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hblika
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:18 am
Joined: 20 Jul 2005 Posts: 287 Location: Norway
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A look at the many versions of Gollum, with tips on how to use him effectively in a variety of decks.
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This is one of Henrik’s old feature articles, which is being added to the forum database to help us keep our strategy section more organized. This article is NOT eligible for the contest, but feel free to rate and review it!

One of my all-time favorite LOTR TCG minions is Gollum. The little bugger can be added to a wide variety of decks, and can be the difference between “pain” and “run-over-by-an-eighteen-wheeler-pain”. Gollum is the minion that can do it all, whether it be soaking up archery wounds, adding threats and burdens, taking advantage of initiative, or just exerting and wounding you to death. This article will explore a few ways to use Gollum to enhance your shadow side.

Back in the days when the Battle of Helm’s Deep expansion was introduced, Gollum just didn’t have enough good support cards to make him a viable minion to include in a deck. The Ents of Fangorn set improved that to some extent with the card They Stole It, but it was not until LOTR TCG’s Return of the King block that we could see the shapes of the powerhouse Gollum was about to become. The addition of the threat and initiative mechanics suddenly made Gollum part of a viable package you could include in quite a few decks. Although Gollum is certainly not an imposing minion all by himself, once he gets his load of support cards, he can really make a difference when used right.

My favorite Gollum ever is maybe one of the most overlooked. I don’t think anyone has jumped with joy when they pulled Gollum, Plotting Deceiver as the rare card in a booster pack. Looking at various online LOTR TCG shops, you can buy this highly underrated minion for next to nothing.

For those of you unfamiliar with Plotting Deceiver’s game text, it says: “If you have initiative during the Shadow phase, you may play this minion from your discard pile.” Combined with events and conditions like Hobbitses Are Dead and Let Her Deal With Them, you could give your opponent a nasty surprise. And the really good thing? You don’t need to clog your hand, since all these cards can be played from your discard pile. I can’t think of a better way to use those few extra twilight you might have lying around.

Or maybe you have an Evil-smelling Fens in play, to pull that last, important minion from your discard pile. Certainly more cost-effective than for example the Morgul Squealer, especially since Gollum is still on the table after using Evil-smelling Fens.

Gollum also loves to tease the Ring-bearer. With Reflections came Gollum, Dark as Darkness, who can help you in so many ways. Need to exert the Ring-bearer to boost your Morgul Whelp, or maximize the effect of Gorbag, Covetous Captain? Maybe an extra exertion with your Ninja Gollum build? Do you need that one extra twilight to play another minion? Or some extra twilight when the fellowship double-moves? This Gollum does it all. Try using Dark as Darkness with a Twilight Witch-king build, either to outright kill the Ring-bearer or to corrupt him. Resistance Becomes Unbearable just got so much easier to play, and you just might start using The Twilight World and Wraith-world, too. Very combo intensive, but all the more fun when you pull it off. Sit back and enjoy watching your friend’s face as you pile on the burdens!

Gollum, Stinker is a given in many corruption decks. He will only grow stronger as the game progresses, and can even chip in with a couple of burdens himself using his gametext, or with Nasty, Foul Hobbitses. Gollum, Mad Thing is also a good fit in such a deck. Making the Free Peoples player choose between making Gollum strength +3 (good) or adding a burden (better) will serve your purpose very well. Both of these Gollums are of course seen in Ninja Gollum builds as well.

Adding threats is possibly one of the easiest things you can do with Gollum. With a Fat One Wants It on the table, and playing Gollum, Vile Creature with Captured by the Ring, you automatically have a strength 11 minion for only 2 twilight -- not too shabby. If you manage to play a Plotting as well, Gollum could win over almost any companion your opponent has on the table.

With the release of the War of the Ring block, the Gollum culture has received another cast of supporting cards which have quickly become cornerstones in any deck using Gollum. Most noticeable is Incited from the Shadows set. With this great condition, a Ninja Gollum player with a You’re a Liar and a Thief in hand can kill two companions in a single skirmish, provided They Stole It and Promise Keeping are already on the table. There are few (if any) cultures that can match such devastating killing power.

Another great card from the same set is Led Astray. For the grand cost of 2 twilight (Gollum’s twilight cost), you get 3 additional twilight, and the possibility to exchange one of your sites on the adventure path. A single card dealing with choke and site manipulation. Turning your Gollum into a Goblin Runner is nothing to scoff at!

So, on to my favorite Gollum-culture card from the latest set. Bloodlines gave us Trap is Sprung, and just like that, the Gollum corruption strategy got so much better. For those of you unfamiliar with this strategy, it’s basically a Ninja Gollum shadow based on burden adding instead of wounding. Gollum, Stinker and Nasty, Foul Hobbitses are cornerstones in such a build, and Trap is Sprung will just add to this terrific burden engine. The new Bloodlines sites Abandoned Mine Shaft and Courtyard Parapet will just add to this already potent combo (especially when used together with the already mentioned Led Astray). Adding burdens were never this easy, and I will definitely be making a Gollum Turbo-Corruption deck in the near future.

Of course, almost any deck with Gollum as the main character requires a strong Gollum, to be sure he wins his skirmish. Bloodlines gives us another great card to ensure that. Chasm’s Edge is a non-unique condition that makes Gollum strength +1 for each Ring-bound companion you can spot. Considering how popular Sam, Bilbo and Smeagol are in today’s meta, don’t be surprised if each copy of this condition gives Gollum at least a +2 strength boost. Combining this with Slippery as Fishes makes Gollum a minion not easily defeated.

The genius of Gollum is his versatility. With so many cards to play him from your discard pile and draw deck, you only need to include one copy of each Gollum version you want, pulling just the right one when you need him. He can fit in with any culture, and since you get a lot for the pool available, I find it easy to justify the card slots you need for the basic Gollum package.

My favorite Shadow side of all time is a Morgul Orc Archery build I made some time ago, utilizing Gollum in combination with the Morgul Orcs from the Siege of Gondor set. It’s not really a regular archery deck, dishing out a few wounds every turn; instead, it sets up for a massive barrage of archery fire at the later sites.


LOTR TCG Shadow decklist: Morgul Orc Archery

3x Gothmog, Morgul Commander
4x Morgul Creeper
4x Morgul Ambusher
4x Morgul Lurker
1x Gollum, Plotting Deceiver
1x Gollum, Mad Thing

4x Captured by the Ring
2x Flung Into the Fray
3x Fat One Wants it
2x Evil-smelling Fens
2x Streaming to the Field
2x Heavy Burden


The key to this deck is to use the first 4-5 sites to set up your conditions, and let Gollum do his work. I always play Plotting Deceiver first, just to get him in the discard pile where he belongs.

To get this Shadow to work you’ll need 3 threats, 3 burdens, and initiative, and Gollum will help you achieve or take advantage of all these things. Captured by the Ring and Fat One Wants it will easily get you the threats you need. Gollum, Mad Thing is there to add burdens, either by having the Free Peoples player add a burden to assign him, or by discarding him with Heavy Burden.

When everything is set, you unload a horde of relatively cheap minions, thus gaining initiative with Streaming to the Field. Out of nowhere (well, the discard pile) Gollum, Plotting Deceiver appears, exerts twice, and plays another minion with Evil-smelling Fens for another +2 to the archery total. If you’re lucky enough to get enough twilight to play Gothmog as well, most of your minions will provide +3 to the archery total! Once your opponent has placed all the archery and threat wounds, chances are he or she will have so few companions left that you can swarm the Ring-bearer. How’s that for synergy?

The drawback to this Shadow is that it relies heavily on conditions, and requires a bit of twilight to work. But hey, every LOTR TCG deck has its weaknesses, right? This Shadow requires careful planning and good playing skills in order to fulfill its potential, and that alone makes it a very worthwhile deck to try out.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article, and remember to look to Gollum the next time you’re making a new deck!
I'm not stupid. I'm just unlucky when I'm thinking.

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