Hello everyone, WanderingTook here. I think it’s no stretch to say that we have the best gaming community around. After hovering on the fringes for a while, I am excited to be able to give back to what has become my “internet home”, and so I will be regularly contributing to the CotR Deck Spotlight series.

That’s enough about me. Today, the CotR spotlight shines on…

The Gray Company

by williamobrien

http://ringsdb.com/decklist/view/1918/the-gray-company-1.0

Hero (3)
Elladan (Road to Rivendell)
Elrohir (The Redhorn Gate)
Halbarad (The Lost Realm)

Ally (22)
3x Dúnedain Hunter (The Lost Realm)
3x Dúnedain Watcher (The Dead Marshes)
1x Eldahir (The Thing in the Depths)
3x Galadriel (The Road Darkens)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
3x Guardian of Arnor (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
3x Ranger of Cardolan (The Wastes of Eriador)
3x Weather Hills Watchman (The Lost Realm)

Attachment (22)
3x Born Aloft (Conflict at the Carrock)
1x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
3x Dúnedain Mark (The Hunt for Gollum)
3x Dúnedain Warning (Conflict at the Carrock)
1x Elven Mail (The Three Trials)
1x Favor of the Valar (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
1x Gondorian Shield (The Steward’s Fear)
3x Grappling Hook (The Grey Havens)
1x Heir of Mardil (Celebrimbor’s Secret)
1x Heir of Valandil (The Lost Realm)
1x Rivendell Blade (Road to Rivendell)
3x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)

Event (6)
3x Feint (Core Set)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)

Elladan and Elrohir were big news back in the Dwarrowdelf days. While certainly not top-tier, their decks were fun to play. The sons of Elrond have recently been given a second wind, as the community has recognized their natural synergy with the Dunedain trait. Even better is that matching the pair with Halbarad is thematically appropriate, and since his release many players have done so.

So what makes The Gray Company special? It’s all about the package.

Right off the bat, what drew me to this deck was the use of cards that you don’t see very often: Namely Dunedain Watcher, Grappling Hook, and Born Aloft; and yet, rather than being shoe-horned in, these cards have strategic uses that left me saying “Why didn’t I think of that?”

It’s a fun blend of the old and the new. The old staples are still there, but there are some neat improvements to the old archetype: Remember when you didn’t want to quest with Elrohir because you needed his defense? Heir of Mardil solves that problem. Tired of wasting Elladan’s action because an enemy didn’t appear during staging? Grappling Hook solves that problem. Remember how long it took to set up your heroes? Galadriel and the Weather Hills Watchmen accelerate your board state, and the Rangers of Cardolan protect you during the early game.

Above all, it’s just really fun to play. Halbarad is a natural fit, and for a combat-focused deck to be able to contribute this much questing power is just… neat. You won’t necessarily get all of your toys out or see all of your combos in any given adventure, but there’s enough going on in here to make every game interesting.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s worth a look.

– WanderingTook