Token Dwarves and Library of Orthanc IsenOrcs

[Crabby Imposter]

This is one of my favorite decks, using Dwarf Token conditions and Aragorn, Defender of Free Peoples for massive healing on the FP side, with IsenOrcs and Library of Orthanc on the shadow side.  I've seen a few people on GCCG running less successful versions of both sides, so I thought I'd share my version.  Always a work in progress, so feel free to add suggestions to make the deck better.

Yes, I know the deck is gigantic, but it has to be with Library of Orthanc.  Believe it or not, I usually deck myself by site 9 most games.  The FP has draw and redundant copies of cards because FP cards end up stacked on the Library of Orthanc. 

Nightmare matchups: Rohan with lots of ponies, heavy artifact removal decks.
Good matchups: Self-destructing ARBs, direct wounding decks.

The shadow is very twilight flexible, thanks to Library of Orthanc being used as a pump machine, and Gollum, Dark as Darkness for emergency twilight.  Winning combinations include exhausting the RB and using Gollum in Regroup, exhausting the RB and using Trees are Strong in Regroup, dropping lots of wounds, or just plain swarm.  Getting Isengard Tender on the Library of Orthanc can easily set up a win by exhausting the RB, but is not necessary.

Ring-bearer   0P27   • Frodo, Resolute Hobbit
The One Ring   4R1   • The One Ring, Answer To All Riddles

Adventure Deck
1   7U329   Dunharrow Plateau
2   7U336   Rohirrim Camp
3   7U339   Hall of the Kings
4   8U118   City of the Dead
5   10U119   Steward's Tomb
6   7U347   Minas Tirith First Circle
7   7U355   Ruined Capitol
8   7U359   Northern Ithilien
9   7U360   Dagorlad

Free Peoples Draw Deck

3x   9R+3   • Durin III, Dwarven Lord
1x   1R13   • Gimli, Son of Glóin
1x   9R5   • Linnar, Dwarven Lord
2x   0P47   • Aragorn, Defender of Free Peoples
2x   9R+7   • Ring of Fury
1x   9R8   • Ring of Guile
1x   9R9   • Ring of Retribution
3x   1C9   Dwarven Axe
1x   2C10   Hand Axe
1x   5R116   • Sting, Baggins Heirloom
1x   4R52   • My Axe Is Notched
2x   4U57   • Stout and Strong
4x   1C3   Axe Strike
4x   1C6   Delving
4x   7C11   Out of Darkness
1x   1C286   Bounder
1x   1U112   • Ranger's Sword
1x   1R14   • Gimli's Battle Axe
2x   8R3   Blood Runs Chill
2x   2U3   Dwarven Bracers
1x   9R6   • Ring of Accretion

Free Peoples Total   39

Shadow Draw Deck

1x   9R+28   • Gollum, Dark as Darkness
1x   5R51   • Gríma, Chief Counselor
2x   3U57   Isengard Retainer
4x   3U58   Isengard Servant
4x   3U61   Isengard Warrior
4x   3C62   Isengard Worker
3x   3R64   • Orc Commander
4x   6U70   Isengard Tender
4x   6C71   Isengard Tinker
4x   9R+39   • Library of Orthanc
1x   1U136   Saruman's Power
3x   3U73   The Trees Are Strong
4x   7C53   Captured by the Ring

Shadow Total   39

[macheteman]

how successful is the shadow? i really like the fellowship, dwarves are great for raw power, so aragorn doesn't need to be a tank, just a healing machine. i might run 3x blood runs chill just to make sure you can keep the board clear.

i mean, if all your comps are constantly healing, and you have super strong powerful dwarves to bash any minions that show, no conditions on the table to heckle you, the only concern would be burdens, and you have frodo RH.

one more idea which would probably be more of a pain fitting in than anything, but with 4x out of darkness keeping cards in hand, and blood runs chill to clear the board, aragorn heals dwarves during skirmish, a copy of radagast to drop for a triple move would be sweet...

[macheteman]

btw, i'm just glad you don't run any nobody tosses a dwarf... its no fun to play against...

i usually don't use if for that reason, i prefer people to enjoy playing me.

[Crabby Imposter]

@wtk: sorry, got bored with GCCG down.  I figured posting a deck was as close as I would get to playing a game.  I'll still bust it out against you sometime and rock your Library of Orthanc-hating world.  ;-)
@macheteman: I get a lot of shadow kills with the deck, especially at site 5.  Drop a lot of minions there, no healing, Regroup phase kill. 
@macheteman:  I don't use Radagast for the same reason I don't use Castamir of Umbar.  They are broken and not fun IMHO, and while others are free to use them, I won't resort to using overpowered cards for a cheap win.

[macheteman]

fair enough, i also don't use castamir, but i never lumped radagast into the NPE catagory. i don't mind playing against it so i never really thought not to use it. but for sure i understand what you mean. like i said about nobody tosses a dwarf, i want people to enjoy playing against me, so i try to stay away from the NPE cards as well.

[Not a Zombie]

I'd add 1x Ring of Barahir and trade ATAR for the reflections ring for even more potential healing

[ramolnar]

Radagast is broken? What definition is involved here? He's a good card because he allows people to have the triple move at a reasonable cost. But there are at least four stronger cards in Reflections (Gimli, Durin, Gollum, Isildur, maybe Ring of Fury and Host of Moria). It's not even NPE.

The original Mirror of Galadriel was broken, because it could strip all the counters. Moria with the original Palantir of Orthanc was broken for the same reason. Uruk Bomb with Saruman, Keeper of Isengard and multiple Uruk Regular at Deeping Wall was NPE to broken, because you could easily drop 6 fierce archery-protected damage +1 Uruks. Radagast is nowhere near these things.

Old timer's rant over, here are a few concerns:
* Consider Gimli's Helm. At the least, it will prevent a wound if you are about to lose. Also, Gimli's Helm will eat threats, if you have to lose Linnar or Aragorn.
* How do you deal with eight minions?

* You should consider a couple more Discard-to-wound Orcs from Set 6. Right now, you only have Isengard Tender, which is an obvious overwhelm target. 2 Isengard Artisan or Isengard Plodder would nicely replace the 2 Isengard Retainer.
* Is the Tinker combo really consistent enough to be worth it? 1 Gnawing, Biting, Hacking, Burning would make it more frequent.

[Gil-Estel]

Gnawing, Biting, Hacking, Burning is a condition, where as Library is a condition. Maybe the Palantir from TTT to influence a bit the cards you stack....Allthough that is costing you twilight.

[Crabby Imposter]

I consider Radagast broken because he fundamentally alters the dynamics of the game in a way all cultures have access to.  Other triple move options can be easily anticipated: Durin's Secret, Elendil/Narsil, Last Throw, News from the Mark, Gift of Boats.

The entire game's strategy is based on move limit.  Do I double through six to set up the double move next turn?  Do I pitch my shadow to double to eight with my opponent at six?  Game changing decisions, and I look at whether my opponent has one of the above triple move strategies available.  Then, suddenly, he drops Radagast at site 6 in a Dwarf/Elf/Knight deck that he doesn't belong in, and my opponent kills him at 7 and triples to 9.  NPE.

Gimli's Helm has been in and out of the deck.  I've used more EOF Orcs, but find the FOTR Orcs to be so much better, especially with Trees.  Trees takes out RBs in a way that EOF Orcs can't.  I've also used 2 or 3 Saruman's Powers, and alter that decision with the meta.  I find so much FP light condition removal that a single condition in the deck is not reliable...

The Tender combo doesn't work in all games, but is game ending when it does work, just like Grima.  When they don't work, they just fuel the Library and/or emergency swarm.  I've won several games now with Grima overwhelming the RB using the Library.  Hilarious.

How do I deal with 8 minions?  Wouldn't know, haven't really seen it.  I added Gimli's Battle Axe just in case.. any better suggestions?

Library is an artifact, nearly impossible to remove.  BRC is the most consistent threat, but generally Dwarves can't spare the vitality to kill it.  I've tried Palantir, but cut it for deck space...

[MuadDib85]

Blood Runs Chill x2 is usually enough if used properly with ring of guile. Maybe add a second ring of guile... Nice deck.

[hrcho]

This is a killer deck and very fun to play against (even though constant healing can be frustrating), but I think you have very little Frodo protection, that is, very little swarm protection and instead of tossing in some cards, you could use a copy of Aragorn's Bow to help with that.

[Crabby Imposter]

Aragorn's Bow is a great idea, love it.  The real question in this deck is which Gimli to run.  Son of Gloin works great with healing tokens, but Feared Axeman would protect the tokens.  Obviously I prefer the higher risk/reward, but its personal taste.