Unheeded Rohan with RB Gimli// Tentacles

[Shelobplayer]

So, I'm looking for a good freeps side to pair it with Tentacle swarm, but I don't have Gil-Galad, HKOTN yet. Obviously the freeps has to cycle and filter like crazy, so the shadow can be successful. I looked at my cards (and cards I'm about to trade in the near future), and I came up with this:

RB & Ring:
Gimli, Bearer of Grudges + The Ring of Doom

Starting fellowship:
Merry, Swordthain
Eomer, Horsemaster

1 x Aragorn, Defender of Rohan
1 x Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien
1 x Theoden, Northman, King of Rohan
1 x Gamling, Defender of the Hornburg
1 x Leowyn
4 x Simbelmyne
3 x Delving
1 x Aragorn's Bow
1 x Anduril, Sword that Was Broken
1 x Eowyn's Sword, Dernhelm's Blade
1 x Eomer's Spear, Trusty Weapon
1 x Brego
1 x Firefoot, Eomer's Steed
1 x Rider's Spear
4 x Unheeded
3 x Home and Hearth
2 x Gimli's Battle Axe, Trusted Weapon
2 x Ring of Guile
4 x Dwarven Stratagem

This is the raw list, and it is already 35 cards, and I have tonnes of cards I want to fit in somehow (BRC, and more possessions mainly, maybe a PAA to fuel BRC). I think I can go up to 38 at max, but on the other hand keeping it at this size would be nice.

Strategy:
This is something I wanted to make work in movie for some time, I filter with Simbelmyne & Defender of the Hornburg, and I draw cards with Delving, in the hopes of nice shadow draws. Leowyn is also an important card, because it allows me to discard all the tentacles for healing and even better cycling. This is primarily a wounding deck, but if Gimli fights (and most likely he does), the strength bonus from Theoden and Aragorn makes valid fighters, and thanks to Aragorn's text, I can show plenty of hunters for Dwarven Stratagem (and the Ring of Doom allows me to play it ofc). Ideally LoI + Dwarven Stratagem + Unheeded may be able to kill all minions before I have to pay Gimli's skirmish drawback. Ring of Guile is mainly here to return Dwarven Stratagems, so I essentially have 6. The low resistance of Gimli can cause problems, but I have a burden removing engine in the form of Swordthain + Home and Hearth. Still, corruption can be a huge problem, but the only corruption deck I have to face in my playgroup is based on Bound to its Fate and Porter Troll, so I have my outs against it (Throne of the Dark Lord will be very painful though...)

Shadow Side:
atypycaltentacleswarm (with ESF and Gollum generating some twilight and Led Astray and maybe So Polite)

Thats all I have for now, and I'm looking for some suggestions and criticisms. What do you guys think?

[Haszor]

I wouldn't run any Proud and Able, as it only makes Gimli damage +1 for possessions which you only have one of.  If you're able to get your hands on one another ring might be more useful, maybe Ring of Artifice as it would help you let you keep your Ring of Guile in play.

[FM]

Do you really need 4 Stratagems? It just seems overkill to keep assigning Gimli like that WHILE adding burdens to make him a Hunter. I think 3 would already be pushing it.

[Shelobplayer]

Do you really need 4 Stratagems? It just seems overkill to keep assigning Gimli like that WHILE adding burdens to make him a Hunter. I think 3 would already be pushing it.

I also thought about that, but I want to test with 4 first (unfortunately I don't yet have all the cards, I have to wait some weeks). I played against Stratagem once, and it was so devastating, that I want to try 4 first. Btw I don't necessary have to assign Gimli to use stratagem, I can just wear the ring and spot only 2 hunters (Eomer is a natural hunter ). 2 exerts for one burden seems like a good deal to me, and even if I do assign Gimli, I really don't mind threats (and as I have written, there is a high possibility that LoI/Unheeded/Stratagem finishes of the minion Gimli is skirmishing, before his text triggers).

That said, I can see this deck doing just fine with 3 Unheeded and 3 Dwarven Stratagem, but I like to test every deck with 4 of the key cards first.

@Haszor: OBVIOUSLY I would only add PAA if I add more dwarven possessions and BRC, thanks for another useful comment...

[TheJord]

Nice catch on Defender of Rohan and Dwarven Stratagem. I would have suggested Fall Back to Helm's Deep but with no site control it might be pointless.

[Haszor]

(BRC, and more possessions mainly, maybe a PAA to fuel BRC)

I was responding to that.  It definitely looked as though you were kicking the idea around and all I said was it wasn't worth it.

[Shelobplayer]

What do you guys think about playing Gloin, Son of Groin and Run Until Found for safer Dwarven Stratagem usage, and even better cycling potential? That way Dwarven Stratagem wouldn't be a blank if I don't need to wound minions, because I could use it to reinforce tokens on Run Until Found, which further combos with Gloin, making him win even more skirmishes. That way the starting fellowship could be Gamling, The old + Gloin, Son of Groin.

The drawback for this build is the loss of Swordthain, and Home and Hearth, so I would need a new way to remove burdens... I have some spare Gandalf, Returned and Shadowaf, GotM, but I don't really like the idea of giving even more twilight, so I would like to hear some suggestions on how could I remove burdens

Maybe I should just splash LoI to a hunter deck with stratagem