I’m using this week’s spotlight to highlight a pair of deckbuilders that newer players (or those with a limited card pool) will especially appreciate. Mitch “The Hive Tyrant” and Matthew from The Grey Company have revamped their Progression Series and with the advent of RingsDB, they can now easily post there decks for all to see and use.
Escape from Dol Guldur – Progression Series #3
Deck #1
Aragorn (Core Set)
Éowyn (Core Set)
Théodred (Core Set)
Ally (24)
3x Faramir (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
3x Guard of the Citadel (Core Set)
3x Northern Tracker (Core Set)
3x Silverlode Archer (Core Set)
3x Snowbourn Scout (Core Set)
3x Son of Arnor (Core Set)
3x Wandering Took (Core Set)
Attachment (9)
3x Celebrían’s Stone (Core Set)
3x Steward of Gondor (Core Set)
3x Unexpected Courage (Core Set)
Event (17)
3x A Test of Will (Core Set)
2x For Gondor! (Core Set)
3x Hasty Stroke (Core Set)
3x Sneak Attack (Core Set)
3x The Galadhrim’s Greeting (Core Set)
3x Valiant Sacrifice (Core Set)
Deck #2
Beravor (Core Set)
Gimli (Core Set)
Legolas (Core Set)
Ally (27)
2x Beorn (Core Set)
3x Daughter of the Nimrodel (Core Set)
3x Erebor Hammersmith (Core Set)
3x Gandalf (Core Set)
2x Gléowine (Core Set)
3x Gondorian Spearman (Core Set)
3x Henamarth Riversong (Core Set)
2x Horseback Archer (Core Set)
3x Miner of the Iron Hills (Core Set)
3x Veteran Axehand (Core Set)
Attachment (11)
3x Blade of Gondolin (Core Set)
3x Citadel Plate (Core Set)
2x Dwarven Axe (Core Set)
3x Horn of Gondor (Core Set)
Event (12)
3x Feint (Core Set)
3x Quick Strike (Core Set)
3x Radagast’s Cunning (Core Set)
3x Secret Paths (Core Set)
The one major fault in ringsDB is that its history starts in March 2016. We have no collective record of all the great decks that existed before then. We simply do not have a resource for limited card pool, early game deck lists. So, whether it is for the veteran’s nostalgia or for the new player’s limited resources, make sure you check up on the decks coming out of Progression Series.
Okay with that out of the way, this spotlight does focus on a specific set of decks. It’s the fellowship that Mitch and Matthew used to defeat Escape from Dol Guldur. Beating this quest is a challenge regardless of your current card pool and these guys did with just core set cards.
There are some lovely combos and strategies here that some of us may have not seen for a while. Examples include the ubiquitous sneak attack Gandalf and pumping Gimli up to wallop the Nazgul.
I also really like that this deck emphasizes fundamentals. In today’s meta, there is opportunity to get really tricky, janky, and tribal with deckbuilding. This is healthy and makes deck building really fun, but it’s refreshing to see the core elements of the game shine through. Card advantage, resources acceleration, action advantage, stat boosting: they’re all in there.
-thanatopsis
Cardboard of the Rings 