Deck building challenge

[Gerontius]

Tales and Wraiths/Roaming Orcs

Ring-bearer: Bilbo, Bearer of Things Burgled
Ring: The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry

Adventure deck:
Steps of Edoras
West Road
Hall of the Kings
Osgiliath Fallen
City Gates
Minas Tirith Sixth Circle
Pelennor Grassland
Morgul Vale
Dagorlad

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
1x Aragorn, Driven by Need (starting)
2x Cursed of Erech
2x King of the Dead, Oathbreaker
2x Oathbreaker
2x Sleepless Dead
2x Sam, Son of Hamfast
3x Red Book of Westmarch
4x Banner of the White Tree
3x Might of Numenor
4x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom
3x Swept Away
2x Consorting With Wizards
2x The Tale of the Great Ring

Shadow Draw Deck:
3x Advance Captain
4x Advance Marauder
4x Advance Regular
4x Advance Scout
4x Orc Ambusher
3x Orc Assassin
2x Hate
2x Flames Within
4x Orc Banner
2x Sauron's Hatred

This is my most used deck on GEMP, I've had a decent record with it. Basically it's designed to filter through freeps cards using Red Book of Westmarch (there's 18 Tales in the free peoples side, all of which could be played during maneuver/skirmish/regroup). Most of this deck's wins are shadow kills, so maybe it's not quite what you're looking for, but it's fun to play regardless and it's definitely the best Bilbo based deck I've ever built.

I wonder, would it be possible to build a decent Frodo-Bilbo-Sam-Smeagol deck in movieblock, using Bilbo as a side companion?

[Zurcamos]

This is my most used deck on GEMP, I've had a decent record with it.

I've lost to this deck.  Sup, Gerontius?

I wonder, would it be possible to build a decent Frodo-Bilbo-Sam-Smeagol deck in movieblock, using Bilbo as a side companion?

I have one, but it's mostly for the novelty.  While some say BoTB is the worst Ringbearer, he's WAY worse as a non-Ringbearer - probably the worst non-Ringbearer companion in Movie Block.  I'd love for someone to prove me wrong though (no sarcasm).  I put in every conceivable card to make the other hobbits massive.  He usually ends up being a speedbump, but if not, he makes an already giant GEW slightly bigger.

[neopium]

I have made a couple tests on Gemp with the following deck:

Bilbo solo

Ring-bearer: Bilbo, Bearer of Things Burgled
Ring: The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry

Adventure deck:
Sleeping Quarters
King's Tent
Beacon of Minas Tirith
Pelennor Plain
City Gates
Minas Tirith First Circle
Ruined Capitol
Northern Ithilien
Dagorlad

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
3x Bounder
4x Hobbit Party Guest
3x Hobbit Sword
4x Chance Observation
4x Halfling Deftness
3x Hobbit Appetite
4x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom
2x Power According to His Stature
4x Consorting With Wizards
2x O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
2x The Tale of the Great Ring

Shadow Draw Deck:
1x Gollum, Stinker
4x Mordor Guard
2x Mordor Trooper
4x Mordor Veteran
4x Orc Officer
2x Orc Patrol
2x Orc Slaughterer
1x Grond, Hammer of the Underworld
1x Ithil Stone
4x Captured by the Ring
1x Dead Marshes
4x Fires Raged Unchecked
1x Flames Within
4x Orc Banner

For the shadow side, I just copy/pasted another one that had shown to be efficient enough to prevent too much double moves from my opponents.

1 victory (with a shadow win and dumb errors from the opponent whose girlfriend entered the room, he was not focused anymore) http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=neopium$4g1yketns0h0zenb

1 defeat (very bad hand compared to previous game) http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=neopium$8qcmntjx2d1m8rxs

Obviously, 4x PATHS might have saved me in the game against Dunland.

My first conclusions are:
- I tried in the first game with Tom Bombadil, The Master. He is nice because he removes burdens. But he is expensive and requires to spot two companions to use his special ability... too bad
- Bilbo adds way too much burdens or twilight
- If you choose to add burdens instead of twilight, the choke is very efficient at the first sites
- Killing minions is very hard, making double moves risky
- It needs more play testing, but I feel I will need more cycling of the most essential pumps / anti-overwhelm cards
- Bounder is not a site 1 ally and cannot be healed by Hobbit party guest! It's obvious but I didn't remember it... I might need 4x Bounder

Any suggestions?

[Zurcamos]

I just played twice using the following build (with Dunland swarm):

Ring-bearer: Bilbo, Bearer of Things Burgled
Ring: The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry

4x Bounder
3x Hobbit Sword
4x Chance Observation
4x Halfling Deftness
4x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom
4x Power According to His Stature
1x Cliffs of Emyn Muil
4x Consorting With Wizards
2x O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!

While I won both games, I drew three copies of Chance Observation before site 5 both times, having to discard two of them because they were worthless (but it's spectacular even with a couple copies of Bounder out).  The burden adding is definitely rough.  I was only able to spot 3 twilight ONCE out of all the times I moved.  So, I shrunk the twilight to zero, but added a bazillion burdens.  I now see why you only had 2x PAtHS.  I don't think Bilbo can make it to site 9 with either of our builds.  Now, if the decks win regardless, I guess it doesn't matter, but I'd like to explore some more.

[neopium]

I won!

I played two additional games:

- I lost the first one VS 4 minions including Castamir of Umbar at his maximum, only because of Discovered that discarded my Consorting with Wizards:
http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=neopium$0fvuyc8ypxizsz2n

- I outran my opponent in the second one and made it to site 9!
http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=neopium$ecfouwg2voly01q3

Here is the deck I used:

Bilbo solo

Ring-bearer: Bilbo, Bearer of Things Burgled
Ring: The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry

Adventure deck:
Sleeping Quarters
King's Tent
Beacon of Minas Tirith
Pelennor Plain
City Gates
Minas Tirith First Circle
Ruined Capitol
Northern Ithilien
Dagorlad

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
4x Bounder
1x Filibert Bolger, Wily Rascal
3x Hobbit Party Guest
1x Master Proudfoot, Distant Relative of Bilbo
3x Hobbit Sword
4x Chance Observation
2x Hobbit Appetite
4x Hobbit Intuition
4x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom
4x Consorting With Wizards
2x O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
2x The Tale of the Great Ring
1x There and Back Again

[Zurcamos]

I tried in the first game with Tom Bombadil, The Master. He is nice because he removes burdens. But he is expensive and requires to spot two companions to use his special ability... too bad

FYI, between this and you using Filibert Bolger, Wily Rascal in your current build, it seems like you think you can cancel Ringbearer skirmishes in Movie Block, which you can't.  Switch the latter out for another ally, I'd say.

[neopium]

Oops, forgot about that... Even fierce skirmish? Too bad... I will indeed switch him, maybe for a fourth Hobbit party guest.

With all those hobbits out, Chance Observation is very impressive!

I just try to keep them in hand for sites 8 and 9, but this means it clogs your hand quickly if you draw them early...

As for the shadow, your idea of swarm is certainly better than my minions with this deck: you have to cycle as much as you can to draw the cards that make Bilbo survive next sites and double move.

[Zurcamos]

This was not planned:

http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=Zurcamos$2h41b077f3rkj470

[neopium]

Amazing! Solo Bilbo vs Solo Smeagol
I really like this solo bilbo deck... The way you can resist Sauron is just impressive.

[neopium]

BTW, what is the final deck list that you use? Still using PATHS? What do you think about Hobbit intuition vs Halfling Deftness (one more twilight, but no exertion). I think it's better because you don't have heal power...

[Zurcamos]

BTW, what is the final deck list that you use? Still using PATHS? What do you think about Hobbit intuition vs Halfling Deftness (one more twilight, but no exertion). I think it's better because you don't have heal power...

I do feel like PAtHS is pretty lousy in this deck.  I've been using Halfling Deftness, though Hobbit Intuition very easily could be better.  Archery and Corruption decks would be serious problems for my build.  Here's the list:

Ring-bearer: Bilbo, Bearer of Things Burgled
Ring: The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
4x Bounder
3x Hobbit Party Guest
1x Master Proudfoot, Distant Relative of Bilbo
3x Hobbit Sword
4x Chance Observation
4x Halfling Deftness
4x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom
4x Consorting With Wizards
2x O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
1x There and Back Again

I'm not sure it's the best it could be, but I've had fun with it and won a few games in the process.

[neopium]

Archery and corruption are indeed a problem but I don't think we can do much about it...

Here is my current version:

Ring-bearer: Bilbo, Bearer of Things Burgled
Ring: The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
4x Bounder
4x Hobbit Party Guest
1x Master Proudfoot, Distant Relative of Bilbo
3x Hobbit Sword
4x Chance Observation
2x Halfling Deftness
4x Hobbit Intuition
4x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom
4x Consorting With Wizards
2x O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
2x The Tale of the Great Ring
1x There and Back Again

I removed Filibert Bolger, Wily Rascal as well as Hobbit Appetite (almost never used it and when I did it was not critical).

It gave me some room (I have 35 cards VS 30 in your build) for a 4th Bounder and 2x Halfling Deftness which gives me even more pumps (Chance Observation gives +10 strength when all allies are out).

I wish I could have some more permanent pumps, but there are very few for Bilbo. I also prefer using possessions rather than conditions that are easily discarded. Saruman's power is almost deadly for "Solo" Smeagol (cheater version as well as pure solo), while solo Bilbo can survive it easily thanks to the allies and events. The drawback of events is that they clog your hand...

[neopium]

Hi again,

Here is some feedback on solo Bilbo after a few weeks of tests.

I have a victory rate of 30% with 9 wins and 21 losses.

Of course these stats are not amazing, because the deck still depends a lot on drawing the good cards at the right time... and I'm not a very lucky guy

It has several other weaknesses:
- corruption decks (which is very frequent on Gemp these days)
- it is helpless against archery (can't do anything about it I think)
- it lacks condition removal (Goblin swarms is a killer as you rarely win skirmishes)
- fierce minions are much harder to deal with (There and Back again is great in this context, maybe I should add another one)

So I'm trying to find ways to improve it and I need your ideas

First, I have exchanged 2x Halfling Deftness with 2x PATHS. It does not help against corruption, but can save you sometimes (is it enough against Goblin swarms? I was not lucky enough to draw them before getting swarmed...)

Then I remove 2x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom and added Sam, Son of Hamfast in the starting fellowship and Melilot Brandybuck, Merry Dancer

This helps me to start first by bidding 2 (to win, I need to outrun my opponent, so starting can help). It also allows me to get rid of some burdens (even though Sam dies quickly, the idea is to have him until site 3). The addition of an extra hobbit with Melilot improves chances of having an efficient use of Chance Observation.

I was also thinking about Aragorn RotN that can be very useful in the last sites, but if he comes too early, it just clogs the hand... which is already clogged by Chance Observation I want to use as late as possible

Any suggestion?

[NappyKorn]

Have you considered maybe using Sam, SoH with say Make Haste? Just need to find a reliable way to get Make Haste back each turn. Not only would you get some burden removal by replaying a unwounded Sam, SoH each turn, but that would be a way to help avoid Bilbo's drawback text each turn and with Make haste it wouldn't be such a penalty cause they would either have to keep the twilight avialable to remove and discard a minion from play. I would suggest Birthday present but with all the other events you wouldn't be able to reliable get Make Haste in hand each turn.

NK

[neopium]

Make haste is a nice suggestion, thanks
I like the idea, I have to try it to see if I can really discard minions with it.

For birthday present, I doubt it would be very efficient. I indeed have a lot of events, but I can remove PATHS that didn't prove to be that useful in this deck and Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom that is less interesting with Sam, SoH bouncing back regularly. I would still have three events:
- Chance Observation, that I really want to recycle
- Hobbit Intuition (yeah, this one I don't want to recycle that much, it's useful early in the game though)
- Make haste

The problem is that to be sure to draw birthday present before it's too late, I would need at least 2 or 3 of them. And I don't know if I have the place for that.

Removing 2x PATHS, 1x Melilot Brandybuck, Merry Dancer and 2x Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom gives me 5 slots available.

That's just enough for 1x birthday present and 4x Make haste (or 2x Birthday present and 3x Make haste). I don't know if this is enough.

Here is a tentative deck list:

Ring-bearer: Bilbo, Bearer of Things Burgled
Ring: The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
1x Sam, Son of Hamfast
4x Bounder
4x Hobbit Party Guest
1x Master Proudfoot, Distant Relative of Bilbo
3x Hobbit Sword
4x Chance Observation
4x Hobbit Intuition
4x Make Haste
1x Birthday Present
4x Consorting With Wizards
2x O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
2x The Tale of the Great Ring
1x There and Back Again