Solo...Frodo?

[DáinIronfoot]

Been trying to get a solo Frodo deck going for a while now. I think I might be close, but I wanted to turn it over to the experts for inspiration. What do you think?

FREE PEOPLES (36 cards):


Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer w/ The One Ring, The Great Ring

The Gaffer, Sam's Father x2
Bounder x2
Hobbit Party Guest x4

Daddy Twofoot, Next-door Neighbor x2

Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs x2
Mithril-coat, Dwarf-mail
Phial of Galadriel, The Light of Earendil
Frodo's Cloak
Salt From The Shire x3
Golden Perch Ale

O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
The Tale of the Great Ring
Cliffs of Emyn Muil x2
Home and Hearth x3
Scouring of the Shire

Power According To His Stature x2
Hobbit Sword-play x2
Light Shining Faintly x2
Deft In Their Movements x3

The Great Ring is really what makes this work, as between that and overwhelming-prevention from Bounder and The Tale of The Great Ring (very appropriate title here, don't you think? ), Frodo is nearly impossible to kill unless with damage-capabale or fierce-capable minions...and Dwarf-mail helps counter those.

As with most solo decks, this one attempts to choke the twilight pool. All cards played on Frodo are twilight cost -1, which means that only the aforementioned Dwarf-mail and Frodo's Cloak add any twilight at all (and I think the heal PLUS a burden removed on the Cloak makes that one worth it). The only other cards that add twilight are Golden Perch Ale (which forms some very nice burden removal), Daddy Twofoot (to pull your events back, obviously), and the allies, all of which cost only apiece. The Gaffer, Sam's Father is easy healing, Bounder is easy overwhelming protection, and each Hobbit Party Guest can be used to recharge Sam's Father, enabling multiple Frodo heals during the same fellowship phase. And with Home and Hearth out, each of these allies, when played, removes burdens!

The allies then chip in to help remove twilight by way of Deft In Their Movements, setting up easy doubling by making each site's Shadow number -2 until the end of the turn. Such a card would be out of reach if Frodo was truly our only Hobbit, but with the Hobbit allies around, it becomes a very nice way to choke the pool even further and more than offset the cost of the allies themselves.

Basically, aside from the twilight added when Frodo moves, this deck throws out no more than twilight the entire game, so it will be darn near impossible for the Shadow player to throw enough minions at you to overcome Frodo's massive strength boosting potential. With a Salt From The Shire and The Light of Earendil, he has 13 resistance, and between that and the burden removal afforded by Home and Hearth, Golden Perch Ale, and discarding extra Salt From The Shire and Frodo's Cloak, the burdens added by The Great Ring, Power According To His Stature, Light Shining Faintly, and Daddy Twofoot won't make much difference unless facing a full-blown corruption Shadow deck.

I think this might just be crazy enough to work. What do YOU think? How could I make it better?

[Gil-Estel]

I guess you need Scouring of the Shire, for you need your support cards. And I guess you could use some more burden removal, because when frodo fights you need the burdens and the removal....

[DáinIronfoot]

Scouring of the Shire is a good idea. What about burden removal, though...any specific suggestions? I had thought about NfFatRoD (which could exert an ally to remove a burden or the threat added by Bane of the Eight Legs, depending on which I needed more) or Brace of Coneys, which would basically be a free way to remove a burden during the fellowship phase. Golden Perch Ale, maybe.... But beyond those ideas, I had trouble finding much, and plugging any of them in would require snipping something else to make room. I'm reluctant to make the deck any bigger for fear of not getting key cards like BotEL or Deft In Their Movements.

[Gil-Estel]

Golden Perch Ale is a good thought, for you are able to win some. I would add the original Mithril-coat and Prized Lagan, for it has 2 great possibilities, denying fierce and healing. Sting from T&D could remove those burdens. I guess you won't be facing many minions, so the limit of 1 threat should be workable.

[NappyKorn]

holt crap that is so wierd. You said our mind think alike and last night at work I had some free time and was trying to think of a Solo Frodo deck myself. I was going to try to keep it standard legal myself though. I might try to make it work now and give it a post .

[Elessar's Socks]

*LOL* I was trying to get a Solo Frodo deck to work for your contest. The idea was to spam The Great Ring, and then use Knocked on the Head (pulled by Birthday Present) / a regroup-discarding Hobbit / Home and Hearth to peel off burdens for the next turn. It had some issues though, notably the burdens going off scale and plunging in an if-you-look-at-this-funny-it'll-explode-in-your-face kind of way.

Sudden Fury might be prohibitively expensive, but it can take some load off the The Great Ring. That is, if you can get several copies down safely.

[NappyKorn]

Ok I'm working on something that will exploit The Tale of the Great Ring with Mithril-Coat, Dwarven Mail. I might run a Pippin, Hobbit of Some Intelligence enigine with Make Haste to help control the twilight further . So unchoke the pool and there are very few skirmish events in standard that play for free. So The Tale of the Great Ring keeps Frodo from being Overwhelmed Period and With Mithril-Coat, Dwarven-Mail they loose their damage bonuses and it can keep them from being fierce . That would just be annoying that you can't get but 1 wound on a sorry little strength 3 Ring-bearer each turn and by the tme he has those 3 wounds you are safely at a sanctuary. Might even start with Gandy, Leader of Men and a burnable Comp to grab Pip, Make Haste and either Daddy Twofoot, Next-Door Neighbor or The Tale of the Great Ring. After That poor old Gandy can bite the dust as fodder. Then of course run a few Home and Hearth to remove the Burdens Daddy Twofoot adds and the few you might need for The Great Ring . I will get on this and post if I come up with anything .

Another fun way to exploit your decision on going first would be start say Gandalf, Leader of Men and Sam, Son of Hamfast and A version of Smeagol. Bid 3 and add the one for Smeagol. Use Sam's text to peel 3 burdens, then burn him with Saved from the Fire grab Pippin, Hobbit of Some Intelligence, Make Haste and Daddy Twofoot. Your 4 starting burdens go buh-bye . You go first, start Dammed Gate-stream Grab Safe Passage or One Good Turn Deserves another (whichever you don't grab in starting hand) and now you control the path and are choking and have the almost impossible to prevent Pip/Make Haste Engine going from the Start . Working on something like this as well. Wasn't sure if Son of Hamfast was x-listed though, is he in expanded?

[NappyKorn]

Ok well here are a few ideas One is expanded the other is standard. I will do the expanded one first since this is indeed in the expanded thread.

I don't quite like this one as much as the standard but here goes.

Frodo and Ring 
*The One Ring, The Great Ring (19P1) 
*Frodo, Master of the Precious (5U111) 

 
Sites 
(3) Dammed Gate-stream (11U235) 
any other forest, river, mountain or undergound sites for Safe Passage

 
Fellowship (33) 
2x *Mithril-coat, Dwarf-mail (13R153) 
1x *Gandalf, Leader of Men (8R15) 
1x *Pippin, Hobbit of Some Intelligence (12R127) 
1x *Sam, Son Of Hamfast (1C311) 
1x *Smeagol, Always Helps (7R71) 
2x *Safe Passage (11R50) 
4x Home and Hearth (12C122) 
2x Scouring of the Shire (18R112) 
2x Scouting (7R68) 
3x Shadowplay (10U114) 
1x Make Haste (10C109) 
3x One Good Turn Deserves Another (11U49) 
4x Saved From The Fire (8R20) 
2x Unheeded (8R115) 
2x *Daddy Twofoot, Next-door Neighbor (13U144) 
1x *The Gaffer, Master Gardener (13U151) 
1x *Sting, Elven Long Knife (18R113) 

I tried to avoid the allies here because in Dain's Deck if he gets all his allies out and then moves to Westemnet Village Frodo is dead. He only has 4 vitality and with those 5 allies on the table that is 5 wounds on him and the ring can't be worn until the maneuver phase.


Ok Start Gandalf, Leader of Men and Sam Son of Hamfast. You can bid as much a 3 to start to ensure you go first. Use Sam's text to quickily peel 3 of the 4 burdens you start with, then Burn him with Saved from the Fire to grab Pippin, Hobbit of Some Intelligence, Make Haste and Daddy Twofoot. When you play Pippin you can remove that 4th burden so you have a fresh start with them. Ater this is done Gandy can just die when it is required . Make Dammed-Gate Stream as your starting site. Use it's Text to Grab either Safe Passage or One Good Turn Deserves another whichever you don't mamange to grab in your starting hand (hopefully you pick on one or the other). Now You can start choking 4 twilight a move and play your low shadow number sites. You use Shadow play to exert whatever minions come into play to ensure scouting will get rid of them. You can also use Make Haste (which can be taken back into hand with Daddy-Twofoot) to toss other minions. With the choke going on they will less than likely have the 2 twilight to peel to prevent. Everytime you replay Pippin from hand he can heal Frodo or peel an extra burden. Home and Hearth can peel more burdens when Pippin is played over and over again. Scouring of the Shire helps keep those much needed conditions and possession safe. Mithril-Coat, Dwarf-Mail can keep those annoying fierce minions at bay and all minions lose damage bonuses so Frodo can cruise into each sanctuary safely. Sting helps peel those burdens used incase scouting hides on you. If you are having problems getting Scouting to show up you can use Smeagol's text paired with an Unheeded to kill a minion off . The Gaffer can heal heal Frodo when Pippin just isn't enough. I'm sure there are a few flaws here but why it is posted to get some suggestions.

Here is the standard deck (wish I like a bit more):

Frodo and Ring 
*The One Ring, The Great Ring (19P1) 
*Frodo, Weary From The Journey (15C144)  

 
Fellowship (30) 
2x *Mithril-coat, Dwarf-mail (13R153) 
1x *Farmer Maggot, Hobbit of the Marish (11U163) 
1x *Gandalf, Leader of Men (8R15) 
1x *Pippin, Hobbit of Some Intelligence (12R127) 
4x *The Tale of the Great Ring (10U116) 
4x Home and Hearth (12C122) 
3x Pressing On (7R325) 
3x Scouring of the Shire (18R112) 
2x Make Haste (10C109) 
4x Saved From The Fire (8R20) 
1x *Daddy Twofoot, Next-door Neighbor (13U144) 
1x *The Gaffer, Master Gardener (13U151) 
3x *Sting, Elven Long Knife (18R113) 

Ok just about same strategy as before except no smeagol and the ability to bid high to start is a bet less. Anyway don't have to bid much as this freeps doesn't require you to go 1st or 2nd. Start with Farmer Maggot, Pippin and Gandy, Leader of Men. Burn Farmer Maggot ASAP (but if you don't get Saved from the fore to start he can still hold his own at dwelling and forest to start off). When you burn Maggot grab Make Haste, Daddy Twofoot, and whatever other you may need to get things started. Now the engine is ready. After Maggot is burned Gandy is once again fodder. Dwarf-Mail paired with The Tale of the Great Ring will ensure that your low strength Frodo can't be overwhelmed and the minions he faces don't gain damage bonuses and can lose their fierceness . There arent many 0 cost skirmish events in standard, but the culture with the most are . There are a few in the and cultures as well.  Pressing on can control the path a bit and Gaffer and Pippin can help keep Frodo healed. Sting removes the threats added by Pressing on as well. Home and Hearh keeps the burdens managable if not gone with Pippin being replayed over and over. This helps when you are forced to use The Great Ring if you don't have The Tale of the Great Ring out or the manage to get a skirmish event played. Anyway I think this deck has more potential than the expanded one, and the shadows you see will be more limited as well. Anyway feel free to comment on these Dain, and you may have them moved to thread own threads if you rather them not be here on yours .

Thanks,

NK

[Micah247]

Sam, Son Of Hamfast (1C311)  Is indeed x-list for expanded sorry

[NappyKorn]

ok cool, I guess that is the reason I liked my standard deck more anyway. So for the expanded deck just run any other cost comp and start Pippin as well .

[Thranduil]

With all his Salt From The Shire and The Light of Earendil, he has an absurd 19 resistance, making the burdens added by The Great Ring, Power According To His Stature, Light Shining Faintly, and Daddy Twofoot almost meaningless unless facing a full-blown corruption Shadow deck.

You know that Salt from the Shire is a box possession and so you can only bear 1 at a time, right?

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

With all his Salt From The Shire and The Light of Earendil, he has an absurd 19 resistance, making the burdens added by The Great Ring, Power According To His Stature, Light Shining Faintly, and Daddy Twofoot almost meaningless unless facing a full-blown corruption Shadow deck.

You know that Salt from the Shire is a box possession and so you can only bear 1 at a time, right?

Poo! I knew there had to be a catch. How did I miss THAT?

Well, back to the drawing board....

[Thranduil]

It's not a problem as long as you discard it every time you draw another one; after all, it's free to play on Frodo and you'll have burdens to remove anyway.

Thranduil

[DáinIronfoot]

True, but that limits his resistance to 13, so I could probably stand either more burden removal or less cards that add burdens.

I'll tinker with it and see what I come up with.

[DáinIronfoot]

Okay, maybe it works now...?

Since Frodo's resistance now tops out at 13, I added more removal in the form of Golden Perch Ale and Home and Hearth, the latter of which works any time you play one of your Hobbit allies. (Doesn't specify Hobbit companion...I checked ) Dropped a PATHS, Faith In Friendship, a Salt, and maybe one or two others (can't remember for sure now!) to make room, but it's up from 35 to 36 cards.

I'm considering designing a similiar deck around Sam, Bearer of Great Need. He starts with less resistance, but since he is resistance +1 for each Hobbit (again, not limited to companions), he could quickly get higher than Frodo, and his regroup ability, when paired with Daddy Twofoot, could really set up doubling. Other nice additions with him (that don't help Frodo) are Hobbiton Lass, Weapon of Heritage (enabling Sam to remove his own burdens), Impatient and Angry (ditto), Rare Good Ballast (more vitality = good), and possibly New Chapter for mass healing.