The Last Homely House
Middle-Earth => Bag End => Topic started by: Air Power on August 20, 2016, 08:44:36 PM
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After another hiatus, I'm returning to the "pack a day" series with the Battle of Helms Deep.
This box is a bit different: it's two stacks of 18 packs each instead of the normal 3x12 arrangement. Apparently Decipher made these boxes for general retail (Walmart/Target/etc) because they're more restrictive on shelf space than gaming stores. I'm also uploading some photos for curiosity's sake.
For previous editions, please use the following links.
Fellowship: http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,8626.0.html
Mines: http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,9342.0.html
Mixed lot of packs, including a box worth of Ents: http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,8399.0.html
Return of the King: http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,7542.0.html
Reflections: http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,8932.0.html
Shadows: http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,8651.0.html
Black Rider (the first edition of PaD): http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,7493.0.html
Bloodlines: http://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php/topic,8721.0.html
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One more photo, plus pack 1:
Parapet
Frodo MotP
Berserk Rager
War Mumak
Uruk Sapper FOIL
Southron Traveler
City Wall
Isengard Flanker
Let Us Be Swift
Orc Runner
Smeagol ON
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Sunday Double-pack
Pack 2:
Birchseed TS
Dunlending Renegade
Sam NSH
Fury of the White Rider
You Must Help Us
We Must Have It
Gondorian Knight
Warg
Household Guard
Gate Soldier
That Is No Orc Horn
Pack 3:
Black Shapes Crawling
Follow Sméagol
Rare Good Ballast
Sméagol Slinker
Orc Pursuer
Defending the Keep
Wolf-Voices
Knight of Gondor
Gollum NTC
Rohirrim Shield
Uruk Engineer
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Great that you're doing these again!
Do you sell your foils or do you keep them?
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Pack 4:
Legolas' Sword
Balglin EW
Horn of Helm
No Rest for the Weary
Southron Marcher
Ecglaf CF
Warg-Master
Men of Numenor
Gate Veteran
Rohirrim Scout
Warg
I'm a collector of foils as well as non-foils, so I trade them if I have more than one of the same foil. Which reminds me, I need to put together a trade list again
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Pack 5:
Evil-Smelling Fens
Dunlending Renegade
Rally Point
Break the Charge
Gondorian Knight
Southron Runner
Théoden King of the Golden Hall
Warg-Master
Take Cover
Orc Pursuer
Ecglaf CF
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Pack 6:
Siege Engine
Uruk-Hai Berserker
Battering Ram
Grima CC
Let Us Be Swift
Orc Runner
You Must Help Us
Gollum NTC
City Wall
Uruk Sapper
Rohirrim Bow
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Pack 7:
Uruk-hai Berserker
Battering Ram
Arrow Slits
Saruman MoFF
Uruk Sapper
Rohirrim Scout
Gate Soldier
You Must Help Us
Gollum NTC
Men of Numenor
Warg-Rider
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Pack 8:
Orc Fighter
More to My Liking
Sigewulf BV
Sharku's Warg
Knight of Gondor
Gollum NTC
Rohirrim Shield
Uruk Engineer
Forest Guardian
Gate Trooper
Citadel of the Stars
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Pack 9:
Fall Back
War-Warg
Birchseed TS
I am Here
Warg-Rider
Citadel of the Stars
We Must Have It
Rohirrim Shield
Uruk Engineer
Forest Guardian
Orc Infantry
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Sunday Double-Pack
Pack 10:
Fall Back
Arrow-Slits
Turgon MoB
Rohirrim Helm
Gate Veteran
Rohirrim Scout
Warg
Poor Wretch
Southron Traveler
War Must Be
Isengard Rider
Pack 11:
Turn of the Tide
Turgon MoB
Scaling Ladder
Gollum Stinker
Southron Marcher
City Wall
Uruk Engineer
Théoden KotGH
Gate Trooper
Poor Wretch
Isengard Rider
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Not a great box so far. Let's hope for a foil Grishnakh or something of the likes.
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Yeah, not impressed so far.
Pack 12:
Rally Point
Legolas' Sword
Caverns of Isengard
Lindenroot ES
Mumak
Knight of Gondor
Wolf-Voices
Household Guard
Gate Trooper
Sméagol Old Noser
Isengard Flanker
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Pack 13:
Dunlending Rampager
Rally Point
Balglin EW
These Are My People
FOIL City Wall
Defending the Keep
Warg-Master
Citadel of the Stars
We Must Have It
Rohirrim Bow
Wolf-Voices
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Pack 14:
Arrow-Slits
Turgon MoB
Orc Fighter
Gamling WoR
Warg-Rider
Citadel of the Stars
We Must Have It
Rohirrim Shield
Uruk Engineer
Forest Guardian
Orc Infantry
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Continuing to be subpar. Not even the rares are worth mentioning :/ City Gates Foil is a small comfort at least. Could have been Dunlending Renegade, Sigewulf BV or the likes.
Let's hope this means the RF hits home with a bang.
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Maybe it's just me, but I never really felt there was much too get excited about Helm's Deep. The standout cards to me were Gamling, Grima, Slinker and Stinker and you've pulled them. I guess Alcarin and Grishnakh would be nice, but there is a whole load more cards to open
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Maybe it's just me, but I never really felt there was much too get excited about Helm's Deep. The standout cards to me were Gamling, Grima, Slinker and Stinker and you've pulled them. I guess Alcarin and Grishnakh would be nice, but there is a whole load more cards to open
A foil copy of Grishnakh, Orc Captain and Sting, Baggins Heirloom are probably the two best cards from that set from a collector's value.
From a player's !perspective, there are several cards and strategies that Helm's Deep introduces that were amazing [particularly in Towers Block]. The addition of Gollum, Stinker made Easterlings more potent, and new machines added another wrinkle to Uruk Archers. Mumak were introduced to Southrons--still the weakest Shadow side in Towers Block--and the basis for Knight strategies were founded here.
Arrow-Slits and a handful of [Rohan] possessions are still commonly seen in competitive decks, and Grishnakh, Orc Captain and Orc Patrol changed the way that Sauron could be played. Pre-skirmish wounding was expanded with Baruk Khazad, Fury of the White Rider, and Rohirrim Bow,
Just some thoughts about the set.
-wtk
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Pack 15:
Scaling Ladder
Hornburg Wall
Battering Ram
Saruman MoFF
You Must Help Us
Gollum NTC
Men of Numenor
Warg-Rider
Rohirrim Shield
Orc Runner
That Is No Orc Horn
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Second MoFF? Wow... :|
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Pack 16:
Teeth of Mordor
Isengard Scimitar
Look at Him
I Am Here
FOIL Look at Him (not bad . . .)
Gollum NTC
City Wall
Uruk Sapper
Rohirrim Bow
Gate Soldier
That Is No Orc Horn
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Opening a box of Helms Deep is usually a gamble for a nice foil, there are very little cards actually doing something.
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Sorry for the interruption; still getting caught up from camping this weekend.
Saturday: Pack 17
Orc Fighter
Sam NSH
Taurnil SB
Gimli SD
Take Cover
Orc Pursuer
Ecglaf CF
Warg
Sméagol ON
Mumak
Gondorian Knight
Sunday Double-pack
Pack 18
Look at Him
Orc Cutthroat
I'd Make You Squeak
Orc Captain
Let Us Be Swift
Orc Runner
Sméagol ON
Warg-Rider
War Must Be
Mumak
Rohirrim Scout
Pack 19
Legolas' Sword
Teeth of Mordor
Sigewulf BV
Be Back Soon
Sméagol ON
Isengard Flanker
Men of Numenor
Southron Marcher
Ecglaf CF
Gate Veteran
Defending the Keep
Monday: Pack 20
Orc Patrol
Birchseed TS
Sigewulf BV
Baruk Khazad
Isengard Rider
Poor Wretch
Southron Runner
Take Cover
Uruk Sapper
Rohirrim Bow
Orc Infantry
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Attempting to catch up, part 2
Tues, Pack 21
Rare Good Ballast
Follow Sméagol
Birchseed TS
Alcarin WoL
Uruk Engineer
Forest Guardian
Orc Infantry
Gondorian Knight
Southron Runner
Théoden KotGH
Warg-Master
Wed, Pack 22
More to My Liking
Evil-Smelling Fens
I'd Make You Squeak
Berserk Slayer
Warg
Household Guard
Gate Soldier
That Is No Orc Horn
Southron Traveler
City Wall
Isengard Flanker
Thurs, Pack 23
Orc Patrol
More to My Liking
Strength in Numbers
Stone Tower
Gate Trooper
Poor Wretch
Isengard Rider
War Must Be
Southron Runner
Let Us Be Swift
Orc Pursuer
Friday, Pack 24
Look at Him
Hornburg Wall
Uruk-Hai Berserker
Leaping Blaze
Warg-Rider
War Must Be
Mumak
Rohirrim Scout
Orc Pursuer
Defending the Keep
Wolf-Voices
Sat, Pack 25
Taurnil SEB
Sam NSH
Siege Engine
Foul Horde
Warg
Sméagol ON
Mumak
Gondorian Knight
Uruk Sapper
Rohirrim Scout
Gate Soldier
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Sunday Double-Pack
Pack 26
Caverns of Isengard
Horn of Helm
Turn of the Tide
Wild Men of the Hills
Forest Guardian
Gate Trooper
Citadel of the Stars
Southron Marcher
Ecglaf CF
Warg-Master
Men of Numenor
Pack 27
Balglin EW
Strength in Numbers
Isengard Scout Troop
Desert Stalker
Rohirrim Shield
Orc Runner
That Is No Orc Horn
Southron Marcher
City Wall
Uruk Engineer
Théoden KotGH
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Behind again!
Monday: Pack 28
Orc Cutthroat
Rare Good Ballast
Nan Curunir
Thundering Host
Sméagol ON
Isengard Flanker
Men of Numenor
Southron Marcher
Ecglaf CF
Gate Veteran
Defending the Keep
Tuesday: Pack 29
Isengard Scimitar
Isengard Scout Troop
Frodo MotP
Eye of Barad-Dur
Southron Traveler
Household Guard
Isengard Flanker
Knight of Gondor
Orc Infantry
Sméagol ON
Théoden KotGH
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Wednesday: Pack 30
Armory
Horn of Helm
Nan Curunir
Grishnakh OC
Poor Wretch
Southron Traveler
War Must Be
Isengard Rider
Let Us Be Swift
Orc Runner
You Must Help Us
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Only to foils so far?
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Three foils: Uruk Sapper, City Wall, and Look at Him
Which means the haul from these last 6 packs should be pretty good :hey:
Pack 31:
Parapet
Evil-Smelling Fens
Hornburg Wall
Sharku WC
Take Cover
Uruk Sapper
Rohirrim Bow
Orc Infantry
You Must Help Us
We Must Have It
Gondorian Knight
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Pack 32:
Caverns of Isengard
Berserk Rager
Teeth of Mordor
Berserk Savage
Gate Soldier
That Is No Orc Horn
Mumak
Knight of Gondor
Wolf Voices
Household Guard
Gate Trooper
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Pack 33:
War-Warg
Armory
Berserk Rager
Wolves of Isengard
FOIL Sigewulf BV
We Must Have It
Rohirrim Bow
Wolf-Voices
Forest Guardian
Gate Veteran
Take Cover
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Sunday Double-Pack
Pack 34:
I'd Make You Squeak
Orc Patrol
Siege Engine
Morannon
War Must Be
Southron Runner
Let Us Be Swift
Orc Pursuer
Defending the Keep
Warg-Master
Citadel of the Stars
Pack 35:
Taurnil SEB
Armory
Isengard Scimitar
No Use That Way
FOIL Wolves of Isengard (hmm, that could have gone better)
Orc Infantry
Sméagol ON
Théoden KotGH
Isengard Rider
Poor Wretch
Southron Runner
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Pack 36:
Dunlending Renegade
Parapet
Follow Sméagol
No Help for It
Forest Guardian
Gate Veteran
Take Cover
Southron Traveler
Household Guard
Isengard Flanker
Knight of Gondor
Conclusions:
Not a terribly impressive box, but a few nice bits. Most of my HD cards were reprints, so getting a first run box was nice for collection purposes, anyway. I can't remember what I paid for this box, but I'm pretty sure I lost money on it compared with singles' prices.