Weather Isengard

[ket_the_jet]

Originally, I wanted to make a weather deck. Then I realized that Saruman's Snows is the only universally helpful Weather condition.

Saruman, Servant of the Eye x3
Orc Commander x3
Isengard Retainer x3
Isengard Servant x3
Isengard Shaman x4
Isengard Smith x2
Isengard Warrior x3
Tower Assassin x2

Isengard Axe x3

A Fell Voice On the Air x2
Tower of Orthanc x2
Trapped And Alone x2
Saruman's Snows x3

The Trees Are Strong x3

Key Sites:
Pass of Caradhras
Caras Galadhon*
Wastes of Emyn Muil

At 38 cards, it is a little bigger than I usually like. But I figure combining it with a Pipeweed deck could help cycle. Abandoning Reason For Madness might be a good idea too, but we'll see...
-wtk

[Cw0rk]

I think Wizard Storm would do a better job with your Izzy Orcs. It has a huge stopping power. Saruman's snows can still be good I guess, but I used to have it in more 'swarm-oriented' shadows.

[sharkey]

Yeah, wizard storm at site 6 plus Anduin Banks at site 7 is mean. Esp. if you can play a strong uruk or 2, they are down for the count.

[sharkey]

Yeah, it's sad. Who will post comments on your deck? I'll see what I can do, hold on...

[sharkey]

Nice! I like the emphasis this deck has on wounding and exertions. You may want to add trackers and Under the Watching Eye. It gives some nice additional exertions to your deck. That and Wizard Storm and Anduin Banks will make this a mean deck. Good Job, I like this deck!

Of course, it doesn't work as well against Gandalf and Dwarves, and to an extent Elves. But it should still work well.

[sharkey]

Oh, and this wold be amazing with Lurtz, Minion of the White Wizard, if you were playing it in a different format.

[ket_the_jet]

Oh, and this wold be amazing with Lurtz, Minion of the White Wizard, if you were playing it in a different format.

I don't actually play this deck. I just wanted to build a weather deck and realized most weather conditions sucked. I do, however, play an Orc deck with Wizard Storm on GCCG.
-wtk

[sharkey]

I find most to be very annoying to deal with. You really have to plan out the site path like Anduin Banks and Silverlode Banks. By site 7 or 8, everyone is exhausted again. And then you can discard orcs to kill who's left.

[jdizzy001]

I like how you mixed weather with orcs.  This is clever, I always used uruks. But, ket is right, weather decks are tough to use.  All they are good for is slowing down a fellowship.

[Cw0rk]

One way I could see weather cards to be really useful would be in a discard deck.

Most people's strategy vs a discard deck would be to play nothing and run. If you play Uruk Discard with Wizard storm, this may force your opponent to stop.

[ket_the_jet]

Wizard Storm is quite good if you are a running fellowship and you don't want your opponent to catch up. But you need great free people cycling and good Shadow cycling (I believe that Abandoning Reason for Madness gives great Shadow cycling...I don't leave home without it!)

On record, I use ARfM in my Orc deck and my Uruk deck.
-wtk

[Gil-Estel]

ARfM is a good card, to get rid of extra's in your fellowship. Also longbottom's leaf is good, since you said you would be running a pipeweed deck.

[5tein]

I'd definitely cut down to 30 - 32 and use Weather Storm rather than Snows. The plot, then, is to slow the opponent down so your Freeps can win (because black Orcs almost never kill).

Re. Snows, what skirmish events abilities will they be using that destroy your orcs? It's usually just effective for swam strategies, but it's been a while since I played Fship block.

So I'd drop 1 A Fell Voice on the Air, 1 Tower Assassin, 1 Trees are Strong
Go with 4 Retainers and Warriors over the Shamans. Shamans are cool if you have the twilight, but I don't think that will happen in Fship block (besides, they're easy to overwhelem outright).

That shaves of 5 cards, which is a pretty good start.

I've never played with the axes and black orcs, though they're not awful and can help against choke, I suppose (but Runners could soak up Archery).