Lost to the Tentacles!

[Kralik]

This is my favorite LttG deck. I figured since I don't play too much on GCCG now I am safe to post it. There are ways to work around it if you know it is coming, but this one has some tricks as well.

Ring-bearer   4R301   Frodo, Courteous Halfling
The One Ring   9R+1   The One Ring, The Binding Ring

Adventure Deck
1   7U329   Dunharrow Plateau
2   7U335   King's Tent
3   7U339   Hall of the Kings
4   7U342   Osgiliath Fallen
5   8U119   Crashed Gate
6   7U347   Minas Tirith First Circle
7   7U355   Ruined Capitol
8   7U359   Northern Ithilien
9   7U363   Slag Mounds

Free Peoples:
1x 6C45 Smeagol, Poor Creature (starting)
4x 9R+3 Durin III, Dwarven Lord
1x 7R7 Gimli, Feared Axeman (starting)
3x 9R5 Linnar, Dwarven Lord
1x 1C311 Sam, Son Of Hamfast (starting)
4x 9R+7 Ring of Fury
1x 9R8 Ring of Guile
1x 9R9 Ring of Retribution
3x 2U3 Dwarven Bracers
3x 1C9 Dwarven Axe
2x 5R116 Sting, Baggins Heirloom
1x 7R12 Preparations
4x 1C6 Delving
1x 4R54 Rest by Blind Night

Shadow:
1x 9R+28 Gollum, Dark as Darkness
1x 6C40 Gollum, Old Villain
4x 2C58 Foul Tentacle
4x 2R66 Huge Tentacle
3x 2R73 Watcher in the Water, Keeper of Westgate
4x 1U181 Goblin Sneak
1x 9R+41 Host of Moria, Legion of the Underdeeps
4x 5U22 Evil-smelling Fens
4x 1R189 Lost to the Goblins
4x 7C53 Captured by the Ring

Strategy:
If you don't know how LttG works, there's more explanation of the strategy in my other LttG thread. Basically, you bomb the RB with 10-14 burdens all at once. SURPRISE, you lose! Freeps need to CYCLE, stack on Preparations, heal and SURVIVE. Shadow fakes out your opponent but ALSO has the advantage of leaving no manuever/archery/etc. phases if you play it right. This can clog their hand (helps keep your freeps alive) and keep them from exerting their Ringbearer (Due to stuff like Sting, Baggins Heirloom, The Splendor of Their Banners, Shoulder to Shoulder, etc). Tentacles cycle VERY well. Don't keep Evil-smelling fens in play -- use it to grab tentacles to help your cycling.




CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE

BOOM.

Your final Shadow hand when you drop the bomb at 8-9 should look something like:

LttG: 3x-4x
Goblin Sneak: 2x-3x
Host of Moria: 0x-1x
Captured by the Ring: 0x-1x.

Best case for cycling is a low resistance RB. You can keep 3x* LttG, 1x Goblin Sneak, 1x Host of Moria. Guaranteed 10-11 burdens with Northern Ithilien and a stacked deck. Add another LttG or keep a Captured by the Ring if you can't pull off Northern Ithilien. (*but are you sure you want to discard one and let them know your strategy?)

I cannot stress enough that the key to making this work is to cycle like a madman with Smeagol/Gollum/etc. ALWAYS discard your tentacles and stupid stuff like Dwarven Axe, Dwarven Bracers, etc. if you cannot play it the very turn you get it. Use The Binding Ring before Delving, shuffle you deck with tentacle plays BEFORE playing Goblin Sneak, etc. Don't hold sneaks in your hand -- stick them on the bottom and get them later.

HAND CARD SLOTS ARE PRECIOUS! MY PRECIOUSSSSSSSSS!

The worst times I've had of this deck have been the games when I have drawn 3x-4x LttG by site 2. THAT will kill you.

[/end rant and ramble]

* Kralik is tired and needs to go to bed.

[Kralik]

Link to Sauron LttG deck for more strategy explanation.

[Kralik]

Lost to the Tentacles FAKEOUT Shadow:

1x 9R+28 Gollum, Dark as Darkness
1x 6C40 Gollum, Old Villain
4x 2C58 Foul Tentacle
4x 2R66 Huge Tentacle
3x 2R73 Watcher in the Water, Keeper of Westgate
1x 0P37 The Witch-king, Lord of the Nazgul
4x 1U181 Goblin Sneak
4x 5U22 Evil-smelling Fens
1x 2U79 Resistance Becomes Unbearable
3x 2R86 Wraith-world (or 3x The Twilight World)
4x 7C53 Captured by the Ring
(optional: add some Nazgul vitality ring)

Use this after a few times of the other. Just let them exhaust their RB, ha!

[Gil-Estel]

Word! I have played LTTG this week 3 times vs players I have never met before. 3 wins was the result. As you know I play it a bit different, but it is highly effective!

[ramolnar]

I like the idea, quite a lot. But I haven't played in several years and would still smell combo as soon as I saw a tentacle. Or Gimli, Feared Axeman, which makes no sense in a normal deck.

How do you survive any Moria or Firebomb deck? It looks like 9 minions of any type kills you. And are Corsairs X-listed in this format?

Did you consider Gimli's Helm? Losing Gimli plus condition removal means defeat, and your people don't have a lot of pump against Uruks. It's also a way to clear threats if you have to sacrifice someone.

[Gil-Estel]

Gimli Feared Axeman makes no sense in a normal deck? What?! He is awesome! Preparations + Slaked Thirsts is a great deck. Corsairs are allowed in the format, and a threat to be feared.

[Kralik]

The Freeps are indeed weak, and can run into some hard knocks. On the plus side, they heal fairly well and never have to double. I have had many games where I have won with only an exhausted Frodo (or exhausted, burdened Frodo and some companion) left and all others dead. But that's half the fun!

Opponent thinks: He surely has no way to survive this one. Freeps are dead next turn.
Kralik thinks: Mua ha ha, my evil plan is vvvorking! Opponent is corrupted this Shadow phase!

As an aside, Shadowplay wrecks the whole deal.