Help Defeating My Brother's Mono Hobbit Deck

[hawkeyetowers]

Hey Folks I have been gone from the LOTR card game for several years now, but after rebuilding and rejoining the SWCCG a few months ago I decided to join LOTR again because I came across my cards and remembered how much I enjoyed it all those years ago. After dusting off my old decks and playing a few times against my brother I remembered how difficult his mono-hobbit deck was to beat. I mean it never really looked like much but it could take a beating like no other deck I ever remember facing. Here it is for reference,

Starting
1x Frodo Resolute Hobbit
1x The One Ring, The Ring of Rings
1x Sam, Great Elf Warrior
1x Merry, Loyal Companion
1x Farmer Maggot, Hobbit of the Marish

Fellowship
1x Bilbo, Melancholy Hobbit
1x Pippin Hobbit of Some Intelligence
1x Rosie Cotton, Barmaid
1x Sting, Weapon of Heritage
4x Hobbit Sword
4x A Promise
4x Sudden Fury
3x Chance Observation
3x Concerning Hobbits
3x Hope is Kindled
2x Simple Living
3x A Marvel

Shadow

3x The Witch King, Captain of the Nine Riders
1x The Witch King, Black Lord
4x Black Rider
3x Ulaire Nelya, Third of the Nine Riders
3x Ulaire Toldea, Black Shadow
2x Ulaire Enquea, Black Threat
2x Ulaire Cantea, Black Assassin
2x Ulaire Otsea, Seventh of the Nine Riders
4x Dark Approach
4x Lost in the Woods
3x Moving this Way
1x Shapes Slowly Advancing
1x Out of Sight and Shot
1x Flung Into the Fray

So I don't really have trouble with the Forest Nazguls as I got use to playing them awhile back and just deal with their shenanigans as they arise. However the Hobbits give me the most trouble. I've played Corsairs, Evil Men Archery (Just Once mind you), and Corruption Nazguls against them to no real avail. They are great at soaking damage early game using Sudden Fury to earn tokens for use at later sites. Also I can do about 10 to 12 burdens in a game but with a ring bearer with 14 resistance and 3 cards that can get rid of burdens its really tough to make a dent. Swarming against them is really lack luster because the ring bearer is essential just like any other companion and has no fear of getting swarmed or a bad effect like the Non-hobbit ringbearers have. Also in the rare occurrence he dies the ring just goes to Sam anyways.

His deck reminds me of how Ents play where they just take wounds a punishment like nobodies business except the Hobbits don't cost that much to play. In the end the only way I usually end up winning is forgoing any shadow cards and running to site 9 with my Fellowship and hoping he doesn't make it there first or his Nazguls kill me on a double move.

I'm really open to play any deck ideas, except I only have access to cards from Bloodlines and earlier so I can't build a shadow that uses other cards. My current fellowship builds consist of Noble Leaders, Ents, Elven Archery, and Knights if that helps with building a proper shadow.

Any advice, deck ideas, or jumping off points would be greatly appreciated and I can't wait to get back to playing. 

[Elessar's Socks]

Welcome back to the game! Now this deck is something I want to try, having a liking for them since Hobbit Hospital days.

For Bloodlines and earlier...maybe give Ninja Gollum a shot. They Stole it / Promise Keeping does punish Hobbits harder, and YaLaaT (helped by Incited) can pick off companions not even assigned to a skirmish. Isildur, Heir of Elendil increases your hand size too for a little more leeway on what to discard.

Just watch out for Clever Hobbits.

[Shelobplayer]

Try Helpless, Sam gonna like it . You can also try a condition based shadow, since his deck has no access to condition discard.

(btw, why is he playing A Marvel insted of Hobbit Intuition? )

[Haszor]

I'd try using something along the lines of this decks shadow.  Just make sure your minions have really high strength as hobbits like this can get unbelievably high (oh wait you would know better than I  )
http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,2055.0.html
Oh ya if you decide to use this thing against him make sure you have a few helpless to prevent the ring going to Sam.

[hawkeyetowers]

(btw, why is he playing A Marvel insted of Hobbit Intuition? )

Well the deck hes playing is legal from standard a few years ago and he didn't switch back to Hobbit Intuition for expanded

Anyway, I never tried Ninja Gollum anybody have deck list they could post they like to use, or perhaps just the most basic one that could then be tweaked for individual preferences. I can't really remember if the shadow sides were large or small like 31 to say 35.

I totally forgot about cards like Helpless and Greed. When we were originally playing the fellowship block got cycled out so I just sort of forgot about them, but It might be nice to add Greed to my Uruk Tracker deck, and Helpless for a Nazgul.

Now that I think about it a few Saruman's Power would get rid of all those pesky conditions like A Promise and Sudden Fury.

[Elessar's Socks]

Tossed this together and ended up with 33 cards (I think 35 is about the limit even with TSI). I'd play with the numbers a bit and maybe add some tech. Don't forget Shelob triggers Promise Keeping, and so do threats.

1 Gollum, Mad Thing
1 Gollum, Stinker
3 Shelob, Her Ladyship
2 Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul

2 Web

2 Evil-smelling Fens
1 Fat One Wants It
2 Hidden Even From Her
1 Incited
4 Promise Keeping
4 They Stole It

4 Captured by the Ring
3 We Must Have It
3 You're a Liar and a Thief

[hawkeyetowers]

Hmm, I do like that shadow list Elessar looks fun and effective. I have a few more questions if you don't mind indulging me. First off Won't They Stole It cycle through your deck like nothing else I mean discarding three cards is kind of a lot, and on that note what do you recommend discarding? Extra Gollums, Free People Cards?

I admit I have never played this type of deck before, as i stopped playing around the time Ninja Gollum became a real viable shadow deck option. What are some basic strategies to playing a Ninja Gollum I really have no idea ?

Also what would be a good Free Peoples side to pair with Gollum. I thinking Ents since they usually have large deck so that you can discard for both unhasty ents as well as They Stole It. Might knights be good?

[TheJord]

Ninja Gollum is all about wounding. They Stole It + Promise Keeping + Threats + YaLaaT means lots of wounds. 3 cards means a wound, exert with PK, then 3 more usually means death, threats and PK followed up with YaLaaT means potentially more death.

[Elessar's Socks]

What TheJord said. Strategies...I think it's just opportunism here (experienced folks should fill in better). Ditch both FP and Shadow cards if that's what it takes. If condition removal isn't a problem, those extra copies of TSI and PK are fodder, too.

Stacking Gollum on Web can save a card in hand for TSI; just try not to stack both Gollums there because then CbtR can't be used. Keep in mind it might be helpful to get Gollum out of play before the next site if it's important to clear the wounds from him or benefit from CbtR / FOWI.

Ents should be fine; not sure if knights can really give up fortifications and gear even with Sixth Level. In any case, if there's a bad match-up (knights, argh) a fellowship that can run is always a good thing.

[SomeRandomDude]

No Helpless?

I wouldn't run it.

Want intrigues me is the fact that the deck is running minimal burden removal (i'm used the the Westfarthing Businessman version that uses Sudden Fury, Golden Perch Ale, Tom Bombadil's Hat).

Ninja Gollum is good, I prefer using Not This Time and Fat One Wants It.

[Yrael]

My cousins use a deck like this. My brother and I have slightly different solutions, but they both work. I use Nazgul with a focus on conditions (discarding the Freeps and playing my own). Since hobbits are good at surviving but not at killing, cards like More Unbearable (Combined with stooping for the kill for some real fun), and Winged and Ominous can cause a lot of pain. I also have a Gothmog, Morgul Commander and a couple Morgul Lurkers in there to help cause some pain .

My brother uses a Morder deck with a focus on roaming bonuses. The main reason, however, that his deck is good at killing the hobbits is because he makes extensive use of
Why shouldn't I keep it
Deperate defense of the ring
and
Grond, Hammer of the Underworld

All three of these can mess that deck up real good (more so with my cousins' decks, because they love abusing Sudden Fury combined with consorting with wizards on Bilbo.)