Editing Smeagol, Slinker (5R29)
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Since he may never end up taking wounds in a skirmish, he is often left with excess vitality compared to other versions of Smeagol. {{Card|Follow Smeagol}} is essentially free [[site manipulation]] in these cases, denying opponents their favorable sites while giving your Shadow the leg up even as you lead the way down the adventure path. {{Card|Frodo, Son of Drogo}} is a relatively unpopular Ring-bearer, but he provides a way for Frodo to transfer Sting's exertions to Smeagol and maximize the Free Peoples' effectiveness. This is especially true if several copies of The Shire Countryside are in play and some of the healing from it or Not Listening would be wasted otherwise. | Since he may never end up taking wounds in a skirmish, he is often left with excess vitality compared to other versions of Smeagol. {{Card|Follow Smeagol}} is essentially free [[site manipulation]] in these cases, denying opponents their favorable sites while giving your Shadow the leg up even as you lead the way down the adventure path. {{Card|Frodo, Son of Drogo}} is a relatively unpopular Ring-bearer, but he provides a way for Frodo to transfer Sting's exertions to Smeagol and maximize the Free Peoples' effectiveness. This is especially true if several copies of The Shire Countryside are in play and some of the healing from it or Not Listening would be wasted otherwise. | ||
Smeagol already adds a burden to play, and Slinker relies heavily on adding burdens to skirmish. Decks built around him must be cautious with their opening bids, as without having the right cards to start with a normally safe bid can quickly turn into 5 burdens going into site 3, opening the door for {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}} to showing and kill a companion. At the same time, Slinker decks rely heavily on tricks and often need to get ahead of opponents early so they can reliably rearm in the more harrowing later sites. When it is necessary to have 5 burdens, remember that Enquea can typically only kill companions with 3 vitality or less while Hobbits and Smeagol have 4 vitality. As long as the Ring-bearer is the only wounded companion, you can stall long enough to drop back below 5 burdens before another copy of Enquea can finish anyone off | Smeagol already adds a burden to play, and Slinker relies heavily on adding burdens to skirmish. Decks built around him must be cautious with their opening bids, as without having the right cards to start with a normally safe bid of 3 can quickly turn into 5 burdens going into site 3, opening the door for {{Card|Ulaire Enquea, Lieutenant of Morgul}} to showing and kill a companion. At the same time, Slinker decks rely heavily on tricks and often need to get ahead of opponents early so they can reliably rearm in the more harrowing later sites. When it is necessary to have 5 burdens, remember that Enquea can typically only kill companions with 3 vitality or less while Hobbits and Smeagol have 4 vitality. As long as the Ring-bearer is the only wounded companion, you can stall long enough to drop back below 5 burdens before another copy of Enquea can finish anyone off. | ||
== Deckbuilding Strategy == | == Deckbuilding Strategy == | ||
To build a deck entirely around Slinker requires at least 20 cards, with the remainder usually taken up by gear and tricks to be utilized by Hobbits. But since Smeagol doesn't cost any twilight, a deck which is already removing burdens quickly (typically Hobbit shennanigans but occasionally {{C|Gandalf}} cards) may not need the full kit to get the full value out of him and can always include him in the starting fellowship. Still, unless his strength or wound prevention fills a particular need, {{Card|Smeagol, Poor Creature}} is often preferred as the designated speed bump even when the Free Peoples has plenty of burden removal, since he helps a deck get through cards and set up faster. | To build a deck entirely around Slinker requires at least 20 cards, with the remainder usually taken up by gear and tricks to be utilized by Hobbits. But since Smeagol doesn't cost any twilight, a deck which is already removing burdens quickly (typically Hobbit shennanigans but occasionally {{C|Gandalf}} cards) may not need the full kit to get the full value out of him and can always include him in the starting fellowship. Still, unless his strength or wound prevention fills a particular need, {{Card|Smeagol, Poor Creature}} is often preferred as the designated speed bump even when the Free Peoples has plenty of burden removal, since he helps a deck get through cards and set up faster. | ||
In Towers he generally fills the need for a strong skirmisher in an otherwise all-Hobbit deck, often seen alongside {{Card|Sam, Nice Sensible Hobbit}}. This deck may operate with or without Merry and Pippin. In Movie, {{Card|Sam, Great Elf Warrior}} is a substantial enough upgrade that the deck almost always starts with all 4 Hobbits and Smeagol. {{Card|Sam, Samwise the Brave}} is occasionally used to ensure that the Shadow player can't interfere with the flow of burdens, important when playing against dedicated corruption decks. | |||
= Strengths and Weaknesses = | = Strengths and Weaknesses = | ||
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== Strong Versus... == | == Strong Versus... == | ||
* | * Uruk-hai, which have little care for burdens and can have their damage bonuses soaked up by Smeagol | ||
* | * Southrons, which often try to wound companions directly in skirmishes | ||
== Weak Versus... == | == Weak Versus... == | ||
* Easterlings, which will only grow in strength with the burdens from Smeagol | * Easterlings, which will only grow in strength with the burdens from Smeagol | ||
* {{Card|Warg}} decks, which force the Free Peoples to add many burdens before being able to increase Smeagol's strength at all | * {{Card|Warg}} decks, which force the Free Peoples to add many burdens before being able to increase Smeagol's strength at all | ||
* {{C|Isengard}} Orcs, which typically have too much strength to overwhelm and too much vitality to kill in skirmishes | * {{C|Isengard}} Orcs, which typically have too much strength to overwhelm and too much vitality to kill in skirmishes | ||
* {{Card|Morgul Brute}}, who can immediately remove burdens to gain the upper hand again | * {{Card|Morgul Brute}}, who can immediately remove burdens to gain the upper hand again | ||
= Rulings = | = Rulings = | ||
