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Total Votes : 6 |
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| corvus |
![]() Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 11:17 am |
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Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 1696
Location: Roaming, but dangerous!!!
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--- description ---
Want to surprise your friends with an easy-to-build and well balanced deck? Here’s your chance!
--- end description ---
This is my first attempt, so please don’t be too harsh. Here goes the table of contents:
1 BESIEGERS
1.1 History
1.2 strategy
1.3 strengths
1.3.1 Archery
1.3.2 Beatdown
1.3.3 Choke
1.4 Weaknesses
1.4.1 Condition/possession removal
1.4.2 Site Liberation
1.5 Suggested Strategy
A Fellowship to pair up with
2 DWARVES
2.1 History
2.2 Strategy
2.3 Strengths
2.3.1 Beatup
2.3.2 condition/possession removal
2.3.3 Swarm
2.4 Weaknesses
2.4.1 Archery
2.4.2 Corruption
2.5 Suggested Strategy
3 Specific Suggestions
3.1 Suggested Sites
3.2 Suggested Decklist
3.3 Suggested Starting Strategy
1 BESIEGERS
1.1 History
Besiegers first turned up during the 7th edition (The Return of the King) and made quite an impression. They were one of the most popular shadows of their times as their strategy could counter many free peoples tactics. During the release of the 8th edition (Siege of Gondor), their strategy was enhanced as many powerful cards like Troll of Gorgoroth, Abomination of Sauron and Siege Troop were added to their arsenal. Reflections added Sauron, The Lord of The Rings, and Ithil Stone, 2 cards good enough for every Sauron shadow because of their flexibility. Finally, the 10th edition (Mount Doom) was the last set to expand the strategic choises for besiegers as the Sauron culture the way we know it, had finished its circle.
1.2 Strategy
Besiegers’ strategy is mainly based on site control, just like Dunlendings’, actually the first culture to start this strategy. At first, the main strategy was to take control of a site, using cards like troop tower, or Din of Arms.and then stack minions on the sites with cards like Gorgoroth Garrison, or Gorgoroth Troop. Later, the stacked minions could be played from the sites with above the battlement, Gorgoroth Officer, or Gorgoroth Sapper.
Later on, everything became much easier. Siege Troop and Gorgoroth Swarm could easily provide the site control, Troll of Gorgoroth, Abomination of Sauron made minion stacking dangerously easy, and Olog-Hai of Mordor would take advantage of the stacked minions and play them.
Engines such as Great Siege-Towers, Troop Tower and Tower Walkway were an imperative part of this shadow, as not only would they provide a significant strength bonus, but they would also help with taking control of sites. Grond, Hammer of the Underworld, would discard almost everything, rendering any condition or possession based fellowship useless. Moreover, threats could be added with cards like Gorgoroth Engineer and used with cards like Their Marching Companies, enhancing the strategy further.
1.3 Strengths
1.3.1 Archery
It doesn’t pose a threat, since the vast majority of the key minions have a vitality of 3 or 4. Also, cards like Gorgoroth Soldier, Gorgoroth Breaker and Gorgoroth Servitor provide further protection. Furthermore, Grond, Hammer of the underworld can discard cards like Elven Bow or Aragorn’s Bow.
1.3.2 Beatdown
Great Siege-Towers, Troop Tower and Tower Walkway, provide too great a strength bonus to consider Free Peoples beatdown a strong matchup. Combined with the already great strength of many minions (especially the Trolls’), this strategy effectively counters such decks. Also, Grond can help eliminate dangerous strength giving cards.
1.3.3 Choke
If you set up your engines early, at site 5 you can have a Great Hill Troll for 4, a Gorgoroth Assassin for 2 and a Troll of Gorgoroth, Abomination of Sauron for 0. That is 2 Trolls and one excellent orc for just 6 twilight. No, choking poses no threat. Moreover, with Grond, choking means nothing but companions....
1.4 Weaknesses
1.4.1 Condition/possession removal
An utter disaster for this shadow. It’s soft spot is what makes this shadow more and more unpopular due to massive condition removal
in every meta, in every format. Just imagine in one round: Roll of thunder, Deep in thought. No Grond, no engines.
Ways to counter: try to discard condition removers with Grond (like Pallando, Far-travelling One, or brooding on tomorrow), or take out key characters like Gandalf as swiftly as possible.
1.4.2 Site Liberation
Mainly used during The Two Towers block, when site control was massively played. As we speak, cards like Fell Deeds Awake, Elendil The Tall and Sturdy Shield still carry on. It causes great havoc, as controlling some sites is imperative for besiegers’ strategy.
Ways to counter: ALWAYS stack your minions on your first site. It will be the last one to be liberated. Furthermore, use Grond to discard liberating cards as quickly as possible. Again, try to pick off key companions first.
1.5 Suggested strategy
Firstly, design a small deck so that the engines show up early on. The first things to consider are:
a) getting your first site
b) try to get an early overwhelm
Siege Troop (preferably with Gothmog’s warg) and Emyn Muil is the best combo to help achieve both. Usually, using cards like Gorgoroth Swarm and Troop Tower more sites can settle in your support area. Always try to be in control of at least 2-3 sites as the Tower Walkway’s bonus is imperative.
From then on, you try to stack your minions with Troll of Gorgoroth, Abomination of Sauron on the first site you control. Keep the swarm coming with a nice mind-distracting Gorgoroth Assassin, a few cheap trolls as well as other minions. On your first successful attack with Troll of Gorgoroth , you might stack 2-3 minions.
During another attack with Olog-Hai of Mordor (which comes pretty cheap supposing the previous step went as planned) you get to bring Troll of Gorgoroth or a Great Hill Troll with a damage bonus. You repeat this attack 2-3 times and the opponent’s fellowship is devastated or even worse in the dead pile....
A fellowship to pair up with
Now the problem was: even though i love shadows, Decipher’s rules prohibit only playing shadow in a deck. Let alone 2 shadows... A good fellowship must be used along with the besiegers as well, in case (god forbid) the besiegers don’t work as planned.
OK, so we need a fellowship that will easily survive, give no twilight and capable of double-moving to make the opponent keep trying to catch up with our fellowship, thus causing him/her to perform lethal double-moves. Card drawing would importantly help the shadow side as well. A Dwarven fellowship is apparently what meets our demands for a free peoples side. It qualifies in every requirement mentioned above; plus, their Ring-Bearer is capable of even carrying on in solo while in a tight sichuation (like an early double overwhelm from minions such as Castamir of Umbar) so here starts the dwarf project!
2 DWARVES
2.1 History
This strong and kind-hearted race made it’s appearance with the very beginning of the game. Gimli, Son of Gloin was the most popular character, and a pure dwarven deck could be built almost from the beginning, since Farin, Dwarven Emissary and Fror, Gimli’s Kinsman would get strength bonuses for certain minion races, and with a Dwarven Axe, a Hand Axe and a good supply of skirmish events like Axe strike or Flurry of Blows, they were formidable fighters of their times. Later with The Two Towers block, card stacking (mainly on conditions) on cards like Here is Good Rock was born for Dwarves, granting several bonuses. Now, within the Return of the King block not only were already existing stategies boosted, but also with the release of the reflections set, many strong companions (like Durin III, Dwarven Lord) were added, and what is more, Gimli could start as the Ring-Bearer, thus rendering the creation of a Dwarf-only fellowship possible! After the release of the shadows set, dwarves’ strategy mainly relied on strength and token reinforcement. The only noticeable companion hence is Dain Ironfoot, King under the Mountain.
2.2 Strategy
Quite easy. Just set up your conditions and possessions and mercilessly slay as many minions as possible. Simplistic though it may seem, it is indeed a very strong fellowship. Dwarven damage bonuses is the race’s most popular feat, and a very useful one i daresay.
Side strategies include card drawing, discarding and deck self-burning.
Another popular side strategy is wounding. Using cards like Great Day Great Hour, Baruk Khazad, slaked thirsts, preparations etc, when played correctly, this strategy is powerful.
2.3 Strengths
2.3.1 Beatup
Too much beatup is open-handedly delivered from the Dwarves (especially Durin III) to consider any beatup shadow a formidable opponent.
2.3.2 Condition/Possession removal
Right after the minions have died, Blood Runs Chill gets to work. No further instructions needed.
2.3.3 Swarm
Swarm: usually based on conditions/possessions, so they don’t work well against Dwarves (see 2.3.2....). Moreover, dwarves are quite cheap, and since Gimli is a dwarf, everything can be used to help him as well.
2.4 Weaknesses
2.4.1 Archery
Dwarves have few healing methods, and an average vitality, so they are prone to archery.
Ways to counter: First and foremost: Gimli’s Armor! The use of this possession not only prevents some wounds, but also helps discard cards of little or no use. Apparently, try not losing skirmishes. Play Dwarven Bracers as soon as possible to avoid unpleasant surprises, and always use the Ring of Rings to convert wounds into burdens (beware of corruption (see 2.4.2))
2.4.2
No burden removal is quite a problem. The only exeption is the new orcs "bound to its fate" shadow, which is based on conditions and relies on Dwarves not having events....
Ways to counter: Raise Gimli’s recistance! With the Ring of Rings, Gimli’s original recistance is 7 and with the Ring of Fury and Arod, Rohirrim Steed, he gets an extra bonus to boost it to 10.
2.5 Suggested Srategy
Since the deck mainly focuses on the shadow side, it will all in all be a simple fellowship. It should be designed to never cloag your hand, and help maintain the "5-6 shadow cards in hand" balance at the same time. Thus, everything should have no spotting costs. Gimli’s Armor, Axe of Khazad-Dum and Dwarven Bracers are nice choises. Moreover, most of the Reflections’ rings will help that out as well. There should be plenty of skirmish evets, to assure skirmish winning, minion slaying (with Linnar) and hand cycling. Out of darkness, Durability, Battle to the last and Awkward Moment are fine choises.
As for companions, to keep the deck compact and strong both Dwarves and Gandalf are fine choises. Sindri, Dwarven Lord, Uri, Dwarven Lord, and Dain Ironfoot, King under the Mountain are the best available choises....
An excellent choise for a companion is Gandalf, Leader of the company because of his great abilities. He is actually the much needed strength bonus and the extra companion in the time of need.
This fellowship can easily double-move, without giving out too much twilight, survive under harsh conditions and help build your hand. It qualifiies to stand side by side with Besiegers.
3 Specific Suggestions
3.1 Suggested Sites
Now as for sites:
Anduin Banks can punish large fellowships,
Anduin River is a fine counter measure for archery,
Emyn Muil helps during the beginning (see 1.5)
Ettenmoors has devastating results with all those heavy minions around...
Barazinbar helps build up the fellowship
Osgiliath reclaimed can help a little with corruption
North Undeep is a good counter measure for shadow archery
Trollshaw Forest helps set up the fellowship and cycle your hand early on
Mount Doom is the perfect site 7
3.2 Suggested Decklist
Site Path:
Anduin Banks 0
Anduin River 0
Emyn Muil 0
Ettenmoors 1
Osgiliath Reclaimed 2
Barazinbar 2
North Undeep 3
Trollshaw Forest 3
Mount Doom 3
Starting Fellowship:
Gimli, Bearer of Grudges
The one Ring, The Ring of Rings
Linnar, Dwarven Lord
Durin III, Dwarven Lord
Fellowship: (28 cards)
Companions: (4 cards)
Gandalf, Leader of the Company x4
Artifacts: (3 cards)
Ring of Fury
Ring of Guile
Ring of Retribution
Possesions: (5 cards)
Arod, Rohirrim Steed
Dwarven Bracers x2
Gimli’s Armor x2
Events: (16 cards)
Blood Runs Chill x2
Awkward moment x4
Out of Darkness x4
Battle to the last x3
Durability x3
Shadow: (30 cards)
Possesions: (3 cards)
Grond, Hammer of the Underworld x2
Gothmog’s Warg x1
Conditions: (8 cards)
Great Siege-Towers x4
Tower Walkway x2
Troop Tower x2
Minions: (19 cards)
Olog-Hai of Mordor x2
Siege Troop x2
Troll of Gorgoroth, Abomination of Sauron x3
Great Hill Troll x3
Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul
Gorgoroth Swarm x2
Mordor Pillager
Gorgoroth Soldier
Gorgoroth Assassin x4
3.3 Suggested Starting Strategy
Always bid 0 unless you know you are not dealing with archery or corruption. If you go first, start with Barazinbar, or Trollshaw Forest (well at least use the second if U R feeling lucky  ). If you go second, start with Barazinbar or Trollshaw forest if you got at least 2 possessions or artifacts... |
| Last edited by corvus on Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:46 pm; edited 11 times in total |
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| Pipeweed |
![]() Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 11:36 am |
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Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 1010
Location: Earth (I think)
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| elf lvr |
![]() Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 1:16 pm |
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Joined: 13 Jun 2006
Posts: 3065
Location: Rivendell
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Looks like a long deck clinic post to me. But definately better than some first attempt articles I’ve seen.
Piece of advice: when writing an article, do not write about a deck you have. Write about a strategy you know well. There is a difference. Don’t be afraid to use cards you don’t have, make the deck the best it could possibly be when writing an article.
You include cards important for your meta. Good for a Deck Clinic post, but if you’re writing an article, simply format it differently to say: If so-and-so is in your meta, drop this but include this, and do that for each possible match-up, or the most common matchups for players in general.
In an article, I like to see strategy explained first, then a detailed list of the cards you chose and why you chose them. I, as an article reader, dislike taking the time to look at and link to the cards in the deck, imagine your strategy, and try to piece together why you used what you did. Save decklists for last.
Looks like a decent piece of work, and with a bit of editing, could be very nice. If kept the way it is, a 3 from me. Edited, probably 4. |
Happy Hunting! Elf Lvr
Winner of Best Personality in the FPCA. Thanks!
Archduke Elf Lvr - Archidoux of the Chosen Ones
AMV Maker In-Training! Check out my newest production, Katsu!- A Diedara Tribute!
And behold, EL declared it good. And there was morning, and there was evening, the first (new) day. ~ DainIronfoot |
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| Felipe Musco |
![]() Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 2:52 pm |
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Joined: 18 May 2006
Posts: 2434
Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
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Well, first of all, WELCOME TO COBRA CARDS! I’m Felipe Musco, also known as FM, crazy article writer (hum, maybe after CarpeGuitarrem  ) with no notion of size... 
It’s always good to see a new writer around here, and I must say that, for a first article, you avoided a lot of the pitfalls people usually fall into.
As the guys said, an article that opens with a decklist usually gets a poor feedback, ’cause people will start to read it as "Hum, ok, another one of those decklists-with-no-strategy-things", even though you DO write about it later. As you say, you only get one shot to make a first impression, and ALSO a nice closure is a must. For instance, the parts that take more time out of me when I’m writing is the Introduction and the Conclusion.
Formatting could be improved, too. You don’t have to go crazy as I do with formal writing rules (btw, guys, I’ve dropped some of those, if you check my new MTG article, I think you’ll be happy to see the size of it, and the size of my Table of Contents), but maybe titles for sections would do the trick.
Don’t rush to post an article, take your time. Check it first for spelling errors (some will still slip by, but a lot less of them), and then again with the "Preview" button, to see how it looks on the screen. Check card titles for no-links right after you post it (only then the links will be active), and as the guys said, make the best deck you could to follow your strategy (this is very important, since it IS quite different from making the best strategy you can out of a decklist), and then you can write about facing different decks (you could even concentrate on your meta only, if you prefer, although you should widen it as much as possible) saying which cards you drop and which ones you add, and why.
One final thing, don’t be afraid to re-write your article (with the Edit button) to add things you forgot, or that you think will be nice. The problem with posting it fast to THEN edit it, is that you may get some low votes, and even if you change it later to become a masterpiece like AnxiousChieftain’s "The Gandalf Splash", it’ll have those lower votes there, dragging you down on the race. 
Anyway, don’t let the criticism discourage you, NEVER, as the only way to improve is writing more and more, and usually the criticism you’ll get is meant to amke exactly that, make your work better every time. It took me quite some tries before I nailed my first Article Contest, and I found out that it’s better to concentrate into writing ONE article than to try and write a bunch to see how you fare.
Hope to read more from you, as I said, it’s better than some first attempts we’ve seen here. If you’d like, read some of the best-rated articles to see how the authors wrote them, check the posts to see what they added/changed, so you won’t "miss" those points when posting your next one, and DO Edit this one for correcting spelling errors, don’t just leave it because it was your first. Try to make every and each one of your articles a nice piece of work, put some serious effort into it, and your work WILL be recognized, even for those who didn’t like the topic/strategy.
Good luck, and welcome again, Felipe Musco aka FM. |
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| corvus |
![]() Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 4:22 pm |
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Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 1696
Location: Roaming, but dangerous!!!
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Thanks to everyone for taking your time to read my first article! 
Especially i would like to thank FM for his warm welcome to the whole article-writing sichuation! Thanks for all the handful tips, i will try my best next time, i promise you! Just check my MTG article next week.
I will also try to edit my article as best as i can tomorrow, so elf lvr, ready your 4! |
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| corvus |
![]() Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 3:53 pm |
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Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 1696
Location: Roaming, but dangerous!!!
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Hey guys, i changed my article’s ganetic code!
Now vote please!!! |
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| sickofpalantirs |
![]() Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:09 pm |
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 7750
Location: somwhere, over the rainbow way up high. There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
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much much better still some spelling errors but a very good article a 5.  |
 Sop's haves/ top wants
(mm)"SoP: you will always be the Official CC Spammer in my heart"
"DáinIronfoot"
Spammers really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month. And yet, after a hundred years, they can still surprise you. |
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| elf lvr |
![]() Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:24 pm |
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Joined: 13 Jun 2006
Posts: 3065
Location: Rivendell
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Whoa! Definately a lot better this way! I like the orgainization, although the table of contents was probably not needed.
A little bit of advice, though, add another olog-hai (or two), another seige troop, maybe even another warg into this deck. Just the way I’ve seen beseigers played, and 4 free Olog-Hai is enough to make just about any fellowship cry.
How about some gorgoroth sapper? gorgoroth breaker? gorgoroth garrison? Add encirclement, and you can play 8 minions (even without a full hand of shadow cards, thanks to the sapper) for very low twilight, assuming you have 4 sites controlled (not horribly difficult).
Gothmog, swarm, and soldier can be dropped, IMO.
Anyways, good looking deck, nice looking article, you definately earned my 4! |
Happy Hunting! Elf Lvr
Winner of Best Personality in the FPCA. Thanks!
Archduke Elf Lvr - Archidoux of the Chosen Ones
AMV Maker In-Training! Check out my newest production, Katsu!- A Diedara Tribute!
And behold, EL declared it good. And there was morning, and there was evening, the first (new) day. ~ DainIronfoot |
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| taipan |
![]() Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:35 pm |
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Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 177
Location: DF - BRAZIL
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Much better now. I think you could add more wargs, is cheap but awesome if you control a couple of sites.
My sis used to play with a Sauron corruption deck until a day that I made a deck similar as yours. Man, she hates me since then...
Good article anyway. I’ll wait for any new changes and then I’ll wait.
Good job |
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| corvus |
![]() Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 5:14 pm |
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Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 1696
Location: Roaming, but dangerous!!!
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Thanks guys!
Wow, i’m flying amidst the clouds! I’ll try to work on it even more tomorrow! |
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