Towers Standard Sealed League

[Durin's Heir]

Granted, GBG is not as OP as other cards, but I do think Boromir SH OP. Arwen MoR not. Why? She can exert 2 times and that's it until the next sanctuary or healing card. Eomer is OP, no denying that.

Boromir, Steward's Heir has three keywords, that might look overpowered. But all those three are unloaded, thus don't give him anything by himself; he hasn't even any other gametext nor signet. His power comes from combination, and there ain't no way of combine directly the gameplay of Knights and Ringbound Rangers (even with King Block fortifications). Versatility is the only power I can see on him, and that versatility may require too much card slots to give him great power.

Arwen, Maiden of Rivendell is exactly the opposite: alike Boromir, she can't be considered OP by herself, but her combos may be very well: gets healed with ease by Archer of Mirkwood (starting fellowship), Shoulder to Shoulder or That Is No Orc Horn without the need of stopping. Legolas, AoM may behave similarly with Gimli, UG, except that the dwarf would give +2 strenght to Legolas only, and each should need different possessions and skirimish pumps (using more card slots and possibly clogging hand). It would be very easy to build a deck with those combos (even I could do it): Arwen + Legolas at start, + Naith elves with TINOH, + Shoulder to Shoulder with allies = few skirimishes would be lost... Feels like a rare card.

Easterling sample deck, corruption:

1x Gollum, Nasty Treacherous Creature
1x Gollum, Old Villain
4x Easterling Axeman
4x Easterling Guard
4x Easterling Lieutenant
2x Easterling Polearm
2x Nasty, Foul Hobbitses
4x We Must Have It
3x Gathering to the Summons
3x Men of Rhun
2x Evil-smelling Fens

As an Easterlings deck, I like it very much. Simple and effective. As a Gollum + Easterlings deck I can't say the same: Stinker is the center of the whole theme and isn't available, so Gollum (almost) can't add burdens and won't get benefits from them. Evil-smelling Fens may be useful though...

[dmaz]

Easterling sample deck, corruption:

1x Gollum, Nasty Treacherous Creature
1x Gollum, Old Villain
4x Easterling Axeman
4x Easterling Guard
4x Easterling Lieutenant
2x Easterling Polearm
2x Nasty, Foul Hobbitses
4x We Must Have It
3x Gathering to the Summons
3x Men of Rhun
2x Evil-smelling Fens

As an Easterlings deck, I like it very much. Simple and effective. As a Gollum + Easterlings deck I can't say the same: Stinker is the center of the whole theme and isn't available, so Gollum (almost) can't add burdens and won't get benefits from them. Evil-smelling Fens may be useful though...

Gollum will win skirmishes from his game text and that will lend to burdens with Nasty Foul Hobbitses. The combo even without Stinker is OK, remember we're just making starter decks, not a strategy as it would look in its best form. Also, just throwing in two Evil Smelling Fens really gives this deck a boost. That card is quite often underestimated, going up against a fellowship that probably doesn't have condition discard it's almost like having 2 more copies of your best rare minion pull.

I won't post my version of this, I think this one is a little better. What I would recommend is swapping Nasty Treacherous Creature for a second Old Villain just to help always have a Gollum out that can win a skirmish. I also think this would be a good deck to give a Shotgun Enquea.

Maybe we could match this with the Ringbound deck?

Frodo, Tired Traveler

Sam, Proper Poet x2
Faramir, Son of Denethor 0P16 x2 <- gotta use the fun alternate images when we can
Damrod, Ranger of Ithilien
Anborn, Skilled Huntsman
Gondorian Ranger x2
Sword of Gondor x4
Coat of Mail x2
Ranger's Bow x3
Hobbit Sword x3
Ithilien Trap
Severed His Bonds x2
Swordsman of the Northern Kingdom x2
War and Valor x2
Dagger Strike x2
What are They?

Too many pumps? Maybe I'm missing one of those other random set 4 RB events that are cool...could swap for one of the dagger strikes...What do you guys think?

With the two severed his bonds, I'm thinking it could be a decent serie 1 deck. Was kind of going for just the standard, companions-pumps-possessions starter deck approach without bells and whistles.

[Durin's Heir]

Also, just throwing in two Evil Smelling Fens really gives this deck a boost. That card is quite often underestimated, going up against a fellowship that probably doesn't have condition discard it's almost like having 2 more copies of your best rare minion pull.

Evil-Smelling Hens can even bring back 2 burden-adding Easterlings, and that may hammer the last nail to the coffin .

Cool deck ideas, love the hate and anger one. Here is an idea for an tracker deck, just to get the ball rolling for you guys (feel free to change it as you see fit):

Uruk Pursuer x3
Uruk Seeker x3
Uruk Runner x3
Uruk Scout x3
Uruk Chaser x3
Uruk Searcher x2 (uncommon)
Uruk Hunter x2 (uncommon)
Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul (crowd control)

Kill Them Now x2
Still They Came x2

Many Riddles x3
Weary x3

Thanks Idleninja for your help, we need as many as we can muster . This looks well balanced. I'd center it around Uruk Searcher as it's a real fighting machine, 4x. Other than that, looks very good.

[Durin's Heir]

For Twilight Nazgul, I'm leaning more towards Euk's latest version, with a couple slight additions. The deck has kind of evolved towards burden adding for corruption, which I think fits well with the Twilight Nazgul theme.

The Witch-king, Deathless Lord x2
Ulaire Attea, The Easterling x3
Ulaire Enquea, Ringwraith in Twilight x3
Ulaire Otsea, Ringwraith in Twilight x3
Ulaire Nertea, Winged Hunter x2
Morgul Skulker x2
Wisp of Pale Sheen x3
Fell Beast x2
Nazgul Blade x2
It Wants to be Found x3
Threshold of Shadow x3
Blade Tip x2

I think this version of Ulaire Nertea is a great addition to our Twilight Nazgul deck, as a starter deck. It's a cheap minion and the shadow player should be able to make decent use of its game text as starter decks tend to run multiculture quite often.

The deck is way too dispersed...

I like the idea of Nertea, except for he would be the only support to Twilight Enquea in the Ringbearer-wounding mechanism, and that depends on a variable that's outside your reach. Would work better with Resistance Becomes Unbearable or Under the Watching Eye, or even Orc Assassin if you spot 2 hobbit comps. Nevertheless, can be devastating against the Three Hunters or any fellowship with 4 cultures or more...

Only 2 Fell Beast seem too little, because they will end up most of the time as visible pumps instead of a way of making a key nazgul fight twice (as Enquea).

Besides, Nazgul Blade would be better than Threshold of Shadow ONLY IF: a) bearer is fierce; or b) you can't spot 5 burdens AND the site is a battleground... otherwise is just a +1 strenght visible pump. Nazgul Sword could be overpowered if the deck made burdens with ease, but as most of the time Wisp of Pale Sheen won't survive and Enquea will wound a non-exhausted Frodo, by the time 3x It Wants to be Found gather 3 burdens your opponent's fellowship will have Armor or heavy fighters to counter the damage bonus... IMO add Nazgul Sword instead, a 4th IWtbF and a pump, or even 2x Frozen by Fear for the surprise element.

As for Wisp of Pale Sheen, it depends on either Peril or Spied From Above to be played at regroup. I think I ditched Spied From Above too early: there are 11 Nazgul with 3 or more vitality, so unless they face a rohan felowship or heavy wounding there could be 2 exertions available on the same nazgul at regroup phase. Otherwise Not Easily Destroyed could heal some wounds..... That would be 2x Spied From Above + 1x Not Easily Destroyed. The latter can turn Shotgun Enquea into a 'Gatling Enquea', that could be OP.

Conclusion: it has no focus. So it can't corrupt, by no means. The RB-wounding path is crippled since there's no Witch King, LotN; go the burden way instead: 4x It Wants To Be Found, 2x Nazgul Sword and 2x Drawn To Its Power, with many pumps to win/overwhelm and 3x Fell Beast to repeat the assault.

[Durin's Heir]

Maybe we could match this with the Ringbound deck?

Frodo, Tired Traveler

Sam, Proper Poet x2
Faramir, Son of Denethor 0P16 x2 <- gotta use the fun alternate images when we can
Damrod, Ranger of Ithilien
Anborn, Skilled Huntsman
Gondorian Ranger x2
Sword of Gondor x4
Coat of Mail x2
Ranger's Bow x3
Hobbit Sword x3
Ithilien Trap
Severed His Bonds x2
Swordsman of the Northern Kingdom x2
War and Valor x2
Dagger Strike x2
What are They?

Too many pumps? Maybe I'm missing one of those other random set 4 RB events that are cool...could swap for one of the dagger strikes...What do you guys think?

With the two severed his bonds, I'm thinking it could be a decent serie 1 deck. Was kind of going for just the standard, companions-pumps-possessions starter deck approach without bells and whistles.

New Errand, Arrows Thick In The Air and Curse Them are those tricks you mentioned. Pathfinder or Gondor's Vengeance could be added to that list...   
3 bows may be a little overpowered, with 5 rangers to share them and too fast to set-up. I would remove one.

There's a problem anyway: lacks Smeagol. That leaves it as a Ringbound Rangers deck, with a surname, and Smeagol should go in another one, maybe a Frodo, Sam and Smeagol themed deck, with discard-Smeagol mechanics. I would love to see that!

[dmaz]

The deck is way too dispersed...

It follows the basic format of the Deluxe Starter for FotR with some minor adaptions for TS. It should fine.

Remember, we can't expect too much out of these decks by themselves. They aren't supposed to function like a constructed deck. It's not supposed to have a seamless strategy where every card will be 100% useful all the time. It's just a starter deck

If we made every deck a perfect list of all of the right cards it would hinder and deter individuality in deck construction and use of boosters. If we take a look at the starter decks from FotR through RotK there is a clear pattern of basic build. I don't think we should stray far from that.

In any case we'll be playtesting all of these to see what works and what doesn't.

[dmaz]

There's a problem anyway: lacks Smeagol. That leaves it as a Ringbound Rangers deck, with a surname, and Smeagol should go in another one, maybe a Frodo, Sam and Smeagol themed deck, with discard-Smeagol mechanics. I would love to see that!

Hmmmm, good point. I could drop a Gondorian Ranger for a Smeagol, Old Noser. I agree with the 3 bows being too many as well.

I forgot about Smeagol since I was working more with him on the Smeagol/Hobbits deck. I think it could be really fun, but my rough draft might need everyone's help!

The generic strategy for the deck is to make use of burdens with the hobbits, and have Smeagol win a couple skirmishes to trigger Not Listening.

Frodo, Master of the Precious

Sam, Nice Sensible Hobbit
Merry, From Oer the Brandywine
Pippin, Woolly-Footed Rascal x3
Smeagol, Poor Creature
Boromir, Son of Denethor

Rosie Cotton, Hobbiton Lass

Hobbit Sword x4

Poor Wretch x4
Follow Smeagol
Rare Good Ballast
A Talent for not Being Seen
Kept Safe

Severed His Bonds x2
Hobbit Intuition x2
Don't Follow the Lights
It Burns Us
Mind Your Own Affairs x2
Not Listening x2

The deck is low in companion count, but for this theme, that is intentional. With all of the Hobbit support, it shouldn't be easy for them to get overwhelmed (once you get a sword on Sam he can easily take on a Nazgul). Since the idea of the deck was to have some fun with the Smeagol cards, there's a decent amount of "shenanigans" that he can pull off as well.

Because of Smeagol being the "star" of the deck, it's a little more involved than the typical Companion/Pump/Possession run. Probably not too powerful for serie 1, but better for serie 2 or 3 I guess.

[dmaz]

Evil-Smelling Hens can even bring back 2 burden-adding Easterlings, and that may hammer the last nail to the coffin .

I'm interesting in how this does playtesting. If it struggles a little bit against every fellowship we could always splash an Easterling Pillager as an out-of-format card, that would be cool

Also, regarding Ghan, I can agree that its technically a promo. And the points you made so far on him really do qualify him as Ok, and not too overpowered for a starter I think

Anyway, he's got my vote. If everyone else is OK with at least playtesting him as a serious candidate he could be in

Maybe he could be switched for the other out of format card in your deck (Dwarven Warrior)?

[dmaz]

For everyone interested in drafting starter deck lists, we still have these that haven't been touched

Fellowship:
The Three Hunters
Help in Doubt and Need

Shadow:
Sauron Trackers
Southrons
Warg Riders
Moria

I'm going to check into Dunland soon....

[Durin's Heir]

Maybe he could be switched for the other out of format card in your deck (Dwarven Warrior)?

Gimli, Lively Combatant and Dwarven Warrior are out, replaced respectively by Gimli, Dwarven Delegate and by 1 copy of those 'F' dwarves Farin and Fror. Ghan would be great if he could spot dwarves for his skill. Such a pity!

For everyone interested in drafting starter deck lists, we still have these that haven't been touched

Fellowship:
The Three Hunters
Help in Doubt and Need

Shadow:
Sauron Trackers
Southrons
Warg Riders
Moria

I'm going to check into Dunland soon....

Here's my try at Sauron Trackers, or 'Perilous Trackers':

2x Gate Sentry
2x Orc Assassin
2x Orc Butcher
3x Orc Cutthroat
2x Orc Insurgent
3x Orc Patrol
2x Orc Pillager
2x Orc Scouting Band
3x I'd Make You Squeak
2x Peril
3x Teeth of Mordor
4x Under the Watching Eye

Key Sites:

1 Western Emyn Muil
4 White Mountains

60% minions, 10 trackers out of 18. This is almost self-explanatory: Under The Watching Eye grinds the fellowship and I'd Make You Squeak makes profit with that. At the regroup phase, Peril plays minions in hand for free and if there's any remaining twilight, Teeth of Mordor preserves surviving minions for another fight. Gate Sentry and Orc Patrol against conditions. Orc Butcher can be a huge beast of 18 strenght at the end , that's the reason there are only 2 in the deck.

May be modified if it's overpowered, or if we want to incline it towards something specific: Vile Blade and Orc Scimitar as pumps, Mordor's Strength for grind, Forces of Mordor for swarm, Memory of Many Things against allies, Orc Fighter (or Orc Infantry with Peril) for site control... Wisp of Pale Sheen for burdens, but I still haven't found any way of using them.

[Durin's Heir]

I forgot about Smeagol since I was working more with him on the Smeagol/Hobbits deck. I think it could be really fun, but my rough draft might need everyone's help!

The generic strategy for the deck is to make use of burdens with the hobbits, and have Smeagol win a couple skirmishes to trigger Not Listening.

Frodo, Master of the Precious

Sam, Nice Sensible Hobbit
Merry, From Oer the Brandywine
Pippin, Woolly-Footed Rascal x3
Smeagol, Poor Creature
Boromir, Son of Denethor

Rosie Cotton, Hobbiton Lass

Hobbit Sword x4

Poor Wretch x4
Follow Smeagol
Rare Good Ballast
A Talent for not Being Seen
Kept Safe

Severed His Bonds x2
Hobbit Intuition x2
Don't Follow the Lights
It Burns Us
Mind Your Own Affairs x2
Not Listening x2

The deck is low in companion count, but for this theme, that is intentional. With all of the Hobbit support, it shouldn't be easy for them to get overwhelmed (once you get a sword on Sam he can easily take on a Nazgul). Since the idea of the deck was to have some fun with the Smeagol cards, there's a decent amount of "shenanigans" that he can pull off as well.

Because of Smeagol being the "star" of the deck, it's a little more involved than the typical Companion/Pump/Possession run. Probably not too powerful for serie 1, but better for serie 2 or 3 I guess.

There's an unbalance in respect of burdens: 8 cards that add burdens (Frodo, Smeagol, 2x Mind Your Own Affairs, Don't Follow the Lights and 3x Pippin), and only 2x Not Listening to remove them... I would ditch Pippin and use 3x Boromir instead. I'd use Sam, SoH instead, 2x Rosie Cotton and 1 or 2 Hobbit Party Guest to keep burdens at bay... maybe You Must Help Us to heal hobbits and soak wounds with Smeagol (replay with Frodo) if Poor Wretch and Follow Smeagol are out... I don't know really, I'm speculating as haven't any experience about it. 

[dmaz]

There's an unbalance in respect of burdens: 8 cards that add burdens (Frodo, Smeagol, 2x Mind Your Own Affairs, Don't Follow the Lights and 3x Pippin), and only 2x Not Listening to remove them... I would ditch Pippin and use 3x Boromir instead. I'd use Sam, SoH instead, 2x Rosie Cotton and 1 or 2 Hobbit Party Guest to keep burdens at bay... maybe You Must Help Us to heal hobbits and soak wounds with Smeagol (replay with Frodo) if Poor Wretch and Follow Smeagol are out... I don't know really, I'm speculating as haven't any experience about it. 

Yeah you're right...either we'd need to swap Sam, cut back on the burden adding cards, or change the strategy...

The only card I was able to find within the format that discards Smeagol to your benefit is A Rare Good Ballast...even then its very situation dependent...am I missing something?

[dmaz]

Here's my try at Sauron Trackers, or 'Perilous Trackers':

2x Gate Sentry
2x Orc Assassin
2x Orc Butcher
3x Orc Cutthroat
2x Orc Insurgent
3x Orc Patrol
2x Orc Pillager
2x Orc Scouting Band
3x I'd Make You Squeak
2x Peril
3x Teeth of Mordor
4x Under the Watching Eye

Key Sites:

1 Western Emyn Muil
4 White Mountains

60% minions, 10 trackers out of 18. This is almost self-explanatory: Under The Watching Eye grinds the fellowship and I'd Make You Squeak makes profit with that. At the regroup phase, Peril plays minions in hand for free and if there's any remaining twilight, Teeth of Mordor preserves surviving minions for another fight. Gate Sentry and Orc Patrol against conditions. Orc Butcher can be a huge beast of 18 strenght at the end , that's the reason there are only 2 in the deck.

May be modified if it's overpowered, or if we want to incline it towards something specific: Vile Blade and Orc Scimitar as pumps, Mordor's Strenght for grind, Forces of Mordor for swarm, Memory of Many Things against allies, Orc Fighter (or Orc Infantry with Peril) for site control... Wisp of Pale Sheen for burdens, but I still haven't found any way of using them.

Really cool! I like the combination of Peril with Teeth of Mordor if the fellowship adds a lot of twilight to, for example, get Gandalf, The White Wizard to his strength 10, then you could essentially use Peril to get a minion down free and stack him on Teeth immediately.

I liked your suggestion for Forces of Mordor...I would love to see it swapped for one I'd Make You Squeak....but I'm worried it would make a site 9 bomb too easy if you plan well with teeth.

[Durin's Heir]

Remember, we can't expect too much out of these decks by themselves. They aren't supposed to function like a constructed deck. It's not supposed to have a seamless strategy where every card will be 100% useful all the time. It's just a starter deck

If we made every deck a perfect list of all of the right cards it would hinder and deter individuality in deck construction and use of boosters. If we take a look at the starter decks from FotR through RotK there is a clear pattern of basic build. I don't think we should stray far from that.

In any case we'll be playtesting all of these to see what works and what doesn't.

As starter decks, they should have a chance to win. Twilight Nazgul deck won't swarm, so there are 2 other options: beatdown and corruption. As dispersed as it is by now, won't corrupt unless the opponent bids very high at start. Thus it should kill companions one by one, and it has those lame Nazgul Blades instead of Swords, and too little pumps + mounts to overwhelm IMO... The burden version I gave is actually a corruption and a beatdown deck, piles up burdens when killing and beats heavier when there are burdens.

We don't want to release decks like Mines of Moria Gandalf/Moria, with a shadow that just can't do anything efficiently (Frenzy would have been a great combo with Goblin Spear, but wasn't there)... or Boromir's, that one is even worse.

If the Twilight Nazgul deck goes for serie 1, any non-free peoples victory would be very rare.

[Durin's Heir]

 

Yeah you're right...either we'd need to swap Sam, cut back on the burden adding cards, or change the strategy...

The only card I was able to find within the format that discards Smeagol to your benefit is A Rare Good Ballast...even then its very situation dependent...am I missing something?

No Help For It is a rare... Be Back Soon too. It leaves only Rare Good Ballast to discard him, with a condition/possession/ally regroup ability... A Royal Welcome? Follow Smeagol, but would discard itself... Rally Point! Rohirrim Shield or Rohirrim Scout... Thandronen... Lorien Guardian... Haldir at a battleground...

Smeagol, Old Noser could do it. Believe it or not, maybe Fortress Never Fallen can do it without spotting a rohirrim... Dinendal, Calaglin and Galdor can indeed.

The rest are all rares: Elrond, HtGG, Lembas, Glamdring, Forests of Ithilien, Thror's Map, EoF Merry & Pippin...

... Be Back Soon and No Help For It are rares... Dang... 

Son of Hamfast should be your Sam, with Bounder or stealths to prevent his death. He + 2x Rosie + Hobbit Party Guest.