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Author Topic: Gandalf Control/Alive and Unspoiled  (Read 7374 times)

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May 01, 2018, 05:06:01 PM
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Gandalf Control/Alive and Unspoiled
« on: May 01, 2018, 05:06:01 PM »
Ring-bearer: Gimli, Bearer of Grudges
Ring: The One Ring, The Ring of Doom

Adventure deck:
Courtyard Parapet
Steward's Tomb
Pelennor Flat
Cavern Entrance
Mithlond
Dammed Gate-stream
Heights of Isengard
Mount Doom
Sirannon Ruins

Starting Fellowship:
Dasron, Merchant from Dorwinion
Gamling, Defender of the Hornburg
Smeagol, Slippery Sneak

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
1x Dasron, Merchant from Dorwinion (Starting)
1x Gandalf, The White Wizard
1x Grimbeorn, Beorning Chieftain
1x Treebeard, Keeper of the Watchwood
1x Smeagol, Slippery Sneak (Starting)
1x Gamling, Defender of the Hornburg (Starting)
4x Barliman Butterbur, Prancing Pony Proprietor
1x Dwarven Armor
1x Gimli's Battle Axe, Trusted Weapon
4x Beorning Axe
1x Shadowfax, Greatest of the Mearas
1x Erkenbrand's Horn
1x Ring of Fury
1x The Palantir of Orthanc, Recovered Seeing Stone
4x Halls of My Home
1x A New Light
3x A Wizard Is Never Late
1x Deep in Thought
1x On Your Doorstep
1x Speak Friend and Enter
1x Traveled Leader
1x Something Slimy
1x Last Stand
4x Long-stemmed Pipe
1x Alatar, Final Envoy
1x Meneldor, Misty Mountain Eagle
1x Pallando, Far-travelling One

Shadow Draw Deck:
3x Grishnakh, Treacherous Captain
4x Isengard Underling
1x Mountain-troll
4x Orkish Runner
4x Orkish Scout
1x Orkish Warg-master
3x Orkish Worker
1x Mauhur, Relentless Hunter
1x Shagrat, Tower Captain
2x Ugluk, Ugly Fellow
3x Uruk Reserve
3x Relentless Warg
2x Evil Afoot
4x Bound to its Fate
3x Alive and Unspoiled
2x Greed

This is the first iteration of an Alive and Unspoiled deck I am trying out for Expanded. I think that the core principles are there but it definitely needs some work. I think that the deck is probably too big at the moment, it needs either cycling or cuts. I also don't think my proportions of orcs and uruks are very good. My uruk choices may be poor too, Uruk Reserve is not that great.

Current strategy: Use Dammed Gate Stream + Smeagol to grab Last Stand, then discard him. Use Gamling to get Erkenbrand's Horn then Alatar and Pallando, then kill him off. Have Grimbeorn make Last Stand tokens, Alatar reinforce them and Treebeard recover it if lost. Use Dasron to get whatever you need each turn, and Long-Stemmed Pipe to make sure it's in discard.
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May 02, 2018, 06:06:40 AM
Reply #1

Shelobplayer

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Re: Gandalf Control/Alive and Unspoiled
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2018, 06:06:40 AM »
I don't see the point of Uruk Reserve. Not a huge fan of Evil Afoot either. I'd rather see Goblin Hordes stuff, it's usually the way to go with Bound to its Fate/ Isengard Underling. Orkish Runner is fairly subpar too imo, I think you are fine with 2 tops.

Orc Miscreant might work well, if he is not countered in some manner and gets a warg, you could just go for generic corruption. Maybe even a Rider's Gear or two.

Armed for Battle is also a card I might try. It's great with Isengard Underling.

Saruman, SOS might worth a slot even at that point.

I think the shadow side would be more flexible with those changes. Alive and Unspoiled sounds amazing on paper if it works, but if they get rid of it, you are stuck with a pile of random cards pretty much.

May 04, 2018, 09:45:53 AM
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Re: Gandalf Control/Alive and Unspoiled
« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2018, 09:45:53 AM »
I don't see the point of Uruk Reserve. Not a huge fan of Evil Afoot either. I'd rather see Goblin Hordes stuff, it's usually the way to go with Bound to its Fate/ Isengard Underling. Orkish Runner is fairly subpar too imo, I think you are fine with 2 tops.
Well Evil Afoot could do Underling, but it's a bit situational. Agree, Reserve doesn't work, I'll do White Hand Guard instead. I'll add Goblin Hordes, but it bothers me how quickly it gets discarded sometimes.

Orc Miscreant might work well, if he is not countered in some manner and gets a warg, you could just go for generic corruption. Maybe even a Rider's Gear or two.

Armed for Battle is also a card I might try. It's great with Isengard Underling.

Saruman, SOS might worth a slot even at that point.
I'll add them and see if how it goes. Do you have any thoughts about the size of the deck?

I think the shadow side would be more flexible with those changes. Alive and Unspoiled sounds amazing on paper if it works, but if they get rid of it, you are stuck with a pile of random cards pretty much.
That's true, sometimes it won't draw as well.

I'll try and get some games done with the changes, then I'll post the updated build :)
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May 04, 2018, 11:06:26 AM
Reply #3

Shelobplayer

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Re: Gandalf Control/Alive and Unspoiled
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2018, 11:06:26 AM »
The size of the deck is where I ran into problems when I tried to build it as well. You absolutely need a cycling engine, maybe even multiple ones. Woodhall Elf could be one. Horn filter if you are okay with everyone talking smack on GEMP. HKOTN is also an option, but imo way worse than horn when it comes to NPE (horn is fast... HKOTN is slow and does it each regroup).  I really enjoyed a Ship of Smoke build lately, it is amazing at cycling but runs the risk of discarding Alive and Unspoiled. Gloin, SOG was my initial thought for the deck with Gamling pulling a Doorwarden for him to become a mini Durin.

There are a bunch of orcs you could try as one ofs. Black Land Chieftain for one, Chamber Patrol etc.

May 26, 2018, 07:09:45 AM
Reply #4

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Re: Gandalf Control/Alive and Unspoiled
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2018, 07:09:45 AM »
Sorry for my delay, I'm not playing so much at the moment.

Version 2:

Ring-bearer: Galadriel, Bearer of Wisdom
Ring: The One Ring, The Great Ring

Adventure deck:
Courtyard Parapet
Abandoned Mine Shaft
Breeding Pit of Isengard
Pelennor Flat
Cavern Entrance
Mithlond
Dammed Gate-stream
Heights of Isengard
Mount Doom

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
1x Arwen, Royal Maiden (Starting)
1x Gandalf, The White Wizard
1x Grimbeorn, Beorning Chieftain
1x Quickbeam, Hastiest of All Ents
1x Treebeard, Enraged Shepherd
1x Smeagol, Slippery Sneak (Starting)
1x Gamling, Defender of the Hornburg (Starting)
4x Barliman Butterbur, Prancing Pony Proprietor
2x Elven Armaments
4x Beorning Axe
1x Shadowfax, Greatest of the Mearas
1x Erkenbrand's Horn
1x Galadriel's Silver Ewer
1x Nenya
1x The Palantir of Orthanc, Recovered Seeing Stone
1x A New Light
4x A Wizard Is Never Late
1x Deep in Thought
1x On Your Doorstep
2x Speak Friend and Enter
1x Traveled Leader
1x Last Stand
4x Long-stemmed Pipe
1x Celebring, Elven-smith
1x Woodhall Elf, Exile
1x Meneldor, Misty Mountain Eagle
1x Pallando, Far-travelling One
1x Deagol, Fateful Finder

Shadow Draw Deck:
1x Black Land Chieftain
3x Grishnakh, Treacherous Captain
4x Isengard Underling
1x Mountain-troll
4x Orkish Scout
1x Orkish Warg-master
3x Watchful Orc
1x Mauhur, Relentless Hunter
1x Shagrat, Tower Captain
2x Ugluk, Ugly Fellow
4x White Hand Guard
3x Relentless Warg
1x Evil Afoot
4x Bound to its Fate
3x Alive and Unspoiled
2x Greed
4x Goblin Hordes

I switched the fellowship to Woodhall Elf + Nenya cycling, which is good enough at the current size, although Galadriel is a bit feeble here. Changed the shadow as you suggested. It's a bit tight for space though, haven't fit in Miscreant yet.

Replay:
http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=Dictionary$588wagoxhwllgkwh
Visit LOTR TCG wiki for strategy articles and extra card details, contributed by various community members. All set 1 cards finished.