| Introduction
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I used this deck in the second online PSQ (March 27th 2004). I went 3-3 in the end: all three wins came at site 4 or 5; one loss was due to my weak fellowship being massacred; the other two losses were to big fellowships, which my swarm could not ... er ... swarm.
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This FP is all about setting up a good shadow hand, so use Sam to discard cards (and heal himself or Frodo, via Frodo's text) and Smeagol to get rid of other cards in skirmishes. The traditional 2-cost companion to pair with Sam in a swarm deck is Gimli, but I thought I'd try and be original and used the new Gandalf isntead; while he's around you can use Servant of the Secret Fire and Glamdring to help any companion in a skirmish and look at opponents hand (and remove twilight, if they're playing orcs), respectively.
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| Ring Bearer
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| 1C290 | •Frodo, Son of Drogo (Shire Companion)
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| 1R1 | •The One Ring, Isildur's Bane (The One Ring)
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| Free Peoples (35 cards)
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| Starting companions:
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| 7R327 | •Sam, Resolute Halfling (Shire Companion)
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| 8R15 | •Gandalf, Leader of Men (Gandalf Companion)
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| 6C45 | •Sméagol, Poor Creature (Gollum Companion)
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| Backup people:
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| 1R89 | •Aragorn, Ranger of the North (Gondor Companion)
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| 1U97 | •Boromir, Son of Denethor (Gondor Companion)
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| 2x | 1R302 | •Merry, Friend to Sam (Shire Companion)
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| 2x | 1C286 | Bounder (Shire Ally)
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| 1U309 | •Rosie Cotton, Hobbiton Lass (Shire Ally)
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| Possessions/Artifacts:
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| 2x | 1R75 | •Glamdring (Gandalf Possession)
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| 2x | 5R116 | •Sting, Baggins Heirloom (Shire Possession)
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| 2x | 7C319 | Hobbit Sword (Shire Possession)
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| 3R34 | •Narya (Gandalf Artifact)
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| Conditions:
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| 4x | 2R112 | A Promise (Shire Condition)
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| 2x | 1C317 | •There and Back Again (Shire Condition)
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| 2x | 1U316 | •A Talent for Not Being Seen (Shire Condition)
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| 2x | 4R299 | •Cliffs of Emyn Muil (Shire Condition)
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| Events:
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| 4x | 1R83 | Servant of the Secret Fire (Gandalf Event)
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| 4x | 1C296 | Hobbit Intuition (Shire Event)
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| Shadow (35 cards)
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| The main Isengard swarm:
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| 4x | 3C56 | Isengard Forger (Isengard Minion)
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| 4x | 3C59 | Isengard Shaman (Isengard Minion)
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| 4x | 6C71 | Isengard Tinker (Isengard Minion)
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| 3x | 3U61 | Isengard Warrior (Isengard Minion)
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| 2x | 6C67 | Isengard Journeyman (Isengard Minion)
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| 3C62 | Isengard Worker (Isengard Minion)
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| 2x | 3R64 | •Orc Commander (Isengard Minion)
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| 6R127 | Isengard Mechanics (AI) (Isengard Minion)
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| 3U60 | Isengard Smith (Isengard Minion)
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| Useful backup swarmers:
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| 3x | 1U178 | Goblin Runner (Moria Minion)
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| 3x | 2R75 | •Bill Ferny, Swarthy Sneering Fellow (Ringwraith Minion)
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| 7C59 | •Gollum, Vile Creature (Gollum Minion)
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| 2x | 7C53 | Captured by the Ring (Gollum Event)
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| For big fellowships:
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| 1U231 | •Úlairë Enquëa, Lieutenant of Morgul (Ringwraith Minion)
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| 4U249 | Southron Commander (Raider Minion)
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| For condition-based fellowships:
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| 2x | 1U136 | Saruman's Power (Isengard Event)
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| Adventure Path
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| 7U333 | Sleeping Quarters (Site)
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| 7U337 | West Road (Site)
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| 7U339 | Hall of the Kings (Site)
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| 7U341 | Anduin Banks (Site)
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| 7U344 | City Gates (Site)
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| 7U346 | Minas Tirith Fifth Circle (Site)
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| 7U353 | Osgiliath Crossing (Site)
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| 7U359 | Northern Ithilien (Site)
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| 7U361 | Haunted Pass (Site)
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| Strategy
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Make sure you go second and creep along with your fellowship. Do all you can to get a good hand of minions for site 4. For each burden, you can add +2 to any minion, so Bill Ferny on his own is sometimes enough to kill a weak Frodo.
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The perfect hand includes: Ferny, Captured By The Ring (for playing Gollum and adding a threat), Isengard Warrior (to prevent archery death) and any other Isengard orc - the more the better though. If it all goes wrong at site 4, try for 5, where Gollum can pump himself up by at least 8 strength (3 threats and one double-exert). A swarm can still work at sites 7,8 and 9, but the FP player will have probably unloaded a lot of companions by then, so you'll need either Enquea or the Southron Commander to thin them out first.
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Note: this deck dies to Merry's Sword decks, unless you can kill Merry early on. (I would have managed this in the PSQ using Gollum, but for the lack of loop resolution at the time.)
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