looking for ideas for Gandalf BoO deck.

[St. Grimmin]

not sure if this is the right place to post, haven't played anything past RotK and was wanting to make a deck with gandalf bearer of obligation as the ring bearer. Would just like to get some input as to what might work well for the fellowship. thanks all. 

[Thranduil]

You need Erland and Járnsmid. I've seen a couple of different build for BoO. I think the strongest deck is going to include Pippin, WoBaS and Merry, Swordthain with Home and Hearth and otherwise Men with Guidance of the Istari and lots of other skirmish pumps (Inspiration seems like a good one to go for if you're including the bouncing Hobbit engine). You need Shadowfax, Unequaled Steed so that you never have to put on The One Ring (and obviously the resistance boost is very good).

So yeah, Men I think is the way forward.

Thranduil

[Vroengard]

  unequaled steed?? Think the only one everyone MUST play with the ringb. gandalf is greatest of all mearas

[MuadDib85]

gandalf's text makes him nearly impossible to use competitively against any decent shadow.

[legolas3333]

unless you know you play expanded ents with all the events (Servant of the Secret Fire, Roused, Boomed And Trumpeted, The Flame Of Anor, Look To My Coming) And like Erland To Pull events back (to discard)

[TheJord]

*The One Ring, The Ring of Rings (11R1) 
*Gandalf, Bearer of Obligation (RB)(13R33) 

 
Sites 
0 The Angle (12U185) 
0 Buckland Homestead (11S230) 
0 Woody-end (11S266) 
(1) Hill of Sight (12S188) 
(2) Osgiliath Reclaimed (11S252) 
(2) Stables (11S259) 
(3) Caves of Aglarond (13S186) 
(3) Harrowdale (11S243) 
(3) Heights of Isengard (11U244) 

 
Fellowship (38) 
1x *Eomer, Northman (17R95) 
2x *Eowyn, Northwoman (17R96) 
2x *Erkenbrand, Master of Westfold (0P59) 
1x *Merry, Swordthain (7R321) 
3x *Radagast, The Brown (9R+26) 
4x Home and Hearth (12C122) 
2x Watch and Wait (12R35) 
2x Ease the Burden (11U29) 
2x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom (10C112) 
3x Unheeded (8R115) 
1x *Pallando, Far-travelling One (13R37) 
1x *Eomer's Spear, Trusty Weapon (15R124) 
1x *Eowyn's Sword, Dernhelm's Blade (7R230) 
1x *Erkenbrand's Shield (18R97) 
1x *Firefoot, Eomer's Steed (7R232) 
2x *Glamdring, Foe-hammer (11R35) 
1x *Radagast's Herb Bag (18R26) 
2x *Shadowfax, Greatest of the Mearas (17R24) 
1x Coif (12R111) 
2x Riddermark Javelin (11U151) 
1x Rider's Bow (13U135) 
2x Rider's Mount (15C133) 

Merry, Home an Hearth and Shadowfax, GotM keep you smelling fresh. Wounding potential all over the shop.

[jdizzy001]

Rady's herb bag is essential.  I never thought to use Rohan with BoO 

[ephen]

This deck never made sense to me, if I was playing against I just wouldn't play any minions, no skirmish phase to bounce merry and no skirmishes to win for watch and wait. without those it doesn't seem like you can peel 3 or 6 burdens a turn.

[MuadDib85]

I think if you are going to use Gandalf, BoO you would have to use 4x ease the burden

Maybe oneupsmanship should be used too if possible somehow...

I think having so many rohan cards (14) in the deck TheJord posted may hurt more than help.

Maybe A Light In His Mind could help too...? But 2 shire comps might be hard, maybe use both bouncing hobbits.

[MuadDib85]

Just threw this together.

13R33 •Gandalf, Bearer of Obligation x1
11R1 The One Ring, The Ring of Rings x1

14R5 •Brand, King of Dale x1 -start
0P56 •Ghan-Buri-Ghan, Chieftain of the Woses (P) x1 -start

14R6 •Grimbeorn, Beorning Chieftain x3
9R+26 •Radagast, The Brown x1
11R30 •Erland, Dale Counselor x1
12R30 •Jarnsmid, Barding Emissary x1
7R321 •Merry, Swordthain x1
7R324 •Pippin, Wearer of Black and Silver x1

10U108 •A Light in His Mind x1
12R35 Watch and Wait x1
12C122 Home and Hearth x4
17U21 Long-stemmed Pipe x1
18U27 •Ship of Smoke x1

11R35 •Glamdring, Foe-hammer x1
11U40 •Shadowfax, Unequaled Steed x1  
18R18 Beorning Axe x4
18R26 •Radagast's Herb Bag x1

7C31 All Save One x2
11U29 Ease the Burden x4
12C34 Traveled Leader x2
13U31 The Flame of Anor x4
17U19 Guidance of the Istari x2
18U23 One-Upsmanship x1

Lots of gandalf cards for discarding.
Lots of burden removal.
Axes to get events back.
Would maybe add  x1 Pallando, FTO and 1x Stern Words

[MuadDib85]

I have just noticed this is in expanded  , all of my previous posts I was thinking standard format.

[St. Grimmin]

what would some good threat removers be if you used shadowfax GotM to remove some of the burdens

[Thranduil]

what would some good threat removers be if you used shadowfax GotM to remove some of the burdens

Citadel to Gate? A bit expensive, but the most effective. Otherwise perhaps Aragorn, Driven by Need? NFFatRoD? Sting, Elven Long Knife?

But, if you're using the bouncing Hobbit engine to remove your burdens, it's so effective that I doubt you will need this threat removal.

Thranduil

[Olorin]

Hi there,

well, first of all: Gandalf BoO is not competitive!

You may play him for fun, etc. - but if you participate a tournament, championship, etc. - forget that Gandalf - he is simply not competitive. His set-back is to big, to bad.
1.) Gandalf destroys himself --> bad draw, etc.
2.) Gandalf mostly has got "weak" companions - weak are Gandy men (low strength, low vitality, low resistance, low ability) and ents (higher strength, no real ability, but they add to much pool and you will always have to spot a lot of ents to make them working... this is also a disadvantage)
3.) you will most unlikely be able to double move due to the tiny comps but you will give a lot of pool for keeping them alive (most of the Gandy pusher has got twilight cost of 2 - and then hope, they don't get overwhelmed - winning skirmishes is a rarity - be happy, if you "only" lose skirmish without getting killed. By the way: probably you even cannot use the pushers because you discarded them to prevent adding the burdens
******
Now, if anyone here thinks, Olorin is talking nonsense, Gandy comps have support and can win skirmishes, etc. --> there are support cards, like
- Beorning Axe, Last stand, strange meeting

but there are also cards like Ulaire Cantea, ftw, Mumak rider, Corasir marauder... not to mention the great condition discard of many shadows. What the culture would have need was a kind of Scouring of the shire or deceit.
Gandy is not able to fight successful again corsairs (no shadow possession discard in standard format), swarm (no real direct damage), archery (low vitality), beat down (weak comps), etc.

I would recommend to play beatdown dwarves with Gandy (burden and condition removal for the dwarves - that part Gandy can do) or Gondor beatdown with Gandy... but mono decks are not competitive at all.

And believe me, I guess there are not many other players that have been playing that much Gandalf Rinbearer decks than me - I even participated Decipher's European Championship 2007 in Berlin/Germany - guess how many played Gandalf BoO? I guess, I was the only one. Guess why? It is because there are far better opportunities like Galadriel, Gimli, Faramir and Isildur - and Frodo of course.

But if you wish to play a Gandalf Ringbearer deck, try this:

Gandalf BoO
Erland (starting)
Jarnsmid (starting)

Grimbeorn
Radagast
Treebeard, 15R

shadowfax, Gom (for radagast)
Glamdring (burden removal)
Beorning axe x3 (for grimbeorn... and yeah, Jarnsmid)
Pallando
Gandy pusher, that recycles Gandy conditions 12Cxx
Look for my coming 13U
Flame of Anor 13U

decide wheter to play saved from the fire or not... but you'll flood with pool

and yeah, pray, that you won't face a discard deck (dwarves, orcs, etc.) --> no deck = no chance to keep gandy alive
you see, Gandy dies against a lot of kinds of decks

BUT: I also have to say, that I never played that Gandy in expanded format - but here in central Europe nearly none plays expanded format - because there is a standard format which is used as standard at official tournaments
so, perhaps Gandy perfoms in expanded better, but shadows do as well

[jdizzy001]

If you play culture, I'd use a ring-bearer and play a regular gandalf companion.  I'm no expert on format rules, but there is a culture deck i posted in the casual format.  It has worked well for me, but it is lacking a few things.  Tweek it to taste.  Having said that, Olorin is right.  culture decks are built for fun, not competition.

[Olorin]

If you play culture, I'd use a ring-bearer and play a regular gandalf companion.  I'm no expert on format rules, but there is a culture deck i posted in the casual format.  It has worked well for me, but it is lacking a few things.  Tweek it to taste.  Having said that, Olorin is right.  culture decks are built for fun, not competition.

Hi there,

thanks. And yeah, you could use a  Ringbearer (Gimli) too - and use Ring of Fury + Blood runs chill - compared with regular comps.

[jdizzy001]

Blood runs chill is a hilarious card to use, especially in conjunction with lord of moria, dwarven embassy, proud and able, and Gimli's Battle Axe.  But that is a different deck altogether.

[St. Grimmin]

so it is posible for gimli as the ring bearer to also wear ring of fury?

[jdizzy001]

Yes.  The one ring is neither a possession nor artifact.  It is not classed as a "ring."