[Hero (Alatar) vs. Hero] Hunting in Rohan

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Taurelin
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This is not (yet) a full-fledged deck, rather the outline of a deck-idea. But maybe it will evolve into a playable deck with your help. :wink:

I should begin by mentioning that I have just recently returned to playing the game. I have no experience with later editions (esp. White Hand and Balrog), and I would just like to have a deck that works in casual games on CCCG or vs. my wife. Therefore, there are some highly subjective restrictions on the deck:

a) It has to use Alatar as the (non-fallen) wizard (he's my favourite Avatar, which is good because my wife usually plays Pallando) and some of my pet cards.
b) It must not include any hazard-strategy that prevents my opponent from playing the game in the first place (i.e. no roadblock and other unfunny strategies).

Apart from Alatar and his supplementary card The Hunt, my idea was to use Rebuild the Town and Fireworks in order to abuse a [-me_rl-] repeatedly. To be a bit original, my place of choice for this is Glittering Caves because
- The auto-attack is ridiculously easy.
- It has an adjacent Underdeep-Site with some nice MPs (Gems of Arda)
- It might be considered as a pretty "Cool Play" to have Gimli rebuild a dwarven-hold at the Glittering Caves. :D

So here's what I have come up with so far:

Character Pool

Starting Company
Celeborn
Balin (Cram)
Theoden (Cram)
Eomer

Deck Characters
3x Alatar
Gimli
Oin
Erkenbrand
Gamling the Old
Hama
Eowyn


Resource Cards

Items
1x Glamdring
1x Durin's Axe
2x Hauberk of Bright Mail
2x Sapling of the White Tree
1x The Red Arrow
1x Gems of Arda

Allies
3x Noble Hound

Factions
1x Riders of Rohan

Events
3x Rebuild the Town
3x Fireworks
3x Risky Blow
3x A Friend or Three
3x Smoke Rings
2x Forwarned is Forearmed
1x Longbottom Leaf

Hazard Cards
3x Aware of their Ways
3x Twilight

The rest: Not chosen yet


Sideboard
3x The Hunt
3x Marvels Told
2x Wizard's River Horses
2x Withdrawn to Mordor
1x The White Tree
1x Tower Guard of Minas Tirith
1x Woses of the Druadan Forest
1x Ents of Fangorn
1x Treebeard
1x Leaflock
1x Quickbeam

The rest: Not chosen yet


Sites
  • Rivendell
  • Lorien
  • Edhellond
  • Glittering Caves
  • The Gem-Deeps
  • Barrow-Downs
  • Isengard
  • Ruined Signal Tower
  • Edoras
  • Minas Tirith
  • Druadan Forest
  • Wellinghall
Play Notes

If I have Rebuild the Town in my hand, I move directly to the Glittering Caves. If not, I start collecting items and MPs at other spots in the west. They are all only 1 round away from the Gap of Isen. Once I have secured the Glittering Caves, my company spends some time there having fun with Fireworks. Note that the Hounds can also be played if the site is tapped. Whenever appropriate, I go underground for the Gems or get the Riders at Edoras.

If there is nothing else to do, Alatar can go hunting. Aware of their Ways from the hazard section is a wonderful tool to make your opponent actually reveal some creatures. And you also get rid of some annoying hazards or resources that keep coming back with Outposts and Smoke Rings. During the final turns I make a trip to Minas Tirith and plant the White Tree.

Forwarned is in the deck because I'm moving around [-me_bh-] and [-me_bl-] a lot (Slayers and Assassins!). A Friend or Three helps with influence attempts and corruption checks. There are a lot of items in the deck, but many of them just give 1 point and will be stored anyway.

The SB contains some additional MPs which can be gathered nearby and some protection. Especially, all the Ents can be gathered at Wellinghall with FIreworks, too, which is something like a plan B.

About the hazard deck ...
To be honest, I don't have a clear plan yet. Aware of their Ways is both useful and a pet card, so no discussion here :D . I don't really know what kind of hazard strategy might be suitable for this deck. So if you have any suggestions, your help is much appreciated - as well as with the rest of the deck.

Marshalling Points

Allies: 3 (+6 sb)
Factions: 3 (+8 sb)
Items: 17
Characters: 7 +some additional from the deck
Miscellaneous: 5 from the sb
Kill Points: ca. ? (>0 -> The Hunt)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Total: 35 + x
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Bandobras Took
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Forewarned is also useful in that the Glittering Caves is vulnerable to Nameless Things.

Secret News is pretty good at revealing creatures, and if you're planning on The Hunt, make sure to have an Old Thrush in the sideboard -- many people run Mouth of Sauron, and he's a perfect Creature to hunt with the potential 3 MP reward.

Another note about Border-Lands is that Wolves can tear you apart. Running a Doors-dependent hazard strategy might therefore help your opponent more than you. Man hazards are also out if you're spending time at Border-Holds and free holds. Consider running corruption/undead with a Secret Entrance to help you move to the Gem-Deeps at the appropriate time.

One final note -- a company with both Elves and Dwarves might run into trouble from the Unhappy Blows hazard (from the Against The Shadow set).
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Ringbearer
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And as obvious, DONT go down while the Glittering CAves are tapped... else you will have a long way around :)
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Taurelin
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Bandobras Took wrote:Forewarned is also useful in that the Glittering Caves is vulnerable to Nameless Things.
Right! And, as I noticed, also for Underdeep Sites, which have 2 auto-attacks.
Bandobras Took wrote:Secret News is pretty good at revealing creatures,
True. However, I have to devote resource-deck space for that. And I don't really know what to cut. Additionally, Secret News just reveals those cards, but doesn't do anything else. Aware has the advantage of being a hazard and revealing cards and removing other annoying stuff entirely, at the same time.
Bandobras Took wrote:and if you're planning on The Hunt, make sure to have an Old Thrush in the sideboard -- many people run Mouth of Sauron, and he's a perfect Creature to hunt with the potential 3 MP reward.
Right! Good idea!
Bandobras Took wrote:Another note about Border-Lands is that Wolves can tear you apart. Running a Doors-dependent hazard strategy might therefore help your opponent more than you. Man hazards are also out if you're spending time at Border-Holds and free holds. Consider running corruption/undead with a Secret Entrance to help you move to the Gem-Deeps at the appropriate time.
Hm, I don't really understand. Isn't undead a strategy that is highly enhanced by Doors of Night (Plague of Wights)?

Corruption is, of course (almost) always a good strategy. But as far as I know I have to use at least 12 creatures in the hazard section, right? So if not men, what should I use?
Bandobras Took wrote:One final note -- a company with both Elves and Dwarves might run into trouble from the Unhappy Blows hazard (from the Against The Shadow set).
Well, the only elf I run is Celeborn. I was looking for characters with both the warrior and the sage skill (-> Risky Blow + Fireworks / Marvels). The only ones that came to my mind (apart from the really big guys like Thrain or Thranduil) were Balin and Celeborn. Denethor? Which characters would you suggest?
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Bandobras Took
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Undead can by enhanced by Doors of Night -- but they don't have to be. Moon Is Dead and Chill Dousers are the utility undead boosters, and undead are creatures that go well with corruption.
The game is flawed, but this does not mean it cannot be loved.
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zirilan
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You may consider to use Thorough Search and not Firework to play your items.

Image

Advantages:
  • No Sage and roll needed.
  • Character does untap next untap step.
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Bandobras Took
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Since you'll be spending time at Borderholds, Tales of the Hunt can be a good sideboard card -- someone like Gamling can then tap to untap a more powerful character.
The game is flawed, but this does not mean it cannot be loved.
Taurelin
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@Undead
After reading this thread, I see what you mean. Looks like a fun - and also fitting - strategy, at least I don't see any conflict with my resource portion of the deck. Or is there? Maybe I'd drop the Ren + Balance combo for some additional Corpse Candles.

@Thorough Search
This goes more in the direction of a Dwarven-speed-deck (-> Radagast), doesn't it? Of course, it might also fit here, especially because I could drop Celeborn and go all Dwarves + Rohirrim, but somehow I'd miss all the point of Rebuild + Fireworks.

@The Great Hunt
I don't really like these cards (particularly Gift of Comprehension :P ), because they give CPs, no MPs and just a marginal effect, imho.
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Alter Tuk
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If I knew your wife I´d suggest her to put some Call Of Homes and Foolish Words to her deck.

When I play Fireworks I prefer to start with a Sage high minder (like Elrond or Thranduil). In case the wizard arrives late they can do the job as well or maybe you can untap the site twice in one turn. And he/she will solve your general influence problem.

How and where do you play your extra characters? I suggest to add A Chance Meeting to deck. Rather play one more character than 3 hounds.
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Taurelin
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Sorry, but I don't really understand some of these suggestions. :(
Alter Tuk wrote:If I knew your wife I´d suggest her to put some Call Of Homes and Foolish Words to her deck.
Why should Foolish Words be relevant? SB aside, the only faction I play are the Riders of Rohan. And they can be influenced easily with the Red Arrow (or by any of the Rohan-based characters).
Alter Tuk wrote:When I play Fireworks I prefer to start with a Sage high minder (like Elrond or Thranduil). In case the wizard arrives late they can do the job as well or maybe you can untap the site twice in one turn. And he/she will solve your general influence problem.
How does a high-mind character solve problems with general influence? Don't high-mind characters eat up more general influence?
Alter Tuk wrote:How and where do you play your extra characters?
How: When I draw them, when I need them, and when I have my wizard out.
Where: In Edoras, most of them. Or in Rivendell/Lorien.
Alter Tuk wrote:I suggest to add A Chance Meeting to deck.
And cut which cards?
Alter Tuk wrote:Rather play one more character than 3 hounds.
Again, I'd appreciate some more explanations. If you say that general influence is such a problem in my deck that my wife can abuse Call of Home, what use are even more characters?
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Alter Tuk
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A high-minder solves GI problems because he has direct influence. And later in the game you have a wizard on table with 10 DI who can play further characters.

Foolish Words is a neat card against your deck when you draw the Arrow very late. At some point you have to play the faction, even if you couldnt play the Arrow before.

A chance meeting is a good card, because I thought this is a squatter deck. Which would mean the wizard stands at the Glittering Caves all game, so you cant bring characters in play elsewhere. Maybe I got that wrong.
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Taurelin
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Again, I have to ask back:
Alter Tuk wrote:A high-minder solves GI problems because he has direct influence. And later in the game you have a wizard on table with 10 DI who can play further characters.
You suggest Elrond or Thranduil instead of ... probably Celeborn (?).

Celeborn has a mind of 6 and 1 DI.
In comparison to him:
- Elrond has a mind of 10 and 4 DI. So he uses 4 more GI while giving 3 more DI -> malus of -1
- Thranduil has a mind of 9 and 3 DI. So he uses 3 more GI while giving 2 more DI -> malus of -1

Please explain to me how this solves my GI problems...
Alter Tuk wrote:Foolish Words is a neat card against your deck when you draw the Arrow very late. At some point you have to play the faction, even if you couldnt play the Arrow before.
I understand that Foolish words is a neat card against all decks that want to play factions (e.g. a Gondor/Coast strategy). I don't understand why this card is so immensely powerful against my deck in particular, in which there is only one faction that I want to play and in which I have
- an item for automatic success (the red arrow)
- 3 normal characters that have a bonus for influencing this faction
- a wizard with 10 DI (like you said above)

Please elaborate.
Alter Tuk wrote:A chance meeting is a good card, because I thought this is a squatter deck. Which would mean the wizard stands at the Glittering Caves all game, so you cant bring characters in play elsewhere. Maybe I got that wrong.
Well not necessarily. And if I desperately need an additional character, I can just travel, can't I?
And you also forgot to suggest cards that I'm supposed to cut.
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Alter Tuk
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These were just some very quick thoughts. If you like to improve the deck play it online, your welcome!

My starting company in your deck would rather be: Elrond (or Thranduil/Glorfindel with Elf-Stone), Elrohir, Theoden, Eomer or a 3 character company using Eladan, too. Just a question of preference I suppose.
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Taurelin
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Alter Tuk wrote:These were just some very quick thoughts. If you like to improve the deck play it online, your welcome!
Thanks anyway.
"My sky is darker than thine!"
SENTENCED - 1993
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