Thanks Dmaz and admin team, great work!
So hear me out, I've been thinking what we can suggest to balance more the choice of starters.
Starters' shadows and fps are overall optimally thought out, and many of my suggestions are not really "new ideas" in terms of shadow or fps layout, but rather the aim instead is how to re-distribute/release better these, given the series boosters choices (basically first: 1+4, second: 2+5, third:3+6).
Due to the fact that nowadays virtually everyone chooses the 3-hunter starter.
An immediate first-off suggestion is to remove Gimli from the 3-hunter deck (LA instead). Why? I believe this is the current choice due to the fair amount of Gondor, Elf and Dwarven cards you get. Personally, whenever I've gotten a very nice/rare Dwarf card, I'd always pick 3-hunters (not worth the Dwarf+Gandalf because you'd unuse Elf and Gondor cards completely), so by removing Gimli you are forced into reconsidering the Gandalf + Gimli starter.
Also and due to power creep in later sets, trackers will be significantly better than the other FotR shadows.
My suggestion includes having Boromir in the third starter so that Gondor cards could also tilt that way --Rohan would be out from this series because you can't get cards for them in set 1 (disadvantage).
So here I'm posting suggestions, for example for series 1, something among these lines:
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Free peoplesOption#1: Boromir and hobbits (only deck getting Sam --it's possible to start with 4 hobbits or go for Boromir+Merry)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16fdIOK61P2LQUywwkPCRQ11mDreEhtu9/view?usp=sharingOption#2: Gandalf and dwarves (not much changes here, but starting with Farin)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fyPPFILPieLeMoTaWYSTmMor0siouCrP/view?usp=sharingOption#3: Aragorn and elves ("LA" but not really; Gimli no longer in this deck and Aragorn is not key in the deck)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Vo02eMvt3tIInIu7X3IdTQHf1LObISp/view?usp=sharing--------------------------------------
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ShadowOption#X: Sauron grind (probably still paired with Option #2)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nFnVZQ7ihXpgtqavTSX0yhS5EUWZ-0i6/view?usp=sharingOption#Y: Moria
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WYWk2WsL9I7AC68F9DjUUMjC78ds8Axl/view?usp=sharingOption#Z: Nazguls
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qYTP7yffYXbvAJxZ1k5F-6SdBtsIHRR0/view?usp=sharing--------------------------------------
NB= - I'm personally not a fan of large decks (so cut down strictly to 30); nor using >5 companions: let anyone use all companions they want but not included in the starter --just relying on pulls they get.
- Notice all of them are using FotR shadows so that good minions from set 4 with power creep, are really splashed but not there as a baseline.
For instance Uruks can't be there for series 1, otherwise they have advantage of getting good cards both from set 1 and set 4. - Haven't thought how to pair shadows with Fps, it is very possible some of them are stronger, so I wouldn't rule out that some of the starters come with 1 or 2 rare cards.
- We don't need to explore every strategy which is already common in meta (i.e., archery); and also tuning might be needed if swarming becomes easy at least for first serie.
I'll put more later about what I would suggest exactly for series 2 and 3 (or let me know if you dislike this idea so that I stop).
Series 2 could have:
Southrons, Dunlands, and Isengard orcs -including but not limited to
Warg riders (all these based on stuff you are likely to get from set 5 boosters). And assuming that if someone gets good pulls from set 2 regarding Nazguls or Moria (outstanding cards in this set), then they can "revamp" first series starters.
With series 2, fps:
Rohan (maybe with Gandalf?), Aragorn (6r) + Gimli, and Knights.
Series 3 would have for shadow:
Uruks using machines, Easterlings + Gollum, and Isengard men (with a few rares). And fps as:
Ents (not necessarilly with Gandalf), Rangers (with Faramir and Smeagol), and Elves.
I can see it overlaps a little with Movie sealed, but maybe we don't need to change this towers standard sealed at once? Maybe give it a try while having both (flavour A + flavour B?).. so that we can assess if starter selection becomes indeed more varied/balanced.