You're starting to realize why people run "the same decks", I think. Fellowship Block has been worn over.
That does seem generally true.
I've run 3 Tower Assassin and Uruk Raider before, so it's not revolutionary.
Well, it's not something I ever see, and I came up with it on my own, so that's good enough for me.
And I like Wariness. Since you like experimenting, and you're running big minions, why not try Lurtz's Battle Cry?
Maaaaybe. I kind of don't want to, because I see that a lot... but it can be very effective. I'll think about it.
I still don't see when you want to play the Balrog over dumping Uruks out your hand.
It all depends on the situation at hand. If he's running heavy Archery and I don't have a
KoI ready, that Balrog can really put a crimp on things, and sometimes kill a guy, because most players don't expect the cheap Balrog. Heck, he costs less than Lurtz! Most of the time I can play him, and still have enough twilight leftover so that, if he doubles, Uruks are going to come out and kick arse. And The Balrog is just one card, if I have a great hand of
and enough twilight to play it, then I'll just go ahead and play it. The Balrog is just an option that I can take or leave, depending on the situation.
The amount of options you have for cycling in both FP AND Shadow is very substantial. I'd say the typical "large" deck runs around 80 for FotR, but just looking at the sheer amount of cycling you have, I'd say you could get 100 cards to function in relatively the same capacity as an 80 card deck.
I think/hope so. I do normally still have quite a few cards at the
end of the game... but then so does my Expanded deck, and it's still highly effective. Of course, that deck does have more "search" capability that this one.
What is good about it is that once you know what strategy your opponent is playing you can start dumping the cards you don't need by the handful to get to your magic bullet cards almost as fast as a normal deck.
It is also nice having to immediately not worry about discard as well In fact you'd probably be happy if they are playing discard as it would more than likely help you cycle, while you run.
That's the idea!
From a cost-benefit standpoint, I'm wondering if x2 Such a little thing is going to give you bang for your buck. In a deck that just runs the good Boromir (healing) as a splash, you might be able to take him down with just one...but every time its been done against me there's always been 2 possessions I can dump. And a horn deck definitely has possessions to throw away. Not sure what would be a substitute if you went with something else...in any case SALT would at least slow them down perhaps. And it's pretty easy to play one once you draw it with TAC out
As a matter of fact,
Such a Little Thing is now OUT. More on this in a minute.
Cool deck Are you going to try for "Gandgul" next? hehe
Heh heh. Only if I decide "Arwengard" is a dead end.
I was thinking about Lurtz's Battle Cry too. It's such a great card once you dump the Armors/Gimli's helm.
I guess I'll have to try it then.
I've found out in my deckbuilding experience, the FOTR Block has still so many unexplored options... There are some crazy strong ideas there, I'm working on a couple but won't post them until they are fully finished.
Looking forward to seeing what you can come up with.
I play a deck with 41 cards per side, and works very good. Often wonderfully. There was nothing remotely close in the whole TLHH database, the design is totally mine: Conditionless Dwarves + Gandalf / Moria Axe Beatdown. They kill Balrogs and Cave Trolls and move on. With time I've identified some weak points and how to correct them, and I'm determined to change it from 'often wonderfully' to 'always'.
Cool. You should make a thread for it!
Silverlode Banks is meant to batter on Dwarves and Hobbit Hospital. Hobbits rely on allies but you won't ditch them with Anduin Confluence.
I just don't see Dwarfs or Hobbit Hospital very often. I feel like I have to plan for the stuff I'm more likely to have problems with.
With 7 pumps, or 4 pumps and several copies of Lurtz's Battle Cry (awesome with 2x or more Beyond the Height of Men), you might very well get rid of all rangers before site 7...
Then again I might not. I could also lose my own Rangers before site 7, that's happened too. There have been a few games where Arwen gets killed, and Aragorn and Boromir don't show themselves until late.
The TAC-Cycling-Machine and HaA are meant to collaborate, but are indeed different things. More cheap Goblins will make the machine start earlier, only 6/100 is just too little. The HaA thing is merely nitrogenated fuel for the machine, you have to set up the cycling machine and then help it with HaA.
More on this is a sec.
I'm waiting my fellow, but take your time! It will require many tests to determine if it's well directioned.
Granted I didn't test it a bunch, but I tried it a few times, and I didn't feel like it was working for me. It's the same thing I talked about before: It's just taking me too much twilight to set up. More
Orcs doesn't necessarily get me
Goblin Runner any faster,
They Are Coming costs 3 all by itself, and until I get a
Goblin Runner, in order to make use of the
TAC HaA machine, I'll have to discard 3 cards from hand and use 3 twilight in order to draw 3 cards. I think I've found a better option. More on this in a minute.
btw, feel free to build a
TAC/HaA version of my deck and see if you can make it work better!
Can ditch Athelas too. Or Armor. Or Flaming Brand. Such A Little Thing strikes the sooner the better, and you will need more copies of goblins to do so.
is now mostly out, and so is
Such a Little Thing. More in a minute.
Uruk Slayer might be a great idea. With KoI and 7 pumps (or 4 pumps + LBC again) can be really devastating. Moreover, you can bluff interestingly with an unexhausted Uruk Slayer and Keeper of Isengard protecting him (making opponent believe you have Bred for Battle), as far as the FP player doesn't look at your hand...
Trufe.
Removing 4 burdens is great, that's right. I support House of Elrond as far as you start 2 elves. Anyway, Rivendell Terrace works with men too and you have 4 in the deck. I use that site with my 41/41 deck and have only 2 Breelanders to trigger it, nonetheless it's still useful. 4 men + 4 copies of Boromir, as Aragorn is reserved for the later game... you might give it a try.
You have a point, and I might give it a try... but in order to make use of that site text I would need to draw them naturally. A lot of times it's
AWiNL that pulls those guys out.
Wizard Staff doesn't get discarded by Sleep Caradhras or Saruman's Power. And is a surprise many won't expect, even seeing it on the board. With only elves and men, FotS is strength 9. With a Wizard Staff will fight better against Uruks, even Troop of Uruk-Hai.
Good point about getting Gandalf up to strength 10, there's a lot of strength 9 minions. I'll think about it.
Pipeweed decks often don't play a single ally, and Elrond HtGG can stand by himself against a Tower Assassin. Against everything else Uruk Raider should work marvels. Hobbit Hospital gets splintered now, and that was a strong threat I think.
Timing is everything. Even with an Ally like Elrond, usually I can catch him with some exerts already on him, or hit him with successive copies of
Tower Assassin. And if he's really playing with no Allies at all... well I'll just have to set up a swarm, I guess. Make smart use of my events.
Again, try to incorporate some copies of Lurtz's Battle Cry. With Lurtz or a protected Uruk Slayer can turn a safe skirimish into a surprise killing. Another killer idea might be Lurtz's Sword!
I'll take a look at this.
That's other great trick they have to turn a safe skirimish into an instant death.
So far it hasn't killed anyone. Still considering its effectiveness. Seems like the potential should be there. I've canceled Stealth events with it, but so far the opponent has been lucky enough to have another one in hand.
Sweep the board with Sleep Caradhras, then clear the newcoming conditions (Black Breath, Blade Tip) with Secret Sentinels. 2x and 2x.
To use
Secret Sentinels I'd have to draw Elrond naturally, and then exert him, which means he isn't drawing me a card that turn. Normally I'd have him draw me that card, since I have no way of knowing if there will be more conditions coming at me or not, and I need to keep my cycling up.
Asfaloth is awesome at Hollin. As far as you have another copy for further sites. Galadriel (or any Galadhrim) can have it until Arwen reaches 6.
I don't have any Site 6 Allies. And the general idea is to put it on Arwen early, lose it Underground, and then put it on her again at Site 6. It's a free +2 for Arwen, so why not?
That's a possibility, but then try to incorporate 4x ARfM as you will need to cycle really fast.
That is indeed what I've done... 3x, anyway. And I've also added 2x
Saruman's Ambition, which we dismissed earlier. I'd forgotten about the other part of its text:
events are -1. So now I can discard and draw three for only 1 twilight, possibly even zero twilight, and I don't have to draw or play any
to do it, nor am I dependent on
They Are Coming. Here's the latest build:
Starting cards:
Ring-bearer:
Frodo, Old Bilbo's HeirRing:
The One Ring, Isildur's Bane1x
Arwen, Daughter of Elrond1x
Legolas, GreenleafAdventure deck:
Green Dragon InnTrollshaw ForestHouse of ElrondHollinThe Bridge of Khazad-dumCaras GaladhonAnduin WilderlandGates of ArgonathSlopes of Amon HenFree Peoples Draw Deck:
1x
Gandalf, Friend of the Shirefolk1x
Aragorn, Ranger of the North4x
Boromir, Defender of Minas Tirith1x
Sam, Son of Hamfast3x
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell1x
Albert Dreary, Entertainer From Bree1x
Barliman Butterbur, Prancing Pony Proprietor1x
Erland, Advisor to Brand1x
Ottar, Man of Laketown1x
Bounder2x
Asfaloth3x
Gwemegil2x
Armor2x
Athelas1x
Blade of Gondor2x
Flaming Brand3x
Horn of Boromir2x
Sting1x
Mithril-coat4x
Foul Creation4x
A Wizard Is Never Late3x
Sleep Caradhras4x
Hobbit StealthShadow Draw Deck:
3x
Lurtz, Servant of Isengard4x
Saruman, Keeper of Isengard4x
Troop of Uruk-hai3x
Uruk Captain1x
Uruk Lieutenant4x
Uruk Raider4x
Goblin Runner1x
The Balrog, Durin's Bane4x
Tower Assassin3x
Abandoning Reason for Madness2x
Beyond the Height of Men4x
Bred for Battle4x
Saruman's Power4x
Savagery to Match Their Numbers3x
Wariness2x
Saruman's AmbitionIncidentally, we are now back to 100 cards. The previous version I posted had edged up to 102.
Changes in this version:
Took out 2x
Might of Numenor (wasn't effective) and 2x
Hobbit Intuition (mostly I was needing Stealths that were effective through site 5, too often I wasn't drawing
Hobbit Intuition fast enough to be of much use).
Added another
Athelas, for 2x total: Healing is always good, and useful against both Nazgul and
.
Added another
Horn of Boromir, for 3x total: I decided that Horn really is a strong part of the deck strategy. Boromir + Horn + Elrond = A 14 strength self-healing fighter every turn. Even without Elrond, those Allies make great disposable meat shields.
Added
Mithril-coat: Still testing this out, wish it was cheaper, but it's hard to deny the value of -1 Archery, no weapon bonuses, and
Armor that the Shadow can't possibly get rid of.
Replaced that last
Deep in Thought with a third
Sleep, Caradhras. I have no conditions, might as well go with condition bombs I can count on, even though I don't like the extra twilight in Fellowship.
Took out
Goblin Scrabbler,
Goblin Warrior,
Such a Little Thing x2,
They Are Coming x4, and (of course) 2x
Hate and Anger. The only
left is
The Balrog, Durin's Bane and
Goblin Runner x4, because I can still use extra twilight whenever I can get it.
Took out 1x
Lurtz, Servant of Isengard and 1x
Uruk Captain (per your suggestions), leaving 3x of each. So far liking this.
Added 1x
Uruk Lieutenant: Just an extra strong but cheap Uruk to replace the Lurtz and Captain I removed.
Added 3x
Abandoning Reason for Madness. I'm liking this now, especially now that I've got a 2-cost Uruk, and can potentially make the event free to play with
Saruman's Ambition. Speaking of which...
Added 2x
Saruman's Ambition: A disposable powerup that can potentially make my events cheaper to play.
Added 4x
Bred for Battle: We're going strong with cheap pumps, which are themselves very easy to cycle.
Added 1x
Saruman's Power, for a total of 4x: With no more
Goblin Scrabbler or
Goblin Warrior, I wanted to beef up my condition removal a bit.
Goblin Warrior is especially better off gone, since I don't want to discard Dwarf Allies... I want to kill them!
...and that's it! I don't know if it's the deck, or the way I'm playing it, but it's definitely feeling more effective now.
So, if I were to put in a 4th
ARfM, and one or two
Lurtz's Battle Cry, what do you think I might remove? What might I remove to put in
Wizard Staff?