The manliest man and a Brave Decoy

[Shelobplayer]

Been a while since I made a new deck, so I figured it is time to start working on one. This is my initial list for this idea, very much unrefined, but it mixes a couple of very strong combos, so I'll be experimenting with it for a while probably. Might discard it entirely, will see

9-1 in 10 games, and list updated. One of my most fun decks, even if it doesn't cover all angles well enough to be called super competitive
I gotta say that this deck fullfills my power fantasy perfectly, Boromir literally one man armying AND destroying minions regardless of vitality on wins is extremely satisfying.

Might try a second version with Steward's Heir to see how it goes.

Boromir megatank
Format: Expanded
Author: B0r0m1r
Ring-bearer: Boromir, Bearer of Council
Ring: The One Ring, The Ring of Doom

Adventure deck:
Buckland Homestead
Cavern Entrance
Neekerbreekers' Bog
Steward's Tomb
Mithlond
Osgiliath Reclaimed
Dammed Gate-stream
Imladris
Mount Doom

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
1x Sméagol, Always Helps
1x Aragorn, Defender of Rohan
1x Gamling, Defender of the Hornburg
1x Háma, Captain of the King's Guard
1x Éomer, Forthwith Banished
1x Éowyn, Northwoman
4x Merry, Swordthain
1x Pippin, Brave Decoy
1x Léowyn
1x Weland, Smith of the Riddermark
1x Armor of the White City
2x Blade of Gondor, Sword of Boromir
1x Bow of Minas Tirith
1x Flaming Brand
1x Great Shield
1x Horn of Boromir, The Great Horn
1x Shield of Boromir
1x Brego
1x Erkenbrand's Horn
1x Firefoot
1x Merry's Sword
1x Rohirrim Bow
1x Spear of the Mark
1x Andúril, Flame of the West
4x The Shards of Narsil
2x One Good Turn Deserves Another
4x Something Slimy
1x Last Days of My House
4x Simbelmynë
3x No Visitors
3x Unheeded
1x Follow Sméagol
1x Gladden Homestead
1x Spirit of the White Tree
1x Stewards' Legacy
2x Weapon Store
2x A Light in his Mind
4x Déagol, Fateful Finder
1x Elendil's Army
4x Gondorian Servant, Denethor's Handman
1x Rohan Worker
1x Rohirrim Doorwarden
1x Daddy Twofoot, Next-door Neighbor
1x Robin Smallburrow, Shirriff Cock-Robin

Shadow Draw Deck:
1x Gollum, Her Sneak
1x Gollum, Hopeless
1x Gollum, Old Villain
1x Gollum, Skulker
3x Shelob, Her Ladyship
1x Gríma, Wormtongue
2x The Balrog, Demon of Might
1x Gothmog, Morgul Leader
1x Southron Leader
1x Morgul Squealer
1x The Witch-king, Morgul King
1x Úlairë Cantëa, Faster Than Winds
1x Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul
2x Úlairë Lemenya, Eternally Threatening
3x Úlairë Nelya, Third of the Nine Riders
2x Úlairë Nertëa, Dark Horseman
1x Web
4x Captured by the Ring
3x Led Astray
4x Sudden Strike
1x We Must Have It
2x You're a Liar and a Thief
4x Deceit
4x Evil-smelling Fens
2x Fat One Wants It
1x Hidden Even From Her
3x Incited
4x Not Easily Avoided
3x Not This Time!
3x Promise Keeping
3x They Stole It
1x Treacherous Little Toad
1x Unabated in Malice
1x The Number Must Be Few
1x Out of Sight and Shot
1x Saruman, Servant of Sauron

Basic play loops are:
Using Brave Decoy + Sword of Boromir to have a strong RB Boromir fight multiple times in skirmishes (without paying his normal skirmish penalty). Sword of Boromir is fueled by Flaming Brand (Gamling can fetch it) + Weapon Store and Gondorian Servants.

Brave Decoy taking over a skirmish from a defender +2 Éomer (Firefoot + Spear of the Mark), then canceling with No Visitors.

There are also Unheeded plays: Always Helps + Unheeded, Merry's Sword + Unheeded, Stwards' Legacy + Rohan Worker on Boromir + Unheeded etc.

Initiative looping with The Shards of Narsil + A Light in his Mind for up to 5 burden removal per turn (Leowyn to drop down to the wanted handsize).

I like 60/60 for expanded deck size, so this is pushing it a bit, will have to see

The Shadow side is a Gollum mix with 4x Not Easily Avoided and 3x Incited to help out the fellowhip, I know it looks a bit wonky, but it has been tried and tested in another deck with 60 cards, and it works (95/20 with that one).

https://play.lotrtcgpc.net/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=B0r0m1r$lm2kfa2yyjvlqfaj
Here is it in its full glory, with way too many misplays. Boromir makes up for everything with brute force

[Shelobplayer]

Played 5 games with it, and managed to get the W in all. Updated the list and also posted the shadow side.

Here it is in action against an old abandoned creation of mine (well, the Freeps side that is) piloted by a friend
https://play.lotrtcgpc.net/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=B0r0m1r$x3bk8bxivt56s87d
That Galadriel tank list has some potential too I feel, will be refining that one as well
Strong RBs is the theme of the month it seems

And a rocky start against some nazguls:
https://play.lotrtcgpc.net/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=B0r0m1r$80g6i16cz9mf6xka
I think the concession came a bit early, but once stabilized it's hard to stop Boromir )))

[Tunadan]

Fellowship looks like one of mine that I've experimented with, but with Sam as the RB. I like the idea of having Boromir fight so much too.

Do you have trouble getting Merry out? 4x in a 120+ card deck is still a small chance. You also might want to consider Minas Morgul Answers for some light condition removal so you don't rely on Buckland Homestead.

[Shelobplayer]

Fellowship looks like one of mine that I've experimented with, but with Sam as the RB. I like the idea of having Boromir fight so much too.

Do you have trouble getting Merry out? 4x in a 120+ card deck is still a small chance. You also might want to consider Minas Morgul Answers for some light condition removal so you don't rely on Buckland Homestead.

Honestly Merry falls into the "nice to have" category, not into "mandatory". I'm usually fine if I can simply get Imladris as site 3. Everything that is required to get the party going is there from the getgo pretty much.

Surprisingly I use the direct synergies between shadow and freeps side less in this deck compared to my "Shards of Narsil Hospital" build despite it being 20 cards larger, so I'd say it's pretty #$&*@! consistent in this form.

The fact that it laughs at the face Her Ladyship and Dark Horseman in multiple ways makes this deck very resilient, and overpowering it with brute force is pretty #$&*@! hard, which makes me want to toss in a Spirit of the White Tree, and maybe something to combat archery to cover the missing angles.

[Shelobplayer]

https://play.lotrtcgpc.net/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=B0r0m1r$lm2kfa2yyjvlqfaj

Probably the most dominant display of brute force from the best man in Gondor
9-1 in 10 games, with the only loss comming to uruk hunters on site 2.

[libraryoforthanc]

Eric Christoffersen (library of orthanc youtube channel) here.  I have never posted here, but I was so excited to see new expanded decks being posted that I had to! 

I am not of the skill level to be able to contribute much, but can you explain why no "New Chapter" to drain all your followers out of the deck on turn 1?  You have the rest of the set up for it:  (Gamling + Erkenbrand's Horn + Smeagol + Damned Gate Stream + Something Slimy).  Seems like a no brainer, or am I missing something?

EDIT: I see that you are only starting 1 hobbit.  Did you consider to start Merry and Pipping to enable the combo instead of the Eomer?

I have been working hard on a Rohan Expanded Deck with this combo which I will post soon.  It centers around Bilbo as the ring bearer with Consorting with wizards to take no wounds with the Rohan companions who give bonuses for having the ringbearer skirmishing.  I'd appreciate your comments on it!

Thanks! Eric

[Shelobplayer]

Eric Christoffersen (library of orthanc youtube channel) here.  I have never posted here, but I was so excited to see new expanded decks being posted that I had to! 

I am not of the skill level to be able to contribute much, but can you explain why no "New Chapter" to drain all your followers out of the deck on turn 1?  You have the rest of the set up for it:  (Gamling + Erkenbrand's Horn + Smeagol + Damned Gate Stream + Something Slimy).  Seems like a no brainer, or am I missing something?

EDIT: I see that you are only starting 1 hobbit.  Did you consider to start Merry and Pipping to enable the combo instead of the Eomer?

I have been working hard on a Rohan Expanded Deck with this combo which I will post soon.  It centers around Bilbo as the ring bearer with Consorting with wizards to take no wounds with the Rohan companions who give bonuses for having the ringbearer skirmishing.  I'd appreciate your comments on it!

Thanks! Eric

Hello Eric! Thanks for your response. I post these decks just to show that expanded still has plenty of undiscovered options, once you break with the 2x30-40 cards decks. I actually have like half a dozen ideas of decks I consider to be competitive power level, it just takes a lot of time to polish them to a high standard.

I considered a New Chapter build, but in the end decided against it. It is hard enough on GEMP to do proper expanded playtesting even without people conceding and/or whining because of New Chapter (and in this rare case I can't even blame them that much).

I'm sure this deck can be optimized further, I just kinda abandoned it in favour of the Galadriel deck I posted.