Eowyn + Faramir Mk2

[Galdor420]

Preface: Hey guys, I made a new version of the Eowyn + Faramir deck I made earlier and I'd like some advice. I made my 1st attempt at this deck for my wife originally to get her into the game because she likes the Eowyn Faramir relationship but the original deck featured a Boromir ringbearer because she hates Frodo (she thinks he's whiny). The deck rocked everything except burden shadows which annihilated it. This is my attempt to make an Eowyn Faramir deck that is a little more resilient but right now it's at 40 cards which is huge so I want to try and identify 5-10 cards to cut.

Starting:

Frodo, Hope of Free Peoples (7C317)
The One Ring, Answer To All Riddles (4R1)
Merry, Swordthain (7R321)
Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien (10R72)
Eomer, Forthwith Banished (P) (0P66)

Free Peoples Cards:

Sam, Son of Hamfast (1C311) x2
Faramir, Son of Denethor (P) (0P16)
Faramir, Son of Denethor (4C117) x3
Aldor, Soldier of Edoras (4R262)
Guma, Plains Farmer (4C277)
Weland, Smith of the Riddermark (4U295)
Leowyn (7R239)
Faramir's Bow (4R118)
Horse of Rohan (4C283)
Firefoot, Eomer's Steed (7R232)
Swift Steed (7C253)
Gandalf's Cart (1U73)
Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs (8R113)
Eowyn's Sword, Dernhelm's Blade (7R230) x3
Merry's Sword (7R242) x3
Rohirrim Javelin (7C248) x4
Unheeded (8R115) x4
Gondor Bowmen (3R41) x4
Well Stored (4U296) x2
Doom Drove Them (8U86)


Strategy: Starting with Merry, Eowyn, Eomer and Frodo. Play Faramir and Sam asap. When Sam drops, kill frodo and always play sting on Sam (transfer before death if required). Firefoot for condition control, Rohan Allies and well stored provide healing for everyone but the hobbits. Take wounds on Merry if possible because he just returns to your hand. Other good things to exert him for are Doom Drove Them, Unheeded and Merry's Sword. The deck focuses on wounding minions with an Eowyn bomb to finish them. Lots of archery with Faramir's Bow, Gondor Bowmen (which can play even if Faramir isn't out yet) and Rohirrim Javelins (which are not unique). Gandalf's Cart is there for when Merry comes back to hand so that you can play Merry's Sword again with his text (and more Rohirrim Javelins whenever possible).

On a typical site I imagine minions will drop, Merry will exert twice to exert a minion twice. Faramir will add an archery, maybe 2 more with a Gondor bowman and the Rohan guys can add more with Aldor or Javelins if need be. All minions exert to assign to mounted companions and maybe Merry will use an Unheeded. Finally, use  Doom Drove Them or Dernhelm's Blade to get the final wounds needed, Return Merry to hand (clearing his wounds and getting back his sword or more Javelins) and clear the board with Eowyn's game text. Should be enough to obliterate most minions before they get a shot off.

[gashad]

Hmm, would definitely replace horse of rohan with Brego(simply better).

Also would try to squeeze in some arrow-slits to deal with possessions(for instance easterling polearm can really upset your deck).

Also can merry return his own sword? It says that you play the possessions from your discard pile, so if he is returned to your hand you can't really play anything on him(at least according to my interpretation). I mean stacking possessions on gandalfs cart is a fellowship action-so i don't think you can play merry's sword on it using merry's game text(as normal rules preclude playing possessions on possessions).

On the cutting front I would probably cut gandalfs cart(you should get your companions out quite quickly with four Faramirs so it would generally not be needed[also very dependant on you drawing it early]).

Would also scrap one Eowyn's Sword, Dernhelm's Blade, it is a good card but you can only play it once(unless your opponent is nice and discards it from you).

[TheNinthPlayer]

Also can merry return his own sword? It says that you play the possessions from your discard pile, so if he is returned to your hand you can't really play anything on him(at least according to my interpretation). I mean stacking possessions on gandalfs cart is a fellowship action-so i don't think you can play merry's sword on it using merry's game text(as normal rules preclude playing possessions on possessions).

Would not work.  Gandalf's cart is pretty much unneccessary for this deck, I'd say it's the number one drop.
With so much archery, not sure if Doom Drove Them is needed either.

[Galdor420]

Thanks for the feedback gashad. You are right about the cart, it has to play from hand but merry is from the discard anyway. easterling polearm would definitely be a problem until sam comes out (Broad-bladed Sword too) but arrow-slits would only get rid of that once and anyone using the easterling polearms would probably have 4 in their deck. I'll have to play Merry's sword each time I want to use it, and you are right about Dernhelm's Blade too. Is there a good way to consistently discard your own possessions? lol Anyway, here is my revised 33 card edition. LMK what you think:

Starting:

Frodo, Hope of Free Peoples (7C317)
The One Ring, Answer To All Riddles (4R1)
Merry, Swordthain (7R321)
Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien (10R72)
Eomer, Forthwith Banished (P) (0P66)

Free Peoples Cards:

Sam, Son of Hamfast (1C311) x2
Faramir, Son of Denethor (P) (0P16)
Faramir, Son of Denethor (4C117) x3
Elrond, Herald to Gil-galad (3R13)
Leowyn (7R239)
Faramir's Bow (4R118)
Brego (4U263)
Firefoot, Eomer's Steed (7R232)
Swift Steed (7C253)
Sting, Bane of the Eight Legs (8R113)
Eowyn's Sword, Dernhelm's Blade (7R230)
Merry's Sword (7R242) x4
Rohirrim Javelin (7C248) x4
Unheeded (8R115) x4
Gondor Bowmen (3R41) x4

[neopium]

Is there a good way to consistently discard your own possessions?

Yes, it's called Eowyn, Restless Maiden

[Galdor420]

#$&*@!, do you think she is better for this deck than Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien? Cause I would like to keep Lady of Ithilien in there shes kinda the point of the wounding.

[neopium]

That's up to you

Lady of Ithilien is certainly one of the best FP companion in Movie block.

Eowyn, Restless Maiden is there to win skirmishes, while Lady of Ithilien avoids them by killing the opponent before the resolution of the skirmish.

So it depends if you want your FP to fight or to kill everything before the fight can start.

Direct wounding strategies are very powerful. They can also be quite boring when they work too well.