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Kralik

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:13 pm

Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 223 Location:

Could someone please enlighten me as to why someone would want to use Gandalf BoO, other than for a challenge? I know it helps with Gandalf

spotting requirements, and he’s a powerful companion. But with his drawbacks... it seems like he’d be rather easy to corrupt. Any way to boost resistance other than the Ring of Rings? How can you survive corruption-based decks that could add five burdens in a single turn? Do you plan on using a large deck and keeping extra Gandalf

cards ready to discard every turn? What about double moving?

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bibfortuna25

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:26 pm

Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 615 Location: Springfield, OR

He’s nice to have when you’re using a Gandalf

Men deck, so you can start Járnsmid and Brand (or Erland or Ghân-buri-Ghân or whoever) and have Gandalf be available too. Járnsmid can keep the burdens down, as can Shadowfax or Glamdring.

Plus, Gandalf has no skirmish drawback, and since Erland can get back any events you might toss away, it’s not a big problem against most decks.

All cards do what they say.

Kralik

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:29 pm

Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 223 Location:

Thanks Bib,

. Shadowfax, Unequaled Steed does add a good resistance boost. Any one care to post a link to a deck using BoO?

EDIT: Put in wrong Shadowfax. Thanks Dain! Smile

Last edited by Kralik on Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:42 pm; edited 1 time in totalCheck out the LoTR TCG Database! My goal is to create a central resource for all kinds of LotR TCG Information. You can have card titles in your posts AutoLink to the card pictures. Cool

DáinIronfoot

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:33 pm

Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 4594 Location: Beltsville, MD, USA

The reason I think people want to use him is that he’s a big, powerful Ring-bearer that you can throw into a fight and not be too worried. It’s also a great way to get one of the generally most powerful companions in the game into your fellowship for "free". I mean, who wouldn’t want the great but normally costly wizard in their fellowship for no twilight cost, eh?

But yes, he is very easily corrupted. The Ring of Rings, Shadowfax, Unequaled Steed, and Radagast’s Herb Bag can get him up to a very respectable 11 resistance, but you typically still have to devote at least a slice of your deck to peeling burdens off of him.

In a strictly Gandalf

fellowship, which is where most people use him, he’s not quite as bad thanks to the Gandalf

card discarding loophole and other helpers like Jarnsmaid, Barding Emissary and the seemingly-made-for-BoO Watch and Wait. But he’s difficult (at best) to splash into other cultures, which is exactly how I think Decipher wanted him to be. I think they really wanted to encourage all- Gandalf

fellowships which, truth be told, probably wouldn’t be used much at all without him.

With the properly-made deck, you can actually combo him with Radagast and double. One-Upsmanship would probably be a good idea for such decks, removing 2 burdens in each pop. But I personally have never been able to make him work. In fact, I haven’t really made ANY Gandalf BoO decks I like despite numerous attempts. Rolling Eyes

But I’ve SEEN some really good ones, usually of the all- Gandalf

variety, so I know it can be done.

Just don’t ask me how. Laughing

Best regards, Dáin, Vice Aftokrator of the Chosen Ones

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Elessar's Socks

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:43 pm

Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 349 Location:

For BoO decks that don’t have the discarding option, I’ve wondered what it’d be like if the Shadow player declined to play any minions. There goes Foe-hammer and Watch and Wait. Laughing

Maybe he’d work in an Ent deck. Never tried that myself, though... maybe I’ll get around to it.

bibfortuna25

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:44 pm

Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 615 Location: Springfield, OR

Here is the Gandalf Men deck I’ve been tinkering with:

Fellowship (37)
2x *Barliman Butterbur, Red-Faced Landlord(17U16)
1x *Brand, King of Dale(14R5)
2x *Erland, Dale Counselor(11R30)
2x *Ghan-buri-Ghan, Chieftain of the Woses(0P56)
3x *Grimbeorn, Beorning Chieftain(14R6)
1x *Jarnsmid, Barding Emissary(12R30)
3x *Treebeard, Enraged Shepherd(15R38)
4x Watch and Wait(12R35)
4x Guidance of the Istari(17U19)
2x Traveled Leader(12C34)
1x *Alatar, Final Envoy(13U28)
1x *Gwaihir, The Windlord(17R20)
1x *Meneldor, Misty Mountain Eagle(17U22)
2x *Pallando, Far-travelling One(13R37)
2x *Glamdring, Foe-hammer(11R35)
1x *Radagast’s Herb Bag(18R26)
1x *Shadowfax, Unequaled Steed(11U40)
4x Beorning Axe(18R18)

All cards do what they say.

DáinIronfoot

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:46 pm

Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 4594 Location: Beltsville, MD, USA

Elessar’s Socks wrote:

For BoO decks that don’t have the discarding option, I’ve wondered what it’d be like if the Shadow player declined to play any minions. There goes Foe-hammer and Watch and Wait. Laughing

On one of my first attempts with a Gandalf BoO deck, I think it was AP that did exactly that. Yuck.

NBarden

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:30 pm

Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 5468 Location: I don't know...

bibfortuna25 wrote:

Either great minds think alike or you stole my idea.

The Jord had a pretty weird Rohan deck using Gandalf, BoO. It beat me.

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As I lay in bed staring at the stars last night, I thought to myself, "where the heck is the ceiling?"

Spotlight on....Sense of Obligation.

Kralik

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:52 pm

Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Posts: 223 Location:

Thanks to Dain and Bib for giving me some ideas.

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TheJord

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:02 am

Joined: 16 Feb 2007 Posts: 486 Location: UK

Yeah I use a Gandalf, BoO deck with some of the RoS Rohan companions who benefit from having the RB fighting.

I use Merry, Swordthain with Home And Hearth to prevent corruption and to add wounding with Riddermark Javelin. Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom and Unheeded for added wounding and burden or threat removal, to work with Shadowfax, GatM.

Watch and Wait, Shadowfax, GotM and Ease the Burden with Radagast when you are ready to run. I use Radagst’s Herb Bag to boost Gandalf’s resistance.

It is almost impossible to play against corruption.

"The rule of Gondor is mine!"

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