Sean Sandborgh's Strategy Hints on The Hero One Ring Deck
But this doesn't help you create the tournament successful One Ring deck, so let's get down to business. First, in making one of these decks, you have some choices to make. One of the most important in terms of how you arrange your resources is whether to go with power (large, buff characters, with maybe a hobbit or two to carry TOR (The One Ring)) or stealth (all hobbits). The general preference with TOR decks is to go with hobbits...the 1/2 hazard limit tends to be very useful, and there's plenty of "duck and cover" cards to keep them away from danger. With the newer cards out like Short Legs are Slow, however, playing all hobbits could be dangerous and very slow (which is truly your worst enemy with these things). The neccessary resources for TOR deck are the following: Scroll of Isildur, TOR, Cracks of Doom and/or Gullum and Gullum's Fate, at least two Precious Gold Rings (probably 3), and at least two viable tests (Wizard's Test or Test of Form). Also suggested if using Cracks of Doom is some sort of corruption helper card. Otherwise, winning the game is more of a crap-shoot than a certainty. The other resources placed in the deck are rather open to what you need to protect both The One Ring and the company carrying it. Often, cards which speed up you reaching the items that you need (i.e. Far-Sight) are very helpful in winning the game. Keep in mind that with TOR deck, if you allow your opponent to cycle his/her deck before you are ONE turn away from Mount Doom, you have lost the game. By that time, they normally have 25 or more marshalling points, and are just trying to exhaust their play deck as fast as they can, so they can end the game before you are ready. Thus, getting the necessary items in your company fast is important. This is why many TOR decks include Radagast as one of their wizards...he lets you draw so many cards, that you can't help but get everything fast. Another good wizard to use is Saruman since I tend to use lots of spells, like Vanishment and Wizard's Test, that I can discard or use at will, and then tap Saruman at my End-of-Turn phase to bring 'em back. The deck Charlie used to win second in the tournament is available in our deck archives...it used a Coastal Sea strategy which was very difficult to key hazards to. This is becuase for the most part, Coastal Seas and Ruins and Lairs are rather difficult to play stuff at. The major locations that Charlie visited was Isles of the Dead that Live (Ring), Isle of the Ulond (card generation and Far-Sight), and Tolfalas (Scroll), as well as some back-up card generation sites (Minas Tirith and Pelagir, which were almost *impossible* to key to...Free-domain, Free-domain, Free-hold...). Also important was Southern Oasis and Henneth Annun when using Master of Esgaroth, to make the trip to Mount Doom in one turn from as far away as the Isle of the Ulond. One of the major secrets of the deck was the Cracks of Doom + Pledge of Conduct combo. Being able to automatically pass the corruption check with Bilbo, Frodo, or Sam carrying the ring is a major help in insuring that TOR gets dunked, and is highly suggested for all decks but those using Gullum, and perhaps even those too...
As for the hazard strategy, many can be incorporated alongside a successful TOR deck. One of my favorite is the stall (snowstorm et al.) hazard strategy, especially when going to places like coastal seas or even a Mordor TOR deck (which works unbelievably well). Another stall tactic was one used by Charlie again...the detainment creature stall strategy, which also worked quite well. Basically, any type of hazard strategy which allows you to slow down your opponent from gathering MP's is a very good one...if you prefer to kill your opponent, rather than stall 'em out, go for it...experiment. The hazard strategy is actually quite a bit less important than the resource strategy. Keep in mind, however, not to get a hazard strategy which needs a large amount of combo build-up in your hand (Nazgul and Dragons come to mind). These strategies will take away your ability to keep the important resources stocked in your hand (which you *NEED* to win), while still effectively playing stuff on your opponent (which helps *a lot*). Faster hazard strategies, needing less combos and boosters to be potent, will be very successful.
Well, I think that's it...did I miss anything or do you have any questions or comments??? Email me at:
sandborg@sxt4.physics.montana.edu
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