strong Versus...[edit]
- Possession discarding such as Úlairë Cantëa, Lieutenant of Dol Guldur (1R230)
and Corsair Marauder (8R57)
Weak Versus...[edit]
- Discard strategies (although they rarely require the Free Peoples to fetch back lost items anyway)
Rulings[edit]
If an action plays a card from your hand (or discard pile) as part of its effect, then that card must be in your hand (or discard pile) before you can begin to perform that action.
- Effect section
