Getting Morc Archery to Work

[Creator]

Is it possible? Morc archery with Gothmog seemed so promising when Siege of Gondor came out, but I've run that shadow numerous times with numerous different fellowships, and I have to say it's very hard to make it work. Initiative is hard enough to get as it is (unless the freeps is doing something with initiative loss bonuses), but as soon as Streaming To The Field comes out, the freeps player knows exactly what you're doing and starts getting antsy about playing cards. That, and having enough twilight to get out Gothmog, Morgul Commander with a few Morgul Creepers or Morgul Skulkers is really hard, even with a Morgul Squealer. It always ends up clogging pretty badly.

Basically, is there a way to make it work? Does Flung Into The Fray help with cycling? Is there some other culture that can help this shadow with getting and keeping initiative? Or is this just a kind of doomed shadow?

[macheteman]

you might be able to get something going with enduring nazzies and black marshal 4x morgul whelp...

[Creator]

you might be able to get something going with enduring nazzies and black marshal 4x morgul whelp...

I've tried the enduring Nazzies and Black Marshal route, doesn't go much of anywhere. Although, Morgul Creeper + Morgul Whelp is an interesting combo... Idk. The problem is, the only way to get morc archery to work is to add in a bunch of supporting cards, and that ends up making the deck even bigger.

I wish there was a hail-Mary on this one, because Morc archery can be sooo cool when it works just right... Once upon a time, I got 33 archery out in one turn with those buggers. But that happens like once in 20 games. The rest are usually losses or wins due to a good fellowship that can run.

[jcb213]

MORC Archery is just never going to be as good as the best shadow options because it is so dependent on initiative and all the good free peoples deck have ways to kill your Streaming to the Field.  Plus Gothmog is just way too expensive at 7 twilight; against most decks you can only play him plus maybe 2 minions (especially if you have to replay Streaming since it got discarded).  But, it can be a fun deck and there are several versions posted in the movie block decklists if you go looking.

Here's the version I have built.

Gothmog, Morgul Commander x2
Gorbag, Covetous Captain x2
Morgul Ambusher x4
Morgul Lurker x4
Morgul Whelp x4
Morgul Hound x2
Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul
Gollum, Dark As Darkness
Fat One Wants It x2
Flung into the Fray
Stooping To The Kill
Streaming to the Field x3
Ten Times Outnumbered
Captured by the Ring x4

[Creator]

I built a Morc Archery shadow very similar to the one you posted and it was mediocre. I used Evil Smelling Fens to help get minions out of my discard, and was able to get 8 archery out at site 5, but that was kind of as far as I could push it. My opponent bombed my conditions right when I needed them most so it sort of sucked.

It's really quite sad. If Gothmog were just less expensive, this shadow could really have been something to reckon with. Decipher kind of ruined this idea by making it too hard to use.

[jcb213]

Yup, I think all versions of the deck will be mediocre at best.  Even if you manage to have one really good site, most fellowships can just drop more characters and keep moving and you probably won't have another good site the rest of the game.

[azogsbane]

I've never tried to make this kind of deck, so I'm not speaking from experience here, but what if you just got rid of the lurkers, creepers, and ambushers and relied solely on Gothmog to produce the archery? Use four of him with four squealers and just a ton of really cheap morgul orcs. That way your deck would cycle pretty well and you wouldn't have to worry about gaining iniative, threats, or burdens.

I would try something like this:

Gothmog, Morgul Commander x4
Morgul Squealer x4
Morgul Whelp x4
Morgul Hound x4
Morgul Lackey x4
Morgul Spearman x4
Morgul Ruffian x4
Flung into the Fray x2

It's simple at least. Idk, maybe it's so simple it's stupid.

[Creator]

I see your point, but I would still have to rely on getting initiative for Gothmog to even work. His game text only applies if I have initiative, which means that the only way to get ANY archery out is to have Gothmog AND Flung into the Fray out AND at least 2 other orcs. And that amounts to 3 archery. That's really expensive for just 3 archery.

That's why the Morgul Ambusher + CBTR + Fat One Wants It is such a great combo. I don't even need Gothmog to get 4 archery out if I have Gollum and 2 Ambushers. But even still, ok, that's 4 arrows. If I were doing that every turn, it might be something. But that happens maybe once every 3 moves, especially when the Freeps player realizes what I'm doing-- they either do everything they can to keep the initiative, or they try to get rid of threats any way they can (which in many decks run in Movie Block is not that hard).

Like I said, I really, really REALLY wish this shadow side would work, because it's such a freaking cool idea, but it's just... mediocre. Your opponent has to be really naive or actually be trying to HELP you get out archery for you to really get out a lot of archery. And then even if you do get out a sizeable amount of arrows in one turn-- and by sizeable I mean at LEAST 8-- if the Fellowship has 2-3 Rohirrim Shield it puts the kibosh on the whole strategy pretty fast.

Just a waste, I think. One of Decipher's first big failing blunders with a culture IMHO.

[macheteman]

those morc archer cards are great splash minions. creeper is great for punnishing fellowships who add burdens, ambusher is great if you are working with threats etc... never found much use for the strategy on its own. for morcs i preferred the "exert to assign variety" that was always a good time.

[MuadDib85]

This was one I played with a long time ago. There were some epic shadow wins with 10+ archery and a nazgul or two, but hard to pull off.

2x   7R219   • Ulaire Toldea, Wraith on Wings
4x   7U217   • Ulaire Nertea, Black-Mantled Wraith
4x   7R210   • Ulaire Attea, Wraith on Wings
2x   8R72   • Gothmog, Morgul Commander
3x   8C76   Morgul Lurker
1x   10C64   • Stooping to the Kill
4x   7C184   More Unbearable
3x   8C75   Morgul Creeper
2x   0P37   • The Witch-king, Lord of the Nazgul
2x   10U53   Black Marshal
4x   1R217   Morgul Gates
1x   9R44   • Ring of Rancor

Shadow Total   32

[Invincible]

With my dwarves I run this one:

4 morgul creeper
4 morgul ambusher
4 morgul lurker
2 morgul squealer (to get the right ones out)
2 gothmog, morgul commander
2 gorbag covetous captain
3 the witch-king, captain of the nine riders
2 ulaire enquea, duplicitous lieutenant
2 the pale blade, sword of flame
3 There came a cry
3 streaming to the field
2 stooping to the kill
1 flung into the fray

[Invincible]

I juste realized it was movie block, never mind. Works allright nfor standard though.