Towers Standard Sealed Deck Lists and Replays

[BigRedMF]

Maybe swap No Rest For the Weary for the LUBS. Still gives you the Valiant theme, while providing a Rohan version of Elendil's Valor, so to speak.

That sounds like a good idea. I like the berserker shadow, look forward to testing it.

[Durin's Heir]

I'm afraid No Rest For The Weary is a rare card... Maybe Forth Eorlingas! can replace it if there are Theoden signets.

There are only 3 non-rare cards with Valiant dynamics in Towers Block: Sigewulf, Ecglaf and Let Us Be Swift. And the first one is a free trigger for Shotgun Enquea.

I don't see too much problem with 1 copy of Let Us Be Swift, or even 2 as far as Fortress Never Fallen is absent...

We need to understand, the Rohan culture is very redundant as the core is always a skirmish-oriented fellowship... there are some satellital subcultures like allies, valiant men, non fellowship phase possession-playing (Eowyn, Daughter of Eomund, Gamling, Warrior of Rohan, Rohirrim Scout)... but everything EXCEPT for archery (Aldor, Rohirrim Bow, Ecglaf, Eowyn, DoE, Armory, Weapon Store) is always oriented towards heavy skirmishers. And potentially some healing too.


My point is, given that skirmish redundancy, different subcultures can use the same core cards (possessions / skirmish events), THUS to use one valuable deck slot for ally-Rohan alone would be a HUGE waste IMO.

Rohan allies should be merged with Valiant Rohirrim, without Gandalf (that releases 5 card slots on the Valiant deck, usable for ally-mechanics). Those Valiant Rohirrim have Gandalf signets (Eowyn and Theoden), so might couple very well with a Gandalf-centered deck in the 2nd Serie (TMAYOD included). In the 3rd Serie there should be that Hard Choice Rohan/Aragorn deck, which couldn't use Trust Me due to Aragorn signets (unless you build a big deck and want to taste Enquea's Shotgun).

There's a lack of a Gandalf-centered deck. And to have 2 Gondor deck choices in Serie 2 (Knights and UB Rangers) is a mistake IMO, so let UB Rangers be in 3rd Serie and Gandalf take their place in 2nd...

Just some thoughts.

[Durin's Heir]

This is what I mean, for 1st Serie...

Valiant Rohirrim and Villagers deck:

2x Household Guard
2x Theoden, King of the Golden Hall
1x Eomer, Forthwith Banished
1x Eowyn, Daughter of Eomund
1x Ecglaf, Courageous Farmer
1x Guma, Plains Farmer
1x Hlafwine, Village Farmhand
1x Leod, Westfold Herdsman
1x Weland, Smith of the Riddermark
1x Brego
1x Herugrim
2x Horse of Rohan
2x Rider's Spear
2x Rohirrim Bow
2x Hobbit Sword
2x An Honorable Charge
1x Let Us Be Swift
2x Severed His Bonds
1x Armory
1x Arrow-slits
2x Well Stored

5 Valiant companions, plus Frodo. 5 allies: 2 for healing (Guma and Weland), 2 for skirmish pumping (Hlafwine and Leod) and 1 to recover possessions. 2x Well Stored and Theoden, KotGH to heal allies. 3 mounts, usable by Gondorians, Elves and Gandalf for 'coupling' purposes. 2 skirmish events but 4 pumps (2 reusable allies). 3 hand weapons and 2 ranged ones; Rohirrim Bow may be replayed with Ecglaf in fellowship phase, or with Armory + Theoden/Eowyn in maneuver (for a healing bonus). If there's a problem with so many replays of that direct-wounding card -as could have the Knights/Dunland deck-, may be replaced with Rohirrim Javelin from King Block, or with skirmish pumps (Fight for the Villagers or Work for the Sword).

2x Hobbit Sword and 2x Severed His Bonds for Frodo protection, as the general rule for Serie 1.

Sister-Son of Theoden is out since we need Valiant men; Eomer, Forthwith Banished takes his place. He should be included in the Rohan/Hard Choice deck in 3rd Serie instead, as he has the Aragorn Signet.

It has good skirmish strength, some archery potential and great healing dynamics (Theoden/Eowyn and allies)...


That way we would be 'merging' Rohan Allies with Valiant Men (and indeed Rohan archery) into ONE single deck slot; with potential to 'couple' into Mounted Elves (w/ Naith/Shoulder to Shoulder), Mounted Rangers (w/ UB Rangers) or Mounted Knights (with... Knights!  Mix exertions with CotS or Men of Numenor/New Errand  )... or TMAYOD with a Gandalf Trust Me deck.

That's what we need to do in order to save deck slots for Ents, Gandalf, Smeagol, Last Alliance, Naith Elves, Shoulder to Shoulder and everything else we haven't even mentioned yet.

[BigRedMF]

I guess it's not entirely clear to me what you are suggesting, so I'll take a stab. You are proposing to merge the 2 Rohan decks together for the 1st Serie, and then create a Gandalf centered Trust deck (without Rohan) for Serie 2? I tend to agree with you that the two Rohan decks overlap quite a bit. If we are finding that the 1st Serie Rohan is very robust, maybe we shouldn't have the second anyway. I like the idea of making the 1st Rohan deck full of Gandalf signets so that people could come up with a Rohan Trust deck if they choose to, but could still have another Trust fellowship from Serie 2.

[dmaz]

I'm pretty fine with the way things are. So far all of the decks have been testing well and it would be counterproductive to go back to the drawing board with so many things. We still have a lot of testing to do with other decks, and then the possibility of inter-serie tests (though may not be completely necessary).

[Durin's Heir]

I guess it's not entirely clear to me what you are suggesting, so I'll take a stab. You are proposing to merge the 2 Rohan decks together for the 1st Serie, and then create a Gandalf centered Trust deck (without Rohan) for Serie 2? I tend to agree with you that the two Rohan decks overlap quite a bit. If we are finding that the 1st Serie Rohan is very robust, maybe we shouldn't have the second anyway. I like the idea of making the 1st Rohan deck full of Gandalf signets so that people could come up with a Rohan Trust deck if they choose to, but could still have another Trust fellowship from Serie 2.

That's exactly what I meant, my friend! Why should we waste 2 deck slots (out of our scarce 9 or 10 available) if the core cards are the same or work the same? Those Gandalf signets were an accident, as those versions are the only Valiant Theoden and the most convenient Valiant Eowyn for this deck. But both aspects of that merging, the Gandalf signets and the emptied deck slot, allow the inclusion of a Gandalf-centered TMAYOD deck, with events like Intimidate or Strength of Spirit, and maybe with Hobbits and Depart Silently (just maybe)... thus making Gandalf a universal possibility instead of a Guru for Rohan people only... or Dwarves.

I'm pretty fine with the way things are. So far all of the decks have been testing well and it would be counterproductive to go back to the drawing board with so many things. We still have a lot of testing to do with other decks, and then the possibility of inter-serie tests (though may not be completely necessary).

There are only 9 deck slots (or 10 if 1st Serie has 4) and we haven't worked on several themes, or left place for them... or even mentioned at all. The merged deck I propose is very similar to those 2 previous Rohan decks (as those are very similar between them ), so the testing should behave in a redundant similar way. Or just look at it this way: there were 2 decks to test and now there's only 1, that saves time.

No one has talked about a Wingfoot deck, or Ents + UB hobbits, and there is a significant absense of a Gandalf theme... we need slots for many deck themes (not every single theme, as I know it's impossible) so merging and coupling should be the path to travel.

There are only 6 deck possibilities in Series 2 + 3, and we have some fixed themes as Knights, Naith Elves, UB Rangers and Smeagol + RB Hobbits...

EACH deck slot is really valuable now.

[Durin's Heir]

Berserking Uruks
Berserk Rager x2
Uruk-Hai Berserker x4
Uruk Engineer x2
Uruk Sapper x3
Uruk Slayer x2
Uruk Shaman x2
Uruk-hai Raiding Party x3
Broad Bladed Sword x3
Uruk Spear
Battering Ram x2
Siege Engine
Assault Ladder x2
Bred for Battle x3
Black Shapes Crawling

This deck needs a little improvement: Uruk-Hai Rampage!

Berserkers and a fierce mechanism are like bread and butter.

[Merrick_H]

http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=Merrick H$2k5o8p8m348f4ciq

UB Rangers/Nazgul vs. Dunland/Knights

Made a couple of changes to the knight deck, reflected in the first post.

Also swapped out Wingfoot for King in Exile.

[dmaz]

http://www.gempukku.com/gemp-lotr/game.html?replayId=dmaz$ypomeb79skw8afyy

UB Rangers vs Rohan

Rohan proved tough against the Nazgul, but had a couple close shaves where 1 pump might have made a big difference.

Uruks seem almost impossible to double against after site 4. Of course, we need to remember these are just starters without the full compliment of companions.

[Durin's Heir]

I saw the last game, and those decks seem pretty strong.

I like the Uruk deck, the rampage allows the use of new twilight added at maneuver (Eowyn/Theoden) or skirmish phases...
I would ditch those Bred for Battle and replace with Ferocity. I know Bred gives +4 to a Berserker, but with those machines they get too many exertions (machines can willfully exhaust Berkserkers for the same purpose), thus often you won't be able to play it. And take into account the horses...

As for those Wisp of Pale Sheen, I said from the start they can't survive Rohan, Dwarves and even Knights if there's a Knight's Mount... The idea of having 2x Peril in the Sauron Grind deck of 1st Serie was to couple that card with this deck and allow them to be played directly in the Regroup phase. Spied From Above can do the work with a Nazgul centered deck, but those horses will nullify it too anyway... Not Easily Destroyed can counter horses for a high price, or Black Dart if we look into further sets.

The only pump for Wisp is another Sauron Wraith... Corpse Lights, which would be countered too by a horse... Wisp must be played in Regroup in order to be a useful option; otherwise ditch them and replace with other burden adding cards: Drawn to Its Power or more copies of Morgul Skulker (to recycle It Wants To Be Found).

[Merrick_H]

I saw the last game, and those decks seem pretty strong.

I like the Uruk deck, the rampage allows the use of new twilight added at maneuver (Eowyn/Theoden) or skirimish phases...
I would ditch those Bred for Battle and replace with Ferocity. I know Bred gives +4 to a Berserker, but with those machines they get too many exertions (machines can willfully exhaust Berkserkers for the same purpose), thus often you won't be able to play it. And take into account the horses...

As for those Wisp of Pale Sheen, I said from the start they can't survive Rohan, Dwarves and even Knights if there's a Knight's Mount... The idea of having 2x Peril in the Sauron Grind deck of 1st Serie was to couple that card with this deck and allow them to be played directly in the Regroup phase. Spied From Above can do the work with a Nazgul centered deck, but those horses will nullify it too anyway... Not Easily Destroyed can counter horses for a high price, or Black Dart if we look into further sets.

The only pump for Wisp is another Sauron Wraith... Corpse Lights, which would be countered too by a horse... Wisp must be played in Regroup in order to be a useful option; otherwise ditch them and replace with other burden adding cards: Drawn to Its Power or more copies of Morgul Skulker (to recycle It Wants To Be Found).

I like the idea of a couple of Drawn to its Power.  That would be a really fearsome addition.

[Durin's Heir]

I like the idea of a couple of Drawn to its Power.  That would be a really fearsome addition.

The Nazgul killed rohirrim with less problems than adding burdens; failed to add 3 burdens (for more damage) until site 8, and could have added another if had exerted Frodo instead of Gandalf with the Witch... at previous sites could have added another with an It Wants To Be Found...

At site 8 killed Theoden and a Household Guard... 2 or 4 burdens. At site 9 Dmaz added another burden and killed another Guard, and could have used that Nazgul Sword for additional killing... 2 to 6 additional burdens... corruption.

I'd replace those 3 Wisps with 1 Morgul Skulker and 2 Drawn To Its Power...

[BigRedMF]

In the interest of brainstorming what might make the Twilght deck a little stronger, I perused all wraith cards in movie and came up with the following 4 cards, in order of usefulness:

Drawn to its Power (as already suggested, I think it would make a great addition)
They Will Find the Ring (a bit expensive but could make good use of burdens and make fierce minions more likely to kill someone)
Resistance Becomes Unbearable (only effective situationally, with wounds on RB and Enquea on the table, prob not worth it IMO)
The Ring Draws Them (in TT you generally don't need to worry about twilight, but a few extra could help vet out another minion)

Also 2 outsider cards:

Flung Into the Fray (seems hard to use)
Enquea, Faster Than Winds for a slight crowd control (would be brutal with a sword and 3 burdens)

I do really like Drawn to its Power, I lost 2 or 3 companions to Nazgul and at 1 or 2 burdens a pop, that would easily have been game. Should definitely include 2 copies, and probably pull 1 pump and 1 Wisp to make the room.

[Durin's Heir]

Also 2 outsider cards:

Flung Into the Fray
Enquea, Faster Than Winds for a slight crowd control (would be brutal with a sword and 3 burdens)

I do really like Drawn to its Power, I lost 2 or 3 companions to Nazgul and at 1 or 2 burdens a pop, that would easily have been game. Should definitely include 2 copies, and probably pull 1 pump and 1 Wisp to make the room.

Flung Into The Fray seems of little use, as needs to spot 2 nazgul. But that Enquea can do an awesome teamwork with Deathless Lord...

[Merrick_H]

I would say keep it as much in Towers Standard as possible.  The suggestion to add 2 Drawn to its Power and another Skulker seems pretty good to me.