Solo Smeagol

[Gerontius]

Finally, I got ahold of a copy of Smeagol, BOGS. Unfortunately, I'm still missing a couple important cards, which explains some of the strange card choices.

Smeagol, BOGS w/ green ring

Safe Passage x2
Gladden Homestead
Fishing Boat
Poor Wretch x4
There's another Way x2
Follow Smeagol x2
Softly up behind
Not Listening x3
Still far Ahead x2
Clever Hobbits x2
Where shall we Go x2
Duality x4
Naked Waste x4


Shadow

Shelob, Last Child of Ungoliant x3
Shelob, Eater of Light
Gollum, Old Villain x4
Web x3
Larder x4
Spider Poison x3
Horribly Strong x2
Orc Soldier x4
Orc Hunters x4
Mordor Defender x4
Mordor Regular x3
Mordor Savage x2
Orc Scouting Band x3


Free Peoples just has to choke, and control the site path. 4x Duality should be swapped out, but I don't know if I have anything useful to replace it with.
Shadow side is designed to get rid of every shadow card in hand by the regroup phase, using Gollum and Larder. I can play orcs if I want to, to pick up threats and extra wounds. A large angry shelob is there to annoy, and can attack every turn thanks to Web.

[ket_the_jet]

Am I missing something that this wouldn't just be in expanded?
-wtk

[Gerontius]

It could go in expanded, but I didn't think it was quite competitive enough in its present state. I'll probably move it later.

[legolas3333]

why does everyone hate on duality it's a good card if used as your first fellowship action

[Smeagollum]

Well I would concider this. I think it's more stable.

Gladden Homestead x3
Nasty x4
Fishing Boat x2
Poor Wretch x4
There's Another Way x4
Still far Ahead x4
Where shall we Go x2
Naked Waste x4
Nice Fish x4

And maybe one Radagast.


Regards, jw

[TheJord]

why does everyone hate on duality it's a good card if used as your first fellowship action

It's a cycle help... and Safe Passage removes twilight better.

[Gerontius]

Really, at the moment I don't have cards in my collection that would help this free peoples. I do have 4x Hidden Knowledge, though. Do you think I should put those in?
More importantly, can anyone give some feedback on the Shadow?

[ket_the_jet]

More importantly, can anyone give some feedback on the Shadow?

Either go with four copies of Shelob, Eater of Light (tank Shelob) or four copies of Shelob, Her Ladyship (Ninja Gollum/Paralyzing Shelob).

How does Hidden Knowledge help you?
-wtk

[TheJord]

I think it is Out of all Knowledge he means

[Gwaihir]

Fat One Wants It and Captured By the Ring work really well to add threats, and are probably an easier and certainly cheaper way to accomplish that goal than those orcs are.  They Stole It can move unwanted shadow cards out of your had effectively, and lets you do the wounding you have those orcs doing.

[Gil-Estel]

You need more threat adders indeed. For the Spider Poison you need them, and I love the Poison. You need it because before Shelob is overwhelming a character it can take some time. My advice would be to run the exert/wound orcs and more copies of Eater of Light (if you have them ofcourse), maybe Desert Lord to exert Uri, or another damage plus Dwarf to avoid BRC.
If you are going with the Sauron Orcs, please use 2 copies of Hate...that is just marvelous!

[Smeagollum]

I understand what you try to do with your shadow, but I think you don't need to ad threats with mordor orcs, you do enough with gollum, captured and Fat one wants it. If you want to play filmblock-shadow I think following is interesting:

3x Gollum, Stinker
1x Gollum dark as darkness
4x They Stole It
2x Promise keeping
4x Captured by the ring
2x Fat one wants it
2x Isengard Smith
4x Isengard Warior
2x Saruman, Servant of the Eye
4x Orc Commander
2x Desert Lord

You add threats with : Captured by the ring,  Fat one wants it
You add burdens for if the rb get assigned and take on the ring to prevents wounds with they stole it with Gollum (he will take burdens instead which will make your gollum stronger and if he wins then you add a burden, so you can also corrupt your opponent's rb.
Dessert Lord is allways nice to give some wounds and it's a strong minion. So a possible 3 wounds, 2 exertions for almost sure (He might skip the archeryphase somehow).
They stole it give wounds. If rb is a hobbit even 2 wounds. And when rb    wants to prevent this then you'll add burdens. It also cycle your hand faster. your deck might be a little to thin for this.
With promisekeeping you'll also exert when gollum gives a wound (also threatwounds)
but why the Isengard minions?! Well actually you will do serious damage in the regroup phase. Concider you have done wounds on the rb; If he has 3 wounds on the rb then you are able to use the warior's abillety (this one also protects your gollum in the archery pahse). If you also have a commander in action then you will add another 3 wounds. If opponent's comps are exhausted then you'll kill comps. With Saruman you make sure that you'll assign one of the orcs so you'll able to use their abillities. With the smits you make sure you can ditch some possesions.
As said the deck might be a little to thin for this, because you'll cycle very fast. So concider to extend with some cards: one or 2 x Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul
would be very nice. And I would concider 1x You're a Liar and a Thief. adn  maybe an Evil smelling fens.

Just imagine follwing combo with allready They stole it, fat one wants it and promise keeping on table:
play gollum with captured (2 threats), Saruman, Servant of the Eye, Orc Commander and Isengard Warior. And You're a Liar and a Thief in hand. Total cost is 15 twilight. So If you need twilight then you can us Gollum, dad if there are some burdens to get some extra twillight.
Make sure you'll kill a comp. exert the rb with the threatwounds. Use You're a Liar and a Thief to add another wound as response on some comp and exert the rb again. He will now have 3 wounds on the rb. Use warios in the regroup (make sure you assign him to a weak comp with saruman). And if there is still enough vitality use the commander in the regroup.

Well just an idea I actually like....

regards, jw

[Gerontius]

Your deck is fine, smeagollum, but I don't think it would work well with this free peoples. Frankly, this shadow was meant to empty itself of cards every turn. To slow down the enemy, Shelob with web and larder was put in. Every turn you play Shelob, then stack her on web and discard all your extra orcs with larder. The tokens will make Shelob an actual threat, as well as Shelob, LCoU's damage +1 effect.

[Smeagollum]

Your deck is fine, smeagollum, but I don't think it would work well with this free peoples. Frankly, this shadow was meant to empty itself of cards every turn. To slow down the enemy, Shelob with web and larder was put in. Every turn you play Shelob, then stack her on web and discard all your extra orcs with larder. The tokens will make Shelob an actual threat, as well as Shelob, LCoU's damage +1 effect.

I know the deck you are mentioning. bAck then I was the first who played Gollum/shelob in a tournament.