Eomer and Aragorn, Defenders of the Ring

[NappyKorn]

Well not sure how I did with this reason it gets a post here for comments, suggestions and such. Always wanted to use Help in Doubt and Need and this is sadly my first attempt at it so feel free to suggest and blast this deck at will . Anyway here goes nothing.

Ringbearer and Ring:
*The One Ring, The Ring of Doom (15R1) 
*Frodo, Weary From The Journey (15C144) 

Fellowship (32) 
1x *Aragorn, Ranger Of The North (1R89) 
1x *Eomer, Eored Captain (19P25) 
1x *Merry, Swordthain (7R321) 
4x Citadel Of Minas Tirith (3R40) 
3x Help in Doubt and Need (4R124) 
2x Sword Rack (11R158) 
3x Pathfinder (1C110) 
1x *Aragorn's Bow, Ranger's Longbow (15R56) 
2x *Eomer's Spear, Trusty Weapon (15R124) 
2x *Firefoot (4R274) 
1x *Sting, Elven Long Knife (18R113) 
4x Armor (1C92) 
1x Flaming Brand (2R32) 
2x Gondorian Sword (7U98) 
2x Ranger's Cloak (15C68) 
2x Rohirrim Shield (5C91) 

Basic Idea of the deck is to get Eomer and Aragorn taking all the minions they can handle and let them exert each other to pump the other. Citadel of Minas Tirith can reheal Aragon with no problems if you can pump them both enough to win each fight and Rohirrim Shield can help heal Eomer by discarding it in the regroup phase and either using Sword Rack to replay it or Merry. Gondorian Sword is a cheap little sword and pump for Aragorn and pairing this with Tentacle Swarm it can free your hand by discarding tentacles and replaying them for discard pile . Armor is a nifty card for this deck as it can play on Eomer or Aragorn and it prevents them for taking more than 1 wound in a skirmish. Ranger's Cloak provides more exerting power for Aragorn to hel Eomer win. Flaming Brand is also a nice card as it can play on either as well and if you see Nazgul every little strength pump can help . Firefoot give Eomer his defender bonus and helps Eomer with strength since he is strength +2 for each wound on each minion he is facing. Aragorn's Bow helps kill a few minions if to many get in play and Sting, Elven Long Knife can peel the threats for the regroup phase. Pathfinders can help you control the path a bit and it never hurts to play a site with shadow number 0 or 1 if you play to much during the fellowship phase . Anyway that is the deck hate it or love it just let me know what you think  .

[Pepin The Breve]

   The general ideia of the deck seems nice and i will propose you some questions (consider that i have no experience of playinf in the sets after shadows).

   The first thing is: you don´t face too many Grima, Wormtongue right? Because this guy can really mess up your party, since both Aragorn and Eomer can bear more than two cards... If Grima is a problem around i suggest you to put some A Rangers Versatility (if you run lots of river and forests) or to cut some possession (which will somehow make your freeps lose some of their good and useful stuff).

   I think Cidatel of Minas Tirith isn´t a great healing source since it usually doesn´t work when you most need it: when you double. You have two potential good fighters that reach about 11 st. if your opponent play a big minion or 3 average minions, your heal is gone (or you will have to put the threats on, maybe a lot of them) and conditions are easily discarded. Even a Athelas could be better (and you can use it to get rid of some mean condition on your fellows).

   If you consider to get some pumps maybe try Mortal Men along with some condition like We Left None Alive or Cast From the Hall (Great with Merry and that shield discard to heal/get it back thing!) and you can pump both the guys. (Again you face a problem if your opponent discard it...consider to have more copies).

   I suppose you don´t consider to double very often, cause your hobbits can get into trouble (BIG trouble if you don´t have Firefoot on the table). have you consider to use Aragorn, Defender of the Freepeople along with some of that token conditions and Brego?  It´s danger cause your deck will lose the choke hability and you cannot use ranger things, what can really screw up your guys...anyway it´s just a idea...

   Well let´s wait and see what other people who knows more the new cards tell ya.

   

[NappyKorn]

I have modified this deck abit before your post. Yes Grima can be a pain but not going to ruin the whole idea of the deck for a lesser played minion. Even if grima is splashed into a deck it normally isn't multiple copies as he is a hit or miss minion . I did however remove Citadel of Minas Tirith for a better Healing card in Houses of Healing. Here is the new deck with all the modifiers up to this point. As for doubling should be much of a problem if I find myself behind on the path. Eomer can Handle to minions and Gorn as many as 4 and with Coat of Mail would be hard to overwhelm. So here is the new deck:

Ringbearer and Ring:
*The One Ring, The Ring of Doom (15R1) 
*Frodo, Weary From The Journey (15C144) 

Fellowship: (31) 
1x *Aragorn, Ranger Of The North (1R89) 
1x *Eomer, Eored Captain (19P25) 
1x *Merry, Swordthain (7R321) 
3x *Houses of Healing (11U61) 
3x Help in Doubt and Need (4R124) 
2x Prized Lagan (18U110) 
1x Surrendered Weapons (18U104) 
2x Sword Rack (11R158) 
2x *Eomer's Spear, Trusty Weapon (15R124) 
2x *Firefoot (4R274) 
1x *Sting, Elven Long Knife (18R113) 
3x Armor (1C92) 
2x Coat of Mail (1C101) 
1x Flaming Brand (2R32) 
2x Gondorian Sword (7U98) 
2x Ranger's Cloak (15C68) 
2x Rohirrim Shield (5C91) 

Add a way to keep fierce minions at bay in Prized Lagan and with most the possesions being bearable by both Eomer and Aragorn Surrender weapons is great here. It can let Eomer use the armor first then transfer it to Aragorn for his Fight. If You see damage + bonuses run the Armor or if you see swarm run the Coat of Mail. You can also use Surrendered Weapons to discard either one when you move and stack it on sword rack for later if needed. As for combatting Grima, Wormtongue I will just have to take my chances. If he comes just return the cards to hand and hopefully ride out the storm . Like I said with all the defender bonuses floating around should be a bit tougher to get the hobbits assigned. Merry is really just a cost comp that suited they deck and filled the remaining starting comp space. After Sword Rack hits the table he doesn't even need to be replayed unless you are having trouble getting your possesions replayed off Sword Rack .

Thanks for the comment Pepin The Breve much appreciated bro.

[Pepin The Breve]

  I was thinking the wrong Aragorn (the x-listed one...hehehe). Forget about my comments about the choking thing before...     Well, the defender +1 do a lot of sense...hehehe. But this reinforce what i said about the cidatel, against two minion he have little chance of winning...

  Anyway, what is your starting fellowship? Eomer and Merry i suppose... So you better get some extra copies of Aragorn to get him faster (and get a adicional healing for no cost)... otherwise you hand will be cloged with gondr things... 

   I think you can cut some Armor, 4 seems to much since you have only two companions that can use it.

  You can put some Shadowplay as well to use it with Merry, i think it will work just fine with your party (and when you discard Merry he gets back clean  :hey: .

[NappyKorn]

As for aragorn he can't come any faster than at site 1 with Prancing Pony my friend . The reason I run all the armor is to ensure they get them as soon as possible. It is crucial in this deck to make sure the can either fight many minions and not overwhelm easily or fight all the damage + minions and not be killed if they lose. Reason I have Surrender weapons in here incase I play the wrong one I can change it out with no problems later. Not running 4 armor in the 2nd deck just 3 and a couple Coat of Mail. They are so sweet as they just play on a man (any man or ). Then Surrendered Weapons can let Eomer transfer it after he gets it use to Aragorn. Then for the fellowship phase transfer it back to Eomer and repeat until you get your hands on the other. Of Course you can play a Coat of Mail on Aragorn since he can face more minion and then the Arnor on Eomer so he can face all the Damage + minions . Shadowplay would be a good idea but trying to keep the deck small so it is more consistent with it main goal. Firefoot can exert the minions on Eomer then spear can possible kill one off anyway. Then Merry gets spear right back to kill other or perhap just leave it for the +2 pump.

Thanks again for the comments bro. If I have trouble with it shadowplay would be added, but since when Sword Rack hit the table Merry while stop being replayed to help the twilight on the move shadowplay would be dead after that anyway .

[Pepin The Breve]

Here goes... take a look and see what you think...

Ringbearer and Ring:
*The One Ring, The Ring of Doom (15R1)
*Frodo, Weary From The Journey (15C144)

Fellowship: (31)
3x *Aragorn, Ranger Of The North (1R89)
1x *Eomer, Eored Captain (19P25)
1x *Merry, Swordthain (7R321)
2x *Houses of Healing (11U61)
2x Help in Doubt and Need (4R124)
2x Prized Lagan (18U110)
1x Surrendered Weapons (18U104) -->
1x Sword Rack (11R158)   --> doesn´t need many since you have Merry...
2x *Eomer's Spear, Trusty Weapon (15R124)
2x *Firefoot (4R274)
1x *Sting, Elven Long Knife (18R113)
2x Armor (1C92) --> with Surrendered Weapons two seems enough (same for the coat)
2x Coat of Mail (1C101)
1x Flaming Brand (2R32)
2x Gondorian Sword (7U98)
1x Ranger's Cloak (15C68)  --> If you need more room, take one out, it´s not essential as other stuff...
2x Rohirrim Shield (5C91)
3x Shadowplay (10U114) --> DIE GRIMA DIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! Speaking seriously, i think this condition is great because many minion exerts to do killer things like: discard conditions; wound your people; discard your mount (damned Uruk Spear !!!); add archery; etc...  Otherwise could just be a condition that exert that big minion with 4 vit just to see Eomer do his magic...  And the best thing is to exert merry and discard him after to get the possessions back and play him after with no wounds...

  I think that´s it for my part!
  Hope this helps somehow...

  If you have time look at my post and say what you think...

[Pepin The Breve]

Ooops... I forget Prancing... But you bid high to ensure that you will start? that could be dangerous sometimes... but anyway, it´s your strategy (i think i´a have a little "trauma" with corruption and Enquea...hehehe)

I agree with your meta to keep the deck small, so you get the crucial cards early... In such case i think 2 copies of armor and coat are just fine, cause they probabily will come before your opponent have twilight to flood the table... But i don´t disagree with you in the aspect of getting the essential stuff as soon as possible... Extra Aragorns can heal the poor guy (since you exert him a lot...) and can cheer you up if you oponnet bids higher than you...

Well, i say that the deck is really taking shape!