Editing Hillman Mob (4R23)

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{{CardTabs|Dunland}}

[[{{ROOTPAGENAME}}]] is a {{C|Dunland}} [[Minion]] from the [[The Two Towers]] set. One of many powerful skirmish-won effects utilized by the Dunlendings, Hillman Mob is in a family of minions (the others being {{Card|Wild Man of Dunland}}, {{Card|Dunlending Arsonist}}, and {{Card|Hill Clan}}) which allow the Shadow player to bring another minion into the fray for fierce skirmishes. This is the strongest minion of the group which still offers a discount to minions played, making it a popular choice.

{{CardInfobox|4R23}}

{{QueryCardCategories|4R23}}
= Strategy =
== Gameplay Strategy ==
While Hillman Mob will typically bring a weaker minion into fierce skirmishes, it does so at a discount (with a damage bonus to boot). The Free Peoples will often have to decide between the potential harm of this minion and the definite harm of other minions on the table if it comes down to choosing which skirmish to lose, as beating a 12 strength minion typically requires burning through more than one skirmish pump. By leaving some extra twilight in the pool ({{Twilight|2}} is the magic number for {{Card|Wulf}}, {{Card|Freca}}, and {{Card|Wild Men of the Hills}}), you may be able to bluff your opponent into believing this minion poses a greater danger than it actually does. This minion can be combined with skirmish events or {{Card|Saruman, Rabble-rouser}} to ensure victory (or overwhelm unprepared companions).

When {{Card|Wulf}} is played by the text of this minion, the Shadow player will immediately be able to exert him to control a site as optional responses to a skirmish being resolved continue until both players pass (even if one of those options wasn't present at the resolution of the skirmish). This has some advantages over taking sites with {{Card|Hillman Tribe}}: the higher base strength will make winning much more reliable, and the Shadow player can devote all resources to Hillman Mob without worrying about keeping other minions alive. If this minion wins a fierce skirmish you can use its text to play a minion then as well, though doing so means missing the fierce assignment phase so the played minion will not skirmish unless the Free Peoples player moves again (and will lose the keywords granted in the regroup phase before that happens). There are only a handful of instances in which this is practical; chief among them to play {{Card|Freca}} and deprive the Free Peoples virtually any opportunity to kill him, or to add an extra minion to the table and discourage your opponent from moving during the regroup phase (potentially bolstering your own Free Peoples prospects in the process by cycling an additional Shadow card out of your hand).

This minion's twilight reduction will stack with the text of {{Card|Wild Men of the Hills}}, {{Card|Dunlending Footmen}}, and {{Card|Dunlending Reserve}}, allowing powerful minions to be played for very little. When combined with {{Card|War Cry of Dunland}} or {{Card|Anger}}, the Shadow player may be able to force the Free Peoples player to choose between killing off one of their main fighters or throwing lesser companions into skirmishes they cannot survive and chip away at the Fellowship's numbers. While {{Twilight|5}} makes it difficult to attempt the "fierce swarm" Dunland strategy without leaning on {{Card|Wild Man of Dunland}} or {{Card|Dunlending Arsonist}} (thereby giving the Free Peoples player a skirmish they stand a better chance of winning), the Shadow player can use the high strength of this minion and the damage bonus granted to whatever it plays to put 4 wounds on the Free People's best companions.

The big downside to this strategy is that not winning a skirmish (whether it is canceled, lost, or this minion doesn't make it to the assignment phase) not only causes the Shadow player to miss an opportunity to add 3 more wounds (two from the minion played, one from the fierce skirmish Hillman Mob would participate in) but also keeps the event and minion stuck in hand, preventing important cards for Free Peoples and Shadow alike from showing up when they are needed. This risk, along with the fact that most Fellowships give 8+ twilight every site after 3 anyway (especially after the introduction of the [[X-list]]), is what makes Hillman Mob a good choice even if at times the Shadow player may not be able to afford as many minions up front as they would like.

Thanks to the synergy with {{Card|Wild Men of the Hills}}, this card may be worth including as a splash for the Dunland discard strategy. As with the fierce swarm strategy, Dunland discard sacrifices hand space for twilight savings and shares similar advantages and challenges.

While {{Card|Wild Man of Dunland}} and {{Card|Dunlending Arsonist}} have fairly typical stats among {{C|Dunland}} Men, this mininon's strength is significant enough that it is sometimes worthwhile to play it in the middle of a skirmish with one of its kin. This is particularly handy when the Free Peoples has had much of their gear tossed with {{Card|War Club}} and their main skirmisher has just lost a skirmish, as a damage bonus on this minion may force the Free Peoples player to pick between losing a key companion to wounds or having a lesser companion overwhelmed.

== Deckbuilding Strategy ==
Compared to it brothers, Hillman Mob's cost makes it struggle slightly more to make space for {{Card|Saruman, Rabble-rouser}}, who can split his strength bonuses as necessary between Hillman Mob and whatever minion it brings into play. Because winning skirmishes is disproportionally important for these minions, Hillman Mob and {{Card|Dunlending Arsonist}} typically have even stake in a deck as they hit the sweet spot between low enough twilight to be consistently afforded alongside other minions and high enough strength to consistently activate their text.

= Strengths and Weaknesses =
== Synergizes With... ==

* {{Card|Wulf}}
* {{Card|Wild Men of the Hills}}, {{Card|Dunlending Footmen}}, and {{Card|Dunlending Reserve}}
* {{Card|War Cry of Dunland}}
* {{Card|Saruman, Rabble-rouser}}

== Strong Versus... ==

* Free Peoples strategies which are built to manage dangers rather than defeat them, such as choke
* Free Peoples with strong archery, making it hard to reserve enough twilight for {{Card|Hides}} to keep more than one minion alive
* Free Peoples with good exerting capabilities which would otherwise prevent you from claiming a site with {{Card|Wulf}}

== Weak Versus... ==

* Skirmish canceling, as dodging the first skirmish may allow the Free Peoples player to avoid two more (while keeping the Shadow player's hand clogged with the cards)

= Rulings =
{{RulesQuote
|source=Fierce_2
|text=A minion must be in play and fierce at the start of the fierce assignment phase to participate in a fierce skirmish.}}