Sam the Brave Takes it All The Way!!!!

[Chang]

ok, before you go on to rip this apart, there are only 4, yes FOUR companions. i know you all dont seem to like that and the strat of this deck is to get it to 3 anyways. this deck works. I got the idea from Bibfortuna25 when we played a tourny way back when only FOTR block existed. he used alot more comps, i just did my own twist to it. Its choke, this works super well in FOTR block, and you can throw stuff from the new sets to make it fun as well.


Frodo, Resolute Hobbit
The One Ring, The Ring of Rings

Sam, Faithful Companion
Aragorn, Heir to the White City
Arwen, Elven Rider

Aragorn's Bow x2
Ranger's Sword x2
Athelas x2
Armor
Bill the Pony x2
Salt from the Shire
Thror's Map
Hobbit Sword (Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs)
Knife of the Galadhrim
Gwemegil
Elven Bow

No Stranger to the Shadows x2
Nine-Fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom x2
Gondor's Vengeance x2
Dagger Strike x4
Swordsman of the Northern Kingdom x4


the idea is to bid 7-8, go first, pull aragorn with Prancing Pony, kill frodo off at site nine to make sam the ringbearer and clear away your burdens, then choke all the way to site 9. i like to use Moria or Uruk Swarm to make sure i move through the deck, and i guess if you want you could throw another ranger in there to add another comp. its a super fun deck, and bidding 8 really gets your opponent curious.

[ket_the_jet]

Pretty cool idea. Personally, I would run a few cheap allies and The Last Alliance of Elves and Men for Aragorn.

Instead of Salt From the Shire, you could run The Phial of Galadriel for a resistance bonus and then the deck would be Movie Block (albeit several X-ed cards).
-wtk

[Chang]

yeah, i just got Salt from the Shire so i wanted to give it a try. ive always used the Phial in the past.

Which Allies?

[ket_the_jet]

Orophin, Lorien Bowman and Rumil, Elven Protector will keep you alive during a sick swarm.
-wtk

[Chang]

darn good idea. im going to see how to make those changes. thanks ket.

[ket_the_jet]

Also, I think I like Sam, Resolute Halfling might be a better idea (although Bill the Pony is a nice card, I don't think Sam, Faithful Companion is worth it).

What would you think about making this Movie Block compatible? Aragorn, Ranger of the North as opposed to Aragorn, Heir to the White City, lose the 2 copies of No Stranger to the Shadows (Elven Allies, replacing) and a few copies of Secret Sentinels would be helpful too.

Between Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Aragorn's Bow, Athelas, Ranger's Sword, Knife of the Galadhrim, and Armor, watch out for Grima, Wormtongue!
-wtk

[Chang]

you mean resolute halfling?

[ket_the_jet]

you mean resolute halfling?

Yeah, sorry. Added some thoughts above.
-wtk

[jdizzy001]

You could cut down on skirmish events to add in the condition discarding stuff. 

[ket_the_jet]

I think I like Pursuit Just Behind better than Gondor's Vengeance. Just an opinion thing. Dagger Strike is nice because it helps Aragorn and Sam, but what do you think about Arwen's Fate as another event? Or a few copies of One Whom Men Would Follow or Swan-Ship of the Galadhrim to get some allies involved with fighting? Can't go wrong with Thrarin, Dwarven Smith!
-wtk

[Chang]

more good ideas. man, its for this reason i always have to weed 40 cards to 30-33 cards. haha

[ket_the_jet]

Here would be my Movie Block take on this deck:
Frodo, Resolute Hobbit
The One Ring, Answer to All Riddles
Sam, Resolute Halfling
Arwen, Elven Rider

Aragorn, Ranger of the North x4
Boromir, Son of Denethor (road bump/swarm protection)
Faramir, Son of Denethor (road bump/swarm protection)

Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood (can heal Arwen or an ally each turn)
Celeborn, Lord of Lorien
Rumil, Elven Protector
Orophin, Lorien Bowman
Thrarin, Dwarven Smith

Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs x2
Anduril, Flame of the West x2
Gwemegil x2
Asfaloth, Elven Steed
Coat of Mail

The Last Alliance of Elves and Men x2
There and Back Again x2

Swan-Ship of the Galadhrim x3
Dagger Strike x3
Swordsman of the Northern Kingdom x3

That's 34 I think. I don't know how good that would be. I'd rather just do the "kill Frodo, run Sam, and have a lot of other cool goodies going on in the deck" as opposed to the semi-choke/Elven Allies idea.

Oh yeah, need to fit in Secret Sentinels...oops...don't know.
-wtk

[ket_the_jet]

Or, even better!

Frodo, Resolute Hobbit with The One Ring, Answer to All Riddles
Merry, Friend To Sam
Pippin, Wearer of Black and Silver
Gandalf, Leader of Men

Sam, Resolute Halfling
Gandalf, Manager of Wizards

Bounder x2
Bilbo, Retired Adventurer
Barliman Butterbur, Prancing Pony Proprietor

Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs
Orc Armor
Brace of Coneys x2

There and Back Again x2
Birthday Present x3
Sent Back
The Tale of the Great Ring

Saved From the Fire x4
Servant of the Secret Fire x4
Impatient and Angry x4

That's 32 cards. Use Saved From the Fire on Gandalf, Leader of Men in the first turn to grab Saved From the Fire, Gandalf, Manager of Wizards, and Sent Back. Play Sent Back and Gandalf, Manager of Wizards...because you are going to site two, you can afford the extra twilight despite the weak companions. Don't move again unless you can without risk (i.e., the Hobbits stay alive).

Use the second Saved From the Fire to burn Pippin, Wearer of Black and Silver and grab Sam, Resolute Halfing, Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs, and Birthday Present (or Bilbo, Retired Adventurer if you stumbled across Birthday Present already).

Use Birthday Present to recycle Impatient and Angry. With Merry's help (until you make him a speed bump), Sam should be strong enough to live (although he will take his lumps). Kill Frodo whenever you like and let Sam take it from there.

Uruk-Hai will destroy this deck, like it does for any solo Ring-Bearer or small fellowship deck because those damage bonuses are brutal.

There is not much in terms of burden removal (Brace of Coneys and Impatient and Angry being it) and part of me thought that this would be cool with pipeweeds and Gandalf's Pipe, but pipeweed decks are usually large and this deck should not be (Saved From the Fire, and all...)

Between Manager of Wizard's gametext and Saved From the Fire and Impatient and Angry, well, I think you'll be okay.
-wtk

[Chang]

yeah, its all cool beans. but i like choke... cool ideas though.

[Gil-Estel]

Narrow Escape works too. Always want to make something with Straining Towards Us, Deft in their Movements, Gaffer's Pipe, just make everything go away ...choking is cool.