Editing Rainbow Wounding

'''Rainbow Wounding''' is a [[Free Peoples]] deck most commonly seen in [[Movie Block]]. It uses [[direct wounding]] cards from a variety of [[culture]]s, often supplemented with a single strong [[tank]] companion or [[archery]] wounds. There are so many good direct wounding strategies in this format that it's mainly a matter of choosing which ones to use. The deck just needs two things: companions that wound minions, and some way to heal them. This isn't one deck so much as a catch-all for a handful of similar decks that are all hybrids of each other, and many of these strategies can and are often incorporated into other decks. Despite the variety, there are a handful of core cards that appear consistently in different versions of this deck: {{Card|Legolas, Greenleaf}}, {{Card|Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien}}, and {{Card|Smeagol, Always Helps}}.

The core plan is to kill [[minion]]s off before their skirmishes resolve. This can mean softening them up with {{Card|Slaked Thirsts}}, then finishing them off with {{Card|Legolas, Greenleaf}}. Or softening up a high-vitality minion with Greenleaf then skirmishing that minion with {{Card|Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien}} to wipe out many minions at once with her ability. It can happen entirely in the [[skirmish phase]], with {{Card|Smeagol, Always Hopes}} [[exhaust]]ing a minion then finishing it off with {{Card|Don't Look At Them}}. Or it can even happen in the [[Shadow Phase]], with one or more {{Card|Shadowplay}} activations followed by an {{Card|Unheeded}} finisher. Oftentimes, if a minion is dangerous because of an [[exert]]ion ability rather than because of its [[strength]] in a skirmish, just exerting it first can be enough.

This gameplan is risky. If minions are too tough or numerous to kill with direct wounds, or simply immune, then you may be left scrambling to deal with them with low-strength, often-exhausted companions. But once it gets rolling, it [[Run|makes double moves]] very efficiently, since all of the minions are dead! It also very effectively shuts down many strategies that use one minion to [[buff]] another, or rely on [[spot]]ting a minion in play to execute some sort of strategy. Plus, if a minion is dead, who cares what its strength was?

The deck also often makes use of the initiative conditions from [[Mount Doom]]: {{Card|Hardy Garrison}}, {{Card|A Light In His Mind}}, {{Card|Glimpse of Fate}}, and sometimes {{Card|Brooding on Tomorrow}}.

== Greenleaf and Elven Support ==

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{{Card|Legolas, Greenleaf}} is a powerful card just on his base ability. He's always good for at least one wound, and he can pick off troublesome two-[[vitality]] characters on his own with no support. Give him cards that increase his vitality, like {{Card|The Tale of Gil-galad}} or {{Card|Aiglos}}, and he can handle even larger minions. You don't have to stop there; he can be supported with a larger {{Card|Elven}} contingent.

Elves have powerful, [[splash]]able healing to enable Greenleaf or other companions. {{Card|Elrond, Herald to Gil-Galad}} can fit into any deck, and opens up the possibility of including strong [[Condition Removal|condition removal]] like {{Card|Vilya}} or {{Card|Secret Sentinels}}. {{C|Elven}} culture has even more healing options that work only on elves, like the strong cycling tool {{Card|Shadow Between}}. If your deck has a [[dwarf]] like {{Card|Gimli, Bearer of Grudges}}, you can also transfer wounds off of Greenleaf with {{Card|Shoulder to Shoulder}}, often to allies like Herald to Gil-Galad. If you're running Shoulder to Shoulder already, then {{Card|Elven}} allies like {{Card|Rumil, Elven Protector}} or maybe {{Card|Orophin, Lorien Bowman}} become more attractive. If you can't use their abilities because of your opponent's Shadow deck, then just use them as wound batteries!

Greenleaf also has a Frodo [[signet]], so you can defend him in a skirmish with some of the Frodo signet [[event]]s discussed below, like {{Card|Mind Your Own Affairs}} and {{Card|No Use That Way}}. If you're doing that, then {{Card|Bow of the Galadhrim}} may be an option: if you kill the minion Legolas is skirmishing with a skirmish event, then you can wound another minion in another skirmish too.

Legolas can use {{Card|Double Shot}} to get an additional [[undirected wound]], but most of the other {{C|Elven}} archery cards have too much [[cultural enforcement]] to work in a rainbow deck. He's terrible at using {{Card|The Splendor of their Banners}} since it conflicts with his inherent exertion ability, and you need a lot of elf companions for cards like {{Card|Elven Bow}} or {{Card|Break the Charge}}.

While it isn't strictly a wounding card, {{Card|Glimpse of Fate}} only requires that you have two elves in play to play it, so Greenleaf and an elf ally are sufficient. And if Greenleaf dies afterward, it still keeps working just fine. Rainbow decks in [[Movie Block]] are often running multiples of these conditions, oftentimes with a discard outlet (like {{Card|Don't Look At Them}}) to activate them. If you need a discard outlet, to activate these initiative conditions or simply to [[cycle]] your hand, {{Card|Elven Sword}} is an option, although Legolas is a poor skirmisher.

Rainbow Wounding often runs a [[Tank|tank]] companion or two to help manage enemies that can't be wounded or are simply immune to direct wounding. {{Card|Arwen, Queen of Elves and Men}} is one option for that role, especially with her strong [[possession]]s like {{Card|Gwemegil}} and {{Card|Asfaloth}}/{{Card|Asfaloth, Elven Steed}}. Another choice is {{Card|Glorfindel, Revealed in Wrath}}, who is cheap, efficient, and also needs no support. Alternately, if you're running a largish elven contingent, {{Card|The Last Alliance of Elves and Men}} on a {{C|Gondor}} companion is an option. (At some point, though, that deck goes from being Rainbow Wounding to an [[Elfman]] deck.)

== Lady of Ithilien and Rohan support ==

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If Greenleaf snipes minions, {{Card|Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien}} is carelessly flinging around grenades. While she's technically dealing [[undirected wounds]] (and your opponent will often try to kill off other, unimportant minions rather than the one she's skirmishing!), she does so much damage that she can finish off multiple badly-wounded minions at a time. She's one of the main cards that pushes Rainbow Wounding over the line, since on a good day she can nearly double or more the damage you've already done this turn. She can even set up wounds herself to some degree with supporting cards like {{Card|Brego}} (which might as well be her matching mount), {{Card|Eowyn's Sword, Dernhelm's Blade}}, and {{Card|Rohirrim Javelin}}.

She does need some healing, and there are some strong {{C|Rohan}} options to do so, like {{Card|Leowyn}} and {{Card|Rohirrim Shield}}. She can also use {{Card|Rohirrim Helm}} to force your opponent to make an unpleasant choice: either she exerts a minion (which will doubtless immediately be doubled by her ability), or she escapes an unwanted skirmish. If the minion is [[exhausted]] already, she just gets off scot-free. {{Card|Merry, Swordthain}} is technically a {{C|Shire}} card (and is discussed more below), but can repeatedly [[recur|retrieve]] all of these disposable possessions for reuse. If you're stacking possessions on her, you'll need some protection against {{Card|Grima, Wormtongue}}, but {{C|Shire}} or {{C|Dwarven}} cards (also discussed below) can do that.

{{C|Rohan}} doesn't have much for wounding tools beyond Lady of Ithilien, though. {{Card|Rohirrim Javelin}} (retrieved by Merry) and possibly {{Card|Aldor, Soldier of Edoras}} can add a few points of [[archery]]. Rainbow Wounding doesn't usually run {{Card|Merry's Sword}} despite its strength, due to a lack of appropriate companions to spot. They do, however, have {{Card|Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}}, a strong [[tank]] who benefits from having wounded minions to skirmish. And, while the {{C|Rohan}} initiative card, {{Card|Fell Deeds Awake}}, is fairly weak, they have strong tools to manipulate initiative, like {{Card|Leowyn}} and {{Card|Deor}}.

{{clear}}

== Good Sméagol Always Helps ==

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{{Card|Smeagol, Always Helps}} is a strong addition to any Rainbow Wounding deck. Not only because he wounds minions, first [[exhaust]]ing them with his game text then killing them with a direct-wounding card, but also because of the costs involved in doing so. Rather than exerting himself (and requiring healing), he generates [[threat]]s and consumes cards in [[hand]]. He can also deal with often-troublesome high-vitality minions, especially [[Enduring]] ones, like {{Card|Shelob, Her Ladyship}} (assuming he doesn't get excluded from skirmishes by her!) and {{Card|Sauron, the Lord of the Rings}}.

His game text only exhausts minions, and, with his low strength, he may still be in danger. The challenge is finding that last wound. The usual tool is {{Card|Don't Look At Them}}, which is powerful (often enough to kill minions on its own!) and [[cycle]]s unneeded cards out of your hand, but can usually only be used once or twice a turn. You can also finish off minions with {{Card|Where Shall We Go}}, or because he has a Frodo [[signet]], {{Card|No Use That Way}}. A {{C|Shire}} contingent in your deck means you can also finish off a minion he's exhausted with {{Card|Mind Your Own Affairs}} or {{Card|Unheeded}}. Since the exhausting happens when Sméagol is ''assigned'' and not when he actually resolves his skirmish, {{Card|Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien}} or {{Card|Bow of the Galadhrim}} can snipe the minion before it becomes time for him to skirmish.

If Sméagol wins his skirmish, he has powerful tools that trigger from that. {{Card|Don't Follow The Lights}} can pick off another minion with no need for wounding. {{Card|Not Listening}} can heal him and remove the burdens placed by the {{C|Shire}} direct wounding cards (which, in turn, can activate {{Card|The Shire Countryside}} for more healing, in a {{C|Shire}} deck.)

While Sméagol relies on a card combo to do any work, he's not much of a downside the rest of the time. He's just generating one twilight per move, and only costs one burden to play. The worst thing that happens is that he might get killed, but that's one minion that wasn't contributing to an [[overwhelm]] on some other companion. He's best with [[hobbit]]s, who often already have tools that can help protect him like {{Card|Merry, Friend to Sam}} on top of the synergistic wounding tools, but he can work well with any culture on his own.

{{clear}}

== Hobbits ==

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The [[hobbit]]s of the {{C|Shire}} have a variety of [[direct wounding]] tools, as well as two different strong healing [[Value Engine|engine]]s, one of which also tidily cleans up any excess [[burden]]s in the process. All of this power comes at the cost of needing to protect the vulnerable, low-strength hobbits, but that's what all the wounding and healing is for, right?

Firstly, there are the "bouncing" hobbits that can send themselves back to your hand: {{Card|Pippin, Wearer of Black and Silver}} and {{Card|Merry, Swordthain}}. WOBAS can help fend off a dangerous minion at early sites (as long as it isn't a [[Nazgul]]), and Merry can help re-arm {{Card|Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien}} if her possessions are discarded. But, more importantly, when they return to your hand, all of their [[wound]]s are wiped clean. You can just use their skirmish ability whenever you like, as long as that hobbit isn't currently assigned to a skirmish: WOBAS doesn't mind if there's no roaming minion to wound, and Swordthain's "up to two" can just be zero. You can use the hobbits to soak [[undirected wounds]] like [[archery]], but that vitality can also be put to more proactive use.

{{Card|Shadowplay}} can exert your hobbits to exert enemy minions when they come into play, often preventing those from using even [[Shadow Phase]] [[exert]]ion abilities. Since this is happening so early in the turn, it can enable almost any other Free Peoples direct wounding card in the game, especially {{Card|Legolas, Greenleaf}} and Lady of Ithilien above. On top of this, {{Card|Unheeded}} can cut in and kill minions at any time as long as they're exerting, be it from your cards or Shadow cards. These abilities aren't just strong ways to keep from having to skirmish minions: they can also protect your deck from targeted [[hate]] cards like {{Card|Grima, Chief Counselor}}, {{Card|Grima, Wormtongue}}, or {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}}. Shadowplay/Unheeded with bouncing hobbits can be a self-sustaining source of wounds all game in a deck primarily focused on another culture, and if the hobbits end up being less useful, they can simply be discarded or [[Chump Blocking|thrown under the bus]].

{{Card|Shire}} culture also has strong skirmish wounding, generally based on placing [[burden]]s to wound minions who are skirmishing Frodo or Frodo-[[signet]] characters. Some of these don't even require any hobbits, despite being {{C|Shire}} cards: {{Card|No Use That Way}} can wound any minion skirmishing a Frodo-[[signet]] companion (like Greenleaf or Always Helps, above!) and {{Card|Power According to His Stature}} can wound minions skirmishing any [[ring-bearer]], which is especially strong against [[swarm]] decks. Some do have a bit of [[cultural enforcement]], though: {{Card|Cliffs of Emyn Muil}} can wound any minion skirmishing any hobbit, and {{Card|Mind Your Own Affairs}} spots Frodo to wound a minion skirmishing a Frodo-signet companion. All of these events can be [[recur]]red with {{Card|Birthday Present}}, albeit at the cost of even more burdens. {{Card|Frodo, Wicked Masster!}} has a minion-wounding ability of his own, albeit at such a high cost that he is rarely played.

The burden costs end up being a soft form of cultural enforcement, however. Firstly, [[Frodo]] generally has the highest practical [[resistance]] of any [[ring-bearer]] in a [[rainbow]] deck, especially if you're playing {{Card|Frodo, Resolute Hobbit}}. But hobbits also have a very strong [[initiative]] condition that removes a burden almost every turn, sometimes more than once a turn: {{Card|A Light In His Mind}}. {{Card|Sam, Resolute Halfling}} can activate it almost at will, while serving as a well of exertions for Shadowplay/Unheeded. That usually isn't enough burden removal on its own, but it can be supplemented with {{Card|Frodo's Cloak}}, {{Card|Brace of Coneys}}, {{Card|Nine-fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom}}, and, if you're using Sméagol, {{Card|Not Listening}}. {{Card|No Help For It}} [[Combo|combined]] with {{Card|Frodo, Master of the Precious}} is another way to dump burdens while also healing Sméagol by replaying him.

All of this burden removal may seem excessive, but you often want to place and remove as many burdens as possible because of another powerful {{C|Shire}} card: {{Card|The Shire Countryside}}. Every time you remove a burden, it heals a companion for ''each'' copy of Shire Countryside you have, which can turn into quite a lot of healing! Funnel that healing to a character with a powerful exert-to-wound ability, and you can mow down troublesome minions every turn.

== Gimli and Slaked Thirsts ==

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[[Gimli]]—almost always {{Card|Gimli, Bearer of Grudges}} or {{Card|Gimli, Feared Axeman}}—can bring a lot to a Rainbow Wounding deck. The main benefit to having him is {{Card|Preparations}} and {{Card|Slaked Thirsts}}. Not only is Slaked Thirsts a powerful card, placing two wounds for the cost of one exertion, you don't need to keep Gimli healthy to use it. You can make sure any excess healing (for example, from a [[sanctuary]]) won't go to waste by using it to place Slaked Thirsts on Preparations, and Bearer of Grudges with {{Card|Answer to All Riddles}} has a deep wound pool and is unlikely to take any unexpected wounds against many Shadow sides. Any extra copies of Preparations won't go to waste either, since they can be used as a (weak) direct-wounding card. If you draw Slaked Thirsts, you can play it when you have exactly three other cards in hand to quickly lose then regain initiative for the other cultures' initiative [[condition]]s. Like {{Card|Shadowplay}} above, Slaked Thirsts is a powerful tool for stymieing obnoxious [[hate]] cards like {{Card|Grima, Chief Counselor}}, {{Card|Grima, Wormtongue}}, or {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}}. Compared to Slaked Thirsts, the {{C|Dwarven}} wounding cards are fairly anemic. {{Card|Quick As May Be}} is cheap and basically free, so it's worth finding space for sometimes. {{Card|Baruk Khazad}} can be useful, but it isn't as strong as Slaked Thirsts and can't easily be replayed.

The next most-important reason to bring Gimli is {{Card|Shoulder to Shoulder}}. If you're bringing {{Card|Legolas, Greenleaf}}, the two of them can share their vitality pool for Greenleaf's exertion ability or Preparations. As with the {{C|Elven}} contingent above, adding in {{Card|Elrond, Herald to Gil-Galad}} gives them a powerful source of healing every single turn, at the cost of generating some [[twilight]] in the [[Maneuver Phase]].

Having a single dwarf in your deck also opens up a lot of other cards, especially if your deck already has lots of healing or tends to generate some [[threat]]s. {{Card|Ever My Heart Rises}} (generally [[download]]ed with {{Card|Dunharrow Plateau}}) can help your deck set up more consistently to start, as long as you can don't mind [[mill]]ing yourself a little bit. {{Card|Gimli's Battle Axe, Trusted Weapon}} contributes an extra archery wound once some [[threat]]s are stacked, although some decks instead use {{Card|Axe of Erebor}} since it can get a strength bonus freeing up any Shadow cards stuck on EMHR, and some decks don't bother at all because of the [[possession]] [[hate]] in the format. {{Card|Blood Runs Chill}} can discard some minions who survived the [[skirmish phase]] or clean out your opponent's [[support area]]. {{Card|Ring of Fury}} is a good choice to help protect Gimli, and it also boosts Blood Runs Chill and can be [[download]]ed with {{Card|The Binding Ring}}. Any of the {{C|Dwarven}} [[ring]]s are fine, too.

== Aragorn, Faramir, and Gondorian tools ==

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A {{C|Gondor}} contingent in Rainbow Wounding is often very small. {{Card|Aragorn, Elessar Telcontar}} is a powerful skirmisher, and he can use {{Card|Anduril, Flame of the West}}, {{Card|The Last Alliance of Elves and Men}}, and/or {{Card|Aragorn's Bow}} (although the last is less common, due to pervasive [[possession]] [[hate]]). He also offers some initial healing when played, then helps sort wounds into the right places: off of characters who want to exert, and onto himself or bouncing hobbits. (Occasionally you see {{Card|Aragorn, King in Exile}} instead, although that's less common as there are relatively few Aragorn-[[signet]] companions well-suited to this deck.) {{Card|Faramir, Son of Denethor}} is also reasonably popular, since he shuts down some obnoxious strategies and can use {{Card|Faramir's Bow}}. Occasionally some Rainbow Wounding decks may use {{Card|Isildur, Bearer of Heirlooms}}, but his low [[resistance]] makes him a bit of a liability.

The reason you're using these [[Man|men]] is mainly to [[splash]] in some of the {{C|Gondor}} wounding and healing tools, which are considerable. {{Card|Hardy Garrison}} is both a direct wounding tool and one of the strongest initiative cards. {{Card|Gondor Bowmen}} is two wounds for one exertion, and, while those wounds [[undirected wounds|aren't aimed]], you can play the card before you need it to get it out of your hand. {{Card|Citadel of the Stars}} is even better than a wounding card, since it doesn't count as a wound (for the purposes of effects like [[Enduring]]) and can often set up a minion to lose a skirmish and thus another wound. (Most other fortifications see little play outside of [[Gondor Knights]].) {{Card|Defend it and Hope}} is a passable card, but rarely played due to the quality of the alternatives. {{Card|Citadel of Minas Tirith}} is powerful healing that works every turn, but only it only works if you're not losing any skirmishes ''at all'', which can be unreliable. {{Card|Athelas}} is cheap easy on-demand healing, but it's hard to find space for such a low-impact card.

{{clear}}

== Gandalf ==

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Pretty much every deck could make space for [[Gandalf]] and his supporting cards, and Rainbow Wounding is no exception. [[Rainbow]] decks often run into the problem that their cultures' tools are locked behind [[cultural enforcement]], and Gandalf is a walking toolbox. Need to deal with [[Corsair]] boats, {{Card|Hides}}, {{Card|Grond, Hammer of the Underworld}}, and some of the troublesome wound-preventing weapons? {{Card|Roll of Thunder}} has you covered. Losing skirmishes to minions that squeak through? Gandalf is himself a competent skirmisher, can make himself moreso with {{Card|Gandalf's Staff}}, and can help your other companions with {{Card|Servant of the Secret Fire}}. Having trouble finding key cards for a combo? {{Card|On Your Doorstep}} can handle that. Burdens stacking up? {{Card|Narya}} can help. Gandalf even has his own powerful [[direct wounding]] card, {{Card|Terrible and Evil}}, and a fairly decent initiative condition, {{Card|Brooding on Tomorrow}}.

{{Card|Gandalf, Leader of Men}} is the most popular version of Gandalf, since he's the only one that's practical in a [[starting Fellowship]]. Beyond that, it's a matter of taste. {{Card|Gandalf, the White Wizard}} is a powerful but unreliable skirmisher. {{Card|Gandalf, Friend of the Shirefolk}} can work if you're really going deep [[rainbow]], although you'll need protection against {{Card|Grima, Chief Counselor}}. {{Card|Gandalf, the Grey Pilgrim}} is just always helpful. {{Card|Gandalf, Greyhame}} can work if your deck is really dedicated to self-[[mill]]ing, or as a cheaper way to replay Sméagol after using {{Card|No Help For It}}.

Since you are very likely playing {{Card|A Wizard is Never Late}} to [[download]] Gandalf, it can be worth it to include some other {{C|Gandalf}} culture characters to make use of AWINL after Gandalf is already in play. {{Card|Barliman Butterbur, Prancing Pony Proprietor}} can [[recur]] all of those {{C|Gandalf}} events you're using. {{Card|Radagast, the Brown}} is ubiquitous as a [[splash]] companion for a reason: his [[move limit]] increase is very powerful.

{{clear}}

== Assembling Your Deck ==

The place to start thinking about building a Rainbow Wounding deck is what you want your Fellowship to look like, both to start and under ideal circumstances. Once you know that, the rest of the deck falls into place naturally. Here are two common examples:

You can start with {{Card|Gimli, Bearer of Grudges}} (almost always with {{Card|Answer to All Riddles}}) to enable {{Card|Preparations}}/{{Card|Slaked Thirsts}} and/or {{Card|Shoulder to Shoulder}}. This version of the deck will generally have less wounding from events (other than Slaked Thirsts), and more wounding from characters like {{Card|Legolas, Greenleaf}} and {{Card|Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien}}. As a result, it tends to need more healing, and tends to rely more heavily on keeping those specific characters alive. How you plan to do that varies: Aragorn and {{C|Gondor}} means a fourth culture, but offers archery wounds and some strong skirmishers. Elves offer healing and their own archery. {{C|Rohan}} has a strong skirmisher in {{Card|Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}} and better protection for Eowyn, but otherwise only weakish healing and skirmishing. You can include {{Card|Smeagol, Always Helps}} in this deck, and the cycling from {{Card|Don't Look At Them}} is nice, but you'll really need to land good combos with Lady of Ithilien to get a lot of mileage out of him when Don't Look At Them isn't in play. You can also consider the bounding hobbits for {{Card|Shadowplay}} and possibly {{Card|Unheeded}}.

''Example deck: [https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=10002.0 Rainbow Wounding / Twilight Corruption], a Movie Block deck by Imrahil on The Last Homely House forums''

Alternately, you can start with Frodo (usually {{Card|Frodo, Resolute Hobbit}} or {{Card|Frodo, Son of Drogo}}) to allow the Frodo-signet wounding cards, as well as {{Card|Shadowplay}} and possibly {{Card|Unheeded}}. This deck is now less concerned about healing characters, and thus less invested in keeping specific companions alive, but it does need some way to get rid of the burdens, and possibly replay the events. {{Card|Legolas, Greenleaf}}, {{Card|Smeagol, Always Helps}}, and {{Card|Aragorn, Elessar Telcontar}} all have Frodo signets, so you can use the wounding events to set up or finish off minions with them. These cards all do stack up burdens pretty fast. {{C|Shire}} and {{C|Gollum}} cultures can help with those burdens, with {{Card|Nine-Fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom}}, {{Card|Not Listening}}, and/or {{Card|A Light In His Mind}}. You'll want at least a second hobbit for A Light in His Mind, and that also opens up {{Card|The Shire Countryside}}, to turn all that burden removal into healing.

''Example deck: [https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=4363 Just a fun deck], a Movie Block deck by Smeagollum on The Last Homely House forums''

== Counterplay ==

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Rainbow Wounding has two bad matchups, and, unfortunately, one of them is very common in Movie Block.

[[Ninja Gollum]] is a problem. Ninja Gollum plays almost exclusively high-[[vitality]] minions: {{Card|Shelob, Her Ladyship}} and various versions of [[Gollum]], occasionally with [[splash]]able [[hate]] minions that it [[recur]]s over and over. Rainbow Wounding has a lot of trouble chewing through [[fat]] [[Enduring]] minions like Shelob, and is often vulnerable to hate like {{Card|Grima, Chief Counselor}} or {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}} (which it [[recur]]s repeatedly with {{Card|Evil-smelling Fens}}). It's possible to beat Ninja Gollum: you need a plan for when your main trouble-shooting skirmisher{{--}}usually Lady of Ithilien or Sméagol, Always Helps{{--}}gets excluded by Her Ladyship, you'll need a plan to defang {{Card|They Stole It}} and {{Card|Promise Keeping}}, and you'll definitely need a plan like {{Card|Slaked Thirsts}} or {{Card|Shadowplay}} to stop hate minions. Any decent tank companion can usually handle Shelob on turns where Lady of Ithilien/Always Helps can't, and {{Card|Secret Sentinels}} or {{Card|Deep In Thought}} can handle the conditions. This is always going to be one of your hardest matchups, though.

The other bad matchup is [[Beasterlings]]. [[Easterling]] decks almost always run {{Card|Easterling Polearm}}, often on a huge awful [[Fierce]] minion like {{Card|Easterling Army}}, often with a {{Card|Raider Bow}}. You need a very strong tank to deal with this, or else you'll need to discard the Easterling Polearm or simply bypass the Easterling Army turns with some sort of trick. Aragorn with {{Card|Anduril, Flame of the West}} and {{Card|The Last Alliance of Elves and Men}} or {{Card|Eomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark}} (if you can exhaust the Army first) can often tank the hits, but be wary of {{Card|Discovered}}. Gandalf with {{Card|Roll of Thunder}} or Eowyn with {{Card|Eowyn's Shield}} can remove the Polearm. {{Card|Dwarven Armor}} can sometimes get Gimli through it, {{Card|Gandalf's Staff}} can fend it off at a high cost, and {{Card|Rohirrim Helm}} (ideally [[recur]]red mid-skirmish with {{Card|Merry, Swordthain}}) can deal with one turn. This is a rough matchup, but luckily the deck is fairly rare.

There are a few other Shadow decks that can make minions (mostly or conditionally) immune to direct wounding as well. Most of the other similar Shadow cards don't protect minions during the skirmish phase, so Lady of Ithilien, Don't Look At Them, and the Frodo-signet wounding get free rein. {{Card|Broad-Bladed Sword}}, {{Card|High Vantage}}, and {{Card|Line of Defense}} can all shut down archery (particularly Greenleaf) and most uses of Unheeded, but they're not too problematic in general. {{Card|Broad-bladed Sword}} or {{Card|Isengard Warrior}} can be problematic in combination with {{Card|Saruman's Snows}}, but those cards are fortunately rare in Movie Block, and it's even possible to pick off the Isengard Warrior with Unheeded and either Slaked Thirsts or two copies of Shadowplay.

As mentioned with the Ninja Gollum matchup, [[Hate|magic bullet]] minions are often a problem. Rainbow Wounding decks often want to run a large rainbow Fellowship, which runs afoul of {{Card|Grima, Chief Counselor}} or {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}}. Slaked Thirsts or (ideally multiple copies of) Shadowplay can defang those two minions and most similar [[rainbow]]/[[rule of 6]] hate in other cultures. Shotgun Enquea can also be mitigated with {{Card|Shoulder to Shoulder}}, by transferring the wounds he applies as he applies them to keep him from killing anyone. Just be careful of [[Southron]]s: they can run {{Card|Southron Leader}}, {{Card|Southron Commander}}, and {{Card|Southron Veterans}}, and like Ninja Gollum they can [[recur]] them repeatedly, this time with {{Card|Ships of Great Draught}}.

Speaking of Southrons, [[archery]] and [[direct wounding]] Shadows will check how good your healing is. Archery/[[grind]] decks, be they [[Sauron Grind]] or [[Moria Archery]] or [[Southron Archery]] or [[Uruk Archery]], all pose basically the same challenge: can you outheal the damage they do every turn? {{C|Elven}} healing, {{Card|The Shire Countryside}}, or bouncing hobbits are all strong defenses against these grind Shadows. It's also helpful to avoid leaving characters exhausted, so they can't be picked off with {{Card|Hate}}, {{Card|Whirling Strike}}, or {{Card|Caradhras Has Not Forgiven Us}}. [[Condition Removal|Condition removal]], usually from {{Card|Elven}} or {{C|Gandalf}} cultures, is also helpful, since all of these decks rely on key conditions to do damage.

Another common Shadow strategy that can often give you fits is putting [[condition]]s on your key characters. {{Card|Desperate Defense of the Ring}}, {{Card|Black Breath}}/{{Card|Black Dart}}, and {{Card|Weary}} can all be a huge pain if they're dropped on the wrong character at the right time. Other than strong condition removal or possibly {{Card|Athelas}}, the best defense against these cards is simply to have a plan that can deal with minions without always using Lady of Ithilien or Sméagol, Always Helps. This is similar to the Ninja Gollum matchup, except that in a pinch you can still get some use out of those companions.

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{{Gameplay Table}}

[[Category:Deck archetypes]]