Archery Only? (Shadow)

[Hobbit_Pizza]

Does anyone have an archery only (shadow) deck?
How would that work?

I haven't built or played one.
I envision low cost, non-unique, swarms of archery goodness that eliminates the fellowship before the skirmish.

Please share.

[leokula]

Well there are a few options... sounds like you're after a Moria achery deck, with low cost and few non-unique cards.

A Moria achery deck is very simple ... add 4x of each moria archer, 4x Goblin Runner, 4x Goblin Armory, a few Goblin Swarms and you're ready to go.

[Hobbit_Pizza]

Any helpuful events/conditions/objects? If so, would they be too specific to mix cultures? Are there any other shadow archers in other cultures that could hypothetically be mixed with moria without affecting the playability?

[SomeRandomDude]

Man Archery pwns.

33 cards

Rapid Reload x 3
Howdah x 4

Elevated Fire x 4
Precision Targeting x 4
Countless Companies

Pavise

Mouth of Sauron x 2

Voice of the Desert x 2
Archer of Harad x 4
Grima, Footman of Saruman x 2
Ferocious Haradrim x 4
Mumak Commander, Giant Among the Swertings x 2

My secret recipe big fellowship destruction combo.

Anduin Banks + Grima + Precision Targeting = BWAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Throw in some Ferocious Haradrim and suddenly your dudes are getting pretty big. Against a full-blown 9 comp fellowship, I can usually use the combo to drop 4-5 comps, although I've been known to drop 7 in one turn.

(Stupid hobbits......shadowplay...gah.)

Moria Archery works well also.

35 cards

Moria Archer Troop x 4
Goblin Archer x 2
Goblin Marksman x 4
Goblin Bowman x 4
Goblin Runner x 4
Archer of Harad x 4
Desert Lord x 2

Goblin Swarms x 2
Relics of Moria
Goblin Armory x 4

Goblin Scimitar x 4

You will need to pack Neekerbreeker and as many sites that wound as possible. You will probably need a Steward's Tomb at a Sanctuary as well as Anduin Banks AND City Gates.

Southron archery is a great strategy as well, but I'm not sure what cards are standard. The card that stops the RB from taking archery wounds rocks. Haradrim Marksman, maybe?

[Hobbit_Pizza]

Thanks NB. Now how do we get them to autolink? :-\

[Thranduil]

I have a crazy archery deck using the Morgul Lurkers, Ambushers and Creepers with Gothmog ( one), Streaming to the Field and a Gollum engine to add threats and/or burdens for the non-initiative guys. Fun stuff!

Thranduil

[Hobbit_Pizza]

  Post it!

[Thranduil]

Fine, but I can't autolink on account of using a mac.

4x Morgul Lurker
4x Morgul Ambusher
4x Morgul Creeper
2x Gothmog, Morgul Commander
1x Gorbag, Covetous Captain

3x Streaming to the Field
2x Stooping to the Kill

2x Ulaire Nelya, Third of the Nine Riders
2x Ulaire Attea, Wraith on Wings

1x Gollum, Plotting Deciever
3x Captured by the Ring
3x Led Astray
3x Strange and Terrible
2x Fat One Wants It
1x Final Strike

Basically, the principle is you can expect to have initiative (through Streaming to the Field) and 3 threats (through Captured by the Ring and Fat One Wants It) at many points throughout the game, but don't necessarily expect 3 burdens unless you get Attea's ability off which I find rarely happens. So, you should be hitting people with about 10-15 archery at Anduin Banks (with a few Morgul Lurkers/Ambushers and Gothmog), and a bit less at other sites, but it should still be considerable especially at mountains when you can use Strange and Terrible to recycle vital minions like Gothmog. Of course, then you can use the Led Astray/Nelya combo to replay the Anduin Banks next site as well...

If you find you're not getting enough archery, then you can throw down Gorbag taking amazing advantage of all those archery wounds your opponent put on the ring-bearer and with Stooping to Kill you have a whole army of strength 10/11 damage +1 Orcs, which isn't bad.

I pair it with a side firstly to take advantage of the mountain sites and secondly to draw through the considerable deck size.

Another awesome card to have in this deck (though I took it out in favour of Attea I think) is Ten Time Outnumbered which absolutely rocks if they're not expecting it!

That's about it, I think. It does kill people. I once wiped out an entire fellowship of 9 companions (all with 4+ vitality - it was Ents and Hobbits I think) just with archery and threats.

Thranduil

[Hobbit_Pizza]

Thanks Thran! 

Fine, but I can't autolink on account of using a mac.

No worries, It's not you who I blame...

[sickofpalantirs]

then who do you blame?

[Hobbit_Pizza]

Kralik obviously!

j/k

[MR. Lurtzy]

then who do you blame?

?

[sickofpalantirs]

then who do you blame?

?

and I considered that post spam... LOL

[FingolfinFinwe]

What do you consider this?

[Micah247]

Here is a  Archery that placed at worlds a couple years ago.  I have not played it yet (trying to put a variation together right now), but it looks like seasoned leader on desert lord being the main combo, along with a bunch of threats.

Southron Archer Legion
3x Southron Marksmen
3x Elite Archer
4x Seasoned leader
3x Haradrim Marksman
3x Desert Lord
3x Southron Bowman
4x War Towers
2x Rallying Call
Rapid Fire
3x Ships of Great Draught
Sauron, The Lord of the Rings
Bold Men and Grim
Ithilien Wilderness

[Hobbit_Pizza]

Cool. 

[Hobbit_Pizza]

I tallied up all the archers from various cultures that cost 3 or less...
Maybe there's a way to make them work together without laughing?

Goblin Marksman 1C176
Goblin Bowman 2C60
Uruk Crossbowman 4C183
Southron Archer 4R245
Southron Bowman 4C248
Archer of Harad 11U67
Southron Murderer 13U98

And just for fun...

Corsair Bow 18U61
Bill Ferny, Agent of Saruman 15R72

[Elessar's Socks]

For old school Moria archery I'd suggest 2-3 Archer Commander, 4 each of Bowman, Marksman, and Archer Troop, and for crowd control Enquea LoM and Southron Archer Legion. Maybe splash Goblin Archer to counter Free Peoples archery. Some builds also toss in a Moria Axe for the Troop. What often ends up happening is the Ring-bearer is overwhelmed before actually becoming corrupted. 30-35 cards is a good size, I think.

Hybrids might get in the way of kill cards which are fortunately unfortunately culture-enforced. Uruk Archery likes lots of archers to power up Weapons of Isengard, Moria Archery likes to swarm, Morgul Archery needs to worry about initiative/burdens/threats, etc. A pairing with might show some promise, though... maybe / or / ? Or throw in Gothmog, Morgul Leader. At cost 6 for 3 wounds he's like three Goblin Bowman put together, and for just one card slot too.

[SomeRandomDude]

I tallied up all the archers from various cultures that cost 3 or less...
Maybe there's a way to make them work together without laughing?

Goblin Marksman 1C176
Goblin Bowman 2C60
Uruk Crossbowman 4C183
Southron Archer 4R245
Southron Bowman 4C248
Archer of Harad 11U67
Southron Murderer 13U98

And just for fun...

Corsair Bow 18U61
Bill Ferny, Agent of Saruman 15R72

I actually like the idea.

Howdah x 4

[Hobbit_Pizza]

Yeah I was thinking of Howdah ... maybe throw in some Archer commander x4 too.
Is there a  or  equivalent to an Archer Commander? Not quite verbatim, but something unique?

[SomeRandomDude]

Yeah I was thinking of Howdah ... maybe throw in some Archer commander x4 too.
Is there a  or  equivalent to an Archer Commander? Not quite verbatim, but something unique?

I don't think so. Can't think of any off the top of my head.

Know there isn't for , not sure about .

I wouldn't pack 4 Archer Commander, but maybe 1 or 2.

Moria Archer Troop is great bang for the buck. 6 twilight, big vitality/strength, and throws out 2 arrows usually.

[Hobbit_Pizza]

I wouldn't pack 4 Archer Commander, but maybe 1 or 2.

yeah that's what I was thinking. I like moria archer troop too.

[Elessar's Socks]

I was thinking of sticking Gothmog, Morgul Leader (with Goblin Hordes recursion) into . That should at least equal levels since Gothmog is even more cost effective than Troop + second archer.

[SomeRandomDude]

Frenzy decks pwned massively. Bwahaha.

But then they got shut down.

Here's a strategy I like.

31 cards

Goblin Hordes x 4
Whisper in the Dark x 4

Saruman, Servant of Sauron x 4

Orkish Lackey x 4
Watchful Orc x 2
Black Land Cheiftain
Gothmog, Morgul Leader x 2
Mumak Commander, GATS x 2
Archer of Harad x 4
Southron Murderer x 4

Lackey + Whispers + Mumak Commander = PWNAGE!

Anyways, not quite archery, but close enough.

[Hobbit_Pizza]

I haven't tried this yet.

32 cards

Goblin Domain x 1
Goblin Swarms x 2
Host of THousands x 2
Relics of Moria x 1
Threat of the Unknown x 2
What Is This New Devilry x 1
Goblin Armory x 4

Goblin Scimitar x 4

Goblin Marksman x 4
Goblin Runner x 4
Goblin Bowman x 4
Archer Commander x 1
Moria Archer Troop x 1
Goblin Archer x 1

I would also like to make it work somehow with Must Do Without Hope, Power and Terror, Final Cry, and The Balrog, Flame of Udun.

If it were open, I could throw in Durin's Tower or Host of Moria.

Any suggestions?

[Thranduil]

As long as you know that Goblin Domain and What Is This New Devilry only work on the fellowship block sites.

Thranduil

[Hobbit_Pizza]

As long as you know that Goblin Domain and What Is This New Devilry only work on the fellowship block sites

So if I weren't playing Fellowship format, I could sub Goblin Domain and What Is This New Devilry for Durin's Tower and Host of Moria?

[Hobbit_Pizza]

What would be a good FP counterpart to this? Dwarfs I know for sure, but would anything else provide a high card turnover?

[Mythdracon]

Does What Is This New Devilry work in Open Format?

Anyhow, Shadow archery will likely need condition and possession removal to work against Elf decks that run Elven Armaments (and put them on unique companions, like Galadriel 8D).

[TheJord]

What Is This New Devilry only works in Fellowship block sites