The Last Homely House

Middle-Earth => Lothlórien => Expanded => Topic started by: wrigh516 on March 20, 2026, 12:31:48 PM

Title: Well Travelled Guide - Free Peoples (Expanded)
Post by: wrigh516 on March 20, 2026, 12:31:48 PM
As the physical cards are getting harder to find these days, I gathered a large physical collection of common and nostalgic decks to play with family and friends as a pre-built game.  I'm posting these decks as a reference and for feedback.
The decks are split into free peoples and shadow sides, all interchangeable at 35 (36 as I added more cycling and discard decks) cards each.  There are some obvious drawbacks to doing it this way, but it is 100% worth it to allow mixing/matching.  It allows enough combinations to keep each game unique and interesting.  The idea is to have thematic and fun strategies while maintaining a balance.  These are built with physical cards, so any in the $150+ range are not always going to make it in due to the costs and to maintain balance among the decks.  I follow the Expanded format and rules before errata, but some decks might also fit into other formats.  This is one of those decks:

[Shire] [Gondor] Well Travelled Guide - Free Peoples (Expanded)
Chokes like a Solo Smeagol deck.

Starting:
The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry
Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer
Aragorn, Well-Traveled Guide

Allies:
Bilbo, Well-Spoken Gentlehobbit x2

Possessions/Artifacts:
Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs x2
Bill the Pony
Mithril-coat
Phial of Galadriel, Star-Glass
Anduril, King's Blade
Flaming Brand
Coat of Mail x2
Athelas x2

Events:
Swordarm of the White Tower x4
Banners Blowing

Conditions:
No Stranger to the Shadows
The Saga of Elendil
Spirit of the White Tree
Ranger of the North
Gondor Bowmen x4
O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
The Tale of the Great Ring
There and Back Again
Three Monstrous Trolls
A Dragon's Tale x2
Scouring of the Shire x2
Cliffs of Emyn Muil


Strategy:
You have options to win skirmishes with strength or wounding to double move.  You can also just let Aragorn lose and take 1 wound at most.
Use the various Tales for Bilbo, Well-Spoken Gentlehobbit to discard the shadow conditions to prevent them from building anything up on you.
Scouring the Shire makes this strategy possible by protecting your Shire possessions/conditions against certain shadows.