[fallen] Fallen Gandalf

Tegarend · Post by **Tegarend** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 10:29 am

Another tourney at the horizon, and as I know I won't win anyway, I can as well make a fun deck

Decklist

3x Gandalf
Faramir
Arwen
Annalena
Súrion
Ioreth
Elrohir
Haldalam
Elwen
Boromir
Ghân-buri-Ghân
(preferable starting company : Surion, Elrohir, Boromir, Ioreth, Faramir)

Starting cards :
Open to the Summons
Horn of Anor
Gandalf's Friend
Thrall of the Voice
The Grey Hat

2x Forewarned is Forearmed
Ruse
2x A Short Rest
2x Marvels Told
2x Smoke Rings
Grey Embassy
Wizard's Trove
3x Chambers in the Royal Court
2x Weigh All Things to a Nicety
2x No Strangers at this time
2x Dark Tryst
2x Guarded Haven
Wizard's Ring
Sapling of the white Tree
Rangers of Ithilien
Men of Anorien
Men of Lebennin
Woses of the Drúadan Forest
Riders of Rohan
Knights of Dol Amroth

2x Mischief in a Mean Way <<<---
2x Voices of Malice
2x New Friendship <<--
2x Noble Hound<<<---
Guarded Haven <--
Await the Onset <--
Legacy of Smiths
Men of Lamedon
The White Tree <--
Torque of Hues
2x A Friend Or Three
2x Dark Quarrels
Men of Anfalas

My card-by-card analysis

Characters :

Súrion - diplomat, bonuses vs about all factions in the deck
Ioreth - 1 mind, stays behind to keep sites in play until they become guarded havens
Elrohir - ranger vs rivers
Haldalam - diplomat for New Friendship
Boromir - high prowess, bonus vs one faction in deck
Faramir - Ranger, bonus vs one faction
Arwen - sage, good mind/MP ratio, fodder for Gandalf's company
Annalena - see Arwen
Elwen - lives right where Gandalf will live
Ghân-buri-Ghân - ranger, bonus vs a faction
(preferable starting company : Surion, Elrohir, Boromir, Ioreth, Haldalam)

Starting cards :
Open to the Summons - for surion
Horn of Anor - for Haldalam / Boromir
Gandalf's Friend - Surion
Thrall of the Voice - Surion
The Grey Hat

2x Forewarned is Forearmed - all the deck is assassin bait without this card
Ruse - my only cancellation card. Maybe I better lose this one too, on its own it won't matter. Originally I had concealments, but I'm out of scouts in this version of the deck is seems :/ ... Maybe start Ghan-Buri-Ghan and Annalena instead of Elrohir and Boromir?
2x A Short Rest
2x Marvels Told
2x Smoke Rings
Grey Embassy
Wizard's Trove
3x Chambers in the Royal Court
2x Weigh All Things to a Nicety
2x No Strangers at this time
2x Dark Tryst
2x Guarded Haven
Wizard's Ring - once Gandalf has amassed a company of a few folks, this item shouldn't be too bad. Gives me the opportunity to NOT have to go to a dangerous site. Can - if I want to - be played at Isengard if I don't want to lose a faction site
Sapling of the white Tree - preferably played at Tolfalas or Glittering Caves (on first turn move, if item not in hand I'll move to Isengard)
Rangers of Ithilien - not sure about maindeck status. I added it because otherwise getting 5 factions + Ring is impossible. Maybe better in sideboard?
Men of Anorien
Men of Lebennin
Riders of Rohan
Knights of Dol Amroth - the four

factions
Woses of the Drúadan Forest - Surion has a bonus to them, and they are 3 MPs

2x Mischief in a Mean Way - either side in during first deck, but most probably one of the 5 cards for second cycle. Helps reaching Onset's 12 SPs
2x Voices of Malice - against versus FW cards, obviously
2x New Friendship - first Gandalf action is place these 2 in discard
Men of Anfalas - first Gandalf action is place this one in discard
2x Noble Hound - shuffle one in at the end of first cycle, second one is one of the 5.
Guarded Haven - shuffle in during game - otherwise chance is higher that you need to hold one while waiting for a Chambers
Await the Onset - shuffle in near end of game
Legacy of Smiths - if you lose many SPs, does nothing
Men of Lamedon - for doing a mischief on
The White Tree - shuffle in if you have the sapling
Torque of Hues - more item MPs
2x A Friend Or Three - against heavy corruption, don't play the Ring, and shuffle these in.
2x Dark Quarrels - against heavy men.

So, what did I miss? What is the best hazard side for this? I was thinking about some ugly DoN / Drake deck against both Minion & FP.

Zarathustra · Post by **Zarathustra** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 8:59 pm

No time now to comment on everything, but... what's up with Open to the Summons??? You have thrall to bring Surion into play, and Friend to reduce his mind... what need is there for open?

More to come....

MRA

Tegarend · Post by **Tegarend** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 9:14 pm

Djeezes, you would think that with all this internet stuff, people would agree on cards, wouldn't you?

So, your point is Thrall is enough? Some people on the GCCG do not agree with you, Mark

Yü-Gung · Post by **Yü-Gung** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 9:34 pm

'Thrall of the Voice' states in it's text that it allows an agent character of 6 mind to be played with your FW company. I really can't see what interpretation of this would require 'Open to the Summons'.

I think you just got yourself a free spot to put a useful minor item in

Tegarend · Post by **Tegarend** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 9:39 pm

Remind me to strangle the guy that told me off for not using OttS then ... grrr ....

Oh, I think the reasoning was that the card allowed a six-minder character, and that it was allowed to be played on agents, too - but that you still needed Open to start an agent ... Thrall would just allow the agent to be of higher mind than a FW is allowed.

Zarathustra · Post by **Zarathustra** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 2:11 pm

1) Ready to his will >>> Forewarned is Forearmed
2) Maybe just use a couple dark quarels as cancelers -- men are pretty much all you should expect to face
3) Why no Longbottom?
4) Throw in the Scroll of Isildur, at least against heroes as anti-One Ring (playable at Tolfalas)
5) Now that you have another minor item

, why not use a Token of Goodwill? Works vs men and agents, which is pretty much all you should expect to face in the way of attacks
6)No Choice of Luthien???
7) You're really low on items: maybe throw in the palantir of Minas Tirith? You can use Choice to dredge it up. And if you make Minas Tirith a haven, you can even play the minion version for an extra MP!
8 ) Since you're putting the new friendships into the discard pile with G-Man when he first comes into play, why not find 3 more (since he can put in 5...)? I'd suggest the palantir (for arwen to dredge up), Nenselde (in case you miss the knights), and and maybe an Old Friendship for your second time through the deck in case someone has corruption trouble at council (or just another faction for Arwen to dredge up).
9) For the hazards: vs hero maybe go with Snowstorm/Long Winter/Nameless things/True Fire-drake, etc. Vs Minions, orcs with minions stir is hot. If you don't expect to see too many hog opponent's long winter actually hits minions pretty hard, and is rather surprising. If you do expect hog, I'd say either orcs or drakes (and dont forget the nameless things!).

My 2 euros,

MRA

Tegarend · Post by **Tegarend** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 2:27 pm

1) Ready to his will >>> Forewarned is Forearmed

But RthW's rarity >>> FiF's rarity

2) Maybe just use a couple dark quarels as cancelers -- men are pretty much all you should expect to face

->Yeah, maybe I'll drop them maindeck ...

3) Why no Longbottom?

->no Balrog yet ... :/

4) Throw in the Scroll of Isildur, at least against heroes as anti-One Ring (playable at Tolfalas)

-> But how do I get these characters past an auto-attack at a

...
and that requires me to play a LoSmiths ....

5) Now that you have another minor item , why not use a Token of Goodwill? Works vs men and agents, which is pretty much all you should expect to face in the way of attacks

To be honest, never tried to play that card. Good idea, I can try it.

6)No Choice of Luthien???

Good point. I'll dredge that card up, it fits amazingly well actually. Then I'll start Arwen & Ghan-Buri-Ghan.

7) You're really low on items: maybe throw in the palantir of Minas Tirith? You can use Choice to dredge it up. And if you make Minas Tirith a haven, you can even play the minion version for an extra MP!

Low on items because I'm not trying to get a stage card for giving them MPs.

Zarathustra · Post by **Zarathustra** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 2:57 pm

Rare cards suck.

As for scroll: you said you were gonna go to Tolfalas anyway for the sapling. I'd suggest putting the scroll in the SB and bringing it over with g-man if you see hobbits on the other side of the table. Stealing the scroll is perhaps better than any hazard you can play against a one ring deck.

As for items: how about the keys to orthanc at least? They're special item, so they can't be stung by Great Secrets, and Arwen can pull them up with Choice if you have it. Also, they can be played at either version of Minas Tirith since they're a stage resource; so if your opponent tosses down a Heart Grown Cold, you're still safe (it's only a detainment attack anyway...).

One more card for the sideboard: Poison of his Voice. Very useful in removing corruption, since you can tap G-man to SB or play VoM first, then play this. Also good against Heart Grown Cold and other nasty FW hazards.

Cheers,

MRA

Zarathustra · Post by **Zarathustra** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 3:24 pm

Oh duh: Give Welcome to the Unexpected. Makes Choice worth 2 MP and acts as a SP buffer in case of Echoes of the Song. Other cards it works with include: Lobelia, Bill the Pony, Roac the Raven, Goldberry, Anduril (2 item mps for gandalf, playable at Amon Hen), Hillmen, all those little orc factions in Mordor, and Shadowfax (also in your area). Maybe throw one of the guarded havens into the SB and put Give Welcome straigt in the deck.

MRA

Lord Leuber · Post by **Lord Leuber** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 10:26 am

I also have a deck like this, one trick it has is camping Asternak (w/ Wizard's Myrmidon) and another guy at Dunharrow. They play Wild Horses, Noble Steeds & Hounds (as well as a No Strangers at This Time, often). Asternak with the Myrmidon needs only a 4 to get the Horses in play and that's two more factions to make Await the Onset easier.

Also, Surion seems to be one of the more popular agents for FW's, so perhaps have Firiel as backup?