Pipes and Trackers/Archery

[Anautikus]

Smoking and shooting.

Frodo, OBH
The One Ring, Isildur's Bane

Freeps (36):

1x Gandalf, TGP (starting)
1x Aragorn, HttWC
1x Boromir, SoD
1x Legolas, Greenleaf
1x Bounder
2x Elrond, LoR
1x Bilbo, Retired Adventurer

1x Sting
1x Glamdring
1x Gandalf's Staff
1x Aragorn's Bow

3x Frodo's Pipe
1x The Gaffer's Pipe
2x Aragorn's Pipe
2x Gandalf's Pipe

3x Longbottom Leaf
4x Old Toby

3x Servant of the Secret Fire
2x Sleep Caradhras
1x Betrayal of Isengard
2x Hobbit Stealth
1x Thror's Map

Shadow (36):

4x Orc Scouting Band
3x Orc Assassin
4x Orc Ambusher
1x Tower Assassin

3x Moria Archer Troop
3x Goblin Marksman
3x Goblin Bowman

4x Orc Bowmen
3x Under the Watching Eye
3x Hate
1x Malice
1x Bitter Hatred
2x Goblin Domain

Sitepath:

The Prancing Pony*
Midgewater Marshes
Rivendell Valley
Great Chasm
The Bridge of Khazad-dum*
Caras Galadhon*
Silverlode Banks
Brown Lands
Tol Brandir

*Alternate Freeps (38):

1x Legolas, Greenleaf (starting)
1x Gimli, Son of Gloin (starting)
2x Gandalf, TGP
1x Aragorn, HttWC
1x Boromir, SoD

1x Bounder
1x Bilbo, Retired Adventurer
1x Ottar, Man of Laketown
2x Elrond, LoR

1x Sting
1x Glamdring
1x Gandalf's Staff
1x Aragorn's Bow

2x Aragorn's Pipe
2x Gandalf's Pipe
2x Frodo's Pipe
1x The Gaffer's Pipe
1x Gimli's Pipe

3x Longbottom Leaf
4x Old Toby

2x AWINL
2x Servant of the Secret Fire
1x Sleep Caradhras
2x Hobbit Stealth
1x Thror's Map

It's on the big side right now, so I'm debating on trying to cut it down. For the FP, If they target Gandalf and he dies, I'm kind of screwed. Pipes always work nicely though, but I think it could be better. I'm thinkng of Sam, PP for late game insurance - if drawn early just discard him - but otherwise not too sure. I threw in Boromir and Greenleaf, since their exertions can be easily healed with Frodo's Pipe, so they seemed like useful splashes, especially if Gandalf or Aragorn happens to die. Also, with Gandalf in the mix, I added Elrond for drawing purposes. My main thing right now is whether to stick with Frodo, RA, or switch to OBH. Come to think of it, I could even use Frodo, SoD, since he'd mesh nicely with the whole Frodo signet thing I've got going. On that note, Gandalf, FotS could be nice too. Throw in Gimli, Dwarf of the Mountain-race with his own Pipe, and I've got a whole Frodo signet party going on! But I digress...

The Shadow is a simple / wounding mix. I'm trying to alter it to make it effective. I could have just done a straight up tracker grind, but that's boring haha. I'm using Hate as well as Malice, because targeted archery hurts this deck quite a bit (my poor Orc Bowmen); Bitter Hatred is a nice alternative to kill pesky elves, and potentially a Greenleaf. Still tweaking the balance between Archery vs. wounding, but that's the Shadow; pretty straight forward. My main thing is to whether to cut the deck size, but it cycles quite nicely with Gandalf and Elrond. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Not a Zombie]

Drop either 1x malice or memory of many things and add goblin domain. Party guest does not heal bounder, get rid of him. Otherwise nice 

[Anautikus]

Wow good catch on Party Guest I totally forgot Bounder was site 2.

[FM]

Hate targets them in the maneuver, way before you have time to go with Malice. I'd drop it for the 3rd Hate, and drop Memory of Many Things and the other Malice for that card which name elapses me, but that lets you wound an elf. Bitter Hatred? It get's rid of opposing Elronds and Rumils just as well, but can also deal with Greenleafs, piling on wounds. You might say that it's simply worse than Malice, since it can't target a fully loaded Aragorn, but with the conditions, 3 Hates and 2 Bitter Hatreds, that shouldn't be too hard to stop anyway. I know the Balrog can be a freebie sometimes, but it's almost always not, so I'd simply get rid of him and use the site's innate fear in my behalf (you're playing Moria after all, why WOULDN'T you be playing a Balrog? Go, Jedi mind tricks!) and use the extra twilight to simply pile on wounds, and probably cut 1 Under the Watching Eye (drawing a lot of them MIGHT seem good, but it also hurts you a lot sometimes) for the 2 missing Goblin Bowman. Then, I'd probably go crazy and up the card count to fit in Goblin Domain (AT LEAST 2) and some Host of Thousands, and on the Fellowship side, I'd fit in some Pathfinders / Thror's Map, to get rid of troublesome sites (for you) and ensure you get Brown Lands out (for them). Also, a Flaming Brand and the rest of the Frodo Party Tanking suite, with O Elbereth! Gilthoniel! and Mithril-coat (it's not like it's gonna cost you twilight anyway). Or, should you not want that, then switch around to Frodo, Old Bilbo's Heir and play 1 less Bounder, some Hobbit Stealths and some Bilbo, Retired Adventurer (Elrond heals him so you can cycle back 2 cards a turn with him and Frodo helping old Bilbo, making the stealth events and Thror's Map reusable, and also allowing you to play 1-2 PATHS, since those also cycle back for the late game, when you really need them). Oh, of course, and if you DO decide to go big, a second Elrond. Really.

[Anautikus]

FM, it's funny, because prior to tweaking the fellowship, I had a lot of those cards in, like O Elbereth and Mithril Coat, but took them out for size control. It's also funny you mentioned Bilbo to recycle Hobbit cards, because when I played the deck, my main problem was getting all my Servant of the Secret Fire way too early. Or like 2 by site 3. So that was pretty stupid haha.

Going big, the deck seem to likely run at ~38 or more cards. Do you think cycling will be a problem? Especially with Sauron minion twilight costs? I really like Goblin Domain, so 2 would probably be nice to try to draw one by site 4 at least. Maybe I can squeeze in a third!

[FM]

Yes, I think size can definitely be a problem with the Sauron culture, which is why I recommend boosting the card-drawing potential on the Freeps side as much as possible, relying on that and reconciles to cycle.

[Anautikus]

If I do go big, I could retool it a bit and throw in 2-3 Elrond, and an Ottar, Man of Laketown, to ditch random cards I don't need. Elrond heals him too. Maybe Vilya? And I think one Bilbo would suffice, since I wouldn't need him early. If only Thror's map wasn't errata'd...