Old player seeking new information

[Darador]

I am returning to the game after having left just after the release of The Hunters.
Hence my absence I know nothing about which archetypes rule the current standard format.
I am therefore asking if anyone could fill me in on what deck archetypes are currently existing. Not neccessarily the dominant ones, just what the format consists of in general.

[TheJord]

Strong fellowship decks tend to be wounding/exerting decks, especially ones that do so in the maneuver/archery phase. The same applies for Shadow, but they have some more quirky decks that are strong, other than wounding is wound prevention beatdown/grind.

Wow that seems complicated. Its really not.

[Darador]

Yea Im following you
I still remember the terminology even though its been two years now.
Could you give some examples of decks that are being played at the moment. Like Forestguls/Rohan beatdown or Knight fortification/ninja gollum.

[TheJord]

Forestguls remain a strong deck, Elven Hunters, Uruk Hunters, Troll Swarm, Evil Men Archery, Ringbound Hobbits, 3 Hunters

Others will add more

[legolas3333]

I know kralik made a wicked elven token deck thats posted here and a couple more common archetypes are Dwarven Discarding/beatdown elven archery with cards like nocked and weapons of lothlorien. I also see a lot of orc decks with gothog and black gate sentry, wounding like that.

[Vroengard]

uruk hunters against strong hobbits you can really forget about. my greatest success were three wounds on sam, he WAS EXHAUSTED! yeah great...you do not know fear. scouring laughs him in the face.... sam with stenght 20 on site three....yeah....you can forget to beat hobbits in skirmish, nearly impossible with uruk hunters, and I play ugluk 4 times, white hand guard and saruman that makes strenght +2 nearly each skirmish.....I trade all my hunter uruk stuff away. they are not as strong as others are

[King89]

the two magic words which make hunter uruks extremely strong are Violent Hurl! but i have to agree with you that RB hobbits are really good against them.

it's the very old problem of uruk-hai: they can stop, but not kill.


@ topic :
corsairs, gondorian fight and even dwarves are strong, too. and, to my mind, a good rohan deck with gandalf splash is nearly unable to be killed, only on early sites.

it always depends on the meta, which decks are strong and which not.

[Olorin]

Hunter Uruks are nearly my only weakness because until now I don't know how to handle them best... - they are just that confusing with all the pusher (ability, events, etc.) - and then: damage + X - and fierce... those are really ugly fellows... :-)

...if you are looking for a nearly to 100 % winning deck... play elven hunters... this kind of fellowship is that broken... I can't tell you... I have such a deck... but only to show others this "deck".

...concerning hobbits... take their support away and you can beat them easily... I found a way to discard all the nasty scourings... and kill those hobbits in skirmishes as well... in the last tournaments I played... I won most until site 4... :-)

Those Rohan-Ringbearer-Assign-method seems to be strong... but I never play-tested it...

I am so happy that I was able to build a shadow fun deck... at least it was the idea of buliding a fun deck... in practise: it can hurt very well :-) and is good against most of all fellowships... :-)

[Vroengard]

@king

yeah, I play the hurl 4 times, no use against hobbits the bonus is too small. I really like more the site control uruks and these with dam. bonus instead of fierce....I think you can get these nasty hobbits only with archer decks....
everything else would be anti-decks and that is not the problem....

@topic. here is an more expensive shadow variant, but it is cool! try gollum/shelob deck versions with sudden strike, not easily avoided, not this time! and horribly strong. the idea is to make threads with plotting, gollum, threatening guide, shelob, menace, fat one wants it and Captured by the Ring. to kill companions by wounding. use Unseen Foe also, gives exhausted comps. the final punsh! whole deck should not be too big, round 33 cards. mix web and Promise Keeping into it and it will be fine. 4 copies of mumak commander, gats can be fun, too 

[Elrohir]

Mighty Cards you missed in the newer sets are:

 
Galadriel's Silver Ewer
Celebring, Elven Smith
Gil-Galad High King of the Noldor

 
Elendil's Army
Faramir, Captain of Ithilien
Crown of Gondor

 
Scouring of the Shire
Prized Lagan
Sting, Elven Long Knife

 
Fall back to Helms Deep
Aragorn, Defender of Rohan
Eomer, Northman

 
Stern Words
Gandalf, Wise Guide
Shadowfax, Greatest of the Mearas

Shadow Cards:

Balrog, Demon of Might
Ulaire Nertea, Dark Horseman
Saruman, Servant of Sauron
...

[legolas3333]

just thought of a combo, a shadow fell over them and enquea toto if you could just get him fierce somehow

[King89]

crown of gondor is rubbish. 4 TW, spot a man with vitality of 3 or more and discard a card from hand...  a prefer pushing events: less TW costs, almost useful against cavern entrance etc.

[TheJord]

just thought of a combo, a shadow fell over them and enquea toto if you could just get him fierce somehow

That would be a Shadow card exerting him during a Skirmish phase, so no go.

[SomeRandomDude]

Rainbow Wounding remains strong, especially stuff with Hardy Garrison + Shadowplay/Unheeded. Hunters block made archery very accessible, what with Aragorn's Bow, Ranger's Longbow (and the Sting, Elven Long-Knife). Rumil, Silvan Elf, Orophin, Silvan Elf, Dinendal, Mirkwood Archer. Thorongil, etc. My deck also uses Gloin, Son of Groin and Rohirrim Guard to lose initiative, also, Faramir, Bearer of Quality comboes nicely with Pippin, Wearer of Black and Silver, which also combos with Shadowplay.

[legolas3333]

just thought of a combo, a shadow fell over them and enquea toto if you could just get him fierce somehow

That would be a Shadow card exerting him during a Skirmish phase, so no go.

no it wouldn't once the nazgul wins a skirmish the current skirmish phase is over