Elite Rider (7C225)
 Elfhelm, Marshal of Rohan (7U224)
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Enraged Horseman (7C226) 
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Elite Rider (7C225) is a 
Rohan Companion from the Return of the King set.
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Strategy[edit]
Gameplay Strategy[edit]
Effectively a non-unique and milder version of Éomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark (4R267)
, this companion is reliably 10 strength with Rider's Mount (4C287)
and Rider's Spear (4C288)
, on par with Aragorn equipped with a sword. The twilight discount makes him a popular starting companion, and a common tactic is to start him with Eomer to put two 
companions in the starting fellowship. Gearing this companion up before Eomer gives 1 less strength overall and no extra strength after the first wound on a minion, but will allow the Free Peoples to put a strong companion in danger early on without fear of losing any of the unique benefits that Eomer can access. It will also save the twilight of transferring the generic gear if Firefoot (4R274)
or Éomer's Spear (4U268)
are drawn afterward.
Because the twilight discount requires no cultural enforcement, he can start alongside Legolas to take advantage of the archer keyword and get to 8 strength even without any gear. This can be particularly helpful in a deck using Eastemnet Gullies (4U325)
, allowing the deck to have just one copy of Legolas and still start with him after losing the bid. Because Elite Rider is not valiant and can't meet the criteria to play Simbelmynë (4R289)
on his own, some players instead prefer to start Eowyn (especially Éowyn, Lady of Rohan (4C270)
) when they won't start two Rohan companions.
Mounts are often viewed as +2 strength for Elite Rider and therefore necessary equipment. However, remember that Mounts merely apply exertions which in turn grant the strength boost. Any deck with other ways to put wound tokens on minions will be able to tap into that strength boost without them. Archery is one avenue, as mentioned above. Return of the King introduces another with Rohan's strongest exerting effect: Merry's Sword (7R242)
. It encourages a large fellowship to get the most out of the effect, and the effect nullifies the most popular large fellowship counter, Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul (1U231)
. Merry's Sword also prevents Gríma, Wormtongue (4R154)
from threatening to send borne cards back into hand, so while a mount is no longer necessary for the exertions there's little to fear from giving Elite Rider a mount, spear, and ranged weapon such as Rohirrim Bow (5C88)
to bring him up to 11 strength. Elite Rider's expendible nature makes for the ideal bearer of Rohirrim Bow to either keep for strength or use it to take out a minion exhausted by Merry's Sword, as the exertion will not hurt the Free Peoples player very much.
Deckbuilding Strategy[edit]
Since this card is basically Éomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark (4R267)
, it is a natural fit in any deck using him. This makes him a core companion in almost every Towers-era Rohan deck. If your deck has fewer than 9 potential companions, using Elite Rider to fill in any gaps is never a bad idea. Towers Block in particular is shaped not by Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul (1U231)
but by Southron Commander (4U249)
, making it possible to play more than 9 companions over the course of the game.
Hrethel, Rider of Rohan (6C95)
is also something of a Third Marshal replacement, getting up to Third Marshal's 11 strength when fighting a wounded minion at the expense of healing that minion. However, his cultural enforcement means he can't be played in a starting fellowship with Third Marshal, so he can only compete with the first Elite Rider that would be played normally for deck space.
Elite Rider was reprinted in King Block, but unlike Towers there are enough attractive alternatives to replace him much of the time in it and Movie Block. Most notably is Éowyn, Lady of Ithilien (10R72)
, a deck-defining powerhouse for Eomer to spot. Robbed of a place in the starting fellowship, this companion competes for deck space with not only Hrethel (who gains extra utility against Enduring minions), but also the post-Towers versions of Theoden, Rohirrim Army (8R91)
, Merry, Swordthain (7R321)
, and supporting characters of other cultures. Depending on the deck, he may also be supplanted by Elfhelm, Marshal of Rohan (7U224)
(sometimes aided by Grimbold, Marshal of Rohan (7R233)
) or Veteran Horseman (7C257)
. Nonetheless, he remains a great choice when filling up any remaining companion slots.
Strengths and Weaknesses[edit]
Synergizes With...[edit]
- Rider's Mount (4C287)
and Rider's Spear (4C288)
- Merry's Sword (7R242)
- Thundering Host (5R94)
, We Left None Alive (6C97)
, and similar Rohan effects which go naturally with a fully armed Rider - Free Peoples archery (when not mounted), especially a lone arrow from Legolas or Hornburg Parapet (4U351)
which could otherwise have no impact
Strong Versus...[edit]
- The supporting minions in most decks, as minions which cost
or less often have at least 2 vitality and less than 10 strength - Beatdown decks, as this companion is difficult to overwhelm and easily replaced
- Minions which exert themselves, alleviating the need for a mount on all Elite Riders
Weak Versus...[edit]
Dunland minions, which typically have only 1 vitality and cannot be exerted- Healing effects such as Scaling Ladder (5U57)
or Not Easily Destroyed (1U220)
, which can act as a strength buff if they fully heal a minion skirmishing this companion - Enduring minions, which offset Elite Rider's strength gain with a bonus of their own
See Also[edit]
Decks[edit]
"Fear This" - Michael Dalton's Worlds 2003 Champion deck (Click here for the full decklist)
- Format: Towers Standard
- Ring-bearer: Frodo, Tired Traveller (4C302)
- Ring: The One Ring, Answer To All Riddles (4R1)
- 1x Elite Rider (4C265)
(Starting) - 1x Éomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark (4R267)
(Starting)
- 1x Éowyn, Lady of Rohan (4C270)
(Alternate starting, when bidding 9)
- 1x Sam, Proper Poet (2C114)
(Alternate starting, when bidding 9) - 1x Legolas, Greenleaf (1R50)
- 1x Aragorn, Ranger of the North (1R89)
- 1x Hrethel, Rider of Rohan (6C95)
- 1x Hlafwine, Village Farmhand (4C281)
- 1x Léod, Westfold Herdsman (4U285)
- 1x Brego (4U263)
- 1x Éomer's Spear (4U268)
- 1x Firefoot (4R274)
- 1x Rider's Mount (4C287)
- 2x Rider's Spear (4C288)
- 1x Rohirrim Bow (5C88)
- 1x Frying Pan (3C108)
- 2x An Honorable Charge (4U282)
- 4x Simbelmynë (4R289)
- 3x Arrow-slits (5U80)
- 2x Fortress Never Fallen (4U276)
- 3x Thundering Host (5R94)
- 1x We Left None Alive (6C97)
