Deck 6 : The Shire

[Fangorn]

I played this deck last year.

Deck requirements : none

Winning requirements Easy : Hobbits, Mistress Lobelia, Mallorn and three Hobbit characters are in play.

Winning requirements Medium : Hobbits, Mistress Lobelia, Mallorn, Red Book of the Westmarch and four Hobbit characters are in play (one of them with To Fealty Sworn)

Winning requirements Hard : Hobbits, Mistress Lobelia, Mallorn, Red Book of the Westmarch and five Hobbit characters are in play (two of them with To Fealty Sworn).


Character Pool

Starting Company
Bilbo + Horn of Anor
Fatty Bolger + Elven Cloak
Sam Gamgee
Robin Smallburrow

In deck
Merry
Pippin
Folco Boffin
Barliman Butterbur

Not in deck
Frodo

Wizards Characters

Gandalf (Pallando as back-up)
Gandalf
Gandalf

Resources

Earth of Galadriel's Orchard
Torque of Hues
Twice-baked Cakes

Beornings
Ents of Fangorn
Riders of Rohan

Wit
Far-sight
Far-sight
To Fealty Sworn
To Fealty Sworn
To Fealty Sworn

A Friend or Three
Tempering Friendship
Farmer Maggot
Concealment
Concealment
Concealment
Halfling Stealth
Halfling Stealth
Halfling Stealth
Trickery
Riddling Talk
Riddling Talk
Riddling Talk
Secret News

Smoke Rings
Longbottom Leaf
Longbottom Leaf
Longbottom Leaf

Hazards

Old Man Willow
Crebain
Crebain
Barrow-wight (MeLE)
Ent in Search of the Entwives
Ent in Search of the Entwives
Ent in Search of the Entwives
Goblin-faces
Neeker-breekers
Watcher in the Water
Watcher in the Water

My Precious
Smaug at Home

Tookish Blood
Tookish Blood
Tookish Blood
Lure of Power
Revealed to all Watchers
Rolled Down to the Sea
Alone and Unadvised
Call of Home (MeTW)
Fear ! Fire ! Foes !
Foolish Words (MeLE)
Lure of the Senses (MeTW)
River (MeLE)
Tidings of Bold Spies
Whole Villages Roused
Twilight
An Unexpected Outpost
An Unexpected Outpost

Sideboard

Hobbits
Mistress Lobelia
Mallorn
Red Book of the Westmarch
Fireworks
Hobbit-Lore (Eyes of Mandos)
Mathom Lore
Cram
Sting
No Waiting to Wonder
The Riddle Game
The Riddle Game
Wit
Withdrawn to Mordor
Tom Bombadil
Marvels Told
Promptings of Wisdom
Wizard's Laughter
Wizard's River-horses
Diminish and Depart
In the Heart of His Realm
Ireful Flames
New Moon
Reluctant Final Parting
Seized by Terror
Spider of the Morlat
The Roving Eye
The Way is Shut
The Will of the Ring
Will Shaken

Sites

Bag End => Hobbits, Mallorn, Red Book of the Westmarch, Mistress Lobelia, Twice-baked Cakes
Bree => Mistress Lobelia, Twice-baked Cakes
Lorien => Earth of Galadriel's Orchard
Dimrill Dale => Far-sight
Barrow-downs => Torque of Hues
Beorn's House => Beornings, To Fealty Sworn, Twice-baked Cakes
Wellinghall => Ents of Fangorn, To Fealty Sworn, Twice-baked Cakes
Edoras => Riders of Rohan, To Fealty Sworn, Twice-baked Cakes
Old Forest => Tom Bombadil, Twice-baked Cakes


Deck building

I built this deck around cards I never played and I have mostly never seen played.
Merry / Pippin / Folco Boffin
Hobbits
Earth of Galadriel's Orchard / Mallorn
Red Book of the Westmarch
To Fealty Sworn
Mistress Lobelia
Hobbit-Lore
Mathom Lore
Farmer Maggot
Twice-baked Cakes
Sting
No Waiting to Wonder
The Riddle Game
Wit
Barliman Butterbur
Crebain
Goblin-faces
Neeker-breekers
Fear ! Fire ! Foes !
Whole Villages Roused
Will Shaken


Hazards

Most hazards have an artwork dedicated to Hobbits :
Barrow-wight (MeLE)
Neeker-breekers
Watcher in the Water (MeLE)
My Precious
Tookish Blood
Alone and Unadvised
Call of Home MeTW
Fear ! Fire ! Foes !
Foolish Words MeLE
Lure of the Senses (MeTW)
River (MeLE)
Tidings of Bold Spies
Whole Villages Roused
In the Heart of His Realm
New Moon
Reluctant Final Parting
Seized by Terror
The Roving Eye
The Will of the Ring
Will Shaken (huge surprise against Rolled Down to the Sea)

Some hazards have an additional effect to Hobbits : Old Man Willow, Lure of Power, Diminish and Depart.

There is thus no combo in hazard part, just atmosphere with artwork.


Journey Tips

Start with 4 Hobbits.
First is Bilbo who's the best at riddling.
Fatty Bolger has his built-in cancel ability, and is himself protected by an Elven Cloak.
Sam is the ranger.
Robin is the low-cost Hobbit.

The starting company has 2 missions : influence factions and bring Earth of Galadriel's Orchard.
Travel protected by cancellers and use Tookish Blood against Call of Home.

Influence free-hold factions with Bilbo bearing Horn of Anor, and if Lucky boosted by A Friend or Three or Tempering Friendship.
Beornings is easy, and Hobbits have a small bonus against Riders of Rohan and a big bonus against my favorite Ents of Fangorn.
A Fealty Sworn saves lots of GI by controlling Bilbo and Sam.
Play Twice-baked Cakes for later.

Play Far-sight at Dimrill Dale if needed to take Earth of Galadriel's Orchard.
Play it there, and go to Bag End in 1 turn to store it.
Being 5 regions far, eat Cram / Twice-baked Cakes or use Farmer Maggot's trick by facing aa at Barrow-downs.


Meanwhile Gandalf (or his back-up Pallando) starts at Grey Havens, thus moving through only 1 wilderness to Bag End.
At Bag End he plays more Hobbits among Merry, Pippin and Folco.
Longbottom Leaf are suited to take Hobbit cards from sideboard :
- for scenario : Hobbits, Mistress Lobelia, Mallorn
- for fun : Fireworks, Hobbit-Lore, Mathom Lore (for Cram or Sting)
- for more riddling : The Riddle Game, Wit

Keep in mind Mallorn's ability to untap Bag End and keep it safe from discard.

Hobbits are thirsty, so go to Bree to meet Barliman and play Lobelia there.
Barliman is useless, it's thus for fun and a little surprise for opponent.
Don't forget Lobelia's nice ability.

As a fun fact, a Hobbit with A Fealty Sworn and Sting is 5 prowess.
With another character playing No Waiting to Wonder, he can beat a high-prowess strike at -4.


Riddle

It's funnier to riddle in scenario format.
Riddling Talk is easier with Wit.
Guess thanks to Secret News, Rolled Down to the Sea, Crebain, and Goblin-faces.

The ultimate goal is Bilbo playing The Riddle Game.
Wit is absolutely needed.
If opponent is far away, use Twice-baked Cakes or Cram to reach him.

Being well-prepared, it can entirely ruin opponent's scenario, by discarding 2 key cards.
My best game was when Bilbo riddled a lone Radagast by guessing he had Mithril in hand ! Imagine opponent's face ...


MP overview (expected / max)

Characters : 7 / 8
Items : 2 / 5
Factions : 7 / 9
Allies : 1 / 4
Miscellanous : 5 / 6
Kill : 0 / 1
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Total : 22 / 33