When Decipher introduced rotation for the Standard format in March 2005, they also created a new format that would continue to allow all sets and use sites from the current block just as Standard had done in the past. Expanded, it was called, was intended to truly be the players' format: upon its creation, a poll was held to determine which of the Standard X-listed cards would remain banned and which would be moved to the new R-list and be allowed one copy in a deck. Votes from the general public, high-ranking competitive players, and Decipher test circles were grouped, and the unweighted average of each group together determined the result. Decipher vowed to evaluate the health of Expanded with Standard and hold similar community polls whenever a card was banned in Standard.
Expanded has always been the format with the largest card pool and is popular for its relative freedom to create. It suffered along with the rest of the game as the quality of each new set fell. Even worse, the X- and R-lists of Expanded remained unchanged when Demoralized (11U114)
, Courtyard Parapet (13U188)
, and Madril, Defender of Osgiliath (15R64)
were banned in Standard despite Decipher's original commitment. It nevertheless remained popular, and today Expanded is the third-most played format on GEMP. Decklists can be found in this subforum of TLHH.
X- and R-List[edit]
Expanded is the only official format to have both an X-list and an R-list. The end result of the community votes are listed below; the majority opinion in the "Final Result" column determined which list the card belongs to.
| Card
|
General Public
|
|
Master Players
|
|
Playtesters
|
|
Final Result
|
| X-list
|
R-list
|
X-list
|
R-list
|
X-list
|
R-list
|
X-list
|
R-list
|
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell (1R40)
|
47% |
53% |
|
31% |
69% |
|
43% |
57% |
|
40% |
60%
|
Galadriel, Lady of Light (1R45)
|
84% |
16% |
|
70% |
30% |
|
89% |
11% |
|
81% |
19%
|
Ottar, Man of Laketown (1R80)
|
22% |
78% |
|
28% |
72% |
|
26% |
74% |
|
25% |
75%
|
No Stranger to the Shadows (1U108)
|
35% |
65% |
|
44% |
56% |
|
41% |
59% |
|
40% |
60%
|
Saruman's Snows (1C138)
|
38% |
62% |
|
64% |
36% |
|
68% |
32% |
|
57% |
43%
|
Savagery to Match Their Numbers (1R139)
|
26% |
74% |
|
17% |
83% |
|
26% |
74% |
|
23% |
77%
|
Relics of Moria (1R195)
|
41% |
59% |
|
32% |
68% |
|
38% |
62% |
|
37% |
63%
|
Úlairë Nertëa, Messenger of Dol Guldur (1U234)
|
61% |
39% |
|
58% |
42% |
|
74% |
26% |
|
64% |
36%
|
Forces of Mordor (1C248)
|
44% |
56% |
|
44% |
56% |
|
47% |
53% |
|
45% |
55%
|
Sam, Son of Hamfast (1C311)
|
79% |
21% |
|
75% |
25% |
|
68% |
32% |
|
74% |
26%
|
Sting (1R313)
|
37% |
63% |
|
67% |
33% |
|
77% |
23% |
|
60% |
40%
|
A Talent for Not Being Seen (1U316)
|
49% |
51% |
|
60% |
40% |
|
47% |
53% |
|
52% |
48%
|
Flaming Brand (2R32)
|
18% |
82% |
|
34% |
66% |
|
26% |
74% |
|
26% |
74%
|
Bill Ferny, Swarthy Sneering Fellow (2R75)
|
38% |
62% |
|
42% |
58% |
|
29% |
71% |
|
36% |
64%
|
Gimli, Dwarf of the Mountain-race (2P121)
|
70% |
30% |
|
82% |
18% |
|
82% |
18% |
|
78% |
22%
|
Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood (3R17)
|
62% |
38% |
|
62% |
38% |
|
60% |
40% |
|
61% |
39%
|
Aragorn, Heir to the White City (3R38)
|
74% |
26% |
|
79% |
21% |
|
88% |
12% |
|
80% |
20%
|
Horn of Boromir (3R42)
|
62% |
38% |
|
65% |
35% |
|
79% |
21% |
|
69% |
31%
|
The Palantír of Orthanc (3R67)
|
81% |
19% |
|
74% |
26% |
|
91% |
9% |
|
82% |
18%
|
Saruman, Keeper of Isengard (3R68)
|
54% |
46% |
|
58% |
42% |
|
60% |
40% |
|
57% |
43%
|
Bill the Pony (3U106)
|
33% |
67% |
|
41% |
59% |
|
40% |
60% |
|
38% |
62%
|
Frying Pan (3C108)
|
44% |
56% |
|
86% |
16% |
|
65% |
35% |
|
65% |
36%
|
The Shire Countryside (3R113)
|
59% |
41% |
|
64% |
36% |
|
62% |
38% |
|
62% |
38%
|
Legolas, Dauntless Hunter (4R73)
|
81% |
19% |
|
82% |
18% |
|
97% |
3% |
|
87% |
13%
|
Fortress Never Fallen (4U276)
|
25% |
75% |
|
16% |
84% |
|
15% |
85% |
|
19% |
81%
|
Get On and Get Away (4R304)
|
33% |
67% |
|
36% |
64% |
|
26% |
74% |
|
32% |
68%
|
Steadfast Champion (7U49)
|
83% |
17% |
|
96% |
4% |
|
79% |
21% |
|
86% |
14%
|
Aggression (8C1)
|
43% |
57% |
|
58% |
42% |
|
50% |
50% |
|
50% |
50%
|
Memories of Darkness (10U2)
|
78% |
22% |
|
90% |
10% |
|
79% |
21% |
|
82% |
18%
|
Galadriel, Lady Redeemed (10R11)
|
78% |
22% |
|
92% |
8% |
|
89% |
11% |
|
86% |
14%
|
Mordor Fiend (10C91)
|
87% |
13% |
|
89% |
11% |
|
71% |
29% |
|
82% |
18%
|
Final Account (11C31)
|
50% |
50% |
|
56% |
44% |
|
68% |
32% |
|
58% |
42%
|
Strange-looking Men (11R100)
|
Added to the X-list in the last CRD without a vote
|
Orkish Smith (11C132)
|
Added to the X-list in the last CRD without a vote
|
See Also[edit]
