In this game, we have the leading commanders with the Noble trait. But above all others stands the King. But as the King of Gondor took a holiday to Minas Morgul that he came to regret, we are left with the line of Stewards. This is reflected in the game through the Steward trait, which is held in high regard in the community. This single trait has broken the game time and time again, and continues to do so to this day.
Who are the Stewards?

As mentioned before, the house of Stewards watches over the throne until the king returns. However, while the steward of Gondor might actually have a purpose and some power, the Stewards of Orthanc certainly do not. This can be seen through their lack of a Steward trait, making them less powerful than the Steward of Gondor. The concept of Stewards is not unfamiliar to the side of evil either, as there can also be Trolls with that name, though the spelling can be different.
Expansion packs
Stewards have been around since the early days of the game, and continue to appear in packs every now and then. Here is a list for packs to pick up if you want more Stewardy goodness:
- Core Set
- Conflict at the Carrock
- The Steward’s Fear
- Flight of the Stormcaller
- Race Across Harad
Spheres

The stewards are obsessed with spheres. Denethor had a sphere called the Palantir of Minas Anor, and the Stewards of Orthanc are close to the Palantir of the same name. I am noticing a pattern here…
Synergy
Apparently all Stewards have a rational fear of something, they named an entire AP after it! Not sure what it is though, maybe the dark, maybe steward-eating tomatoes?
Synergy with other traits
Stuart the Troll plays well with other Troll cards. This is a good thing because there tend to be a couple in play during Conflict at the Carrock from what I have heard.
Staples
There were no physical staples found in any of the cards, trust me, I checked. They are only made from cardboard.
“Bad” Stewards
Have you even heard of Denethor? He denied the Return of the King! Plus he has no table manners.
Decks?
There is only one true Steward of Gondor. And he does not share deckspaces!
Happy April Fools Day from everyone at Vision of the Palantir. 😉
I would like to thank you for the well-researched article, highlighting a major trait that had been neglected so far.
Come on, RingsDB contributors: where are those Steward-themed decks us netdeckers have been dreaming of?
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