Modifying Challenge Decks for more competitive Play

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Goblin King
Posts: 237
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 4:49 am

Hello everyone,
Recently on Facebook someone asked in a post about reasons why someone would want to own two copies of every Challenge Decks. I responded that I know someone who has done so because he has used the second set to build more tournament level kinds of decks using the challenge decks as a basis.
It has always struck me as a great idea and a great way for someone just starting out this game to expand their ability to play or expand their collection. If you first learn how to use the challenge decks, you can then modify each of them to be tougher. Someone who is starting out their collection may not have a lot of additional rare cards, but they can create and use proxies in sleeved copies of their challenge decks.
So anyway, I was asked on Facebook if I have my friends deck lists and I do not. But that shouldn't stop me and others from creating our own versions of decks based upon the challenge decks. Yes, we could be cheesy and just add 3 copies of Dark Tryst to every Ringwraith deck. That would absolutely improve each of them. But let's try putting a little more thought to the construction than that.
To illustrate what I'm talking about, here is a modified version of Deck G: Marauding Brood of Uglies. The regular deck features Dwar the Ringwraith with a resource strategy that really builds up a bunch of troll characters. Combined with Dwar's ability to boost their prowess, this is a perfect set up for a Prone to Violence resource deck. On the hazard side, I decided to narrow the focus from wolves, spiders and animals to just wolves.
I didn't completely finish the sideboard to this deck.

Deck G - MARAUDING BROOD OF UGLIES
Becomes UGLIES PRONE TO VIOLENCE
Starting Company
Lieutenant of Morgul
Muzgash
Lagduf w/ Foul-smelling Paste
Radbug w/ Foul-smelling Paste
Tros Hesnef

Change into:
Starting Company
Lieutenant of Morgul w/ Foul-smelling Paste and Order from Lugburz (from sideboard)
Shagrat from Deck
Rdabug

DECK
Characters
Dwar the Ringwraith x3
Burat
Orc Captain
Orc Veteran
Orc Veteran
Shagrat
Tuma
Wuluag

Change into:
Characters
Dwar the Ringwraith x3
Burat
Lagduf
Muzgash
Orc Veteran
Tuma
Wuluag

Resources
The Arkenstone*
Black Mace x3
Burning Rick, Cot, and Tree x2
Gleaming Gold Ring
Grey Mountain Goblins
High Helm
Ice-orcs
Orcs of Gundabad
Regiment of Black Crows x2
Bade to Rule
Bold Thrust x3
Crept Along Cleverly x3
Diversion
I'll Report You
Swarm of Bats
Swift Strokes x3
Thror's Map*
Under His Blow x3

Change into:
Resources
Throng of Fire
Black Mace x3
Prone to Violence X3
We Have Come to Kill x2
No Better Use
Regiment of Black Crows x2
Bade to Rule
Bold Thrust x3
Crept Along Cleverly x3
Diversion
I'll Report You x3
Swift Strokes x3
Thror's Map*
Under His Blow x3

HAZARDS
Ambusher x2
Dire Wolves x3
Giant Spiders x3
Wargs x3
Watcher in the Water x3
Wolves x2
An Unexpected Outpost x2
Doors of Night x3
Full of Froth and Rage x2
Searching Eye (
Stay Her Appetite
Twilight x2
Wake of War x3

Change into:
HAZARDS
(Wolf riders x2)
Dire Wolves x3
(Pierced by Many Wounds x3)
Wargs x3
Mouth of Sauron
Wolves x3*
An Unexpected Outpost x2
Doors of Night x3
(Power Built by Waiting x2)
(Adunaphel)
(Monstruosity of Diverse Shape)
Twilight x2
Wake of War x3
Daelomin at Home
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CDavis7M
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:10 am
Location: California

I think this is a good idea too. It's easy enough to just swipe another weapon from one of the other decks. But you can create a few "new" deck concepts. The easiest is probably combining the two hero Gondor decks to have White Tree & Return of the Ring. A simple and classic METW deck. Plus the Scroll at Tolfalas. That's a lot of MP.

You can also combine the hazards to get a rounded deck, slayer, ambusher, cave-drake, Rain drake, cave worm, sell-swords, corsairs, alone and unadvised, Lure of Nature, river, foolish words, lure of expedience, PBBW,
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