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The Threatening Shadow

    Gondor icon Gollum icon

    This Deck article was written by openCards user Jaxander at Dec 20th, 2009.

    The Threatening Shadow

    Deck listing:

    Adventure path:

    Anduin Banks (1 C 356)
    Hall of the Kings (7 U 339)
    Minas Tirith Sixth Circle (7 U 351)
    Morgulduin (7 U 358)
    Narchost (7 U 362)
    Rohirrim Camp (7 U 336)
    Ruined Capitol (7 U 355)
    Steps of Edoras (7 U 334)
    Steward's Tomb (10 U 119)

    Starting fellowship:


    Draw deck - "free" cards (35):
    Gandalf Companion (2):
    Gandalf, Defender of the West (7 C 36)
    Gandalf Condition (1):
    Númenor’s Pride (7 U 45)
    Gandalf Event (5):
    Deep in Thought (3 C 30)
    Have Patience (4 C 93)
    Light the Beacons (7 R 43)
    Sharpen Your Swords (7 U 47)
    Gondor Companion (7):
    Alcarin, Warrior of Lamedon (5 R 31)
    Aragorn, Captain of Gondor (7 C 81)
    Gondorian Captain (7 C 96)
    Gondorian Knight (5 C 35)
    Ingold (7 C 106)
    Turgon, Man of Belfalas (5 U 42)
    Gondor Condition (10):
    Citadel of the Stars (5 C 32)
    City Wall (5 C 33)
    Confronting the Eye (12 C 45)
    First Level (7 C 92)
    Fourth Level (8 C 35)
    Rally Point (5 U 38)
    Support of the City (7 U 123)
    Tireless (12 C 52)
    Gondor Event (2):
    War Must Be (5 C 43)
    Gondor Possession (6):
    Gondorian Sword (7 U 98)
    Pippin’s Sword (7 R 114)
    Ranger's Sword, Blade of Aragorn (4 U 132)
    Sword of Gondor (4 C 134)
    Shire Companion (2):
    Frodo, Weary From the Journey (15 C 144)
    Pippin, Guard of Minas Tirith (8 P 122)

    There are no "shadow" cards in this draw deck.

    Hints & strategie notes for this Deck

    ((Sorry, for some reason it brings up a bunch of Tournaments above my deck layout. This is my first time using OpenCards, and I selected <none> for where it's been used, but for some reason they all still come up.)) 

    Probably my favorite deck that I've made. Like most of mine, it's heavy focus is on the Shadow side. Gollum cards utilize threats for my opponent, putting them out as well as using them to their fullest extent. Support the Gollum set-up with some Ringwraith to fill out the Threat usage and add in some muscle as well.

    The Free-Peoples side is built to last, buying you another turn to get back to Shadow. Solid Gondor Knight deck, using a few fortifications, some generic Knights for low cost and something to throw under the Balrog Bus. Nothing terribly special here.

     The deck is made to go second in a two player game. The sites provided are very helpful in threat manipulation, and if you're playing the deck correctly, your opponent will not be moving more than once per turn, unless they get desperate.

    Full on conditions for Shadow, including Heavy Burden and Fat One Wants It. And if you're having trouble getting the Threats onto the Companions, use Let Her Deal With Them to beef up a Nazgul, and We Must Have It to give Gollum a boost in strength that most of my opponents didn't see coming.

     The only thing that I could see putting a stop to this deck, or at least making it difficult, is a full-blown Archer deck. Taking a lot of archery wounds is going to hurt your chances for damaging the Fellowship. You'll be relying on your Nazgul lasting into a Fierce skirmish, and if you're taking Archery wounds, that not only weakens your Nazgul, but also potentially strengthens any Elven skirmishers (with cards like Valor, a common and widely used Skirmish Event).

     Next time I get a game in with it I'll post some play-by-plays to illustrate what exactly it can do against various situations.