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 StrategiesIn addition, here are some lists from the 2003 Worlds Tournament:
https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=12101.0Free PeoplesDiscardUses 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 MillTankTanks 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/MoriaWhat 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
DiscardUses
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/DiscardShoulder to ShoulderUses 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
HateExample deck:
Allies/Supported UruksArcheryUses
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 IsengardExample deck:
Elven ArcherySuper FriendsTanks 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 FriendsHorn of BoromirUses
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 ConfluenceExample deck:
Horn of Boromir/NazgûlHobbit HospitalUses
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 BreathExample deck:
Hobbit Allies/UruksShire CountrysideSimilar 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, FTSWeak vs: Swarm,
Saruman's PowerExample deck:
Shire Countryside with Tracker SwarmTrust MeUses 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 ReachRainbow (mix of cultures)
Nine WalkersPlays 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/corruptionPipeweedUses 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-FolkShadowUruk BeatdownUses 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 BeatdownIsenOrcsUses 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 AloneExample deck:
Ranger Choke and Isengard OrcsBreeding PitA 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 SwarmUses
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 SwarmArcheryMoria 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 ArchersBeatdownUses 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 CorruptionUses
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 CorruptionDiscardUses 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, SoHExample deck:
Elf/Dwarf with Sauron MillBeatdownUses 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 BeatdownGrind 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 GrindCorruption 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 corruptionBeatdown 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