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| hblika |
![]() Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 10:30 am |
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Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 287
Location: Norway
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--- description ---
Uses a standard Rohan + Gandalf build as the basis for a non-rare deck, for new LOTR TCG players or for an added challenge.
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This is one of Henrik’s old feature articles, which is being added to the forum database to help us keep our strategy section more organized. This article is NOT eligible for the contest, but feel free to rate and review it!
So, you didn’t get all those super-rares in the booster display you just opened? Or maybe you’re new to the game, and just got a bunch of spares from a friend (who incidently just can’t wait to try out his new über deck against you). There could be a lot of reasons why you don’t have all the cards you need to make your dream deck. Mine was that I wanted to do something different. I figured the ultimate challenge (LotR-wise at least) would be to make a deck which could hold its own using no rare cards at all.
Bulding a non-rare deck is really a bit like playing a sealed deck tournament. You have very few rare cards to choose from (in our case zero), so an important issue is to include enough companions, so you don’t have to worry if a few should die.
I’ve chosen to consider P and S cards as budget cards as well, since you don’t need to count on luck to obtain these fixed starter deck cards.
For the purpose of this article, I will start out with a fairly regular Rohan beatdown deck, and then seek to find the best possible common or uncommon replacements for the rare cards in the sample deck.
LOTR TCG sample decklist: Rohan
Frodo, Protected by Many
The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry
1 Éowyn, Dernhelm (starting)
1 Éomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark (starting)
3 Gandalf, Leader of the Company
1 Théoden, King of the Eorlingas
1 Haethen, Veteran Fighter
2 Elite Rider
1 Rohirrim Army
1 Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs
1 Glamdring, Foe-hammer
1 Éowyn’s Sword, Dernhelms Blade
1 Éomer’s Spear
1 Herugrim, Sword of the Mark
2 Rider’s Spear
1 Firefoot
1 Rohirrim Mount
1 Brego
1 Rider’s Mount
4 Simbelmynë
4 G for Grand
2 Measure of Comfort
2 Watch and Wait
OK, maybe not a championship deck, but it can definitely hold its own against many shadow sides. As you can see, the fellowship (including The One Ring), consists of 16 rare cards, including the very expensive and hard to find Simbelmynë and Watch and Wait. Those six cards alone can easily set you back at least $50, unless you’ve been lucky enough to pull a few copies from booster packs.
Looking at the starting fellowship, it is easy to see that most of those cards have to go. In with the Ruling Ring, and we also need to replace both Éowyn and Éomer. Finding good replacements for the skirmishing power Éowyn and Éomer represent isn’t a very easy task. The common and uncommon versions of the mentioned companions have more supporting power than real skirmishing power, so let’s rearrange the whole starting fellowship. In my opinion, one of the best common companions in any culture is the Elite Rider. When skirmishing a wounded minion, he is strength +2, and since Rohan exerts minions left, right and center, chances are the Elite Rider more often than not gets his strength bonus. So two of these in your starting fellowship.
Of the other companions, Théoden can stay. In a budget deck, Simbelmynë is out of the question, so we need to find a way to compensate for the filtering ability of this excellent card. Looking in the Siege of Gondor set, we can find a common Éomer with a nice ability. Éomer, Keeper of Oaths not only lets you play all Rohan possessions found in the top ten cards of your draw deck, but he is base strength 8 as well. This will certainly help us, and I’ll use the slots normally reserved for Simbelmynë to incude extra copies of the most important cards.
One of the most used splash companions ever is Éowyn, Lady of Rohan. A deck like this will not manage to set up any really beefy companions, so wound prevention can be crucial.
In general, companions being able to boost their strength using only their special ability is valuable, as this to a certain extent will compensate for the lack of some of the rare weapons and companions available to Rohan. Enraged Horseman, Veteran Horseman, and Hrethel, Rider of Rohan are all such companions.
Since Leader of the Company can be hard to come by unless you bought the starter deck, I will try to find a replacement for him as well. Gandalf, Defender of the West immediately comes to mind. A nice replacement for Leader of the Company’s region 3 ability, although you need three Rohan companions in play to get the full benefit of Gandalf’s base strength 9.
Our non-rare fellowship is now taking form, and could look something like this:
1 Frodo, Protected by Many
1 The One Ring, The Ruling Ring
2 Elite Rider (starting)
3 Gandalf, Defender of the West
2 Éomer, Keeper of Oaths
1 Théoden, King of the Eorlingas
1 Éowyn, Lady of Rohan
1 Enraged Horseman
1 Hrethel, Rider of Rohan
Possession-wise, it is a little harder to replace the rare cards used in my example. Dernhelm’s Blade’s +3 strength and special ability doesn’t have a budget replacement, but the Rider’s Spear is a pretty good alternative. Trading +1 strength for a damage +1 (when mounted) isn’t that bad really. Fewer minions to deal with on the double move is never a bad thing.
Firefoot is also hard to replace, but as long as you’re at a plains site, Rohirrim Mount will do the trick. And besides, to get the most out of Théoden, you will want to play as many plains as possible anyway.
Sting can easily be replaced with the all-important Hobbit Sword, while Herugrim, Sword of the Mark can be replaced with the uncommon Herugrim from the Two Towers set.
Unfortunately there’s no common or uncommon version of Glamdring, so once again we will have to look elsewhere for a replacement. The Wizard Staff will give you a compensation for the strength bonus lost, and its special ability could be the difference between life and death for one of your companions (even the Ring-bearer). Foe-hammer’s special ability is not easily replaced, but if you’re up against another non-rare deck, chances are your opponent will use a beatdown shadow, as almost every other strategy requires quite a few rare cards to be effective.
Our list of possessions now looks like this:
1 Hobbit Sword
1 Wizard Staff
1 Éomer’s Spear
1 Herugrim
3 Rider’s Spear
2 Rohirrim Mount
1 Brego
2 Rider’s Mount
Since we’ve lost all our possibilities to remove burdens, we either need to increase the companions’ resistance, or find an alternate way of removing them. Extra copies of Measure of Comfort can be good, or a couple Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom if you still face threat-based decks in your meta.
So, the final deck might look something like this:
LOTR TCG sample decklist: Budget Rohan
1 Frodo, Protected by Many
1 The One Ring, The Ruling Ring
2 Elite Rider (starting)
3 Gandalf, Defender of the West
2 Éomer, Keeper of Oaths
2 Théoden, King of the Eorlingas
1 Éowyn, Lady of Rohan
1 Enraged Horseman
1 Hrethel, Rider of Rohan
1 Hobbit Sword
1 Wizard Staff
1 Éomer’s Spear
1 Herugrim
3 Rider’s Spear
2 Rohirrim Mount
1 Brego
2 Rider’s Mount
4 G for Grand
2 Measure of Comfort
2 Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom
And there it is. Our non-rare fellowship is ready to plunge through the minions of Mordor, having found decent replacements for most of the sometimes hard-to-get rares everyone is looking for. If you can get your friends to build non-rare decks themselves, this deck will hold its own in such an environment.
The most important thing to remember after reading this is to know the cards that are available to you. Don’t overlook a card just because it’s a common card, or not used by the latest World Champion. It is also very useful to have a tool like Card Vault at hand, for easy search and comparison of cards.
Once comfortable with the idea of a non-rare deck, you could take the concept to the next level. How about a deck without any unique cards? Or an all-common deck? It’s really all about how you want to play this game. What I enjoy the most with LOTR TCG is all the variety the game offers, and how each culture has so many different strategies available. For me, it’s not about having an unbeatable deck, but rather finding ways to build a different, more personalized deck. Building a non-rare deck can be a bit of a challenge, and will put your deckbuilding abilities to the test, but I’m sure you will find it a rewarding and fun experience! |
| I'm not stupid. I'm just unlucky when I'm thinking. |
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| ingold55 |
![]() Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:50 pm |
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Joined: 10 Oct 2005
Posts: 1199
Location: Out on the front line
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interesting. i'm working on somthing like that, except it is with gondor.
i really liked it! |
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| AdultLink |
![]() Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 4:08 pm |
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Joined: 15 Dec 2005
Posts: 253
Location: Hyrule
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Well written article! My friend tried this once, and it was pretty cool. He's also thought of trying to make an all-foil deck, but that's quite a bit more expesive, heh.  |
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| hblika |
![]() Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:51 pm |
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Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 287
Location: Norway
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AdultLink wrote: Well written article! My friend tried this once, and it was pretty cool. He’s also thought of trying to make an all-foil deck, but that’s quite a bit more expesive, heh.
That’s my current project as well 
I now have almost 3 complete foil decks. And as a side note, these are real decks, not a bunch of off-theme foils put together!
Awfully expensive hobby, but my nerd-cred is way over the roof lol |
| I'm not stupid. I'm just unlucky when I'm thinking. |
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