9 Companion Gondor Starrting Fellowship ( with a twist)

[GarrisonofGondor]

 
 Starting Fellowship:
 Frodo, Resolute Hobbit w/ The Great Ring
 Faramir, Captain of Gondor
 Aragorn, Strider
 Halbarad, Ranger of the North
 Madril, Defender of Osgiliath
 2x Ranger of the White Tree
 2x Gondorian Prowler

 Fellowship:
 2x Faramir's Company
 2x Gondorian Blade
 4x Ithilien Blade
 Aragorn's Bow, Ranger's Longbow
 4x Bow of Minas Tirith
 4x Ranger's Cloak
 4x What Are They
 4x War and Valor
 4x Eregion's Trails
 2x Last Throw
 2x Houses of Healing
 2x Invigorated

 Your simple 9 companion deck, but it runs off of IB. The Rangers can fight to, and Eregion's Trails make a nice strength subtraction. Questions?
 

[Elrohir]

Can Faramir use his twilightcost-reducing ability on himself??

[SomeRandomDude]

Garrison you're genius!

Dang! Frodo + Faramir + Halbarad = 4 copies Ranger of the White Tree! IB just got that much sweeter!

4 copies Citadel of Minas Tirith should be in every IB deck.

[Elessar's Socks]

Ooh... I see what you did there. Most impressive. Hope Ranger of the White Tree is finally happy with a 3-cost unbound companion.

I think IB decks can be tighter (it's great to filter out FP cards with your starting fellowship, but your Shadow side is still at 40+ cards). That way Ithilien Blade and What Are They? can be drawn ASAP. Maybe scale back on the strength pumps, especially War and Valor. Ideally minions won't make it to the skirmish, in which case the skirmish events will just clog your hand.

If running is your thing, I'd sacrifice some of the novelty of a 9-companion starting fellowship and throw in a couple Radagast, The Brown. If your opponent is suffering from hand clog, then by all means keep on running.

Like NB said Citadel of Minas Tirith is awesome here. Alternatively you could try your luck with Might of Numenor. It'd let you heal while running and is extra insurance against Ulaire Enquea, LoM (who'd probably gun for Madril), in case he drops before Ithilien Blade is out.

[TheJord]

@ ES, Halbarad would help with any clog... man this is a cool idea.

The only thing I am concerned with is no Denethor, LoMT, and I like a fast setup with these guys so you can get moving. Site 6 he pulls Last Throw... and you run and just survive whatever they pull at site 9, as your IB's wont be able to discard there.

[sgtdraino]

Ooh... I see what you did there. Most impressive. Hope Ranger of the White Tree is finally happy with a 3-cost unbound companion.

I'm not seeing it. Who is Ranger of the White Tree spotting? With all those discounts, I'm not seeing an unbound Gondor companion with cost 3 or more.

[Arcanite]

I didn't think Halbarad would count as 3 cost if frodo has <2 burdens.
However, a smegaol and bidding 1 will fix that if it doesn't, as you play (in order)
Faramir (3)
Halbarad (1)
Smeagol

5x Madril/Strider/Prowler/Ranger of the white Tree

[GarrisonofGondor]

Ooh... I see what you did there. Most impressive. Hope Ranger of the White Tree is finally happy with a 3-cost unbound companion.

I'm not seeing it. Who is Ranger of the White Tree spotting? With all those discounts, I'm not seeing an unbound Gondor companion with cost 3 or more.

Halbarad is the 3 twilight cost Unbound Companion. When spotting a companion twilight subtractions don't factor in.

@Arcanite:
It doesn't matter what his twilight cost is after the start of the game. As long os the starting fellowship is legal after bidding, doesn't matter what peoples twilight cost is. And trust me... I won't bid more than 2

[gordie124]

Halbarad is the 3 twilight cost Unbound Companion. When spotting a companion twilight subtractions don't factor in.

Comprehensive rules back this up:

Cards already in play that affect another card's twilight cost have that effect only when the card to be modified is coming into play.

An argument against this is that Halbarad doesn't affect another card's twilight cost, it affects its own twilight cost. Not finding anything in the rules about this case.

[bibfortuna25]

The twilight cost of a card can only be modified when that card is coming into play. If you are checking the cost of a card at any other time, you use the printed number.

[GarrisonofGondor]

@bibfortuna25
Exactly. Thank you.

@People who can't understand how this is legal.

Basically while Halbarad is in play he Costs 1, but his Twilight Cost is 3. This is why Ranger of the White Tree is able to spot him.