Telepathy Rapetrain

[Zielak]

Okay, here it is. I've been playing this for a couple of weeks, so a bunch of people might already know this. It's been perfected, but I'm always open for a suggestions. After about 25 games I have over 65% win ratio.

Ring-bearer: Galadriel, Bearer of Wisdom
Ring: The One Ring, The Ring of Rings

Adventure deck:
Courtyard Parapet
Anduin Banks
Abandoned Mine Shaft
Neekerbreekers' Bog
Mithlond
Caras Galadhon
The Prancing Pony
Old Forest Road
Imladris

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
1x Celeborn, The Wise
2x Elrond, Witness to History
2x Gil-galad, High King of the Noldor
1x Glorfindel, Eldarin Lord
1x Gandalf, Manager of Wizards
1x Grimbeorn, Beorning Chieftain
1x Radagast, The Brown
1x Gamling, Defender of the Hornburg
2x Elven Sword
1x Beorning Axe
2x Shadowfax, Greatest of the Mearas
1x Coif
1x Erkenbrand's Horn
2x Nenya, Ring of Adamant
1x Vilya, Ring of Air
2x Alliance Reforged
2x Farewell to Lorien
4x Forearmed
2x Lothlorien Guides
3x A Wizard Is Never Late
1x Deep in Thought
1x Roll of Thunder
2x Terrible and Evil
2x Traveled Leader
2x Into the West
1x Celebring, Elven-smith
1x Uruviel, Woodland Maid
1x Woodhall Elf, Exile
1x Pallando, Far-travelling One

Shadow Draw Deck:
2x Gollum, Plotting Deceiver
3x Black Numenorean
4x Castamir of Umbar
2x Corsair Boatswain
4x Corsair Marauder
4x Corsair Plunderer
4x Sauron, The Lord of the Rings
4x Black Sails of Umbar
3x Corsair War Galley
3x Raider Halberd
3x Ships of Great Draught
2x Red Wrath
3x Wind That Sped Ships
2x Let Her Deal With Them
2x Under Foot

Okay, Corsairs are basic cycling deck with an addition of Sauron to abuse telepathy. Nothing more to say You can also drop Sauron with Let Her Deal with Them to see wonders.

Now the fellowship... The fun thing is, there is almost always a backup plan. Most of the time, when people are running telepathy there is always a simple thing to do to screw them over. Just kill Gandalf or Gil-Galad. When they are playing over 6 comps, just abuse them with Enquea... and done. This deck can survive this for long. I'm not gonna play on Gemp for next few weeks so enjoy

Gamling is starting just to pull out followers with horn in the first turn and Coif (because why not?) in the second.
Celeborn can get you any Elven event from discard. Also, when you removed enough burdens or used followers properly, Uruviel allows you to make up to 5 Elves musters. That's a lot of cycling... If he dies, you can still get non-skirmish events with Elrond and discard cards with Elven Sword.
Glorfindel can be pulled at first site (bidding 1 is enough, almost nobody bids anything). He can be main fighter even without pumps, he can also constantly remove threats. If he dies, you still have 4 more elves to fight and Into The West (although its tough to use with all the musters around, you need to plan your cards carefully).
Gil-Galad simply pulls events If he dies, you are kinda screwed (Elrond still comes in handy), but he has always Forearmed for self defense, so he isn't really that vulnerable.
Elrond can recycle anything Elvish back. He can also place discarded high-cost cards on the deck to use Forearmed on them.
Gandalf is self-explanatory. If he dies, use Nenya (or Elrond) each turn, and then place it back with Elrond. It delays double moving though.
Grimbeorn with his axe recycles Gandalf cards and gives you a strong backup fighter.
Radagast is obvious.
Elven swords help with discarding junk cards, Terrible and Evil takes Shotgun Enquea down, Travelled Leaders replaces Steward's Tomb, Vilya is a free Forearmed.

[ToPaxyGourouni]

I have a principle never to comment on lists that include this Gil-Galad, but you don't use leaving forever + tokens therefore you pass the test.

Decent telepathy list. I really wouldn't worry about skirmishes much, nobody can beat forearmed in a skirmish, especially when the ring bearer is an elf. I would worry much more about archery. Why not 4x Elven armaments?

Also, when telepathy is concerned, Glorfindel, revealed in wrath is much better I think. He provides extra free forearmed versus maybe the mostly played expanded shadow out there, and he is a starting companion with 9 strength.

 Finally, only one Gandalf in a 90 cards deck? I don't care how many A wizard is never late you run, 1 gandalf is too few. When I do not start with gandalf, I play 80ish card decks with at least 6 ways to fetch gandalf and they are still not enough. Multiple copies of gandalf also let you play a couple of Sent Back which provides multiple bonuses: Helps you get rid of pesky things you cannot beat in hth like ninja gollum, lets you play radagast in the regroup phase to triple easily and helps you replay your gandalf if you screwed up and got him killed in the first place.

And while we are talking gollum, a couple of copies of crashing cavalry would do this list miracles.

As for your shadow, I would play something else. I am afraid you have 4x Sauron only because corsairs have too few high cost minions to make your telepathy useful. And at any point, Balrog, Demon of might will help you much more than sauron. Besides, corsairs are just weak in expanded. Why not orange trolls? Forearming for 7-8 is just fine, no need for -14 overkills methinks.

Overall yeah, I think I would play an entirely different list But if it works for you, I'll pass Although I think that 65% win ratio does not mean the deck is perfected, just the opposite I think.

[Zielak]

I don't play armaments because the deck is already too big. 2x Farewell to Lorien replayed with Elrond/Celeborn shuts archery down. I'm not really afraid of Gandalf's death, because I always have my backup plan.
Trolls are awful to play against, plus they can't discard/draw cards. Corsairs do.  Balrog is another thing, I'm definately gonna try him.
Glorfindel... That's a matter of preference. On paper Reflections one is way better, but for me he forces me to put Celeborn in deck, and that makes me lose the 100% musters each regroup for some time. 2nd, I really need to remove those threats, as Into the West is not always so reliable.
I'll definately try Crashing Cavalry and more Gandalfs