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Solution to Stronghold Fire

Author: Aaron Bader

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.)



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 


Word        Score
-----------------
ANGBAND     92
GLEAMING    12
AGATIZED    19
-----------------
Total       123
Extra Tolkien words
Vampire
Sword
Boffin
Council
Cirdan (rancid)
Eldar (alder)


Word        Score
-----------------
SHADOWFAX  104
REFFING     14
DO           3
-----------------
Total       121
Extra Tolkien words
Samwise (swamies)
Orthanc (chantor)
Smaug  (gaums)
Crebain (carbine)


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


Word        Score
-----------------
LEGOLAS     82
GLAZIER     34
BO           4
-----------------
Total       120
Extra Tolkien words
Beorning (ringbone)
Ring
Meriadoc (racemoid)
Hobbit
Valar (larva)


Word        Score
-----------------
GLAURUNG    86
GAUFFER     14
BRIDGES     13
-----------------
Total       113
Extra Tolkien words
Fellowship
Gaffer
Arwen (rewan)
Helm


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


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)


Word        Score
-----------------
MIRKWOOD    102
DAPPLED     13
-----------------
Total       115
Extra Tolkien words
King
Egladil (gallied)
Frodo (fordo)
Spider
Mearas (arames)
Eagle


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