Rohan/Isengard Trackers

[ket_the_jet]

I think that increasing the number of Farmer Maggot, Chaser of Rascals from one to two suffices nicely, as I really don't need him until site 3 and on. I prefer a strength 7 Merry to a strength 5 Merry, and I can always grab Merry's Sword with Simbelmyne.

So it was actually the opposite of a pointless change.
-wtk

Edit: I thought about being tricky, but Frodo's Pipe is the only card that heals characters with the Frodo signet. Hobbit Appetite is garbage and Stout and Sturdy isn't really helpful enough. Store Room would be perfect if I ran Gandalf, but I don't and I'm not going to. Birchseed, Tall Statesman or Pippin, Hobbit of Some Intelligence would be superfluous. Those are pretty much my other Hobbit Healing options. Pass.

[Witchkingx5]

... but if you can get another Merry's Sword with Simbelmyne anyway, why do you have to start a strength 5 Merry then? You said that you lost Merry at Site 2 against a strength 7 minion. But as you have 4x Simbelmyne and 2x Merry's Sword, those were just bad draws. You can see it the either way, or the other, but I actually think that Noble Warrior isn't really needed.

[ket_the_jet]

Would Merry's Sword be your first pull with Simbelmyne? No, it wouldn't be mine either. But in the first three games I played, Merry, Horticulturalist died by site 5. That's just unacceptable. At strength 7, he's at least "competitive companion" sized.

MuadDib brought up the point of running 3 or 4 copies of Merry and starting Eowyn and Eomer, but I don't think that I can get the deck small enough to justify doing that. Honestly, that would probably be the best option.

Conceptually, swapping any starting Merry with Eomer means that I need to find two more deck spots to add Merry. I think the Shadow ran best at 34 cards, so that's where I'd prefer to keep it.

Have you ever used Merry, Noble Warrior? He's already come through in a pinch for me.
-wtk

[Witchkingx5]

I agree that Noble Warrior can be nice, but Grimbold is some real bullsh**. I don't like him, as he does really nothing but cycle a bit and being Valiant. You could also use Household Guard...

[ket_the_jet]

I agree that Noble Warrior can be nice, but Grimbold is some real bullsh**. I don't like him, as he does really nothing but cycle a bit and being Valiant. You could also use Household Guard...

But why would I use Household Guard if I could have the added benefits of a little bit of cycling?

I tried running the deck with Eowyn, Daughter of Eomund. I just thought that the benefits of having Lady of Ithilien outweighed starting Eowyn.
-wtk

[ket_the_jet]

Brilliant!

Starting Theoden and Eowyn. Removed on Farmer Maggot and Grimbold. Added two Merry (three total).

I think we did it.
-wtk

Edit: It seemed so obvious, but it really did work great in my first game with it on GCCG. I'll test it once or twice more, but I think it is good to go!

[Witchkingx5]

Ok, nice compromise; no Grimbold, but you still have Noble Warrior, but I still think having one farmer maggot could be nice.

[ket_the_jet]

Ok, nice compromise; no Grimbold, but you still have Noble Warrior, but I still think having one farmer maggot could be nice.

I do have one. I now have multiple Merry to heal so I didn't need two.
-wtk

[Witchkingx5]

Ah, ok, so that's nice.