Corruption All Around

[hrcho]

This is the deck I made just the other day. Played 1 game and Shadow performed brilliantly while Freeps barely survived. Any suggestion is appreciated.

Free Peoples:

Frodo, Resolute Hobbit
The One Ring, Such A Weight To Carry

1x Gimli, Dwarf of the Mountain-race (start)
1x Legolas, Greenleaf (start)
4x Sam, SoH

1x Thrarin, Dwarven Smith
1x Bounder

1x Aiglos
1x Phial of Galadriel, Star-glass
1x Ring of Retribution

1x Hand Axe
1x Gimli's Battle Axe, Trusted Weapon
1x Bow of the Galadhrim
1x Elven Rope
2x Hobbit Sword
1x Frodo's Cloak

1x Shadow Between
1x Cliffs of Emyn Muil

3x Quick As May Be
3x Double Shot
2x Dismay Our Enemies
2x Elf Song
2x PATHS
2x No Use That Way
3x Mind Your Own Affairs

Shadow:

2x Gollum, Stinker
3x Shelob, Her Ladyship
4x Easterling Guard
4x Easterling Lieutenant

2x Web

2x Final Strike
2x Heavy Burden
2x Evil Smelling Fens
2x Unabated In Malice
2x Reclaim The Precious
1x Fat One Wants It

2x A Dark Shape Sprang
3x Captured By The Ring
3x We Must Have It
3x Nasty Foul Hobbitses

Adventure Path:

Isengard Ruined
West Road
Hall of the Kings
City of the Dead
Pelennor Flat
Minas Tirith First Circle
Osgiliath Crossing
Northern Ithilien
Slag Mounds




In the one game I played, Shadow was beyond any expectations. I corrupted Frodo, Resolute Hobbit at site 5 with 15 burdens. And the opponent bid 0. It still needs testing, 1 game cannot be the sole reference, but it looks promising.

Freeps are the wounding type. I am considering another Gimli, but this is the only one with Frodo signet which I need for Mind Your Own Affairs and No Use That Way. Also, I may throw in another fighter with Frodo signet, most likely Faramir, SoD. I understand that any kind of easterlings with polearms would be the death of me and Shelob could cause trouble.

As for the Shadow, I'll probably throw in a few copies of Shotgun Enquea instead of some of the conditions. It may seem I have not enough minions, but the most important thing is that Gollum appears every site. I am also considering Hidden Even From Her, but fierce Gollum could be killed if he's not the strongest character and I need him alive in regroup for Heavy Burden.

[ket_the_jet]

Well my first thought is that the Free People's barely survived because it isn't very good. It adds a decent amount of twilight while only having four companions. You should at least consider splashing Aragorn, Ranger of the North, Faramir, Son of Denethor, and starting Smeagol, Poor Creature as cannon fodder if you want to just focus on Gimli, Legolas, and Frodo.

I think you should either add a few Dwarves or add a few Elves. If you add Dwarves, Preparations and Slaked Thirsts (or a cheaper option would be Here Is Good Rock and Slaked Thirsts) will really help you out. If you choose more Elves, then you could run a copy or two of Lend Us Your Aid.

Arwen, Elven Rider comes to mind as she also has the Frodo signet. But frankly, for a wounding deck, it is not very good when you only have two or three guys who can wound.

If you do end up splashing Smeagol, a copy of No Help For It might be fun!

I am not particularly fond of the Shadow either. I think that it looks like it could have one or two nice match-ups, but most decks will easily be able to beat it. It is almost Ninja Gollum but it goes another, generally less successful, direction. You might consider a surprise copy of Sauron, the Lord of the Rings since you'll be adding burdens and threats. Slippery As Fishes could be fun, but you would have to change your site path a little bit to have more rivers.
-wtk

[Gil-Estel]

The thing is that when you play certain cards you tend to stick to them. In my case, if I hear about a wounding fellowship, including a dwarf, I immediately think about Slaked Thirsts. Which is awesome! But then again, you are a good and creative builder, so you already knew that . Also, you are low on companions, you try to choke I assume. Smeagol, Always Helps is an addition I can think of. He can exhaust people, and has the frodo signet.
Shadow looks great, of course vs wrong match up you're toast.

[ket_the_jet]

Add a copy or two of The Tale of the Great Ring regardless of anything else you decide to do with the deck.

I don't really see this as choke so much (Aiglos, Gimli's Battle Axe, Trusted Weapon, Shadow Between...there are cheaper options).

Also, why no Sting? I don't understand why you have Hobbit Sword but not Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs (or Sting, Baggins Heirloom) and a Hobbit Sword.
-wtk

[Gil-Estel]

Did anyone ever succesfully used the gametext of Sting, Bane of Eight Legs? I seriously wonder.

[hrcho]

Aye, Smeagol could be a nice addition, and splashing Ranger of the North is a great idea. I agree that Freeps are not that good, but I tried to make a wounding deck without bows or Slaked Thirsts. You are correct about me trying to make it choke, but it ends up giving a decent amount of twilight. I'll work some more on it. I have some ideas, but they require massive changes.

But I must disagree about shadow being weak against most decks. I honestly can't see many decks that would easily beat it. Remember, I am not trying to kill everyone, but corrupt the RB. But I really don't know how I didn't think of Sauron, The Lord of the Rings. He is definitely going in. Thx.

[ket_the_jet]

I think the most successful corruption decks can add five or six burdens at a time. I just don't see this one doing that.
-wtk

[Witchkingx5]

Well, there are several things that make the Freeps look a bit.. crappy. First the 4 Sams. Drop at least 2. Then Elf-Song. You already have a 12 resistance Ring-Bearer and Sam, Son of Hamfast, which seems waaay enough for me against corruption. Even though you have those Burden adding cards, just let Sam survive and eat 3 Burdens at a Sanctuary. You could also consider starting Sam and use several copies of Greenleaf, as really has to exert often, so you can discard leftover copies for more healing.

Second, you only have 4 comps. Even though you play Choke, it's actually better to use 5 comps against Swarms, and that you get a bigger card pool to use. I agree that Aragorn, RoTN is a very good idea. An able guide is a great choke card for double-moves, as are Bill the Pony (x-ed) and gondor's vengeance. Ellesar Telcontar would also be quite useful as he a) has the Frodo signet and b) provides some healing. Aragron's Bow should solve most Swarm problems,  you also neither have BRC or any condition/ possesion removal. I know that it sounds scary, but as Movie format exists since 2004 (... 2004, right?) it has really been improved.

As for your Shadow... any good Freeps with sufficient condition removaland a high resistance RB can easily survive against this kind of Deck.

[hrcho]

Did I mention that I corrupted Frodo, Resolute Hobbit by site 5 with 15 burdens, because no one seems to have noticed.

[Witchkingx5]

You cheated. You used the force. Or you were just lucky...

[Gil-Estel]

Can you technically add 15 burdens when his resistance is only 12?

[Witchkingx5]

Ring of Rings (he was playing Austrian format) and Salt from the Shire, while already having one burden on the Ring-Bearer. Not impossible, but still, tough to manage.

[ket_the_jet]

Did I mention that I corrupted Frodo, Resolute Hobbit by site 5 with 15 burdens, because no one seems to have noticed.

My best guess is that you were playing against a deck that wasn't very good. No direct wounding or pre-skirmish wounding to exert the Easterlings and prevent those burdens. No burden removal, or not enough, at least. And, most importantly, no way to kill your three companions who exert all the time.

Ring of Rings (he was playing Austrian format) and Salt from the Shire, while already having one burden on the Ring-Bearer. Not impossible, but still, tough to manage.

Or he was playing Movie Block and Frodo, Resolute Hobbit had the Phial of Galadriel.
-wtk

[Gil-Estel]

Read my question again...It is not hard to get a 15 resistance frodo...

[ket_the_jet]

Read my question again...It is not hard to get a 15 resistance frodo...

No.
-wtk