Come on lads! 2.0

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• 2.0
• 1.0

Here's an update to the original "Come on lads" deck. I typically use the mulligan to get a Hobbit Cloak or at least a Dúnedain Warning. The deck needs to engage enemies to succeed and, therefore, a strong defense (afforded by a beefed-up Tom Cotton). Feint can provide some time to get Tom ready, if needed (as can Gaffer Gamgee). I've dropped Andrath Guardsman from the original build as Feint and Gaffer Gamgee tend to be sufficient for delaying attacks. I've also switched out Ring Mail in place of Dúnedain Warning to help buff Tom a bit quicker.

Once Tom Cotton has some defensive help, getting a Fast Hitch on Tom provides a ton of defensive security and can be especially valuable in certain quests (e.g., The Three Trials"). Otherwise, Pippin or Sam Gamgee paired with a Dagger of Westernesse (or two) and Fast Hitch is also nice. Sam really benefits from a Dagger of Westernesse since he will often be readying following engagement.

Halbarad and Mablung, paired with Pippin's ability help to ensure that you can reap the rewards associated with engaging enemies with higher engagement costs. Faramir provides a nice willpower boost. Rosie Cotton with a Fast Hitch is also very good as she can effectively contribute 4 WP to the quest, if needed.

Since the original deck, I've dropped Steward of Gondor. I found that its inclusion didn't help all that much and I often had a huge stockpile of resources. Several side-quests are now included. The Storm Comes provides some resource smoothing for non-hobbit allies or in cases where your threat becomes too high to take advantage of Tom's resource smoothing. The side quests are by no means necessary for the deck but provide some nice bonuses. They also have synergy with several of the hobbit allies (Halfling Bounder and Halfast Gamgee).

I love Raise the Shire and pairing it with Halfast Gamgee as he becomes incredibly cheap (given his Response). It is also a nice combo with Farmer Maggot as he will deal 2 direct damage to most enemies and also have a +4 attack due to Tom Cotton's response. You can then play him the next round to deal additional +2 damage if the enemy is still in play.

Curious Brandybuck is now in the deck and is a really great addition. Finally, I've included Friend of Friends. I love this card and often manage to get the necessary two copies into play. That being said, it is not necessary to make the deck run smoothly.

With slight variations, it's managed to beat all of the Ring Maker Cycle quests (solo, 1-handed). For "Into Fangorn", I added some of the healing sideboard cards in place of Feint but ended up not needing them.

Other successes (all solo) include:

Journey Along the Anduin - 3 attempts, 3 wins The Hunt for Gollum - 1 attempt, 1 win Conflict at the Carrock - 3 attempts, 2 wins Ring Maker Cycle Intruders in Chetwood - 3 attempts, 2 wins Journey Up the Anduin - 3 attempts, 1 win Lost in Mirkwood - 4 attempts, 1 win

One issue can be getting enough willpower early on, especially in location-heavy scenarios. I've been unsuccessful with Hills of Emyn Muil, 1st quest of Black Riders Saga and the Weather Hills. This deck thrives with engaging enemies and reaping the rewards.

Enjoy and let me know if you have any suggestions!