Cycling

From LOTR-TCG Wiki

For the game design concept of creating batches of similar cards, see Cycle

Cycling is an informal game term. You cycle well by efficiently playing all of the cards in your hand, or else discarding them, so you draw more cards each time you reconcile in the Regroup Phase. There are several approaches to doing so, some of which are also referred to as "cycling" in the specific case.

The main way to cycle well is to only include cards that you'll always want to play, and make sure you're playing as many Shadow cards as you can in each Shadow Phase. Moria is often considered a cycling Shadow culture, because it plays many cheap minions and conditions, and recurs Goblin Scimitar (1C180) to draw many extra cards on top of that over the course of a game. If one side of your deck cycles well, it benefits the other side, too, because it means you can more quickly find key cards in your deck before they are needed. Cards that draw more cards, such as Delving (1C6) , are not generally called cycle cards, although they do help a deck cycle better.

Cycling can also refer to the specific act of removing cards from your hand in order to draw more. This can include cards that discard cards at the same time as drawing them, like Ottar, Man of Laketown (1R80) or cards with Muster. Because discarded cards are replaced in each reconcile, this can also mean intentionally discarding cards for a different benefit without immediately replacing them, as with a card like Gwemegil (1R47) , or cards like The Shards of Narsil (3R44) that serve as long-term storage for cards you don't need right now. It can also mean playing cards that are useless just to get them out of your hand, like playing Too Great and Terrible (3R85) even when Gandalf isn't in play. Card discard can be beneficial in this way, as long as you are only discarding cards you have no current use for, or cards like that benefit you more in the Discard Pile than in your hand.

Cycling is the opposite of, and solution to, Hand Clog.


Gameplay
Game Setup Starting FellowshipBiddingMulligan
Deck Building Considerations UniquenessX-ListR-ListErrataFormat
General Strategies BeatdownBombCorruptionHand ExtensionRun/StopSkirmish CancellationSwarmWin ConditionWound PreventionWounding
Deck Archetypes Auto-Corruption BombBeasterlingsBerserkersBouncing HobbitsElventsForestgulsHobbit HospitalFruit LoopsGondor KnightsGondor RangersGondor WraithsMoria ArcheryMoria BeatdownMoria NavyMoria SwarmMoria TentaclesNazgul BeatdownNinja GollumOrc CorruptionRainbow WoundingSauron GrindSauron InitiativeSauron RoamingSauron ThreatsSolo SmeagolSouthron ArcherySouthron InitiativeStupid SwarmSuper FriendsTelepathyThreatgulsToken TanksTroll SwarmUruk ArcheryUruk MachinesUruk TrackersWarg Super Swarm
Rules Rule of 4Rule of 9
Mechanics BearDiscardDraw DeckExertExhaustedFellowshipInitiativeIn Play/Leave PlayMove LimitReconcileRoamingSite ControlSpotStackSupport AreaThreats
Gameplay Terms BoatBodyBroken/NPE/OPBuff/NerfChokeComboCultural EnforcementCyclingDead DrawFetchFilterFloodGrindHand ClogHateInteractionItemLoopMatchupMetaMillNewbie TrapPilePower CreepPumpRainbowRecursionRemovalResourceRogueRule of 6SideSite ManipulationSpeed BumpSplashSubcultureTankOther Terms