Editing Solo Smeagol

Solo Sméagol is a [[Free Peoples]] deck strategy featuring {{Card|Smeagol, Bearer of Great Secrets}}. For part or all of the [[site path]], Sméagol [[run]]s by himself as fast as he can, using his [[Regroup Phase]] ability to discard minions whenever he can afford to.

Because Sméagol kills one unbound companion per turn, you need to figure out how you're going to protect him. In [[Expanded (Format)|Expanded]], you can use [[Ent#The Ent Horde start|the Ent horde start]], either the eight-companion version or the smaller version with {{Card|Faramir, Ithilien Ranger}}, so as to have a competent companion that Sméagol won't strangle. (The version with eight starting companions is generally considered the strongest.) Alternately, you can run Sméagol fully solo -- certainly the weakest variation of this deck -- or run him with [[Ring-bound]] companions like [[Bilbo]], [[Sam]], {{Card|Frodo, Frenzied Fighter}}, and/or the {{C|Gondor}} [[Ring-bound]] [[Ranger]]s from [[The Two Towers]]. That's it, that's an exhaustive list of the companions Sméagol won't murder. If you're feeling adventurous, {{Card|Radagast, The Brown}} to triple without the cycling capability is a fun inclusion as well. 

The Smeagol Ents variation can be fairly effective in Expanded. Any other variation is probably a just-for-fun deck.

=Key Cards=
''incomplete''

* {{Card|Smeagol, Bearer of Great Secrets}}. It's not solo Sméagol without Sméagol!
* {{Card|The One Ring, the Great Ring}} is a staple of solo ring-bearer decks, due to its uncapped [[pump]] ability. {{Card|The One Ring, Answer to All Riddles}} or {{Card|The Great Ring, The Ring of Doom}} are probably the best bets if that isn't available.
* {{Card|Nasty}} and {{Card|Clever Hobbits}} to pump Sméagol.
* {{Card|Gladden Homestead}} to clog opponent's hand, and stave off conditions.

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