Realm of Dwarrodelf / Swarm

[Cw0rk]

Ring-bearer: Frodo, Old Bilbo's Heir
Ring: The One Ring, Isildur's Bane

Adventure deck:
Hobbiton Party Field
Trollshaw Forest
Council Courtyard
Mithril Mine
The Bridge of Khazad-dum
Dimrill Dale
Anduin Wilderland
Shores of Nen Hithoel
Tol Brandir

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
4x Dwarf Guard
3x Farin, Dwarven Emissary
3x Fror, Gimli's Kinsman
1x Gimli, Son of Gloin
3x Gloin, Friend to Thorin
1x Sam, Son of Hamfast
2x Thrarin, Dwarven Smith
1x Bilbo, Well-spoken Gentlehobbit
2x Bounder
2x Book of Mazarbul
3x Dwarven Axe
4x Dwarven Bracers
1x Gimli's Battle Axe
2x Gimli's Helm
4x Hand Axe
2x Sting
3x Axe Strike
3x Disquiet of Our People
2x Hobbit Stealth
4x Beneath the Mountains
4x Great Works Begun There
2x Make Light of Burdens
4x Mines of Khazad-Dum
4x Realm of Dwarrowdelf
4x Till Durin Wakes Again

Shadow Draw Deck:
4x Isengard Forger
4x Isengard Shaman
4x Isengard Warrior
3x Uruk Scout
4x Goblin Backstabber
1x Goblin Flankers
4x Goblin Runner
4x Goblin Scavengers
2x Goblin Scrabbler
2x Goblin Warrior
4x Moria Scout
1x The Balrog, Durin's Bane
1x The Balrog, Flame of Udun
1x Troll's Keyward
4x Orc Ambusher
2x Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul
2x Úlairë Nertëa, Messenger of Dol Guldur
4x Goblin Scimitar
3x Host of Thousands
3x Saruman's Snows
4x Goblin Armory
3x Relics of Moria
4x They Are Coming

Strategy
Bid high to play first and get Bilbo out. Afterward, just use Realm of Dwarrodelf to win most skirmishes with your dwarves. Beneath the Mountain is quite useful to play the weapons that you will discard by doing so. Mines of Khazad-Dun provides massive healing.

The shadow side is a classic Moria Swarm deck with support from Isengard Warrior and other Izzy Orcs vs archery fellowships. Use Saruman's Snows carefully. Site 7 is also a key site vs archery decks. Site 8 can be useful to stop your opponent. Orc Ambusher is there for site 9, Uruk Scout also if you have Saruman's Snows.

[ket_the_jet]

I would have a third and fourth Goblin Swarms in the place of Goblin Warrior and Goblin Archer. If you only run one copy of Goblin Warrior, the odds of you knocking out Greatest Kingdom of My People is very slim anyways.

I run 3 copies of Goblin Swarms in a 36 card Shadow side...I can't imagine running fewer in a 65 card Shadow.

Also, safety companions like Aragorn, Ranger of the North might come handy in a pinch!
-wtk

[sharkey]

Realm is a bad card... I used to play a deck like this in fellowship and it didn't work. You are going to have 9 strength dwarves until you deck out. You won't pull your other support card because you'll discard them. I speak from experience. One skirmish phase using that to max your dwarf's strength is going to discard 45 cards, assuming all your dwarves are out and have no support (which is likley). You also want draw too many companions, because you'll be discarding them all.

[ket_the_jet]

Delving and the Red Book could help you draw some stuff!
-wtk

[Cw0rk]

Realm is a bad card... I used to play a deck like this in fellowship and it didn't work. You are going to have 9 strength dwarves until you deck out. You won't pull your other support card because you'll discard them. I speak from experience. One skirmish phase using that to max your dwarf's strength is going to discard 45 cards, assuming all your dwarves are out and have no support (which is likley). You also want draw too many companions, because you'll be discarding them all.

From my own experience, Realm is awesome... you have to use it at the right moment (ex. to double-move). Otherwise your dwarves can just take some wounds and be healed with Mines of Khazad-Dum. It's quite obvious that if you use Realm of Dwarrodelf every site to win every skirmish, your draw deck will be empty quite fast.

[sharkey]

Still... it's workable, but they are gonna get beat up bad. If you run into a balrog/cave troll combo... it not gonna end pretty.

[Cw0rk]

This has always been one of my favorite deck to use in FOTR block. I believe that Realm of Dwarrowdelf is underrated.

I just have edited it. Main strategy is still in the first post.

I added Great Work Begun Here x4. With this, I can grab Axe Strike to beat bigger minions and Disquiet of Our People against swarm.

It is now 70/70 but I can deck out at site 9 with it.

[Cw0rk]

Here is a replay link of a game I won in which both the Fellowship and the Shadow did well.

http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=c10ckw0rk$dxstxg76t6ga6goe

I recently added Uruk Scout as a way to be sure to be able to play Saruman's Snows if needed at site 9.

So far the deck is 48-8.

[TheNinthPlayer]

Yeah, swarms seems like a necessary add here.  Seems good otherwise.