List of Fellowship Block Strategies

[Tunadan]

This is a (hopefully) comprehensive list of all Fellowship Block strategies. If you have any strategies to add, or any (helpful) criticisms of the strategy rundowns, please reply so I can update and improve this list.

If you're new to the game and looking for strategies, hopefully this thread can be of use to you.
Here is a link to more formats: More Strategies

In addition, here are some lists from the 2003 Worlds Tournament: https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=12101.0

Free Peoples



Discard

Uses cards like Dwarven Axe and Nobody Tosses a Dwarf to discard your entire deck. May be melded with Elven Discard for extra power. Usually paired with Sauron Discard.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: Sauron Discard
Strong vs: Uruks
Weak vs: Tank Freeps, Strategies that pull from discard
Example deck: Elf/Dwarf with Sauron Mill

Tank

Tanks up Gimli and other dwarves and tries its best to survive. Uses events heavily. May include Gandalf or Aragorn to help out. Usually tries to choke the pool.
Ranking: Tier 2
Strong vs: Uruks, Nazgul
Weak vs: Swarm
Example deck: Dwarves/Moria

What Are We Waiting For?
Aims to play and recycle What Are We Waiting For? repeatedly to skip Shadow Phases. Usually runs a large draw deck and Great Works Begun There to recycle a few copies every time a Dwarf is played. Also uses Sting to check the opposing hand for shadow cards.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: a fast cycling shadow that can recur cards, i.e. Moria



Discard

Uses Far-Seeing Eyes and a plethora of allies to whittle down an opponent's hand, then uses The White Arrows of Lorien to toss the rest of their hand. May be melded with Dwarven Discard. Usually paired with Sauron Discard. May use Gift of Boats for a surprise triple move.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: Sauron Discard
Strong vs: Sauron, Uruks
Weak vs: Ally Hate, Heavy wounding, tank Freeps.
Example deck:Elf archery/Discard

Shoulder to Shoulder
Uses a plethora of allies with Shoulder to Shoulder to heal Legolas, Greenleaf and Gimli, Son of Gloin. May include Pathfinder to avoid Anduin Confluence.
Ranking: Tier 1
Pairs well with: a shadow that would need cycling, like Nazgul or Uruks.
Strong vs: wounding, Uruks
Weak vs: Swarm, Ally Hate
Example deck: Allies/Supported Uruks

Archery

Uses Legolas, Greenleaf, archer allies, and Elven Bows to try to snipe most minions in the archery phase. May be a variant of Super Friends, or a standalone strategy.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: Uruks, Moria
Strong vs: Swarm
Weak vs: Nazgûl, Keeper of Isengard
Example deck: Elven Archery



Super Friends

Tanks Aragorn, Boromir, Arwen, and Legolas and runs. Usually uses both archery and strength, in the form of Flaming Brand and The Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Probably the most popular Fellowship Block strategy.
Ranking: Tier 1
Pairs well with: a cycling shadow like Moria or IsenOrcs
Strong vs: Beatdown, Wounding
Weak vs: Swarm
Example Deck:Super Friends

Horn of Boromir

Uses Boromir, DoMT with Horn of Boromir so none of your guys have to face nasty minions. Sometimes melded with Super Friends or The Nine Walkers. Very tough to beat once set up.
Ranking: Tier 1
Pairs well with: slower-cycling shadows
Strong vs: beatdown, specifically Nazgûl and Uruks, swarm
Weak vs: Their Power is in Terror, Anduin Confluence
Example deck: Horn of Boromir/Nazgûl



Hobbit Hospital

Uses Frodo, Old Bilbo's Heir and a ton of allies with an all-hobbit fellowship to choke and survive. Tries to cancel most skirmishes until site 5 with the skirmish canceling events.
Ranking: Tier 1
Pairs well with: something that cycles well.
Strong vs: Uruks, Swarm
Weak vs: Black Breath
Example deck: Hobbit Allies/Uruks

Shire Countryside

Similar to Hobbit Hospital, but using the Shire Countryside to heal instead. May also use other companions that self-exert. Creams Sauron Wounding. Usually uses Sorry About Everything to start the healing.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: a fast cycling Shadow to get to TSC fast
Strong vs: wounding, beatdown when using Merry, FTS
Weak vs: Swarm, Saruman's Power
Example deck: Shire Countryside with Tracker Swarm



Trust Me
Uses Gandalf, Gandalf Signets and Trust Me as You Once Did to tank and survive. May be a variant of Nine Walkers using Friend of the Shirefolk.
Rating: Tier 2
Pairs well with: a cycling shadow
Strong vs: Beatdown
Weak vs: Saruman's Power, Shadow's Reach

Rainbow (mix of cultures)

Nine Walkers

Plays plenty of different companions, and uses Gandalf as backbone. May or may not include the actual card The Nine Walkers. Often packs FotS.
Ranking: Tier 1
Pairs well with: most shadows
Strong vs: Condition-based strategies, Swarm
Weak vs: Nazgul
Example deck: FotS/corruption

Pipeweed

Uses Pipes and Pipeweed to quickly cycle and do pretty much everything. Rarely uses events. Tries to run most of the time.
Ranking: Tier 1
Pairs well with: a shadow that needs cycling
Strong vs: Discard, beatdown
Weak vs: possession removal
Example deck: Smoking Frodo-Folk

Shadow



Uruk Beatdown

Uses a ton of Uruk-Hai to constantly pressure the opponent. Uses Keeper of Isengard and Savagery to Match Their Numbers extensively.
Ranking: Tier 1
Pairs well with: a cycling fellowship, as the uruks tend to clog your hand
Strong vs: archery
Weak vs: Tank Freeps
Example deck: Hobbit Choke/Uruk Beatdown

IsenOrcs

Uses Isengard Orcs to stupid swarm and wound. If going for swarm, they incorporate Saruman's Snows.
Ranking: Tier 2
Strong vs: Choke
Weak vs: Archery, Damage Bonuses unless packing Trapped and Alone
Example deck: Ranger Choke and Isengard Orcs

Breeding Pit

A fascinating strategy where you use a fast cycling freeps such as Pipeweed to move through your deck and use breeding pit to place uruks on the bottom of your deck. May use Hollowing of Isengard for spare twilight. Element of surprise is helpful too.
Ranking: Tier 3
Pairs well with: a very fast cycling freeps. Pipeweed works well.
Strong vs: Midsize fellowships
Weak vs: Archery, a well-protected Ring-Bearer.
Example deck: Breeding Pit



Swarm

Uses Goblin Scimitar and Goblin Armory to play as many minions as possible and overwhelm the Ring-Bearer.
Ranking: Tier 1
Pairs well with: Fellowships in need of cycling.
Strong vs: Tanks
Weak vs: Bounder, choke
Example deck: Pipes - Moria Swarm

Archery

Moria Swarm, but with archer minions. May try for a bomb at Brown Lands. Sometimes melded with Sauron Grind.
Ranking: Tier 2
Strong vs: Small freeps
Weak vs: tanks.
Elf/Goblin Archers

Beatdown
Uses strong minions like Goblin Patrol Troop and Ancient Chieftain to slow the opponent down. Uses Moria Axe alongside Goblin Scimitar. May be melded with other strategies.
Ranking: Tier 3
Pairs well with: fellowships that move quickly. You may have to outrun your opponent.
Strong vs: Tanks, midsize fellowships
Weak vs: Direct Wounding, strong companions.
Example deck: Moria Weapons



Corruption

Uses conditions to pile up burdens and corrupt the ring-bearer. May be melded with Nazgûl.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: cycling freeps
Strong vs: Strategies that self-add burdens
Weak vs: Sam, Son of Hamfast, Sleep, Caradhras
Example deck: Sauron Corruption

Discard

Uses the same conditions plus a few others to burden and toss cards from the opponent's hand and deck. Goes for corruption with The Irresistible Shadow.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: Dwarven or Elven discard
Strong vs: strategies that run single copies of cards
Weak vs: Sam, SoH
Example deck: Elf/Dwarf with Sauron Mill

Beatdown

Uses a few strong minions to slow the opponent down.
Ranking: Tier 3
Pairs well with: Fast cycling
Strong vs: Dwarves
Weak vs: anyone with a decent bit of strength
Example deck: Sauron Beatdown

Grind
Uses Under the Watching Eye and Orc Bowmen to eat away at the fellowship's vitality. Hate finishes off companions, and the small trackers are capable of swarming.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: most anything
Strong vs: Small Fellowships
Weak vs: Condition wipes, such as Sleep, Caradhras.
Example deck: Frodo, Sam, and Gandalf with Sauron Grind



Corruption

Uses Twilight Nazgûl and their tricks to exhaust and burden the Ring-bearer. May go for a Wraith-World/The Twilight World bomb.
Ranking: Tier 3
Pairs well with: a fast moving and cycling freeps
Strong vs: Hobbits
Weak vs: Sam, SoH, Ring-bearer healing
Example deck: Fots/trust - Nazgul corruption

Beatdown

Uses strong Nazgûl in conjunction with Blade Tip and Black Breath to slow down and kill a fellowship. May try to pile a few burdens for nasty effects.
Ranking: Tier 2
Pairs well with: Cycling. Nazgul tend to clog.
Strong vs: Dwarves, Hobbits
Weak vs: Flaming Brand, choke
Gandalf and Aragorn/Nazgûl

[JamesCB]

Nice! It's cool to see someone giving us a comprehensive list. Maybe mention beatdown, which uses Goblin Patrol Troop, Goblin Flankers, Ancient Chieftain, and Moria Axe (and obviously other cards) to try to overwhelm. Usually includes Troll's Keyward and Cave Troll of Moria, Scourge of the Black Pit. Similar to swarm, just more strength per minion and less strength per minion.

Also tracker wounding, with cards like Under the Watching Eye and Orc Bowmen.

[Tunadan]

Fixed

[Tunadan]

Also, Fellowship block is the one I am the least familiar with. This is the thread what will need the most correction. 

In addition, I have not gone hunting for example decks yet. I will work on that in the coming days.

[Phallen Cassidy]

FP choke strategies are missing. Biggest one is HttWC -- there are several variants, some are almost variants of Super Friends that put No Stranger to the Shadows on Arwen and Boromir (Elrond is typically the only Elf ally, if any, so choke often goes without Last Alliance), some only use Frodo and Aragorn, and others start Frodo, Sam, and Gimli, Dwarf of the Mountain-race & bid to start Prancing Pony. The Gimli variant can reach site 5 with only 5 twilight, denying The Balrog to everyone but Moria, and then only if they can get the pool up to 8. I might say it's the strongest FP until site 7, going first maximizes your chances to win with either side as the hand clog will hopefully force your opponent to stay behind you or risk losing. The FP has finishing power (especially the first and third kinds) but I think it typically has a harder time doubling than other decks as there's not much margin for allowing minions or twilight to remain in the regroup phase. It naturally weakens at the end too, as the shadow number on sites 7-9 is enough that the tokens you deny aren't make-or-break anymore and until this point you've been forcing your opponent to prepare a Shadow hand. While the Fellowship should remain tough enough to survive those hands, if your Shadow hasn't done lasting damage your opponent can double past you with the newfound cycling. Here's a take on the first (and probably most common) kind: https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=387

Frodo-Sam-Gimli decks are similar to the third variant above but use A Promise and beef up Gimli whereas HttWC decks really are all about Aragorn most of the time (Gimli and Sam are expendable to that deck and may be intentionally killed to deny their meager twilight). Can still deny The Balrog though. Here's one: https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=9366

Solo Frodo is a fun one, although you don't gain much by not at least starting anyone else. If there's any particular advantage it's that this deck has the greatest choking potential at the start where 1 less twilight can prevent opponents from playing anything at all. 3 examples listed here: https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=11777

[Tunadan]

Fellowship updated with new ranking system, suggestions from Phallen and others, and a "Pairs well with" section.

[TelTura]

No way is Breeding Pit as strong as standard Moria Swarm.  Pit plays very little in the first half of the game and relies on a site 9 bomb, and anything that interferes with that bomb (especially hand discard or freeps clog) can easily scuttle it.

It's definitely fun and effective when it lands, but when it fails there is nothing left to salvage.

[Tunadan]

I'm intending to get to the Shadow strats soon, I only have re-ranked the Freeps.

[Not a Zombie]

I'm honored to have my deck featured! There are some hybrid strategies I've seen, not sure if it's worth including them. I'm thinking sauron grind plus moria archery, nazgual plus sauron corruption, etc.

[Tunadan]

I usually note that in the description, so I'll update with those ones you listed.