Endurance of Dwarves (2U4)
 Dwarven Bracers (2U3)
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Flurry of Blows (2C5) 
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Endurance of Dwarves (2U4) is a 
Dwarven Condition from the Mines of Moria set. Like The Tale of Gil-galad (1R66)
and The Saga of Elendil (1R114)
from The Fellowship of the Ring, it passively grants vitality and can be discarded for a strength boost in a pinch. However, Endurance of Dwarves isn't a tale, isn't unique, and grants 1 strength instead of 2.
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Strategy[edit]
Gameplay Strategy[edit]
The vitality gained by Endurance of Dwarves shouldn't be relied upon too heavily -- an exhausted character will be killed if the condition is discarded. While extra vitality is useful for anyone, characters which need to exert gain the most. Unlike Elves or 
Gondor companions, there are only a handful of Dwarves which are exerted by name and most of them are Gimli. The risk of discard can be controlled with Gimli, Feared Axeman (7R7)
, but doing so leaves only Úri, Dwarven Lord (9R11)
as a particularly attractive candidate to bear the card. While the allies Grimir, Dwarven Elder (1U17)
and Thrarin, Dwarven Smith (1U27)
are eligible bearers, their abilities are rarely worth added survivability on a companion.
Optimal use of added vitality from any source usually means exerting a character more than its printed vitality allows at any given site. By including gratuitous healing you can not only evade the peril losing vitality poses, but be able to exert up to 4 extra times every turn. Remember too that even if you build a deck with this card in mind, you don't have to play it. An 
Isengard deck, for example, will often include at least one copy of Saruman's Power (1U136)
so it may be better to avoid putting yourself in danger at all in some games. Other cultures such as 
Ringwraith and 
Sauron have more predictable condition discarding, making the odds of losing a companion unexpectedly much slimmer.
Deckbuilding Strategy[edit]
Because Endurance of Dwarves isn't unique and an exhausted character will die whether he loses 1 or 4 vitality, it often makes sense to include all 4 copies in the deck if you plan on using it at all, and to play them all on the same character. In Towers Standard and later Gríma, Wormtongue (4R154)
makes doing so extremely risky; Return of the King's Slaked Thirsts (7U14)
in turn allows you to "safely" stack as many cards on a companion as you see fit.
When used to increase the skirmish potential of Gimli, Son of Gloin (1R13)
, Gimli, Unbidden Guest (4C49)
, or Úri, Dwarven Lord (9R11)
, the healing from Dwarven tale decks using Mines of Khazad-Dûm (3R3)
may allow you to regularly overextend on vitality and gain it all back next turn -- just keep in mind that a full condition wipe will be all the more devastating when you lose not only your extra vitality, but the healing you rely on. A popular healing combo, Dwarven Heart (1C10)
can heal a Dwarf twice in a pinch and then be discarded with Axe of Erebor (4R41)
to prevent those wounds from returning (adding some strength in a skirmish to boot). You can also use Aragorn, Defender of Free Peoples (6R50)
to heal mid-skirmish, though doing so usually makes the extra vitality from Endurance of Dwarves redundant.
Strengths and Weaknesses[edit]
Synergizes With...[edit]
- Gimli, Feared Axeman (7R7)
; to keep the conditions safe
- Gimli, Son of Gloin (1R13)
; Gimli, Unbidden Guest (4C49)
; Gimli, Counter of Foes (8C5)
; or Gimli, Lord of the Glittering Caves (13R5)
; to get maximum use out of the added vitality - Úri, Dwarven Lord (9R11)
- Battle to the Last (11C4)
- Slaked Thirsts (7U14)
, to neutralize minions such as Gríma, Wormtongue (4R154)
or Orc Patrol (5U107)
- Dark Ways (7R5)
, to revitalize a companion that has more wounds than natural vitality (especially before a double)
Strong Versus...[edit]
- In theory, nearly everything -- having more vitality on your companions is always a good thing
Weak Versus...[edit]
- Mass condition discarding such as Saruman's Power (1U136)
- Dedicated wounding decks, able to exhaust a key companion and discard the vitality keeping them alive
- Goblin Warrior (1C185)
, which can be replayed at will to discard Endurance of Dwarves when you need it most
Rulings[edit]
When a card that provides a vitality bonus for its bearer is discarded, that bearer is immediately killed if his vitality is then reduced to zero.
- Killed_2 section
