Lord of the Rings Online TCG

Two Tourney Wins on the Same Day...

2006-03-13T13:18:00.000+01:00

Ok, Saturday was a good day for me in LOTR TCG:

In the morning, I traveled to Eindhoven and participated in an Expanded Middle Earth draft. I got the Ranger/Orc set, which I wasn't too thrilled about at first, but then I realized that Horror of Harad is a beast if played properly. Due to the lack of an included draft pack, we were using 2 Shadows packs in addition to 3 Bloodlines packs. So in the draft, I was focusing on getting cards to support these two cultures, if at all possible. I was focusing early on drafting usable companions and was fortunate to have a Shadows Theoden passed to me, which I kept. Then in my next pack, I got a (foil) Bloodlines Eomer! Very nice. Then I was able to accumulate 3 x Ride with Me, which is a very nice pump when used with Theoden. I also managed to pull a Sauron (WOW!) and a (foil) Porter Troll. Bloodlines copies of Faramir and Isildur were passed to me and I jumped on them, along with a Kingsfoil for Faramir's text. :-) I also managed to pull 2 orc culture pumps and a copy of the shadows orc that lets you pull events back. All this combined to allow me to assemble a pretty decent deck that really beat down fellowships while keeping my own alive and kicking. I won all three of my games in shadow kills, and was basically co-winner with another player, which was nice. The keys to my wins were basically due to the fact that I had four damage +1 and fierce minions in it, I think. After a fun day of drafting and playing, I headed home....

Safely at home, I joined the early constructed tourney online, and was able to win that in 3 rounds with a build of the Noble Leaders deck I built in the article below. :-)

Winner! Two Articles, Two 1st Places!

2006-03-02T08:55:00.000+01:00

Wow, so I've written two articles and have won cobracards' contest twice! Not half bad. I've added links to my two winning articles over under my "links" section. The article I wrote for February was part one of a two part series, so I'll be posting that 2nd article in the next week or so.

In the meantime, I'm going to Gent this weekend to participate in the world's first Order of Istari offline tourney. It should be fun, and I'm looking forward to unveiling a new deck I've been working on. :-) Wish me luck!

Kings and Stewards ... My 2nd Article

2006-02-21T16:48:00.000+01:00

I wrote my second article over at CobraCards.com. VOTE FOR IT! Check it out by following this LINK.

Here's the first couple of paragraphs to whet your appetite.

Kings and Stewards: A look at Pre and Post Hunters Noble Leader Deck:
Part 1

The release of the Hunters block will see the rotation of the Two Towers block, and that means key cards for several popular decks will be rotated. One popular deck that can maintain its effectiveness - and possibly even improve - with the release of the Hunters block is the Noble Leader deck. In this article, I’ll detail a version of a Noble Leader deck I use offline, and how that deck will change as Hunters comes. This is Part 1, which details a Noble Leader deck in the current standard format.

First, I want to take a look at the card from which the deck gets its name: Noble Leaders (NL). NL lets you transfer tokens into a str +1 and dmg +1 pump in a 1:1 ratio, and allows you to add a token to it for each of the following you can spot when you play it: Boromir, Aragorn, Faramir, and Denethor. Thanks to Boromir, Bearer of Council, a player can actually start with all 4 of these companions on the table, using Aragorn, Strider; Denethor, Lord of Minas Tirith; and Faramir, Prince of Ithilien. Starting with these 4 companions allows you to get maximum use out of NL from the very start. Alternately, you could start with Faramir, Captain of Gondor; Aragorn, Strider; and Denethor, Lord of Minas Tirith, which is probably a stronger initial fellowship, considering that most minions are roaming until at least site 4 (taking advantage of Faramir’s +2 strength against roaming minions).

When choosing which Faramir to use, Prince of Ithilien provides more protection against swarms (with a possession, he is defender +1), while Captain of Gondor is better for against beatdown decks. With the prevalence of lurker swarm decks and because of his improved resistance, I chose to go with Prince of Ithilien for this deck, but you can adjust your deck based on your meta. Let’s look at our other companions for a second: Aragorn is a great companion and his 1 twilight cost is phenomenal for a companion of his abilities. Denethor is the ultimate in filtering and pulling the cards you need at site 3 for an effective march to Mt Doom.

Check out the rest at CobraCards.com!

I wrote my first article...

2005-11-10T16:30:00.000+01:00

My first LOTR article ever is up over at Cobracards.com. It's called "Introducing the Hunters Block - The Three Hunters" and it goes over a post-Two Towers rotation standard-legal deck featuring the new versions of Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn (the Hunters). Check it out and vote for it if you like it! You can go directly there by clicking here.

There's also a great contest going on over on the LOTR Online forums where you submit designed cards for a chance to have them used in the actual game. This is a dream card designers wish come true! Head over there, and while you're at it, check out the cards I designed:

Uruk
Orc
Evil Man
Gamling

Build a ME deck!

2005-08-15T15:24:00.000+02:00

Ok, I've been seriously slacking with the contests, but I have decided to bring them back with the release of the "Expanded Middle Earth Draft Box" that will one day be rotated into standard.

I am issuing a challenge to build a standard-legal deck using any of the cards featured in the set. Send me your decklists, along with strategies for playing them, and I will pick the top 3, and post a poll on the Decipher and Online Boards asking people to judge the decks. At the end of the contest, the person whose deck got the most votes will win!

In order to qualify, your deck must contain at least 3 companions and 3 minions from the ME set. They DO NOT have to be from the same box set. Winner will get the online versions of the 3 companions & 3 minions they use! Contest details below.

Who: Anyone!
What: Middle Earth Draft Deck Building Contest
When: 11:59 pm EST Sunday, 21 August 2005
Where: My email address: grashopper2001 AT yahoo.com
Why: Cause contests are fun!

Ok, so it's been a while

2005-07-04T10:48:00.000+02:00

Ok, I haven't been very good at keeping up with this, but there's a new set (or two) out, and it's exciting to play with it.

I have been having fun playing with the new draft boxes that have been released, and its looks like many others have as well.

I participated in my 2nd offline tourney yesterday, and did ok, I went 1-3, winning my first game and then losing the next three. They were all fairly close, with one loss coming to a traveled leader/caras galadhon at site 9 to prevent a site 9 swarm, and with another loss coming at site 9 when my opponent's frodo was able to keep from being overwhelmed. I played a Ring-Bound roaming and Uruk deck (which is about the only deck I have the offline cards for).

2005-04-16T23:46:00.000+02:00

This is a screenshot of the winning entry for the recent Contest

"I am Hans, and dis is Franz, and ve awr going to PUMP you up"

2005-04-12T22:09:00.000+02:00

Results from the strongman competition are in. Winner is Ezhaeu (again). Here's his description of his winning deck..

We used the old Durin III (str 7), put 4 items on him that gave a basic +4 and another +4 because of his special ability. The we used 4 Mountain Homestead (total of +8 on a mountain site) and 4 Confronting the Eye (for another +4) that we were able to put because of Boromir Ring-Bearer. The last +1 comes from the Gimli's battleaxe/ trusted weapon that gave him +1 since we added two threats with the Knight Spear on Boromir. Total? 28!

You can put our two names (Ezhaeu and JoseR). We will split the 2 packs if we win.

Another example of great teamwork! Limiting the companion to only 1 (Durin) ensured the average was as high as possible. To all the other contestants that entered, thanks! It's good to have this be an actual competition. New contest to come soon.

Also, I am planning something of an unofficial tournament, but I need to know if there's enough interest. I would take names and create matchups, and you would report back to me. I am looking to aim this format at newbies and those wanting to play other formats, such as no rares. There would be no cost to enter, and prizes TBD. If you would be interested, send me an email at grashopper2001 *at* yahoo dot com .. NOTE: There's only 1 "s" in Grashopper

Until next time, out.

This is your Fellowship on Steriods...

2005-04-05T10:02:00.000+02:00

Ok, this week's competition is another puzzle-type in honor of a steroid-free baseball season starting. ;-) Again, this one is based on companion strength, but this time to encourage a playable deck build, I will only be awarding the fellowship player. Basically, I want to see who can build a fellowship with the highest average companion strength in the fellowship phase. The ring bearer will not be factored into the average, so feel free to use your Frodos and your Galadriels. Be sure to follow the guidelines below. Here are the rules and prizes:

You may have as many companions as you like, but remember I am looking for the highest average strength in the fellowship phase. This means if you have for example 4 companions of strength 14, 16 10, and 4, their average strength will be 11. The ring bearer will not be factored into the calculation. This also means your screenshot should show you in the fellowship phase. If you are taking the screenshot during a skirmish, you are wrong.
Screenshot should be in .jpg or .bmp format. Jpg format is preferred.
Send me a screenshot of your fellowship at grashopper2001 *at* yahoo dot com
Along with the screenshot, I need a short description of what cards you used to get your fellowship all pumped up.
All entries must be received by 1159 pm EST on Monday 11 April 2005 to be considered.
If you want your winning deck posted, send that to me as well. If not, don't. It's your choice.
Winner will get 2 packs of their choice.

That's it! Good luck to all. I'm looking forward to seeing some juiced-up fellowships in my inbox.

Mithrandir!

2005-04-04T14:14:00.000+02:00

I've been messing around with this deck since the rotation. I had seen Mithrandir version of Gandalf and wanted to build a deck around him. Using Elrond, Elven Lord with 2 of the artifacts available to Gandalf seemed like a good way to offset his cost. So far, it's a fun deck, but the major weakness has been site patch control. It did ok before the PSQ, but afterwards, with all the Corsairs running around, it doesn't do nearly as well. Amazing how a PSQ can change the face of the meta. Regardless, I'd like to hear what others think.

Ring-Bearer:

Gimli
Ring of Rings

Starting:

Glorfindel
Arwen, Staunch Defender

Adventure:

Woody-End
The Angle
Fangorn Glade
Hill of Sight
Neekerbreekers' Bog
Caras Galadhon
Old Forest Road
Trollshaw Forest
North Undeep

Free Peoples (33+2):

Gandalf, Mithrandir x 4
Elrond, Elven Lord x 2
Naith Warband
Legolas, Companion of the Ring

Axe of Erebor
Ring of Fury
Gandalf's Staff, Ash Staff
Narya, Ring of Fire
Naith Longbow x 2
Hadafang x 2
Asfaloth, Elven Steed
Elven Sword x 3

All Save One x 4
Company of Archers x 2
Traveled Leader x 2
Roll of Thunder x 2

Shadow Between

Shadow (35)

Ulaire Cantea, Black Assassin
Ulaire Enquea, Thrall of The One x 4
Ulaire Toldea, Thrall of the One x 2
Ulaire Toldea, Black Shadow x 2
Ulaire Nelya, Thrall of the One x 3
Ulaire Cantea, Thrall of the One x 2

Shadowy Mount x 4

Dark Swooping Shadows x 3
Minas Morgul Answers x 2
Between Nazgul and Prey x 2
Echo of Hooves x 2
Dark Approach x 3
Keening Wail x 2

Lost in the Woods x 3

Freep: The idea is to bid to go 2nd so you can determine the site path to make both Arwen the tank, while burdening/enduring Nazgul with Lost in the forest can slow down you opponent and add some burdens.

Today's News

2005-04-04T10:24:00.000+02:00

New contest will be put up in the next 24 hours. I'm also looking for volunteers to help me come up with a good puzzle idea. Post a comment here or email me @ grashopper2001 *at* yahoo dot com if you want to volunteer. Also be aware if you volunteer, you are not eligible to win a prize from the contest that uses your idea.

New Contest!

2005-03-30T10:28:00.000+02:00

Alright, last week's contest was pretty successful, I thought. People seemed to like a new challenge that making a REALLY big Pippen presented, with one player going so far to say that I was adding "adding another dimension to the game." High praise, and I hope to keep it up. These are fun for me to run and see the results of. Thanks to everyone who participated in last week's contest...

This week left me in a bit of a quandry, cause I want to keep running great contests, but I dismiss ideas that have a very subjective basis. Deck-building contests, dream-card, and story-type contests are a bit too subjective for my tastes. I would love to run a contest using obscure text from the lore part of the cards, but it's too easy in LOTR Online to use the collection manager to search for specific words. I'm also going to be gone for a while this weekend, so I'd prefer a contest that ends quickly, so that lends itself to something simple, like trivia.

Most of us who play this have probably read the books a time or two, at minimum, so here's my next contest. In a comment to this post, tell me what Book/Chapter of the LOTR Trilogy this flavor text comes from. I have opened the comments up to allow anyone to make a comment, even if you don't have a blogger account, but keep in mind if I don't know who you are, even if you won't be getting the prize. So post your LOTR Online handle with your answer as well. Prize this week is a pack from the set this flavor text comes from:

"Indeed my friends, none of you have any weapon that could hurt me."

To win, I'm looking for the card this comes from (easy), the speaker, the book, and the chapter this comes from. First to post correct answer wins a pack from the set the card is from.

Pippen Goes Large

2005-03-29T09:44:00.000+02:00

Wow, I had handful of entries, but the winner goes to... Ezhaeu and JoseR with a whopping strength of 324! Wow! I'll post a screenshot of the winning Pippen later today. Knightstrike and EdSolo were the runners up with a strength of 308. That's some serious smackdown, and it's great to know "Hobbits really ARE amazing creatures." Here is Ezhaeu's description on how they got Pippen so big:

"Our main strategy relied on Sudden fury (x4) being filled with tokens with the help of fierce minions. The wounded hobbits would then recover at the dwelling site that heals every hobbits. We would have this site 9 times on the path with the help of rangers and Ulaire Nelya from the non-Pippin's deck. We also used Fair and Desperate at the end to give another big boost. Saved from the Fire helped us getting all the good conditions soon in the game. Well, that's about it!"

Congratulations to the winners. Great strategy concept, and the type of teamwork they used is what I envisioned when I made this contest. Ezhaeu and JoseR each get two packs of their choice for their efforts (guys, send me your choices so I can pick them up if I don't have them already -- A PM or email is fine). I was pretty happy with the buzz this contest generated, and am looking forward to more people getting involved. A new contest will be posted in the next 24 hours, so check back for your chance to win!

I'm Back.. And this week's Contest

2005-03-23T23:16:00.000+01:00

Been on leave for a few days, but I'm back and blogging again. :-)

This week I'm hosting a contest to see who can get the biggest, strongest Pippen. I've seen him with a strength in the low 20s, but I want to see what his maximum possible strength is. Because this might require two opponents cooperating to pull off, I'm offering a double-bonus prize this week. Each of the winning participants (that is, Shadow and Freeps side) in the big Pippen contest will receive 2 packs of their choice. That's 4 packs total up for grabs. Send me a screenshot of your board with a big Pippen, and a short discription of what you did to get him that big at grashopper2001 **at** yahoo.com. I need to receive your entry by midnight EST on Monday (28 March). Good luck!

This Week's Contest!

2005-03-14T09:35:00.000+01:00

Last week's contest was KnightStrike, and I'm using one of his ideas for this week's contest... A word scramble.

Here's how it works, the phrase below is a card title (from LOTR TCG) scrambled. The first person to post a comment with the correct card title will win.

"DAWN CITA THAW"

Want to know what you're playing for? This week's winner will receive... A BR pack + the card that is unscrambled. Worth playing for? Try it now!

And the Winner is...

2005-03-14T09:27:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to KnightStrike, who is the winner of this week's contest. KnightStrike, send me a PM via the LOTR Online forums and we'll arrange a time to get together to give you your prize. I'm working on this week's contest, and it will be up shortly. :-)

Win New Ulaire Enquea

2005-03-09T11:01:00.000+01:00

Ok, I've decided to host a weekly competition to win free cards. The format and criteria will vary, but the prizes will always be great.

This week, in honor of the Black Rider release (and to shamelessly attract more contestants), I've decided to put a Legends Masterwork Ulaire Enquea, Black Threat up for grabs. Check out a picture of this beaut card here. This card retails for about $6 and I'm just GIVING it away. That's right, I'm probably crazy, but that's what the winner will get. Wanna know what you have to do?

It's easy, all you have to do is post a comment with a suggestion for what I can run as a future contest. Contest ideas should be fun, have a challenging element to them, and be sustainable for a number of weeks. All ideas need to be posted by 2359 hrs EST on Sunday, 13 March 2005. Then, on Monday, 14 March 05 I will put all the entries in a hat and randomly choose one person to receive Enquea, and then I will post a new contest to run all next week!

Welcome to Lord of the Rings (LOTR) Online Blog!

2005-03-09T07:25:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the Unofficial Blog for LOTR Online Trading Card Game. Here is where I'll post my comments about all things LOTR Online. I plan to host contests and give away free cards, just for posting comments or a deck or some such.

Don't know what LOTR Online Trading Card game is? Check it out by clicking here.