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'''Starter Decks''' are ready-made simple decks that are intended to be easy enough for brand-new players to pick up and play.  Each set typically had two starter decks, each one focusing on different cultures and strategies, so one could conceivably purchase both with a friend and get a good taste of what the game as a whole had to offer.   
'''Starter Decks''' are ready-made simple decks that are intended to be easy enough for brand-new players to pick up and play.  Each set typically had two starter decks, each one focusing on different cultures and strategies, so one could conceivably purchase both with a friend and get a good taste of what the game as a whole had to offer.   


Unlike actual legal decks, starter decks only have about 50 cards, and the Shadows and Free Peoples sides did not always have the same number of cards.  Combined with the fact that the starter rulebooks don't explain all of the rules of the game (but only rules needed to play the decks provided, plus a starter-only rule that allowed you to reshuffle the discard pile), the decks themselves are mostly valuable from a learning perspective but not very usable in a normal play environment.
Starter decks were also used in [[Sealed]] formats as a foundation for deckbuilding to be supplemented by other random cards, meaning that starter decks tended towards generic flexibility rather than fine-tuned specialization.


To offset the fact that veteran players would not need the starter packs, Decipher included 2 nonfoil P-rarity cards in each starter pack that were not obtainable in booster packs. Also, for most sets, Decipher packed 3 random rares with each starter deck, giving collectors additional reason to purchase them (it was sometimes cheaper to buy boxes of starters instead of boxes of boosters, as each boxof starters included 36 rares.) In [[Battle of Helm's Deep]] and [[Ents of Fangorn]], Decipher did away with the random rares and instead included 3 predetermined rares, with the idea being to make sure that included rares went according to the theme of the starter deck (predetermined rares also saved printing costs, as it allowed the entire deck to come from one print sheet instead of two.) Fixed rares annoyed players, as it removed the incentive for veterans to purchase the decks, and it drastically reduced the value of the 6 rares affected in each set.  With [[The Return of the King]] Decipher reverted to the original random rare distribution for starter packs.
To offset the fact that veteran players would not need an introduction to the game, Decipher included 2 exclusive nonfoil P-rarity cards in each starter pack that were not obtainable in booster packs. Also, for most sets, Decipher packed 3 random rares with each starter deck, giving collectors additional reason to purchase them (it was sometimes cheaper to buy boxes of starters instead of boxes of boosters; each box of starters included 36 rares vs the 32 of a booster box.)  
 
In [[Battle of Helm's Deep]] and [[Ents of Fangorn]], Decipher did away with the random rares and instead included 3 predetermined rares, with the idea being to make sure that included rares went according to the theme of the starter deck (predetermined rares also saved printing costs, as it allowed the entire deck to come from one print sheet instead of two.) Fixed rares annoyed players, as it removed the incentive for veterans to purchase the decks, and it drastically reduced the value of the 6 rares affected in each set.  With [[The Return of the King]] Decipher reverted to the original random rare distribution for starter packs.
 
== Starter Rules Differences ==
The rules included in each [[Rulebooks#Starter_Rulebooks|Starter Rulebook]] were slightly different from the rules used in more standard formats, mostly to reduce the overall complexity and make one's first game go faster.  These differences include:
 
* Play ends at site 7 (instead of site 9)
* Players flip a coin to determine play order (instead of blind-[[bidding]] [[Burdens|burdens]])
* Decks only have ~50 cards in their draw deck (instead of the requisite 60 minimum)
* Decks sometimes have different numbers of [[Free Peoples]] and [[Shadow]] cards (instead of the required exactly even amount)
* Players may shuffle their discard pile into their deck once per game upon running out of cards in their draw deck (this rule has no analogue in normal play; once the deck runs out, that player continues play with no further cards)
 
All starter decks were built with these differences in mind, but with an eye on upgradability (and as a minor marketing enticement for players needing to pad these decks with a few extra cards to make them legal to use).  The starter rules in turn are tailored to typically only include the rules and rulings for cards included within starter packs.




== Deluxe Starter Sets ==
== Deluxe Starter Sets ==


For [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] and [[The Two Towers]], Decipher also released Deluxe starter sets, which besides including a starter deck also had booster packs from each set in that block as well as a card boxand glass tokens. Unlike other starter sets, Deluxe starters did not include starter-only cards. Due to the inclusion of boosters, a Deluxe Rulebook was included in lieu of the Starter Rulebook, to make sure that players would have access to all the rules if needed.  No Deluxe Starter Set was released for any other block.
For [[The Fellowship of the Ring]] and [[The Two Towers]], Decipher also released Deluxe starter sets, which besides including a starter deck also had booster packs from each set in that block as well as a card box and glass tokens (to use for [[Twilight Tokens]] and [[Wounds]]). Unlike other starter sets, Deluxe starters did not include starter-only cards. Due to the inclusion of boosters, a Deluxe Rulebook was included in lieu of the Starter Rulebook, to make sure that players would have access to all the rules if needed.  No Deluxe Starter Set was released for any other block.


== LOTRO Starter Decklists ==
== LOTRO Starter Decklists ==
Starter decks that were included in the [[Lord of the Rings Online TCG]] game client had their lists modified to make the decks tournament legal.  In most cases, this just meant adding more cards to the list, but in some cases in [[The Return of the King]] starters they also removed cards in a rebalancing attempt.  In one notable case, {{Card|Kill Them Now}} was removed from the [[Ents of Fangorn]] Faramir starter deck, as there aren't actually any [[Tracker]]s in that deck to use this card with (it was replaced with {{Card|Ferocity}}).
Starter decks that were included in the [[Lord of the Rings Online TCG]] game client had their lists modified to make the decks tournament legal.  In most cases, this just meant adding more cards to the list, but in some cases in [[The Return of the King]] starters they also removed cards in a rebalancing attempt.  In one notable case, {{Card|Kill Them Now}} was removed from the [[Ents of Fangorn]] Faramir starter deck, as there aren't actually any [[Tracker]]s in that deck to use this card with (it was replaced with {{Card|Ferocity}}).


==Gemp-LotR Starter Decks==
==GEMP Starter Decks==


Starter decks are used as part of the card pool in sealed deck leagues on [[Gemp-LotR]]. The official Decipher starter decks (listed below) are used in most of the leagues, but there are two leagues that use custom starter decks: one based around [[Towers Standard]] and another based around [[Movie Block]]. Decklists for those two leagues can be found at [[ts_sealed|Towers Standard Sealed]] and [[sealed-movie|Movie Block Sealed]], respectively.
Starter decks are used as part of the card pool in sealed deck leagues on [[GEMP]]. The official Decipher starter decks (listed below) are used in most of the leagues, but there are two leagues that use custom starter decks: one based around [[Towers Standard]] and another based around [[Movie Block]]. Decklists for those two leagues can be found at [[TS_Sealed|Towers Standard Sealed]] and [[Movie Block Sealed]], respectively.


==Starter Deck Lists==
==Starter Deck Lists==

Latest revision as of 05:17, 25 January 2023

Starter Decks are ready-made simple decks that are intended to be easy enough for brand-new players to pick up and play. Each set typically had two starter decks, each one focusing on different cultures and strategies, so one could conceivably purchase both with a friend and get a good taste of what the game as a whole had to offer.

Starter decks were also used in Sealed formats as a foundation for deckbuilding to be supplemented by other random cards, meaning that starter decks tended towards generic flexibility rather than fine-tuned specialization.

To offset the fact that veteran players would not need an introduction to the game, Decipher included 2 exclusive nonfoil P-rarity cards in each starter pack that were not obtainable in booster packs. Also, for most sets, Decipher packed 3 random rares with each starter deck, giving collectors additional reason to purchase them (it was sometimes cheaper to buy boxes of starters instead of boxes of boosters; each box of starters included 36 rares vs the 32 of a booster box.)

In Battle of Helm's Deep and Ents of Fangorn, Decipher did away with the random rares and instead included 3 predetermined rares, with the idea being to make sure that included rares went according to the theme of the starter deck (predetermined rares also saved printing costs, as it allowed the entire deck to come from one print sheet instead of two.) Fixed rares annoyed players, as it removed the incentive for veterans to purchase the decks, and it drastically reduced the value of the 6 rares affected in each set. With The Return of the King Decipher reverted to the original random rare distribution for starter packs.

Starter Rules Differences[edit]

The rules included in each Starter Rulebook were slightly different from the rules used in more standard formats, mostly to reduce the overall complexity and make one's first game go faster. These differences include:

  • Play ends at site 7 (instead of site 9)
  • Players flip a coin to determine play order (instead of blind-bidding burdens)
  • Decks only have ~50 cards in their draw deck (instead of the requisite 60 minimum)
  • Decks sometimes have different numbers of Free Peoples and Shadow cards (instead of the required exactly even amount)
  • Players may shuffle their discard pile into their deck once per game upon running out of cards in their draw deck (this rule has no analogue in normal play; once the deck runs out, that player continues play with no further cards)

All starter decks were built with these differences in mind, but with an eye on upgradability (and as a minor marketing enticement for players needing to pad these decks with a few extra cards to make them legal to use). The starter rules in turn are tailored to typically only include the rules and rulings for cards included within starter packs.


Deluxe Starter Sets[edit]

For The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, Decipher also released Deluxe starter sets, which besides including a starter deck also had booster packs from each set in that block as well as a card box and glass tokens (to use for Twilight Tokens and Wounds). Unlike other starter sets, Deluxe starters did not include starter-only cards. Due to the inclusion of boosters, a Deluxe Rulebook was included in lieu of the Starter Rulebook, to make sure that players would have access to all the rules if needed. No Deluxe Starter Set was released for any other block.

LOTRO Starter Decklists[edit]

Starter decks that were included in the Lord of the Rings Online TCG game client had their lists modified to make the decks tournament legal. In most cases, this just meant adding more cards to the list, but in some cases in The Return of the King starters they also removed cards in a rebalancing attempt. In one notable case, Kill Them Now (4C156) was removed from the Ents of Fangorn Faramir starter deck, as there aren't actually any Trackers in that deck to use this card with (it was replaced with Ferocity (4C151) ).

GEMP Starter Decks[edit]

Starter decks are used as part of the card pool in sealed deck leagues on GEMP. The official Decipher starter decks (listed below) are used in most of the leagues, but there are two leagues that use custom starter decks: one based around Towers Standard and another based around Movie Block. Decklists for those two leagues can be found at Towers Standard Sealed and Movie Block Sealed, respectively.

Starter Deck Lists[edit]

As the starter deck lists are too large to all include on a single page, they have been divided up on a page per block. It should be reasonable to pit any deck from a given block against any other deck within that block, though it's usually best to pit them against their mate within the same set.

The decklists below indicate the actual cards that were included with each physical box, warts and all. Any alterations made by the corresponding LOTRO list are indicated with strikethrough for removals and bold for additions (in their own section at the end).


Physical Products
Card Product Booster Packs
The Fellowship of the RingMines of MoriaRealms of the Elf-lords
The Two TowersBattle of Helm's DeepEnts of Fangorn
Return of the KingSiege of GondorMount Doom
Reflections
ShadowsBlack RiderBloodlines
The HuntersRise of SarumanTreachery & Deceit
Starter Decks The Fellowship of the RingMines of MoriaRealms of the Elf-lords
The Two TowersBattle of Helm's DeepEnts of Fangorn
Return of the KingSiege of GondorMount Doom
ShadowsBlack RiderBloodlines
The HuntersRise of Saruman
Deluxe Starter Sets The Fellowship of the RingThe Two Towers
Draft Packs Fellowship Draft PackTowers Draft PackExpanded Middle-earth
Card Variants Print Runs (First Edition, A Revision, B Revision, Duplicate Version) • ReprintsFoilTengwarLegends (RF)Legends Masterworks
Tengwar Anthologies The Fellowship of the Ring AnthologyThe Two Towers AnthologyThe Return of the King AnthologyThe War of the Ring Anthology
Complete Packs The Nine Riders CollectionThe Wraith CollectionAge's End
Prizes League KitsDGMA PrizesTournament Prize SupportTournament Foils
Promo Distribution Oversized CardsMagazine InsertsDVD InsertsRetail Reward IncentivesEvent PromosThe Countdown CollectionThe Weta CollectionLOTRO Promos
Other Two-Player QuickStart SetRace to Mount DoomWeta Book CardsProduct Box CountsUncut SheetsSpacer CardsCustomizable League CardsHunters Design-a-Card Contest
Unreleased Beta Cards Of Very Little Importance (Beta)Fortune of Fate (Beta)Always a Baggins in Bag End (Beta)Maiden of the Golden Ale (Beta)Ripples in the Pool (Beta)Of Very Little Importance (Beta)It's the Beard (Beta)There are NO Dwarven Women! (Beta)
Non-card Product Merchandise HatsT-shirtsPinsPostersPostcardsBindersAd SpotsDice
Magazines Scrye MagazineInQuest MagazineFan Club Official Movie Magazine

Scrye TTT Player's GuideScrye ROTK Player's Guide

Unreleased Merch 2002 Toy Fair CalendarFilm Cell CardsOfficial Signed Cards
New Line Fax Proofs Lithograph ProofsBalrog Promo ProofMines of Moria Booster Pack ProofsMines of Moria Card ProofsMines of Moria Packaging ProofsMines of Moria Poster ProofToy Fair Calendar ProposalMines of Moria Sell Sheet ProofRealms of the Elf-lords Promo ProofsFilm Cell Card Proposal