Advice on Rohan and Nazgul

[Thorondir]

Hey guys,

This is my real life deck and I'd like to hear what you guys think about it. We're gonna play a championship next month, so I'm willing to change some strategy.

Sites
Slag Mounds
Flats of Rohan
Harrowdale
Isenwash
Helm's Gate
Northern Pelennor
Trollshaw Forest
Buckland Homestead
Stables

Fellowship (38 cards)
•Frodo, Resolute Hobbit (with The Great Ring)
•Éowyn, Lady of Ithilien
•Éomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark

Riders of the Mark
Háma, Captain of the King's Guard
Théoden, King of the Eorlingas
Théodred, Second Marshal of the Mark
Hrethel, Rider of Rohan

Déor
Rohirrim Herdsman

Brego
Firefoot
Rohirrim Mount x3
Éowyn's Sword
Rider's Spear x4
Riddermark Javelin x4
Coif
Rohirrim Helm
Éomer's Spear

We Left None Alive
Parapet
Fortress Never Fallen
Thundering Host x2
Border Patrol

Hurried Barrows
Morning Came
Hamstrung
Ride With Me
Work For The Sword
Simbelmynë

So, strategy is using Éomer as a killing machine. Éowyn is a good counter against fierce minions. Háma is here to discard Gronds and Hides. Théodred has a nice combo with both Éowyn and Éomer. Théoden gives me some strenght advantage since I use to play on my sites. Riders of the Mark can give Éomer +6 str when facing big dudes. And Hrethel... well, he's a good fella. About allies: Herdsman is the only thing I have against threats and Deor is good to discard (I'm willing to substitute him with Léowyn, but can't find that card). All events but Simbelmynë are for str bonus. Conditions do some str boosting but also discards conditions and avoid arrows. I usually play well against big minions and can safely run, but I miss some healing. I guess I can be easily beated by discarding my possessions (mainly Firefoot) -- probably should add some conditions that gives me possessions back. Those Javelins are here because I used to go Merry Swordthain. I also feel I should add some burden removing (any sugestions?).

Shadow (38 cards)

The Witch King, Lord of the Nazgûl x4
Úlairë Enquëa, Ringwraith in Twilight x2
Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul
Úlairë Enquëa, Faster Than Winds
Úlairë Otsëa, Lieutenant of Morgul
Úlairë Toldëa, Winged Sentry
Úlairë Nertëa, Servant of the Shadow
Black Rider
Bill Ferny
Morgul Destroyer x3
Morgul Whelp x3
Morgul Regiment
Morgul Banner-Bearer
Gorbag, Corvetous captain

Fell Beast x2
Ring of Asperity
Ring of Rancor
Nazgul Sword
The Pale Blade

Stricken Dumb

Out of sight and shot
Flung into the fray
His terrible servants
Surrounded by wraiths
Dark wings x2
Stronghold of Minas Morgul

Key is abusing the ring-bearer. Everytime WK wins a skirmish, Frodo get's #$&*@! up -- thats why I have the fell beasts and the swords. I usually save both rings to play on WK, so I can get him in hand. Asperity also helps me wounding Frodo, so Whelps get boosted. Otsëa is here to make WK fierce, and Toldëa can be pretty cheap, so I use him to active the morgul orcs combos. Others Nazgul also can be a pain to Frodo. One Enquëa and Black Rider are here to shotgun big fellowships down. Problem is I need a lot of twilights and have many cards, I'd like to reduce this deck.

Any advices, mates? Thanks and sorry I don't know how to link cards to TCG Wiki properly. :^(

[Zielak]

It's difficult to help you because you probably don't have proper cards - I'm somewhat in the same point. I have no idea what do you want to do with Shadow - here is for Witch-King tank deck:
- out- Otsea, Banner Bearer, Gorbag, Destroyer, Rider, Nazgul Sword, Nertea, Stronghold of Minas Morgul, Dark wings
- in - Pale Blade (more), Fell Beast (more)
More twilightguls oriented deck:
- out - Nertea, Otsea, Banner Bearer, Gorbag, Destroyer, Rider
- in - Nelya 2R, more Fell Beasts, perhaps some Nazgul Swords, Morgul Brute, It Wants to be Found, Resistance Becomes Unbearable, perhaps Dark Tempation, eventually Keening Wall
Morcs aren't gonna work with this WK, same with Forests.
For FPs add Swordthain. Replace Theoden with 13th or 17th set, because you can't really hope to always be on your sites. I'd add King's Board x3 and drop Border Patrol. Also the events need rework - more Simbelmyne (if possible), less other pumps, I'd leave only Hurried Barrows and Ride With Me. Eowyn's sword isn't neccessary - you have other fightning companions. Herugrim would be nice though, especially with your threat removal.

[Thorondir]

Thanks, Zielak. I don't own proper cards, indeed, but I can get some of these. Others, like Simbelmynë, are impossible for me to buy. Same to Morgul Brute, who I'd love to add.

Stronghold of Minas Morgul is very helpful, since many cards get pumped with wounds on Frodo. Adding burdens is not my aim but it happens often because Frodo can't take all the wounds. So that It wants to be Found and RBU may be useful, but I'm afraid it will clog my hand. I already save Pale Blade and Fell Beast and also rings to WK. I *need* Dark Temptation, yeah!

About your FPs suggestion... I already had a lot of companions, so I dropped Swordthain. I'm playing well without him. Maybe I'll add him when I have some Rohirrim Shields for healing -- that's why I wouldn't go King's Board x3, that's a lot of exerting that I can't properly heal. And rohan dudes are all 3 HP. Pretty risky... I'll try changing Éowyn's sword with Herugrim, maybe you're right.

Thanks, mate!

[Pepi]

Despite Hama, I would add 1x Arrow Slits (possibly in place of Parapet), Swordthain (he'll help you with archery problems) and Doom Drove Them which admittedly is rather expensive, but can help a great deal, when a minion skirmishing Eowyn (or Eomer) lacks 1 extra wound (which happens, to me at least, more than I expected). As for the burden removal, just add 1 Sam, SoH. I think he's the easyest and least hurtful way to do it, even if at a cost of one other companion's slot. Also, my general advice would be, to reduce the number of cards on each side.

[Thorondir]

Pepi,

I cut 2 cards on both sides, so I'm playing with 36 now. I could exchange Háma for a Arrow Slits to open slot for Swordthain. I also have 2 copies of Doom Drove Them, but, again, I have no healing cards. I don't like the idea of exerting that much -- even if that would combo A LOT with Éomer and Éowyn. That's good. I'll think about it...

And since we play Expanded in real life, that Sam is banned. I have Brace of Coneys and Salt From the Shire, maybe I'll cut a pump event for one of them.

[Pepi]

Ow, I haven't noticed he was banned. I'm currently playing pre-shadows multipath, irl, also Rohan. Sam, SoH is also banned there, but I've found Samwise the Brave to be a decent enough alternative. It won't help with the burdens from The Great Ring, true, but against burden shadows he's just as useful.

[Thorondir]

I just realised I don't own Arrow Slits. I'll keep Háma until I find an Erkenbrand to buy. So, what's your Rohan strategy? TMOR as a killing machine? I wish I could use Swordthain with Merry's Sword, but people in my town don't have a MS to spare. And this is not a good time to buy from CCG-Singles. :^(

[Pepi]

I play Swordthain and Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark in my starting fellowship and use Merry's Sword and Shadowplay (and horses) to get exerts (for Eomer and Lady of Ithilien if I'm lucky enough to draw her (2 copies)). I try to heal my companions with Leowyn and Lord of the Mark and that goes alright. As with a lot of decks, the biggest threat I face (in my environment) is swarm. Due to the gradual building of my fellowship (like you, I only have one Simbelmyne and besides -- I don't think it would be smart to run Swordthain in SF, would (could) I decide to use more) I can have huge problems even at early sites (4, 5, 6). To counter this (to some degree, at least) I added Bounder and Hobbit Sword. And Unyielding. I was rather skeptical, when I decided to playtest it, but I kept one. It can save you by killing an important minion, it can liberate a site and it can grant you a re-heal from Brego. It's a different format, though, as said. In Expanded, the options are probably wider than what I'm mumbling about.

[Thorondir]

Nice, Pepi! Very clever Brego + Unyielding combo. And that's all your companions? I understand Lord of the Mark's ability works for you, but playing a 6-2 Théoden just breaks my heart. Can't understand why they made his first cards with those stats. TWO HP???

Did you ever consider Home Hearthed? And to keep Merry's Sword, do you use Sword Rack or other condition?

[Pepi]

I actually do run 9 companions, the other 4 being Sam, Samwise the Brave, Hrethel, Elite Rider and Rohirrim Army. Hearth and Home (right?) would be great with Merry and a great alternative to Sams,  so use it, if you can. I can't due to my format restrictions. I don't use Sword Rack (or in my case Weapon Store). I don't have it and I totally forgot about it, when I was ordering cards not so long ago. I do have 2 copies of Merry's Sword, though, so technically I can discard it once.

[Thorondir]

Yeah, I meant Heart and Home.

I also used to go Elite Rider but I just got tired of his picture.

[Legion]

Use the set 7 one, then.  What a beard!!

[Thorondir]

Yeah, I could do that, Legion -- but people in town didn't have access to the 7th collection. Pisses me off not having Léowyn!!!