Why the French Format? We make a Standard Format with 3 blocks (like Movie Block, War of the Ring Standard and Standard) and avoid the abusive cards from sets 8 and 10.
Cards from sets 1-3 and 11-13 can now be played in the same FP side or Shadow side, this isn't in any format (except Expanded and Open).
These cards are allowed in French Format and often banned in other formats:1R139 Savagery to Match Their Numbers Metagame reason: both
and
Uruk-Haï are now playable in the format.
1R195 Relics of MoriaMetagame reason:
Swarm was not played but
Swam was.
3U106 Bill the PonyMany underground sites are played in this format and will discard Bill.
3R113 The Shire CountrysideNo insane combo without cards from ROTK.
4U276 •
Fortress Never FallenNo reason to ban this card.
These cards aren't on any X-list/R-list from Decipher, but are banned in French Format:9R35 Sapling of the White Tree Massive site liberation with
Elendil, The Tall, except Dunlendings no Shadow player could play a strategy based on site controlling. Easy way to prevent wounds.
11R226 •
The Witch-king, Captain of the Nine Riders Trop fort dans une Shadow Nazguls.
Metagame reason: BB/BT Nazguls were by far the best Shadow in French Format (half of the decks were Nazguls during French Championship 2016).
11S232 Cavern EntranceBanned for NPE reason. Hobbits are now more playable.
13R11 •
Celeborn, The Wise Metagame reason: Elf Telepathy with
Forearmed+
Nenya, Ring of Adamant+
Inside a Song was very strong. Celeborn allowed players to double move easily
13R37 •
Pallando, Far-travelling One No strong cultural enforcement (often played in Gondor, Dwarves...) and no way to discard this card.
13R64 •
Denethor, Last Ruling Steward Too strong with
Aragorn's Bow and
Greenleaf.
14R6 •
Grimbeorn, Beorning ChieftainNo cultural enforcement and too strong.
In order to limit path control, we decide to ban some cards with recursive ways to control the site path:
5U23 Follow Sméagol
11U49 One Good Turn Deserves Another11S222 • Úlairë
Nelya, Third of the Nine RidersThese cards depend on abusive path control with
Traveled Leader or
Unforgiving Depths:
11S231 Caras Galadhon (easy to replace the current site with
Traveled Leader against a swarm)
2C14 Till Durin Wakes Again (abusive healing with undergrounds and
Unforgiving Depths).