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Author Topic: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance  (Read 4956 times)

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May 10, 2017, 06:06:59 PM
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ilazul

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This is always one of the things you never want to see. Even with your own site manipulation, ability cancelling, and giving less twilight you're bound to go against it here and there. What's some of your best counters to this combination?

Right now I'm playing Madril and Powerful Guide, but have interest in Elves eventually.

For Gondor I find I can rely on Armor to just take a wound from each skirmish if I can't kill him (which is hard without archery / maneuver phases or skirmish abilities).

Powerful guide can still loop spells / wounds against him fairly well.

What other options have you all found? Even in other cultures. I'm curious to find what can deal with this situation.

May 11, 2017, 06:18:50 AM
Reply #1

Shelobplayer

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2017, 06:18:50 AM »
Rohan with Throne of the Golden Hall can deal with it decently. Northwoman owns Demon of Might fairly easily too. Haethen good against him as well. In general most rohan builds can deal with him.

Demon of Might is the least of the concenrs of hobbits when they are already stuck at Cavern Entrance :)

Dwarves can deal with him with Armor of Khazad or Gimli's Helm (or just hit him).

With Powerful Guide you have Always Helps (iirc you play my build, or something very close to it).

Elves have to s*** it up, or have a hand with skirmish events.

May 11, 2017, 08:21:20 AM
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ilazul

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2017, 08:21:20 AM »
Can you Always Helps a Balrog DoM? Thought he couldn't be assigned since his strength is less than 6.

Doesn't really matter as I usually just end up beating him with a spell or two, Beorning Axe pretty much always works (that card is so stupid).

May 11, 2017, 11:46:34 AM
Reply #3

Shelobplayer

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2017, 11:46:34 AM »
Can you Always Helps a Balrog DoM? Thought he couldn't be assigned since his strength is less than 6.

Doesn't really matter as I usually just end up beating him with a spell or two, Beorning Axe pretty much always works (that card is so stupid).

You are right, that kinda gave away how often I play my PG deck lately :D

Most well built decks can take some casualties/heavy hits from Cavern Entrance + Balrog then all you have to do is to Mount Doom the region if possible. Without Cavern Entrance the Balrog is barely ever an issue.

May 11, 2017, 01:36:33 PM
Reply #4

Durin's Heir

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2017, 01:36:33 PM »
What about Great Day, Great Hour + a pre-maneuver wounding event like Strength of Spirit (+ either Radagast's Herb Bag or Powerful Guide) or Unheeded?
“If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”  - Malcolm X

May 12, 2017, 05:30:37 AM
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sgtdraino

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2017, 05:30:37 AM »
Balrog at Cavern Entrance doesn't happen often, and probably not more than once per game. With my deck, Gandalf with Shadowfax and Boromir with a Ranger's Cloak can just take the hits.
"I would have followed you, my brother... my captain... my king." - Boromir

May 12, 2017, 03:38:03 PM
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ilazul

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2017, 03:38:03 PM »
Balrog at Cavern Entrance doesn't happen often, and probably not more than once per game. With my deck, Gandalf with Shadowfax and Boromir with a Ranger's Cloak can just take the hits.

For sure, 1 on 1 you really only have to deal with it once and its not a big deal. I play both 1v1 and 3 player multiplayer, and in multiplayer it happens quite a bit. It's like playing Monopoly and hitting "go straight to jail," it's just gonna happen once in a while.

Adding just around 10 cards to some of these decks (5 freeps / 5 shadow) tends to be enough to add some catch-alls for multiplayer.

May 25, 2017, 05:48:42 AM
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sgtdraino

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2017, 05:48:42 AM »
If it happens quite a bit, I'd go Armor on Boromir, Defender of Minas Tirith.
"I would have followed you, my brother... my captain... my king." - Boromir

May 25, 2017, 09:00:08 AM
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ilazul

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2017, 09:00:08 AM »
That's pretty much what I ended up doing and it works incredibly well. That Boromir is by far one of my favorite cards in the game

Thing is now I'm trying to find a deck that just simply kills a lot during the shadow phase, which is why I ended up in Shire culture (the Unheeded / Shadowplay / Birthday Present post I made). Sinking shotgun, southron leader, third of nine and grimas as soon as they hit sounds like a lot of fun.

May 25, 2017, 08:47:47 PM
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sgtdraino

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2017, 08:47:47 PM »
Thing is now I'm trying to find a deck that just simply kills a lot during the shadow phase, which is why I ended up in Shire culture (the Unheeded / Shadowplay / Birthday Present post I made). Sinking shotgun, southron leader, third of nine and grimas as soon as they hit sounds like a lot of fun.

If you're running Powerful Guide, you could also use Strength of Spirit with the above combo to inflict even more wounds.
"I would have followed you, my brother... my captain... my king." - Boromir

May 25, 2017, 09:01:44 PM
Reply #10

ilazul

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Re: Defenses against Balrog, Demon of Might at Cavern Entrance
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2017, 09:01:44 PM »
Thing is now I'm trying to find a deck that just simply kills a lot during the shadow phase, which is why I ended up in Shire culture (the Unheeded / Shadowplay / Birthday Present post I made). Sinking shotgun, southron leader, third of nine and grimas as soon as they hit sounds like a lot of fun.
If you're running Powerful Guide, you could also use Strength of Spirit with the above combo to inflict even more wounds.

That's what I'm doing now but that's a lot of card spots, and you need to assemble the combo. You're already burning an unbound hobbit to find some of the cards, then you'll need to grab more unbound hobbits to actually exert / spot for Gandalf.

Merry, Horticulturist to pull farmer maggot (and burn him) might not be a bad idea, can always falls of rauros him out later