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Pipeweed

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:09 pm

Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 1010 Location: Earth (I think)

--- description ---
It is not very predominant, but it has not disappeared completely. Read Pipeweed’s first article in 3 months, discussing and analyzing a forgotten, but amazing deck which is cheap, fun, and a tank against almost everything!!
--- end description ---

A powerful (and often underestimated) fellowship, Rohandalf is amazingly affordable, playable, and can be used on a regular basis to surprise an opponent. However, since the deck is still not the most popular playing choice, we find it necessary to delve into more detail on the inner workings of the Rohandalf deck, and how to build a competitive deck for casual, and possibly even sanctioned play.

About the Deck:
Before the groundbreaking release of Shadows, Rohandalf decks were used even less than they are now. They were not able to set up as quickly, and weren’t as powerful over all. The new version of this deck is able to set up before site 3, cycle through a larger deck using muster, and successfully stop most if not all shadow sides.

The new Rohandalf is exceptionally powerful in most if not all aspects, so let’s look at the deck, and break it down.

Starting Fellowship:
Frodo, protected by many
The One Ring, such a weight to carry
Gamling, Defender of the Hornburg
Eomer, third marshall of riddermark

Draw Deck (36)
Gandalf, leader of the company x4
Eowyn, lady of rohan
Theoden, King of the Eorlingas x2
Legolas, Greenleaf
Riders of the mark
Sam, samwise the brave
Eomer’s spear
Firefoot
Rider’s spear
Brego
Hearken to me
Narya
Glamdring, foe-hammer
Gandalf’s staff
Sting, bane of the eight legs
A Wizard is never late
Simbelmyne x4
Barliman butterbur, prancing pony proprietor
Herugrim, Sword of the Mark
Terrible and evil x2
Servant of the Secret Fire x2
Honorable charge x3
Sleep caradhras

General Concepts:

The deck may seem a tad bit large at first glance, but coupled with Frodo’s muster and Theoden’s as well, it cycles at a good rate and allows for more useful cards to come into play.

In this section, rather than analyzing an in-depth strategy, I will attempt to cover the basic concepts of the deck.

1. Do not be afraid to flood the pool early. This will enable you to choke later in the game.
2. Key cards to play early are Simbelmyne, all possessions, companions and conditions. This deck really has to set up as fast as possible.
3. Remember to always use Gamling’s ability
4. There are 8 companions. The four that should always be put in play are Frodo, Gandalf, Theoden, Eomer and Gamling. The others can be used for protecting against swarms, or discarded.

Strategy:

Now I’ll work on analyzing the finer aspects of the deck. The deck is loaded with possessions and artifacts for general play here is my opinion on the correct pairing of them with their owners:

Eomer: Firefoot, Eomer’s Spear
Gamling: Rider’s Spear, Brego (if Eowyn is not it play)
Eowyn: Brego
Frodo: Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs
Theoden: Herugrim (along with Hearken to me)
Gandalf: Glamdring, foe-hammer, Gandalf’s staff, narya

This pairing can change depending on what kind of deck you are playing, but I find that it works very well in general.

Relating to other aspects of the deck, Sleep Caradhras should always be saved for 1 or two turns, and think very carefully about when to play or discard it. I often have almost lost a game with this deck by not considering what to do with that very card.

Like said in the General Concepts section, this deck is very versatile and has lots of companions, but rarely should all of them be in play at once. It’s nice to have a wide array of them in order to stop different decks, but 8 companions on the table is very risky. If you find your hand clogged early in the game, play all the companions you can. Clogging your hand early will ruin this deck at times. You usually want to set up fast, and then choke after site 3 or 4. Remember, you can always sacrifice “excess” companions later in the game, but don’t let them sit in your hand.

Many other points can be analyzed in this deck, but between this and the previous section, you should know all about how to effectively play this deck.

Matchups:

Corruption: Pretty easy to beat. Try to get Sam and Foe-hammer out as soon as possible. If the corruption poses a threat early on, you’ll have to choke though, which might lead to trouble later on in the game.

Swarm: This one is usually pretty easy. You’ve got 8 companions. Use your head.

Beatdown: Since beatdown decks usually cost a lot, they will only threaten you earlier in the game, rather than later, when you choke. Just play carefully on the first three sites.

Bomb: Usually not a threat at all. Bomb’s usually require at least [10] twilight, and you’ll only give that out in Region 3, when you’re all set up.

Direct Wounding/Archery: Of all the shadow sides to play with this deck, this is probably the worst. Eowyn and Brego are used to heal, but they can’t last the entire game. Be VERY careful when playing these two decks.

Shadow Pairings:

When it comes to pairing this deck with a shadow side, many sides work, because of the versatility of the deck, but I find that swarms and bombs are best, because of the incredible power of muster. I personally pair it with an Uruk Swarm/Bomb utilizing new and old uruks. I play all my FP cards early, and cycle through my hand with discarding and muster. At site 5 I drop a bomb of about 7-9 minions, and the game usually ends.

Other Cool Cards:

If I were to add some other cards these might be on the list:

Power According to His Stature or Second Breakfast
Another Sleep Caradhras or Final Account
Bow of the Galadhrim
Hobbit Sword
Grim Trophy
Horse of Great Stature

Sites:

Almost any sites work with this deck, but ones to consider are these:

Harrowdale
Heights of Isengard

Those can help against beatdown or swarms.

Conclusion:

What can I say? My first article in 2 or 3 months. I’m a little rusty but I hope you learned something from this article, about an often underestimated FP side, that is versatile, fun to play, and relatively cheap.

In conclusion, I’d like to say it’s good to be back and I look forward to spending more time on CC.

PW

Last edited by Pipeweed on Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:22 pm; edited 2 times in totalPipeweed's Haves/Wants: 100 NEW RARES!!
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Cycle Engine
Joe Meets God: A Humorous Article on a Budget

http://fxhome.com/userref.php/11923

Glamdring

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:53 pm

Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 575 Location:

Nice deck. I’ll give you a 4. Wink

Pipeweed

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:55 pm

Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 1010 Location: Earth (I think)

Thanks. I have no problem with that. It’s been a while Wink

Pipeweed's Haves/Wants: 100 NEW RARES!!
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Cycle Engine
Joe Meets God: A Humorous Article on a Budget

http://fxhome.com/userref.php/11923

sickofpalantirs

Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 7:30 am

Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 7750 Location: somwhere, over the rainbow way up high. There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.

good article just felt it needed a little more play by play to like site 3 that would have been cool like what you would play on site 1 and stuff

IDK that might not work to well. Very Happy

Sop's haves/ top wants Exclamation

(mm)"SoP: you will always be the Official CC Spammer in my heart"
"DáinIronfoot"
Spammers really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month. And yet, after a hundred years, they can still surprise you. Razz

CarpeGuitarrem

Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 9:34 pm

Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 3361 Location: Franciscan University of Steubenville

Not a bad article, a little short (maybe I’m getting used to Felipe-sized articles! Razz

).

Quick note right now: Final Account is on the X-list, so it can’t be in Expanded format, which is the one format you referenced.

"ok, change of plans. the Cobracards christmas party is coming to my house, and we’re gunna teach FM how to hunt." (mm)

elf lvr

Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:15 pm

Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 3065 Location: Rivendell

I don’t think you really went into the point or strategy of the deck that much. I would also love to see examples of HOW this deck is cheap... You said a bit about how and when to play some cards, but not much about the overall strategy, combos, and cards of the deck. I would have to click the link to every card and do my best to imagine why you included them in the deck, whose purpose I hardly know. I’d like to know how this deck beats minions, how it helps its shadow side, why you chose the companions you did, why the strategy of this deck is effective... That’s kinda the thing I hope to get out of an article.

But anyways, its your first one since getting back, so...

Happy Hunting! Elf Lvr
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Archduke Elf Lvr - Archidoux of the Chosen Ones
AMV Maker In-Training! Check out my newest production, Katsu!- A Diedara Tribute!
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Felipe Musco

Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 2:35 pm

Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 2434 Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil

CarpeGuitarrem wrote:

Not a bad article, a little short (maybe I’m getting used to Felipe-sized articles! Razz

Sorry, CG, I’ll make it shorter next month, I promise!
Yeah, Pipeweed, elf lvr suggested that I added prices to some decks (I did it with my MTG article on Standard, and to my Block article on FotR), and I got some very positive feedback, adds a nice touch to the article. Since you actually state that it’s a cheap deck, maybe you could list the price to make it, here on Cobra Cards. Not the price for each card, that’s not THAT necessary (but since it’s only one decklist, it could work...).
Other than that, well, I was a sucker for Rohan during Tower Block, so, YAY Riders! Very Happy

I don't like YOU.

bobtheorc

Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 3:51 pm

Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 1218 Location: Wow, its hot in Iowa

Nice article pipeweed. It did feel a bit on the short side, but overall good job.
My main points were made by FM and Elf lvr, just include some prices and maybe some more strategy.

Ban the Overpowered Orcs Exclamation

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