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donimator

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 9:47 am

Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 67 Location:

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Rohan has had difficulty playing at a high level as a single culture. By emphasizing possession retrieval and using the Valiant keyword, they can show their colors as a deadly fighting force. (Post Hunters)
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The Army of Rohan was a formidable fighting force. Fast moving and disciplined, they cut easily through foes when fully mustered and led into battle. Unfortunately, the Rohan culture of the TCG has been all but relegated to second-tier status despite some of the strongest companions and conditions. Rohan’s reliance on possessions has been its downfall as a playable culture at a high level. Discarding of possessions is easily achieved by several minion cultures, twilight generated by playing possessions can hurt a fellowship, and setting up the Free Peoples side can be difficult when draws are poor or there is no opportunity for card retrieval.

A counter to this is to focus a deck around a printed a keyword. Since the introduction of the Rohan

culture, Valiant has been an unloaded keyword attached to many companions. The main companions of the culture have at least one version with Valiant and non-unique supporting companions exist in the Two Towers block to allow a fellowship with most, if not all Valiant companions.

How does this help? Several key cards provide significant bonuses just by spotting Valiant men. Most significantly, Eomer, Valiant Warchief allows one to make him strength +1 for each valiant companion spotted. The potential to make Eomer up to strength 15 (spotting 8 Valiant, himself included) before any possessions or events makes him nearly unbeatable. This is an ability that is hard to deny (except at Cavern Entrance Wink

).

Several events spot Valiant men to achieve effects that give the Rohan

culture flexibility. Let Us Be Swift spots three to discard conditions and liberate a site and No Rest For The Weary spots to make a companion defender +1. Both from the Two Towers Block. Unfortunately, for a keyword prominent through at least five sets, there are few supporting cards.

Valiant was abandoned in the War of the Rings block but returns in Hunters, replacing events and companions lost to Two Towers rotation. By selecting Valiant companions and emphasizing possession retrieval, a deck can be constructed that gives the Rohan

culture its best chance at battling a strong shadow side.

Sample Free Peoples Side (post-Hunters)

Starting
Eowyn, Willing Fighter
Eomer, Skilled Tactician

Companions
Theoden, Tall and Proud
Rohirrim Warrior x2
Rohirrim Soldier x2
Haleth, Son of Hama

Possessions
Firefoot, Mearas of the Mark
Snowmane, Noble Mearas
Eomer’s Spear, Trusty Weapon
Herugrim, Sword of the Mark
Eowyn’s Sword, Dernhelm’s Blade
Riddermark Javelin x3
Rider’s Bow x2
Rohirrim Mount x3
Swift Steed x3

Conditions
Mustering For Battle x2
Freely Across Our Land x2

Events
Grim Trophy x4

Total cards: 32

Two things are going to keep companions alive in a Rohan

fellowship - retaining possessions and making them big enough to avoid being overwhelmed. With a larger fellowship, being consistent in this regard will allow a double move when needed. Many Rohan decks key to ’plains’ sites, but Rohan doesn’t have much support for controlling the site path. This deck is based on Valiant men and possession retrieval to meet the two goals.

First the starting pair are different than one might expect, but both are role-players. Eomer, Valiant Warchief might seem to fit better, but I want to have the Valiant keyword event-based instead of ability-based. Eomer, Skilled Tactician lets one take a Rohan

possession or skirmish event into hand from the discard pile every time a Rohan

companion is played. This is key to retrieve a useful item or event, but also avoids clogging of the hand for a better shadow draw and cycle, knowing cards can be brought back. Eowyn, Willing Fighter from Hunters is not the strongest of the Eowyn’s, but she meets spotting requirements, can absorb some key wounds and is just as capable with all the Rohan

tools as any other companion.

Theoden, Tall and Proud leads off the other companions and is good to try and get out early. He is best to put up against the unbeatable minion that pops up occasionally and is a companion that can be burned, knowing another can immediately be played to handle a fierce skirmish or absorb another sure kill. Rohirrim Soldier and Rohirrim Warrior are two from Hunters with the Valiant keyword. The soldier plays more cheaply while the warrior can gain defender +1. Haleth, Son of Hama is the only non-valiant companion, but his effect is a good one. He gains in strength and damage when two and three mounts can be spotted and prevents Free Peoples mounts from being discarded when he can spot four or more. Mounts greatly aid a Rohan

strategy and Haleth ensures they will always be in play.

Firefoot, Mearas of the Mark and Snowmane, Noble Mearas provide token reinforcement and some good abilities when keyed to Eomer or Theoden. Eomer’s Spear, Trusty Weapon can be discarded to wound and can be retrieved again by Eomer himself. Herugrim, Sword of the Mark and Eowyn’s Sword, Dernhelm’s Blade are standard possessions keyed to their owners with the added bonus of Eowyn’s Sword able to be played in a skirmish and adds a wound when it does play. Riddermark Javelin provides a strength bonus and can be discarded to increase the archery total. It too can be discarded freely knowing it can be played again. Rider’s Bow can be added to any companion. Finally the mounts; Rohirrim Mount gives the standard exertion while allowing the bearer to become defender +1 much like Swift Steed will allow the bearer to take no more than one wound. These two choices provide some flexibility in how minions are assigned to skirmishes.

Conditions supplement Eomer’s ability to play discarded Rohan

possessions. Mustering For Battle lets you exert a Rohan

companion or discard the condition to play a possession in the Maneuver phase. Freely Across Our Land lets you remove a Rohan

token or discard the condition to do the same in Regroup. This condition is also supported by the token reinforcement from Firefoot, Mearas of the Mark and Snowmane, Noble Mearas.

Finally we get to a single event from Hunters, Grim Trophy. This event can be taken into hand from the discard every time a Rohan

companion is played and Eomer, Skilled Tactician is on the table. This is the event that keys to the Valiant keyword making the companion strength +1 for every Valiant companion spotted. On average this should be at least a +3 or +4 pump almost every turn and could be up to +7 if the full fellowship is out. Coupled with the benefits from possessions it should allow Rohan

companions to become quite big.

Reliance on possessions is seen as a downfall of the Rohan

culture. Once discarded, there is not much else to make a Rohan

single culture deck work well. By providing several mechanisms to retrieve discard possessions or play them directly from the draw deck, Rohan

companions keep their strength. By providing a pump directly tied to spotting the companions, they have a strength in numbers that cannot be taken away. By including a companion that ensures all mounts stay in play, the Horsemasters of Rohan will function at their best. In keeping companions fully mustered, the Rohan

culture can best be realised as a formidable fighting force.

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ingold55

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:59 pm

Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 1199 Location: Out on the front line

i liked the article, sorry i am no rohan expert, but it looked good to me. Smile

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bobtheorc

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 9:59 pm

Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 1218 Location: Wow, its hot in Iowa

Decent article overall. However I like your other one about Gondor more. Also, this is not your fault, but the images to the Hunters cards are all messed up. Its kinda neat how Decipher is bringing back the Valient keyword. I still don’t think that the Rohan

culture will ever be as good as it was in Two Towers, but who knows. Very Happy

You get a 4 for a fairly decent, and solid article.

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donimator

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:53 am

Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 67 Location:

Thanks ingold55 and bobtheorc. I liked Rohan through Two Towers block, but even then Dunland gave them problems and then Corsairs from Siege of Gondor pushed them out of tier 1 play. They were beefed up a bit through War of the Rings, but their same weaknesses remained. I was looking for something, anything, from Hunters to give them the extra push. Valiant might be the way to go because it only depends on having companions in play. I paired it with possession retrieval and discard retrieval as a reactionary strategy. Although in testing with proxies you do cycle the deck quite well and the basic idea of the deck seems to work. I need to get back online and test it out or maybe the Easter Bunny will leave boxes of Hunters cards instead of eggs.

(Using my eternal optimist voice) I’m hoping ’Rise of Saruman’ shifts focus to Rohan to combat whatever goodies the Uruk-hai