[hero; vs. hero/fw] Fate of Pippin

karmi · Post by **karmi** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 9:35 am

Look at the Pippin's artwork folks - he is just begging for a big juicy palantir. While at it, why not go totally overboard? Thus, this deck.

While this Fate of the Ithil-stone theme deck has some very unorthodox elements it has fared very well, boasting above 90% win percentage in over 20 GCCG games. First your opponent sees the hobbits and may suspect a dunk deck. Then you head south to collect ponies. While your opponent is sideboarding his Lost in Free-domains, Corsairs of Umbar and whatnot, you are already on your way to get the Ithil-stone. Finally the last turn escape and storing hopefully catches your opponent unawares.

Pros:
- streamlined
- plays well
- uses some seldomly seen cards/tactics
- has theme

Cons:
- very susceptible to certain hazards
- no real back-up plan if things go wrong
- a very boring hazard-portion
- heavy sideboarding

Optimal starting company:
Aragorn II controlling
Fatty Bolger w/Cram
Pippin w/Healing Herbs controlling
Ioreth
Anborn

Turn 1:
If you have Lost Knowledge in your hand, go to Glittering Caves. If you have more than one Noble Steed, consider using Cram and going to Edoras instead. If you have nothing, Lorien is an option. Pallando does his thing (sitting) at Gray Havens with Cirdan once you get them.

Turn 2:
Collect more horsies and some lost knowledge if you haven't got any. If you got them on your first turn, you can skip to 3.

Turn 3:
Go to Minas Tirith and play a faction and Fate of the Ithilstone (Forgotten Scrolls if you still haven't got any). Return of the King is a plus.

Turn 4:
Get a palantir from Minas Morgul or Cirith Ungol. Last chance to bring those Dark Numbers from SB.

Turn 5:
Go say hello to the Dark Lord himself at Barad-Dur. If you have managed to get an extra scout (Bergil, Eowyn) during your journeys, you can try daring The Ithil-stone, otherwise just get a regular palantir and Dark Numbers. SB Safe from the Shadow and your escaperoute.

Turn 6:
Head to Lorien via Ash Mountains (preferred) or Master of Esgaroth and store the Fate and your palantirs during the end-of-turn. Call the council. If you still need more points, Pallando's co. can try Tom. If you need more horsies/factions/have enough time you can even stop at the Easterling Camp (just watch out Mordor in Arms).

####
Deck
####

# Hazard (30)

1 Adûnaphel
2 An Unexpected Outpost
1 Cave Worm (TD)
2 Cave-drake (TW)
3 Corsairs of Umbar
1 Daelomin at Home
1 Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
2 Lure of Expedience (TW)
3 Lure of Nature (TW)
3 Lure of the Senses (TW)
1 Mouth of Sauron
1 My Precious
2 Power Built by Waiting
3 Sellswords Between Charters
1 The Balance of Things
2 Twilight (TW)
1 Ûvatha the Horseman

# Hero Character (6)

1 Bergil
1 Círdan
1 Gandalf [H]
2 Pallando [H]
1 Éowyn

# Hero Resource (30)

3 Concealment
3 Dark Quarrels
3 Fate of the Ithil-stone
3 Forgotten Scrolls
2 Lost Tome
3 Marvels Told
1 Men of Anórien
3 Noble Steed
1 Palantír of Amon Sûl [H]
1 Palantír of Annúminas [H]
1 Palantír of Osgiliath [H]
1 Return of the King
1 Shadowfax
3 Smoke Rings
1 Tower Guard of Minas Tirith

####
Pool
####

# Hero Character (10)

1 Anborn
1 Aragorn II
1 Bilbo
1 Damrod
1 Fatty Bolger
1 Halbarad
1 Ioreth
1 Pippin
1 Strider
1 Thranduil

# Hero Resource (2)

1 Cram
1 Healing Herbs

#########
Sideboard
#########

# Hazard (12)

1 Alone and Unadvised
1 Beorning Skin-changers
1 Call of Home (TW)
1 Itangast Ahunt
1 Lost in Free-domains (TW)
1 Muster Disperses (TW)
1 Neither so Ancient Nor so Potent
1 Pilfer Anything Unwatched
1 Rolled down to the Sea
1 Seized by Terror
1 Sudden Fury
1 The Roving Eye

# Hero Character (1)

1 Thorin II

# Hero Resource (17)

1 Ash Mountains
2 Dark Numbers
1 Easterlings [H]
1 Elves of Lindon
2 Longbottom Leaf
1 Master of Esgaroth
1 Promptings of Wisdom
1 Safe from the Shadow
1 The Ithil-stone
1 To Fealty Sworn
1 Tom Bombadil
2 Withdrawn to Mordor
1 Wizard's Laughter
1 Wizard's River-horses

################
Sideboard vs. fw
################

# Hazard (9)

1 Cruel Claw Perceived
3 Echoes of the Song
2 Heart Grown Cold
1 Inner Rot
1 Longing for the West
1 Nameless Thing

# Minion Character (1)

1 Golodhros

Bandobras Took · Post by **Bandobras Took** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 10:58 am

This looks cool -- especially since your poor opponent will have no clue what you're doing until it's too late to stop it.

Speaking of stopping it, to what hazards is it extremely susceptible? I imagine an orc strategy would make this last part of the journey rather painful, but the first part seems relatively safe.

karmi · Post by **karmi** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 11:34 am

These can be dangerous:

- any card that returns characters into hand (namely Pilfer Anything Unwatched and Call of Home)
- Seized by Terror (very often seen in sideboards as an anti-dunk card)
- dedicated man hazard (1st part of the trip)
- dedicated orc hazard (2nd part of the trip)
- Beorning Skin-changers (if Aragorn bites it)

And if my opponent plays Forearmed is Forewarned, I can't cancel auto attack at Barad-dur

Zarathustra · Post by **Zarathustra** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 2:54 pm

Glad to see you publish this deck, Karmi. It's a truly great strategy in the good-old-fashioned Miika Karmiitsa fashion: strange combos, big points, unexpectedly strong. I wonder whether you need 5 Lost Know-how, though. Don't you only need one to play Fate? Wouldn't 3 or 4 suffice to assure you'd have it by the time you reach minas tirith?

karmi · Post by **karmi** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:07 pm

A good point Mark. That many Lost Knowledge cards are a remnant from the times the deck tried to make to Minas Tirith in two turns.

One Lost Tome should be substituted for a Longbottom Leaf.

Earendil · Post by **Earendil** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 8:19 am

What about putting in at least 2x Longbottom Leaf?

You could be more versatile... With 3x Lost Knowledge and 2x LL you can still use one LL in the first turn to get 2x LK from the side and go to 5 if you think it is needed...
BUT if you already get the LK, you can use LL for your heavy sideboarding.

karmi · Post by **karmi** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 9:38 am

Hmm not sure about putting those Lost Knowledges to SB, as I only need them early in the game. I will try it the next time I play with this deck.

Old Tuk · Post by **Old Tuk** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:07 pm

Hello girls and guys,

i played this deck. It was very succesful. I thought this must be more a fun deck but its definetely suitable for tournaments, too. Quite surprising and lots of fun while playing.

What I changed:
Out: 1x Smokerings, 2x Lost Tome
In: 1x Longbottom Leaf, 2x Halflings Strength

But karmi is right when he says that you need more than 3 lost knows if you want them to play in 2 rounds for sure. Greetz and thanx to Finland!

Halbarad · Post by **Halbarad** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:38 pm

Is there any reason that you´re not using Memories recalled instead of those lost tomes and other LK-cards? MR is playable as a short-event, and carries no corruption. Is it because you need more cancellers in-hand as you goes to mount doom? I´m trying to build a Fate deck, where I try to plant a tree in Minas Tirith on the way to the south, and I thought that MR would be great in such a deck.

karmi · Post by **karmi** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:54 pm

Memories Recalled is nice, but a bit risky with the proposed starting company (0/7 Ioreth being the only sage). Should work great in a deck that tries to plant the Tree too.

Halbarad · Post by **Halbarad** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:51 pm

Heh, didn´t think of that

But I like that deck, since I have always loved the Idea of playing fate and possible nib old Saurons own stone as well. I´m still trying to build that deck I mentioned, but it´s hard to make it work:(

Sauron · Post by **Sauron** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:34 pm

Halbarad wrote:Heh, didn´t think of that But I like that deck, since I have always loved the Idea of playing fate and possible nib old Saurons own stone as well. I´m still trying to build that deck I mentioned, but it´s hard to make it work:(

Leave my stone alone

Halbarad · Post by **Halbarad** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:46 pm

Silence, or else I will take them both

Ringbearer · Post by **Ringbearer** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 7:37 pm

Dont tease Sauron that much, he already lost his Ring to me fair and square.