Bread and Butter cards

[legolas3333]

Likewise, your list lacks focus and has many extraneous cards, (Isildur's Bane? Woodland Emissary? Riding Like The Wind?) Find a dwarven deck in expanded that doesn't use 8-9 of the 10 cards I listed, which is exactly what I said I was trying to do. But maybe you're right, I mean, everyone needs Gandalf, Bearer Of Obligation or Mithril Coat, Dwarf Mail.

[leokula]

Dude, being an ironic prick isn't going to get you any respect, neither is going to get your point through. I see you are hurt and cannot take any criticism at all so I'll just leave it at that.

[legolas3333]

I can take criticism when it's constructive, like suggesting A Promise, but half your response was how I lacked criteria when the point of my list was stated. The cards that will (almost) always be found in a deck of said culture.

[Elessar's Socks]

On the Shadow end, I guess it's easier for me to think in terms of decktype staples, even though many of these cards might not fit the "bread and butter" definition. I bolded those I think are often found in other decktypes / decks of other cultures, and marked in red cards that I usually run as a full set. Also, I didn't sweat the numbers too much!

Gollum (Ninja Gollum)

1 Gollum, Mad Thing
1 Gollum, Stinker
1 Gollum, Threatening Guide
4 Shelob, Her Ladyship
2 Web
3 Evil-smelling Fens
2 Fat One Wants It
1 Final Strike
3 Hidden Even From Her
2 Incited
3 Not Easily Avoided
2 Not This Time!
3 Promise Keeping
4 They Stole It
1 Unabated in Malice
4 Captured by the Ring
4 We Must Have It
4 You're a Liar and a Thief

Gollum variations share many of the same cards, so I just used bold here to emphasize cards found in decks of other cultures (e.g. for burden or threat engines).

--- splash ---

1 Gollum, Old Villain

Moria (archery, swarm)

4 Goblin Runner
4 Goblin Scavengers
4 Goblin Sneak
1 Host of Moria, Legion of the Underdeeps
4 Goblin Scimitar
4 Goblin Armory
2 Goblin Swarms
1 Relics of Moria
1 The Underdeeps of Moria
4 They Are Coming
2 Host of Thousands

Moria swarm is often infused with cards from other cultures; the Firebomb comes to mind in particular. I figured this would push out some oldies like Goblin Wallcrawler, Guard Commander, Moria Scout, etc.

--- archery ---

3 Archer Commander
4 Goblin Bowman
4 Goblin Marksman
4 Moria Archer Troop
1 Moria Axe

Raider (Easterlings)

4 Easterling Army
4 Easterling Axeman
4 Easterling Captain
3 Easterling Footman
1 Easterling Pillager
1 Easterling Regiment
4 Easterling Polearm
4 Raider Bow
1 Ships of Great Draught
1 Bold Men and Grim
4 Small Hope
1 Discovered
4 Red Wrath

Sauron (Besiegers)

3 Gorgoroth Agitator
4 Gorgoroth Assassin
2 Gorgoroth Berserker
4 Gorgoroth Keeper
4 Gorgoroth Pillager
4 Gorgoroth Soldier
3 Gorgoroth Swarm
3 Gorgoroth Troop
4 Great Hill Troll (Troll bomb)
4 Siege Troop
3 Troll of Gorgoroth, Abomination of Sauron
1 Ithil Stone
2 Grond, Hammer of the Underworld
2 Encirclement
4 Great Siege-towers
3 Their Marching Companies
2 Tower Walkway
4 Troop Tower

Wraith (splash)

2 Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul

[jc1138]

What about Morgul Gates?  Is this still a staple?  (Remember, I've been out of the game for awhile).  This card was played pretty heavily back in the day, but is it still a standard in a post-Dark Approach environment?

[Invincible]

It can be great in combination with ulaire toldea black shadow, in my playgroup though, it stopped being played for 2 reason:

1- the new sitepath mechanic and the lack of choking cards (most being x-listed) give more tokens in the twilight pool, so you can play more nazgul throughout the game.

2- The witch-king, captain of the nine riders... with its ability to play itself for free, you have all the twilight reduction you need.

[Haszor]

It really depends on the kind of deck your making, in expanded there are so many I'm gonna list some of my favorites:
Ents
 1x Merry, ItBoH
 1x Pippin, ItBoH
 1x Huorn
 3x Gandalf, Leader of the Company
 4x G for Grand
 4x Momentous Gathering
 4x Other ents
 4x Ent moot
 2x Pallando, Far Traveling One
 Other passive buffs and followers and events (ie. Strange meeting; Tender of Beasts; Glamdring, Foe hammer; measure of comfort {for G for Grand})
  Ferny attack
 4x Bill Ferny, AoS
 4x Easterling Scout
 4x Bold Easterling
 4x Courageous Easterling
 4x Stragglers
 2x The Mouth of Sauron, Messenger of Mordor
 2x Last Days
 And some token reinforcement and maybe some cheap events to counter TToTGR