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Author Topic: Swarm  (Read 5651 times)

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November 30, 2013, 07:37:24 AM
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jcb213

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Swarm
« on: November 30, 2013, 07:37:24 AM »
I've been playing this swarm deck for a while.  I finally finished my 100th game with it and it is 95-5, so I thought I'd post it.  Pretty standard card drawing fellowship to set up shadow kills.  Of the 95 wins, only 5 were free peoples wins and the rest were all shadow kills.  This deck can do 1 site kills, but against good decks you have to swarm multiple times to kill key companions like Ranger of the North.  The only time you ever play minions is if you are going to kill someone, if you need to play no business of ours (hopefully early), if you need to play tower assassin to exhaust albert dreary, or if you need to play saruman's power to kill key conditions.  In some games I didn't play a single minion until sites 7, 8, or 9 when I had the perfect hand set up.

I have beat every type of deck out there.  The hardest match-up is a rainbow fellowship playing gimli's axe, bow of the galadrhim, and ranger of the north - against that you'll need to swarm multiple times to kill key companions so you can get to frodo (two of my losses were to this type of deck, but I also beat it 5-6 times - it depends on the skill of the player and the draw).

Note - against a good player this is not an autoplay deck.  You have to make the right decisions about when to play minions, which companions to kill when, what to discard with ottar, and when to go ahead and go for a free peoples win.


Ring-bearer: Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer
Ring: The One Ring, Isildur's Bane

Adventure deck:
Green Dragon Inn
Trollshaw Forest
Rivendell Valley
Pass of Caradhras
The Bridge of Khazad-dum
Dimrill Dale
Anduin Confluence  (bye bye Albert Dreary and Elf allies)
Gates of Argonath  (no secret sentinels or other maneuver shenanigans)
Tol Brandir  (play those 3 ambushers back for 3 extra minions)

Free Peoples Draw Deck:
1x Arwen, Daughter of Elrond
1x Legolas, Greenleaf
1x Gandalf, The Grey Pilgrim
1x Aragorn, Ranger of the North
1x Boromir, Son of Denethor
1x Merry, Friend to Sam
1x Pippin, Hobbit of Some Intelligence
1x Sam, Proper Poet
1x Thrarin, Dwarven Smith
1x Celeborn, Lord of Lorien
4x Elrond, Lord of Rivendell
2x Galadriel, Lady of Light
1x Orophin, Lorien Bowman
1x Rúmil, Elven Protector
1x Albert Dreary, Entertainer From Bree
2x Ottar, Man of Laketown
1x Filibert Bolger, Wily Rascal
2x Sting
1x Gandalf's Staff
1x A Wizard Is Never Late
2x Sleep Caradhras
2x Hobbit Intuition
4x Hobbit Stealth
1x O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!

Shadow Draw Deck:
2x Goblin Man
4x Isengard Forger
2x Isengard Shaman
4x Isengard Warrior
4x Goblin Runner
1x Goblin Warrior
4x Moria Scout
3x Orc Ambusher
1x Tower Assassin  (mostly to exhaust albert dreary so your snows is good, but kills other stuff too)
1x Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul
2x Úlairë Nertëa, Messenger of Dol Guldur
2x Saruman's Power
3x No Business of Ours  (stop Foul Creation, Curse Their Foul Feet!, and Sting/Glamdring)
2x Saruman's Snows

December 02, 2013, 10:55:34 PM
Reply #1

-Enola-

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2013, 10:55:34 PM »
Nice deck ! And nice results ;).
Just one question on your shadow side :
why
4x Isengard Forger
2x Isengard Shaman
and not
2x Isengard Forger
4x Isengard Shaman ?
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December 03, 2013, 03:32:08 AM
Reply #2

Ringbearer

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2013, 03:32:08 AM »
Because forgers are 6/1 for 1 twilight?

December 03, 2013, 05:17:59 AM
Reply #3

-Enola-

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2013, 05:17:59 AM »
Sure, but you can more easily exert minions for Saruman's Power or Saruman's Snows with Isengard Shaman and twilight tokens need to be well used.
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December 03, 2013, 07:50:05 AM
Reply #4

ToPaxyGourouni

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2013, 07:50:05 AM »
Forger can be BOTH 6 str for 1 twi AND exert for snows if you choose (not both, but still you have an option). Shaman can't do both.

December 03, 2013, 09:01:44 AM
Reply #5

-Enola-

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2013, 09:01:44 AM »
Yes, I know but the +1 stength seems to be not so important, since most of the minions have an odd number for strength.
I think you need to exert easily your minions AND have twilight pools to play minions and conditions. I'm not sure the choice is so important.
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December 04, 2013, 07:27:44 AM
Reply #6

bibfortuna25

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2013, 07:27:44 AM »
Shaman is infinitely more valuable than the Forger. His ability can help protect your Orcs from getting killed by PATHS/Greenleaf/etc when you don't have a Warrior or Snows out.
All cards do what they say, no more, no less.

December 04, 2013, 10:46:54 AM
Reply #7

ToPaxyGourouni

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2013, 10:46:54 AM »
Greenleaf will just kill the moria goblins. And this is fellow block. If you think you will have enough twilight to swarm the opponent AND prevent wounds you are mistaken.

December 04, 2013, 12:30:33 PM
Reply #8

jcb213

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2013, 12:30:33 PM »
You almost never have the twilight to use the Shaman in FBlock.  If you're worried about Greenleaf and/or PATHS you are playing the deck wrong.  You don't waste minions that will die to Greenleaf, PATHS, etc unless you have the appropriate counters (isengard warrior, snows).  Between Sting and Goblin Man you should have a very good idea if your opponent has PATHS, Secret Sentinels, etc and build your hand accordingly.  Also, Shaman can't protect your non-isengard minions from PATHS anyway, and it's not often that your swarm is 100% isengard.  I can count the number of times I used Shaman's game text in the 100 games above on 1 hand.

The strength 6 versus 5 is also much better.  If you can play all strength 6 or higher guys then they autokill Merry FtS and it only takes 2 minions to overwhelm Frodo with Sting instead of 3 strength 5 minions.  If Goblin Man wasn't discarded underground I'd consider switching to 4 of him and no shaman at all.

December 04, 2013, 09:35:59 PM
Reply #9

-Enola-

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2013, 09:35:59 PM »
Yes, even in my Isengard Orcs deck in FOTR I rarely use the Shaman.

The point is +1 strength/+1 cost or +1 life : it's not so easy, since a part of the minions have 5 in strength. Ok you have the choice with the Forger, but what can we do when we need both one twilight token and one exert (for a condition or an event) ? That's why maybe the Shaman is more flexible in this case.
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December 05, 2013, 09:05:58 AM
Reply #10

Ringbearer

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Re: Swarm
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2013, 09:05:58 AM »
I find the forger more flexible, since you can choose if you need the pool or not. Also,with the vitality, this deck doesnt run armories, so there are enough other targets to kill.