Editing Morgul Orcs

'''Morgul Orcs''' (often just shortened to '''Morcs''') are a [[subculture]] of {{C|Ringwraith}}-[[culture]] [[orc]] [[minion]]s. They include both the orc garrison of Cirith Ungol as well as the army that marches out from Minas Morgul to storm Osgiliath. In this game, they were first introduced in [[King Block]], and as such they often [[interact]] with the new rules from that block, placing or spotting or consuming [[threat]]s or [[initiative]]. They also interact with burdens, wounds on the ring-bearer, and Free Peoples [[possession]]s.

This subculture only appears in [[King Block]]. After that block, [[Culture#Post-Shadows_Shadow_cultures|Shadow cultures were rearranged]]. In later sets, the cards representing the orcs of Minas Morgul are no longer a subculture of their own and are instead part of {{C|Orc}} culture. That said, since the King Block Morc cards still work with many later {{C|Wraith}} cards, the deck continues on into later formats.

Unlike most other subcultures, they work well with the rest of {{C|Ringwraith}} culture, often spotting or buffing [[Nazgul|Nazgûl]]. Nazgûl have always wounded the ring-bearer or placed burdens, so while a card like {{Card|Morgul Whelp}} doesn't mention Nazgûl by name, it meshes well with the same gameplan as older cards like {{Card|Ulaire Nelya, Ringwraith in Twilight}}. Likewise, a number of Nazgûl-focused cards from this block benefit from going into a deck with more of a [[swarm]] gameplan, such as {{Card|Ulaire Lemenya, Assailing Minion}}, {{Card|Flung Into The Fray}}, and {{Card|Black Marshal}}.

There are two chief Morgul Orc decks: the more-popular Morc deck, a semi-[[swarm]] deck that plays many efficient minions that force the Free Peoples player to choose between wounding the [[ring-bearer]] or suffering some other consequence, and the less-popular Morc Archery deck, which plays minions that add to the [[archery]] total under certain circumstances. Except for {{Card|Morgul Squealer}} (which occasionally sees play in all sorts of Nazgûl-focused decks), most of the other {{C|Ringwraith}} orc minions, particularly the ones that [[Buff|buff]] Nazgûl by name or interact with Free Peoples possessions, are too expensive or too weak to see much play.

== Morc swarm ==

Morc swarm, usually just called "Morcs" by default, focuses on wounding the ring-bearer with cards like {{Card|Morgul Brute}}, {{Card|Morgul Destroyer}}, {{Card|Flung into the Fray}}, and {{Card|Gollum, Dark as Darkness}} (always with {{Card|Captured by the Ring}}). Since these minions are cheap, the plan is also to [[swarm]], forcing weaker support [[companion]]s into skirmishes and possibly scoring an overwhelm here or there. Since the Brute and Destroyer need to spot a Nazgûl, the deck also runs cheap efficient Nazgûl minions.

This deck starts in Movie Block. In that format, the most popular Nazgûl are cheap efficient choices like {{Card|Ulaire Cantea, Faster than Winds}}, {{Card|Ulaire Lemenya, Assailing Minion}}, {{Card|Ulaire Otsea, Thrall of the One}}, and sometimes {{Card|Ulaire Nertea, Thrall of the One}}. It focuses more on a swarming strategy, often using cards that benefit from [[spot]]ting wounds on the ring-bearer, like {{Card|Morgul Whelp}}, {{Card|Morgul Hound}}, {{Card|Ulaire Nelya, Ringwraith in Twilight}}, and occasionally {{Card|Ten Times Outnumbered}}. The rest of the deck is rounded out with utility cards like {{Card|Morgul Skulker}}, {{Card|Morgul Squealer}}, and {{Card|Black Marshal}}, as well as occasionally more-expensive utility Nazgûl like {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}} or {{Card|The Witch-King, Morgul King}}.

''Example decks:''
* ''[https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=11888 My old Dwarves / Morcs deck], a Movie Block deck by Freya on The Last Homely House forums.''
* ''[https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=11657.msg96234#msg96234 Enola's Knights and Morcs deck], on The Last Homely House forums. This deck uses several [[Enduring]] Nazgûl to help counter {{Card|Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}}, which was popular at the time.''

In later formats like [[Expanded]], there are more options for strong, efficient, cheap Nazgûl like {{Card|Ulaire Lemenya, Eternally Threatening}}, {{Card|The Witch-king, Captain of the Nine Riders}}, {{Card|Ulaire Cantea, Black Assassin}}, and {{Card|Ulaire Nelya, Third of the Nine Riders}}. Captain of the Nine Riders makes higher-vitality orcs like {{Card|Morgul Hound}} and {{Card|Morgul Spearman}} a bit more attractive than the Whelp. Because the deck runs {{Card|Morgul Destroyer}}, {{Card|Captured By The Ring}}, and threat-adding Nazgûl like Eternally Threatening and Faster than Winds, it can also use some of the [[Threatguls]] tools like {{Card|They Feel The Precious}} or {{Card|Ring of Terror}}.

''Example deck: [https://lotrtcgwiki.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=3635 Morgul Orcs: Wounds on the Ring-bearer], part of a guide to building Wraith decks in [[Standard]] format shortly after the release of [[Rise of Saruman]], posted by Celebrimbor on the Cobracards forums. While the deck is for a now-obsolete Standard format, the advice applies equally well to [[Expanded]].''

==Morc Archery==

This deck uses cards like {{Card|Morgul Ambusher}}, {{Card|Morgul Creeper}}, {{Card|Morgul Lurker}}, and/or {{Card|Gothmog, Morgul Commander}} to set up [[bomb]] turns with huge [[archery]] totals to sweep companions right off the board. Threats and burdens can come from a variety of {{C|Ringwraith}} or {{C|Gollum}} cards; standouts include {{Card|Captured By The Ring}}, {{Card|Fat One Wants It}}, and {{Card|Heavy Burden}}. You can also get them from the site path, with sites like {{Card|City Gates}}, {{Card|Pelennor Flat}}, {{Card|Northern Ithilien}}, {{Card|Dagorlad}}, {{Card|Courtyard Parapet}}, and <!--City Gates-->{{Card|15S189}}. Initiative usually comes from {{Card|Streaming to the Field}}. Because this deck runs more orcs and relatively fewer Nazgûl, it has more room for expensive orc-focused support cards like {{Card|Gorbag, Covetous Captain}}.

Due to the relatively high cost of Gothmog and the difficulty of getting sufficient [[threat]]s and [[burden]]s and [[initiative]] as well as the right cards all at the right time, the deck is less consistent, less powerful, and consequently less popular.

Due to their lack of [[cultural enforcement]], these minions are often more popular as a [[splash]] in [[archery]] decks focused on other cultures: for example, {{Card|Morgul Ambusher}} fits right into [[Southron Archery]], a [[threat]]-heavy archery deck.

''Example decks:''
* ''[https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=5927.msg63798#msg63798 MORC archery], a Movie Block deck by hrcho on The Last Homely House forums.''
* ''[https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=7551.msg74126#msg74126 Getting Morc Archery to Work], a Movie Block deck by jcb213 on The Last Homely House forums.''
* ''[https://lotrtcgwiki.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=3635 Gothmog Archery], part of a guide to building Wraith decks in [[Standard]] format shortly after the release of [[Rise of Saruman]], posted by Celebrimbor on the Cobracards forums. While the deck is for a now-obsolete Standard format, the advice applies equally well to [[Movie Block]] (except for Sixth of the Nine Riders and the site path) and [[Expanded]].''

==List of Morgul Orcs==

{{ThumbnailTable
|filter=C.Culture = 'ringwraith' AND CR.SubTypes HOLDS 'orc' AND {{PromoFilter}}
|sort= {{CultureSort}}
}}

==List of Cards that interact with Morgul Orcs==

This only includes cards that specifically mention {{CultureIcon|Ringwraith}} orcs, or apply to all {{CultureIcon|Ringwraith}} minions without a qualifier that disqualifies Morgul Orcs, such as requiring the [[Enduring]] or [[Twilight (Keyword)|Twilight]] keywords or a different [[race]].

{{ThumbnailTable
|filter= C.Culture = 'ringwraith' AND (CR.GameText LIKE '%orc%' OR CR.GameText LIKE '%WRAITH\\] minion%') AND NOT CR.GameText LIKE '%enduring \\[WRAITH\\] %minion%' AND NOT CR.GameText LIKE '%make this condition a fierce \\[WRAITH\\] minion%' AND NOT CR.GameText LIKE '%WRAITH\\] mount%' AND {{PromoFilter}} AND C.SetNum IN (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19)
|sort= {{CultureSort}}
}}