Beginner's Entry Point: Red Book of MECCG & Frodo's Uncommon Decks

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CDavis7M
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:10 am
Location: California

I hosted a raffle to give away mathoms over on the Facebook MECCG group. These are 3 beginner decks from spare cards in my collection (METW and TD commons/uncommons) along with a guide to getting started. I have 3 sets for those players and another for a local Tolkien cafe where our friend is trying to start up a playgroup.

As the challenge decks become scarce, there is a lack of a good entry point to the game. And buying the 10 challenge decks, even at the reasonable price from Gwaihir, was just never a budget option with overseas shipping. While there are many sets of beginner decks, all nicer than these ones, they are not decks that can be given freely because they include copies of F1 fixed cards and F2 characters, wizards, or even rares. Even commons from Dark Minions and Against the Shadow have become scarce. Through bad luck or random chance I only have 3 copies of Thranduil and Wellinghall myself. At least, I don't see many people offering to give away decks. So this is where I came from. I also checked buying singles the 3 decks could be bought for $40-60, plus shipping.

There are a lot of ways a beginner's guide can be done and I made revisions upon revisions. But in the end there were too many competing goals and interests for perfection. And people like this game for many different reasons anyway. There is no best solution. I like the Tolkien themes and I think many new players do as well. Or, that is how many find the game in the first place. And I think that rings are so iconic that they should be included, even if it's clunky. I should have built the ring deck first as a friend suggested. But anyway, there can be a second edition. In the end, the main goal is to get a person who is already interested in the game over the initial learning curve. To get them playing quickly and hopefully excited to start deck building on their own.

I have a scripted set of turns in the works (just a fixed opening hand), similar to the Gandalf & Saruman Starter Set Initial Adventure.

By the way, if any new player is looking for an entry point to the game, feel free to post here and I'll see if I can help. I am trying to put together a few more sets of decks.

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EDIT: updated the file as mentioned below.

EDIT: adding a Turn Summary as mentioned below.
IMG_3586.jpg
IMG_3586.jpg (137.52 KiB) Viewed 1567 times
Attachments
The Red Book - Aragorn's Turn Summary.pdf
(178.04 KiB) Downloaded 81 times
The Red Book of MECCG.pdf
(3.66 MiB) Downloaded 127 times
Last edited by CDavis7M on Mon Oct 31, 2022 5:28 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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CDavis7M
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:10 am
Location: California

A few minor corrections and I was finally able to figure out how to "print" the map separately (and recombine) with the font for higher quality. File size is increased a bit.

The file is added to the main post above.

Edit: a couple more small issues found but I'll wait to update. They don't affect the meaning.
Goblin King
Posts: 237
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 4:49 am

Amazing work, dude! I can't wait to see this in action.
loupdupic
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Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:55 am

Great ! Thanks a lot !


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CDavis7M
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:10 am
Location: California

I made a turn summary to go along with Aragorn's Rulesguide. I was given the idea by a new player using the decks I mailed him--Frodo's decks from The Red Book file. It comes in a full sized print and a card sized print.
IMG_3586.jpg
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The Red Book - Aragorn's Turn Summary.pdf
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AZPhoenixPlayer
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2022 2:25 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Hello. Saw your post. Brand new to the game starting from scratch. Just joined the forum and the FB group. In the Phoenix, AZ area if anyone sees this. Do you have any other resources available since I think I just missed your event.

Tony
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CDavis7M
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:10 am
Location: California

AZPhoenixPlayer wrote: Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:45 pm Hello. Saw your post. Brand new to the game starting from scratch. Just joined the forum and the FB group. In the Phoenix, AZ area if anyone sees this. Do you have any other resources available since I think I just missed your event.

Tony
Hi Tony. Welcome to the game. What sort of resources are you looking for? Tutorials? Do you have cards or are you looking to get some?

I do have more cards for decks but ran out of complete sets as I had to (and have to) get more of certain cards. I am working on a slideshow introduction, maybe with video, and a play-by-play using these decks. But nothing complete. I am looking for more feedback actually.
AZPhoenixPlayer
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2022 2:25 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

CDavis7M wrote: Sun Nov 13, 2022 10:26 pm
AZPhoenixPlayer wrote: Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:45 pm Hello. Saw your post. Brand new to the game starting from scratch. Just joined the forum and the FB group. In the Phoenix, AZ area if anyone sees this. Do you have any other resources available since I think I just missed your event.

Tony
Hi Tony. Welcome to the game. What sort of resources are you looking for? Tutorials? Do you have cards or are you looking to get some?

I do have more cards for decks but ran out of complete sets as I had to (and have to) get more of certain cards. I am working on a slideshow introduction, maybe with video, and a play-by-play using these decks. But nothing complete. I am looking for more feedback actually.
Thanks for the quick response. Sent you a PM.
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