Deck of the Day #3:
"Slings and Arrows"
by Matthew Clemans (mattclemans@insightbb.com)
Ranger decks have been a staple of The Lord of the Rings TCG tournament
scene since the first tournament weekend. With the addition of a powerful
new Legolas and a new uncommon Arwen in Realms of the Elf-lords, this deck
type gets new steam and becomes more accessible to players who, in the past,
did not have access to all the cards they needed to make it work.
The Fellowship side of this deck is a fairly standard deck that you will
tend to see at tournaments and in league play. It starts with Legolas and
Arwen and plays The Prancing Pony to get Aragorn early. The additional companions
are intended to carry bows to increase your archery total and to act as
speed bumps when something big gets through your archery volleys. Aragorn's
Bow is added to give you some directed archery options if you need to get
out of a jam. This deck also uses a fairly standard contingent of site six
Elf allies – making a double move from sites 4 to 6 an easy choice.
Rumil and Orophin can help you out by picking off minions from afar, or
if you get into a real tight spot, you can use Swanship of the Galadhrim
to bring them into the thick of the fray. A Ranger's Versatility is a standard
component to this deck as well – a pair of them will often let you
cruise through sites seven and eight unmolested!
Most people build Shadow decks around one culture, using the idea that
if your deck is all one culture, you will be left with fewer useless cards
in hand at any given time. The notable exception to this theory is that
sometimes cards from different cultures can work towards the same goal.
Here, the goal is to cause massive direct damage to your opponent's fellowship
with a combination of Sauron and Isengard orcs. To the table, the Isengard
Orcs bring their ability to exert to wound during the regroup phase. In
order to get them to that point unwounded the deck includes the Isengard
Smith to get rid of weapons and Trapped and Alone to prevent damage bonuses.
One Of You Must Do This and The Trees Are Strong also supplement the Isengard
Orcs' ability to pile on wound tokens. The Sauron Orcs have characters that
exert to wound during skirmishes as well as Mordor's Strength – which
can be a nasty surprise for an unsuspecting opponent! Two of these and a
strong Orc can kill a companion in one skirmish. Sauron also has Under the
Watching Eye – when combined with One Of You Must Do This, you can
exhaust several companions before you even begin the skirmish phase!
This deck is strong in its own right, but try back next time when we kick
this deck up a notch!
Ring-bearer
Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer
The One Ring, The Ruling Ring
Adventure Deck
[1] The Prancing Pony
[2] Trollshaw Forest
[3] Rivendell Valley
[4] Mithril Mine
[5] The Bridge of Khazad-dum
[6] Lothlorian Woods
[7] The Great River
[8] Shores of Nen Hithoel
[9] Tol Brandir
Free Peoples (32)
Arwen, Elven Rider (Starting)
Legolas, Son of Thranduil (Starting)
Aragorn, King in Exile x3
Haldir, Elf of the Golden Wood x2
Lorien Elf x3
Galadriel, Lady of Light
Orophin, Lorien Bowman
Rumil, Elven Protector
Calaglin, Elf of Lorien
Hobbit Sword
Ranger Sword x2
Asfaloth
Aragorn's Bow
Elven Bow x4
No Stranger to the Shadows x2
The Splendor of Their Banners
Tale of Gil-Galad
A Ranger's Versatility x2
Swanship of the Galadhrim x3
Shadow (32)
Isengard Servant x2
Isengard Worker x2
Isengard Smith x2
Isengard Retainer x3
Trapped and Alone x2
One Of You Must Do This x2
The Trees Are Strong x2
Mordor's Strength x3
Orc Pillager x3
Orc Hunters x3
Under The Watching Eye x3
Orc Scout x3
Orc Scouting Band x2
June 25, 2002
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