Each of the games is an in-progress Clabbers game, in which the player needs to find a high scoring play. The problem is that there really aren't any great plays. What to do in this situation?
The observant solver will notice that many of the words on the board are either directly related to Tolkien mythology (HOBBIT, FELLOWSHIP, BILBO) or are legal words with Tolkien related anagrams (FORDO = FRODO, MERIADOC = RACEMOID). Furthermore, the first words played on each board, the horizontal ones including the middle star, spell out the phrase, "Play phonies from middle earth put them in alpha order."
Each board has a high scoring play using exactly one phony from Tolkien mythology. (You might be able to use additional Tolkien phonies, but they won't score you any extra points.) The highest scoring arrangements for these plays all are between 101 and 126 points. Putting the plays in alphabetical order, and then subtracting the original 100 point deficit in the flavor text spells out the answer WORMTONGUE, a clever opponent, who likes to twist words around, that you shouldn't feel bad about bluffing a phony on!
Full solutions below, phony Tolkien words are italicized, and appear at the top of the "Word" column. There are many possible alternate arrangements of letters that yield the maximum score, but none give a higher score without making an illegal word (neither in TWL06 or Tolkien-related.)
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Word Score ----------------- CARCHAROTH 72 HAY 9 BOOTHS 19 CARTED 9 AMERCE 10 ----------------- Total 115 |
Extra Tolkien words Moria (moira) Telperion (interlope) Deagol (gaoled) Bree Dragon |
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Word Score ----------------- ANGBAND 92 GLEAMING 12 AGATIZED 19 ----------------- Total 123 |
Extra Tolkien words Vampire Sword Boffin Council Cirdan (rancid) Eldar (alder) |
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Word Score ----------------- SHADOWFAX 104 REFFING 14 DO 3 ----------------- Total 121 |
Extra Tolkien words Samwise (swamies) Orthanc (chantor) Smaug (gaums) Crebain (carbine) |
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Word Score ----------------- GANDALF 48 DWARF 24 LAMIA 7 VULCANISES 14 BANED 8 BERG 7 IDLE 10 ----------------- Total 118 |
Extra Tolkien words Isengard (deraigns) Lorien (neroli) Maia (amia) Phial |
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Word Score ----------------- LEGOLAS 82 GLAZIER 34 BO 4 ----------------- Total 120 |
Extra Tolkien words Beorning (ringbone) Ring Meriadoc (racemoid) Hobbit Valar (larva) |
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Word Score ----------------- GLAURUNG 86 GAUFFER 14 BRIDGES 13 ----------------- Total 113 |
Extra Tolkien words Fellowship Gaffer Arwen (rewan) Helm |
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Word Score ----------------- SILMARIL 83 WINE 7 RUTS 5 RAIL 4 RAIL 4 AI 2 ----------------- Total 105 |
Extra Tolkien words Wraith Anduril (diurnal) Tower Bilbo Goblin |
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Word Score ----------------- ORCRIST 80 RICHES 17 PEREGRINS 12 INTRO 5 ----------------- Total 114 |
Extra Tolkien words Peregrin Shire Nori Bag-end (banged) Gloin (lingo) Balin (binal) |
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Word Score ----------------- MIRKWOOD 102 DAPPLED 13 ----------------- Total 115 |
Extra Tolkien words King Egladil (gallied) Frodo (fordo) Spider Mearas (arames) Eagle |
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Word Score ----------------- ORODRUIN 86 RADS 5 TIER 4 TILE 8 LANE 4 ----------------- Total 107 |
Extra Tolkien words Gondor (drongo) Esgaroth (shortage) Athelas (altheas) Celduin (include) Ungol (gluon) Bard Elves Troll |