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Author Topic: Guarded City theorycrafting  (Read 3577 times)

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September 23, 2017, 06:11:29 AM
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Shelobplayer

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Guarded City theorycrafting
« on: September 23, 2017, 06:11:29 AM »
Been a while since there was a nice discussion on the expanded boards so...

I want to build a deck around Guarded City, as it looks incredibly powerful combined with the right tools.

The cornerstones I really want to include are:
Guarded City (obviously)
Storied Homestead (to protect from Cantea site swaps mainly and to protect us during the shadow phase)
Stewards' Legacy (to protect us from the maneuver phase and onvards with Faramir/Boromir)
Gandalf, Wise Guide (to protect the conditions from most things they don't protect themselves from)

This trio would protect against pretty much any tricky stuff, after this I would need a tank to deal with Demon of Might and the likes (I'm thinking of Elendil, High-King of Gondor + Narsil, FbT + Armor).

I would play a [Gondor] ring-bearer to ensure I won't get hit by Wormtongue or get my key guy assassinated by a shotgun enquea or something. All three have their merits, in a vacuum Faramir is by far the best, but then I can't play Captain of Ithilien, Isildur's skirmish drawback is the best, and he can carry Narsil, while Boromir is great with Stewards' Legacy.

The only way I can think of to reuse Guarded City is On Your Doorstep, but then it'd be extremely beneficial if I could draw it right back during the fellowship phase. The only tool I can think of for that is Elrond, LoR, anyone has any better idea? Dasron can get On Your Doorstep easily. Also Isildur + Kings' Legacy could keep Barliman healed, but not sure how viable that'd be.

For the setup there are a couple of ways:
SFTF: the most obvious choise.  With or without Leader of Men + Sent Back. Floods twilight, and if relied upon it can be a pain if I don't get it.
Gamling, Defender of the Hornburg: can pull Flaming Brand, Armor (and obviously it can get horn + followers). Could also utilize Deagol if I decide to go with Smeagol (who would also open up Something Slimy)
Denethor, Lord of Minas Tirith: a strong fighter and a risky way to setup, sill atm I'm leaning towards him atm. Would prevent me to use LRS, but not even sure if he could fit.

Obviously the deck would have to go with the generic goodstuff:
Throne of Minas Tirith
Ithilien Blade (probably Madril too, as it is just too easy)
Noble Leaders and Houses of Healing to get more value out of guarded city
Shadowfax, GOTM (to ensure I have at least 1 resistance 7 gondor guy)
Aragorn, Strider (high resist gorn, makes me more resilient until I set up, enables Madril in starting fellow with a prowler)

Probably gonna try a very generic build with a thinner deck (at least compared to my average 120 cards towers), just to experimet. Hopefully I can post an update in a few days, until then any suggestions are welcome.

September 23, 2017, 07:07:13 AM
Reply #1

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Re: Guarded City theorycrafting
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2017, 07:07:13 AM »
It seems like picking the stewards is going to be the most defining point. I'm surprised you discount LRS so easily, since SftF can fetch him; he then protects from Wormtongue while Wise Guide protects from Lying Counsel. He blocks Enquea well (You want 9 guys right?) and is probably more efficient than 4-6 Storied tokens. Doomed Heir could then become pretty powerful.

On the other hand, BoC with full gear will become pretty much invincible late game (Until his penalty kills him ofc ;)) - he can snipe Orcs, Uruks and Men he skirmishes and combine Footman's Armor with The Great Horn.

Sword-Bearer plus Banner of Westernesse + Kings' Legacy = 3 heals per win and frees Elendil up to use Narsil.

I'd really prefer Isildur's Heir to Strider personally. Fetchable with SftF or LoMT, and another tank with Elendil.

Since you're flooding anyway, I guess you could consider some copies of Tradesman from Lebennin. Pretty weak though, and there's probably not space.

Hidden Knowledge would be great with Madril.
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September 23, 2017, 09:11:43 AM
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Shelobplayer

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Re: Guarded City theorycrafting
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2017, 09:11:43 AM »
I was considering Isildur's Heir too (as I happenbed to have opened 4 masterworks copies on GEMP hunting for my MW Bearer of OBligation so far... :) ), but the deck is going to get pretty tall at this rate. I want to start with Gondorian Prowler + Strider (or another prowler) + Madril + Denethor, LoMT/ Gandalf, LOM/ Gamling, DotH + maybe Smeagol, depending on which setup strategy I chose. Also Strider is the only way to have a resistance 7 gondor guy out for Storied Homsteads if I start with Smeagol (unless if I want to use Ring of Rings, which I don't, Stewards' Legacy just works better with the Binding Ring or Ring of Doom).

The other option would be to run Watcher at Sarn Ford + Faramir, COI + Madril as my starting fellowship, but then the only fast setup I get would be Something Slimy and Deagols. This however would probably make for much slimmer deck, so might worth it. I could also still run 4 AWINL + 4 WISE Guide + SFTF and burn Madril or the Watcher if neccessary (Madril is super strong, but IB would be early protection while I set up, rather than the core of the strategy). AWINL would also be nice for fetching Dasron (who is crazy underrated imo).

I'm not a huge fan of Hidden Knowledge in expanded (and idk how good it is in movie). Most FP strategies fetch way too many cards, 3 threats for 2 tokens is an optimistic average that I could count on and I simply can't justify that. There are way easier ways to add threats.

I also considered Sword-Bearer but over all I think he is rather cute then actually strong.

EDIT: came up with a way to draw back the card I put on top with On your Doorstep: Speak Friend and Enter + underground site :). That'd cry for Goblin Hordes shadow, and I just happen to have an idea with that for a while I wanted to try :)
« Last Edit: September 23, 2017, 09:17:31 AM by Shelobplayer »

September 23, 2017, 10:02:15 AM
Reply #3

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Re: Guarded City theorycrafting
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2017, 10:02:15 AM »
I'm hunting Bearer of Obligation too! I have so many duplicate Masterworks cards, and not one copy of that elusive wizard  ](*,)

I was considering Isildur's Heir too (as I happenbed to have opened 4 masterworks copies on GEMP hunting for my MW Bearer of OBligation so far... :) ), but the deck is going to get pretty tall at this rate. I want to start with Gondorian Prowler + Strider (or another prowler) + Madril + Denethor, LoMT/ Gandalf, LOM/ Gamling, DotH + maybe Smeagol, depending on which setup strategy I chose. Also Strider is the only way to have a resistance 7 gondor guy out for Storied Homsteads if I start with Smeagol (unless if I want to use Ring of Rings, which I don't, Stewards' Legacy just works better with the Binding Ring or Ring of Doom).
Ah of course, that's a good point. Elendil would rebalance your 7 resist dudes, but I guess that depends on whether you can afford to prioritise him.

The other option would be to run Watcher at Sarn Ford + Faramir, COI + Madril as my starting fellowship, but then the only fast setup I get would be Something Slimy and Deagols. This however would probably make for much slimmer deck, so might worth it. I could also still run 4 AWINL + 4 WISE Guide + SFTF and burn Madril or the Watcher if neccessary (Madril is super strong, but IB would be early protection while I set up, rather than the core of the strategy). AWINL would also be nice for fetching Dasron (who is crazy underrated imo).
I'm not a huge fan of Hidden Knowledge in expanded (and idk how good it is in movie). Most FP strategies fetch way too many cards, 3 threats for 2 tokens is an optimistic average that I could count on and I simply can't justify that. There are way easier ways to add threats.
I agree, I've gotten so used to using Grimbeorn and Erland, but Dasron has advantages over both. I don't think HK is necessarily great, but with Madril the threats don't hurt you, and you can still play it with threats maxed.

I also considered Sword-Bearer but over all I think he is rather cute then actually strong.
Yh, I have a Knights deck that uses him pretty well because of fort instakills, but in many other decks he's not necessarily that great a boon. On the other hand, I like the extra Legacy target and prefer him to Isildur, Heir of Elendil.

EDIT: came up with a way to draw back the card I put on top with On your Doorstep: Speak Friend and Enter + underground site :). That'd cry for Goblin Hordes shadow, and I just happen to have an idea with that for a while I wanted to try :)
Awesome! I've never considered that. Will you have Elrond, LoR as well or not?

Look forward to seeing the build :)
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September 23, 2017, 10:10:13 AM
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Shelobplayer

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Re: Guarded City theorycrafting
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2017, 10:10:13 AM »
Defeinitely gonna run 1 Elrond, LOR (he is restricted :/ ). The Goblin Hordes would be a mix of some uruk hunters, Grishnakh, TC and Ugluk's Sword, Goblin Hordes could feed the sword, and the uruks enable stuff like Greed (on that note, Albert Dreary is a must inclusion for my freeps too). Gonna be a wild mix for sure :D

« Last Edit: September 23, 2017, 10:11:52 AM by Shelobplayer »

September 24, 2017, 10:50:42 AM
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Re: Guarded City theorycrafting
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2017, 10:50:42 AM »
Played a few games with a questionable build and came to a conclusion that I have a better mechanic available than guarded city.

Soldier's Cache is normaly fairly costly to use, but if I get Citadel to Gate back each turn with Dasron, then I can get pretty good value out of it, plus I can go crazy with Ranger's Longbow and GOTM that way.

On your Doorstep made me think a lot as well, and now I want to try it in a pipeweed build with Ship of Smoke. That might actually lead to fairly broken builds. BoO with Merry and Pippin, ITBOH, Momentous Gathering, Long-Stemmed Pipe + Keeper of the Watchwood and all that jazz with a pretty much perfect recursion engine. Dasron and Grimbeorn can fit there as well with Barliman.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2017, 10:54:45 AM by Shelobplayer »