The Mountain-king's Return
AI draftAI-generated draft analysis — not yet human-reviewed. Treat with healthy skepticism.Limited summary
Three-mana Saga: recruit now, reanimate a cheap creature next turn, then add a counter. The chapter II reanimation is the headline — the chapter I recruit discard can even set it up by binning a creature.
Roles
Archetypes
Gameplay notes
Chapter I's discard can put a 3-drop into your graveyard on purpose so chapter II returns it directly to play. Plan the discard before you cast the Saga.
Key synergies
Chapter I can discard Azog and create a Human Soldier token, then chapter II returns Azog and lets its enters ability destroy that expendable token to amass Goblins and draw a card.
With Bard in play, chapter I's extra draw becomes two cards, and a successful recruit creates two Human Soldier tokens instead of one.
When chapter II returns a creature from your graveyard, Along the Crooked Way sees that creature card leave the graveyard and amasses Goblins 1 in addition to the reanimation.
Chapter I can discard Patient Instructor, then chapter II returns it and retriggers its recruit ability, producing another draw-discard and potentially another Human Soldier token.
Chapter II can return Wood Elves directly to the battlefield, retriggering its Forest search for another ramp step and Landfall trigger.
Bilbo's loot discards a creature on purpose; the Saga's chapter II reanimates it straight to the battlefield.
A creature that ends up in the graveyard pile becomes a direct reanimation target for the Saga's chapter II.
Chapter I recruits to trigger Bard from the extra draw, while Chapter II can return Bard to the battlefield if he has been removed.
Chapter II returns the Blacksmith directly to the battlefield, retriggering its enters ability to create another Axe Equipment.
Discarding The Sackville-Bagginses to chapter I can create a Soldier token; chapter II then returns it and its enters ability can sacrifice that token to draw a card and create a Treasure.
Chapter II can return Gollum after chapter I discards it, immediately retriggering its graveyard exile and 2-life drain.
The Saga's chapter I draw is your second card of the turn, triggering the Councillors to mill three; the Councillors are also eligible for chapter II reanimation if they later die or are discarded.
After the Lookout dies and recruits, chapter II can return the one-mana creature directly to the battlefield, allowing it to trade or chump-block and recruit again.
The Saga's second chapter can return Fearsome Goblin Pair directly from the graveyard to the battlefield, restoring an expendable body that will amass Goblins 4 again the next time it dies.
Chapter II can return Goblin-town Flunkies and retrigger its enters ability to amass Goblins 1, generating both a hasty body and additional Army power.
Returning Dori with chapter II retriggers his enters ability, creating another Treasure while restoring a three-power creature.
Chapter II can return Old Thrush directly to the battlefield, retriggering both its life gain and its ability to place a needed basic land on top of your library.
Chapter I supplies the second card drawn that turn, putting a +1/+1 counter on Lakeshore Apothecary; the Apothecary is also eligible for chapter II reanimation.
Chapter II can reanimate Stony-Voiced Goblins, retriggering its enters ability and forcing each opponent to discard another card.
Dáin can be discarded to chapter I and returned by chapter II, which retriggers his enters ability to create and immediately attach an Axe Equipment.
The Saga's chapter I draw is normally your second card of the turn, so Lake-town Toymaker can grant another creature +3/+0 and first strike at the ensuing combat.
Casting the Saga triggers Bothersome Noisemaker to amass Goblins 1, and chapter II can later return the two-mana Noisemaker if it dies or is discarded.
The Saga recruits another Human Soldier for Bard's Company to boost, while Company's repeated looting can place a mana-value-3-or-less creature into the graveyard for the Saga's second chapter to return.
Chapter II can return Dáin's Company directly to the battlefield because it costs two mana, retriggering its card-selection ability while recovering a premium early creature.
Chapter I can recruit a Soldier to trigger Belladonna, and chapter II can return Belladonna herself from the graveyard because she has mana value 2.
As a Saga it counts toward the three permanents Thorin needs for the enduring story while it's on the battlefield.
The Saga contributes a qualifying permanent toward Ori's Storied threshold and can return the three-mana Ori with chapter II if he is discarded or removed.
Chapter I's recruit draw immediately puts a +1/+1 counter on Ravenhill Flock before the Saga potentially creates its Soldier token.
The Saga counts toward Dáin's Storied threshold while on the battlefield, helping establish the enduring story that unlocks his attack tax.