X-List

An Exclusion List, or X-List, is any list for a format which defines cards that are banned and cannot be included for decks to be legal in that format. This extends to alternate prints of a given card; many cards had Promotional card previews or reprints, and these carbon-copies are always disallowed automatically as well.

The first X-List was created by Decipher on 25 March 2003 following the release of Battle of Helm's Deep due to the excessive use of the same repeated cards from Fellowship Block even after the release of The Two Towers. The cards on this list were prohibited from being played in decks because they were deemed by Decipher to be over-powered, under-costed, or lacking cultural enforcement. The X-list underwent a regular review by the DGMA every three months (March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31). Cards were added and removed to the list as warranted.

After the introduction of set rotation on 25 March 2005 when Black Rider cards became tournament legal and Expanded Format was created as an official format by Decipher, the Expanded format X- and R-Lists were also created. The cards that were on the Standard Format Exclusion list were voted upon by players, master players and Decipher playtesters for inclusion on either the initial Expanded Format X- or R-List. The results were announced on March 22, 2005.

Cards on the Standard Format Exclusion List

Cards that were on the Standard Format Exclusion list included:

Card Name	Date Added	Date Removed	Notes
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell (1R40)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Galadriel, Lady of Light (1R45)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Ottar, Man of Laketown (1R80)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
No Stranger to the Shadows (1U108)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Savagery to Match Their Numbers (1R139)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Úlairë Nertëa, Messenger of Dol Guldur (1U234)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Forces of Mordor (1C248)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Sting (1R313)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Flaming Brand (2R32)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Filibert Bolger, Wily Rascal (2C101)	March 25, 2003	May 4, 2004	Removed when it was ruled that Ringbearer skirmishes could not be cancelled
O Elbereth! Gilthoniel! (2R108)	March 25, 2003	May 4, 2004	Removed when it was ruled that Ringbearer skirmishes could not be cancelled
Aragorn, Heir to the White City (3R38)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Horn of Boromir (3R42)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Saruman, Keeper of Isengard (3R68)	March 25, 2003	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Uruk Regular (4C192)	March 25, 2003	January 12, 2004	Removed after Deep of Helm was no longer on the site path.
Relics of Moria (1R195)	January 12, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added to take some power away from Moria once RotK was released. Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
The Palantír of Orthanc (3R67)	January 12, 2004	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Frying Pan (3C108)	January 12, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added as a counter to removing Relics of MoriaRemoved when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Bill the Pony (3U106)	January 12, 2004	March 25, 2005	Removed when Fellowship Block Rotated out of Standard Format
Steadfast Champion (7U49)	July 6, 2004		Added due to interactions with Treebeard, Keeper of the Watchwood
Gondorian Captain (7C96)	July 6, 2004	November 10, 2004	Added due to interactions with Base of Mindolluin, removed when Shadows Sites became legal
Aggression (8C1)	July 6, 2004		Added due to being under-costed
Mordor Fiend (10C91)	July 15, 2004		Added the day after the set released, before he would have been legal to use in a deck.
Memories of Darkness (10U2)	August 3, 2004
Saruman's Snows (1C138)	Prior to November 3, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced
Bill Ferny, Swarthy Sneering Fellow (2R75)	Prior to November 3, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced
Sam, Son of Hamfast (1C311)	Prior to November 3, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced
A Talent for Not Being Seen (1U316)	Prior to November 3, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced
Gimli, Dwarf of the Mountain-race (2P121)	Prior to November 3, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced. Deemed to be abusive with the focus on site path introduced in Shadows
Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood (3R17)	Prior to November 3, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced. Granted easy site path manipulation without cultural enforcement
The Shire Countryside (3R113)	Prior to November 3, 2004	March 25, 2005	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced
Legolas, Dauntless Hunter (4R73)	Prior to November 3, 2004	June 9, 2006	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced. Abusive with the new unbound hobbits released in Shadows
Fortress Never Fallen (4U276)	Prior to November 3, 2004	June 9, 2006	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced
Get On and Get Away (4R304)	Prior to November 3, 2004	June 9, 2006	Added prior to Shadows Release date before rotation was introduced. Provided too much site path manipulation.
Galadriel, Lady Redeemed (10R11)	January 18, 2005
Final Account (11C31)	January 18, 2005
Demoralized (11U114)	Prior to May 22, 2006
Courtyard Parapet (13U188)	January 29, 2007
Madril, Defender of Osgiliath (15R64)	January 29, 2007
Strange-looking Men (11R100)	August 13, 2007
Orkish Smith (11C132)	August 13, 2007

Cards on the Expanded Format Exclusion List

^| Card Name | Date Added |^ ^| Galadriel, Lady of Light | March 25, 2005|^ ^| Saruman's Snows | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Ulaire Nertea, Messenger of Dol Guldur | March 25, 2005|^ ^| A Talent for Not Being Seen | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Sam, Son of Hamfast | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Sting | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Gimli, Dwarf of the Mountain Race | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Aragorn, Heir to the White City | March 25, 2005|^ ^| Horn of Boromir | March 25, 2005|^ ^| Saruman, Keeper of Isengard | March 25, 2005|^ ^| The Palantir of Orthanc | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Frying Pan | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| The Shire Countryside | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Legolas, Dauntless Hunter | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Steadfast Champion | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Aggression | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Memories of Darkness | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Galadriel, Lady Redeemed | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Mordor Fiend | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Final Account | March 25, 2005 |^ ^| Strange Looking Men | August 13, 2007 |^ ^| Orkish Smith | August 13, 2007 |^

Links and Resources

• [First Standard Format Exclusion List (X-List)]

[designers explain why cards wound up on the first X-List]

• [designer quoted explaining why cards wound up on the Shadows X-List]

[Fiend X-Listing update]

• [Format X-/R-List voting announcment]

[Format X-/R-List announcement]

Game Concepts

Play Area
Piles	Draw Deck	Adventure Deck	Discard Pile	Dead Pile
Other	Fellowship	Support Area	Twilight Pool	Adventure Path

The Turn Sequence
Fellowship Phase	Shadow Phase	Maneuver Phase	Archery Phase	Assignment Phase	Skirmish Phase