[HIGHLANDER] Gandalf - Gollum & friends

[Shelobplayer]

First of all: what is highlander?
To make the long story short, it is a format variation of open, where all cards are R-listed.

So, I have been playing with the idea of playing highlander for quite some time, and thanks to a couple of new cards I acquired, I finally decided to create my first list. When I created this list I faced exactly the same problem I faced when I made my first Magic highlander deck: I thought that I would have to play a lot of bad/suboptimal cards, but it turned out that I had to make my cuts from a huge 52/52, to make it reasonably small. I would gladly suggest this format to anyone, who finds as much fun in deckbuilding as in playing the game, since there are a way to many options, you can play cards that would normally be underpowered in other formats, like On Your Doorstep or A New Light. Basically this freeps side is a hybrid, created from my real life expanded Powerful Guide deck, and the well known open Fruit Loops deck.

Free Peoples side: (36 cards)

Ring-Bearer:
Frodo, Resolute Hobbit + The One Ring, The Great Ring

Starting Fellowship:
Gandalf, Leader of Men
Pippin, In the Bloom of Health
Merry, In the Bloom of Health
Quickbeam, Bregalad
Smeagol, Poor Creature

Companions:
Grimbeorn, Beorning Chieftain
Treebeard, Keeper of the Watchwood
Erland, Dale Counselor
Gandalf, Powerful Guide

Followers/Allies:
Deagol, Fateful Finder
Pallando, Far-Travelling One
Barliman Butterbur, PPP

Possessions/Artifacts:
Glamdring, Foe-Hammer
Shadowfax, Greatest of the Mearas
Gandalf's Staff
The Palantir of Orthanc, Recovered Seeing Stone
Beorning Axe
Radagast's Herb Bag
Sting

Conditions:
Steadfast Champion
Ent Draught
Sent Back
A Light in His Mind
The Shire Countryside
Brooding on Tomorrow

Events:
Saved From the Fire
Momentous Gathering
A Wizard is Never Late
Questions that Need Answering
Servant of the Secret Fire
The Flame of Anor
Mysterious Wizard
Strength of Spirit
Final Account
Terrible and Evil
Something Slimy

Strategy:
Bid high to start at Dammed Gate-Stream, and depending on your starting hand pull Deagol (if you have acces to Grimbeorn), or Something Slimy (if you don't have access to Grimbeorn :p), don't be afraid of taking a mulligan, if you have a bad starting hand. Quickbeam is only here to protect from early beaters, don't be afraid of burning it with SftF or using it as a living shield, one of the unbound hobbits are also here to sacrifice. There are three things you can go for with the search cards: fruit loops (KotW + Steadfast Champion + Ent Draught), infi-Erland (Erland, DC + A Light in His Mind + The Shire Countryside, or something as simple as Grimbeorn + Beorning Axe. Once you manage to set up one of them, try to run, the shadow side's primary function is to stop your opponent from making doubles, so you could outrun him/her.

Shadow Side: (36 cards)

Minions:
Gollum, Plotting Deceiver
Gollum, Mad Thing
Gollum, Dark as Darkness
Gollum, Threatening Guide
Shelob, Eater of Light
Shelob, Her Ladyship
The Balrog, Demon of Might
The Balrog, Terror of Flame and Shadow
The Balrog, The Terror of Khazad-Dum
Sauron, The Lord of the Rings
The Mouth of Sauron, Lieutenant of Barad-Dur
Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul
Enquea, Duplicitous Lieutenant
Cantea, Black Assassin
Lemenya, Eternally Threatening
Nelya, Third of the Nine Riders
Mauhur, Relentless Hunter
Grima, Wormtongue
Desert Lord
Mumak Commander, GATS

Other Cards:
Sudden Strike
They Stole It
Not This Time!
Promise Keeping
Not Easily Avoided
Web
Evil-Smelling Fens
Fat One Wants It
We Must Have It
Captured by the Ring
Led Astray
Saruman, Servant of Sauron
Ithil Stone
The Balrog's Sword
Whip of Many Thongs, Weapon of Flame and Shadow

Strategy:
Nothing special, with a really good draw, it is a gollum ninja, but with the fatties you should be able to stop your opponent from running, and that is your primary goal.

[Shelobplayer]

Just played a game with this baby on GCCG against Tempest, and it works! (well, I couldn't get a combo online, but still) More than that I managed to win in one of the most epic games I ever played!

The shadow did MUCH better than I expected, but the freeps was not the real deal (maybe because of the bad draw). C'mon guys, build highlander decks, and play with me on GCCG  :hey: