Smeagol, Simple Stoor/Grima Wormtongue & evil men

[Zoskan]

Free Peoples (36 cards)

Start:
Frodo, Resolute Hobbit + The One Ring, The Great Ring
Faramir, Son of Denethor
Pippin, Wearer of Black and Silver
Smeagol, Simple Stoor

Naked Waste x4
Poor Wretch x4
Deagol, Fateful Finder x4
There's Another Way x4
Not Listening x4
Don't Follow The Lights x3

Sam, Son of Hamfast x1
Sting, Baggins Heirloom x2

Faramir's Sword x1
Faramir's Bow x1
Flaming Brand x1
Armor x1
Ranger's Cloak x1
Boromir, My Brother x1
The Saga of Elendil x1

Shadows (36 cards)

Grima, Wormtongue x4
Archer of Harad x4
The Mouth of Sauron, Messenger of Mordor x4
Covetous Easterling x4
Voice of the Desert, Southron Troop x4
Corsair Champion x4

Rapid Reload x2
Grieving the Fallen x2
Pursuing Horde x4
Wielding the Ring x4

Sitepath:
Doorway to Doom
Steward's Tomb
Mere of Dead Faces
Caras Galadhon
Wold Battlefield
Green Dragon Inn
Trollshaw Forest
Dammed Gate-Stream
Sirannon Ruins

FP: If I'm first to go in the game I like to begin with Green Dragon Inn and get out Sam, SoH right away. Early in the game you can use Deagol to fecth some key possessions on Frodo or Faramir. With all his stuff Faramir is a pretty tough guy especially since opponent can't use skirmish special abilities or use skirmish event in his skirmish. Pippin is mainly useful early in the game while you're facing roaming minion to wound them twice, otherwise he's mainly bantha poodoo later. Use Sam as much as you can (i.e. to remove burden) and sacrifice him when you have to. Smeagol is the star companion: He's starting weak but become stronger as the game advanced. When he wins skirmishes use his game text to remove your leftover Deagol from your draw deck and help boost Smeagol further. Not Listening: pretty useful to heal Smeagol and remove burdens. Don't Follow the Lights: Allow you to discard a nasty minion you don't want to face (simply have to win a skirkish with Smeagol). Naked Waste: Boost your Ring-bound companion and you can play it from your discard pile when you need to later in the game. Smeagol can be a 19 strength companion with all his stuff! For some easy double-moving you can discard There's Another Way to get Mere of Dead Faces and play Caras Caladhon for the next site.

SP: Use The Mouth of Sauron to get your nasty conditions out, beginning with Pursuing Horde since it'll give you extra twilight pool and maybe a Rapid Reload too. Put your conditions on the companions who are likely to have some stuff on them and unleash Grima, Wormtongue power! When the FP replay their possessions reveal Corsair Champion for some exertions. Use any twilight left in the archery phase with Rapid Reload for some exertions. Voice of the Desert will ensure some archey wounds in region 2 as well as having fierce minions in region 3. Covetous Easterling can provide some quick death against FP oriented men deck.

Clog your opponent's hand with Grima and you should be able to cycle through youe deck fast enough with The Mouth Sauron & Smeagol. FP don't give much twilight and should survive against most opposition. You can vary the SP side by replacing some cards with Pavise, Mumak Commander, GATS, Castamir, Corsair Vandal or other cards to do a little bit more archery.

[Gil-Estel]

Your focus is very much on 3 strong companions. But what if you face swarm? You say easy double move, but I don't see that happen.
I like Wormtongue, but don't you think 4 of him is a bit overdone?

[TheJord]

Sam, SoH is banned even in Expanded