Everything but Combat - Multiplayer Pipe Deck 1.0

• Versions
• 1.0

This is a Pipe deck intended for multiplayer games that I brought to Con of the Rings 2021. I had a lot of success with it, so thought I'd share for any Hobbit or pipe lovers out there.

DECK CONCEPT

This deck relies on pipes and Hobbits as the economic engine for card draw and resources. With the powerful economy of Smoke and Think, pipe decks have been elevated to a new level. This deck can quickly and reliably:

1. Clear all the locations in the staging area
2. Always have A Test of Will
3. Reduce everybody's threat
4. Provide healing
5. Quest for double digits

THE ENGINE

The card draw and resource generation comes both from pipes and from secrecy. The most important card to see early is Hobbit Pipe, which is precisely why we are using (MotK) Bilbo Baggins. Not only does Hobbit Pipe give you card draw (there are 8 events that can trigger it), but it also gives you economy via Smoke and Think. If your starting hand has a Smoke and Think and a Hobbit Pipe (in addition to the one you fetch with Bilbo), then you can play a Northern Tracker on turn 1!

Spare Pipe is a really important card because it powers up all the pipe events, helps you dig for events, and beefs up your squishy Hobbits. Before long, you will have enough pipes to play a Northern Tracker for free or draw 5-6 cards with Old Toby.

Drinking Song is a great card with Hobbits because it's effectively extra mulligans. On turn 1, I'll usually play any pipes in my hand, and then use Drinking Song to dig for more pipes. I didn't include Daeron's Runes in the deck because there are no duplicate uniques and there is already enough card draw.

Resourceful is obvious good in a secrecy deck, but Good Meal is perfect for getting a 0-cost Old Toby, Smoke Rings, or The Galadhrim's Greeting (if you have Leaf Brooch, too).

THE MAIN EVENT

All of the card draw and resource generation is there to achieve two main goals:

• Get out as many Northern Trackers and Rhovanion Outriders onto the table as quickly as possible. In some games I had 3 Northern Trackers by turn 3.

• Always have A Test of Will in hand. With Dwarven Tomb and Will of the West, it's possible to play A Test of Will up to 10 times in one game.

THE EXTRAS

• The deck has more threat reduction than it needs. The Galadhrim's Greeting can reduce everyone's threat, but Song of Eärendil makes it easier to help out anyone that needs it. You might be dropping up to 6 threat with Smoke Rings, so the song helps put that to use.

• Everybody loves healing, right? You'll consistently find Warden of Healing, and Old Toby can help heal the Hobbits in case you want to soak up some archery.

• The deck pulls its weight in questing. In addition to the big allies, there are 4 different 1-cost, 2 allies with Celduin Traveler and Sam Gamgee. It's common to be questing for up to 10 on turn 1.

BUT WHAT ABOUT COMBAT?

This deck isn't going to be killing anybody, but that's why it is specifically a multiplayer deck. However, Frodo Baggins is an excellent safety net when threat is no concern to you. If you get in a pickle, the Northern Trackers and Rhovanion Outriders can bring some combat once you've cleared all the locations.

DECKS TO PAIR THIS WITH

When looking for decks to fill out the table, you will obviously want something heavy in combat, especially Ranged. A great hero is Haldir of Lórien because Pippin helps keeps enemies in the staging area or, if you want to engage an enemy, you can draw a card before Haldir snipes away. This would also pair well with any decks that attack the staging area.

At Con of the Rings, I had a blast playing with my buddy's Saruman deck. Even though he was playing a lot of doomed cards, his threat was never an issue. Song of Eärendil is perfect here because it gets around Saruman's threat reduction restriction. Similarly, this deck pairs great with a Valour deck because you can help them keep their threat in the low 40's.

Another possibility is to pair it with decks that run Guarded (Location) cards, because adding locations isn't a big deal once you get the big allies out.

This deck is super fun to play and incredibly strong in multiplayer games. Your teammates will appreciate everything it brings to the table. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!