Frodo's Pipe (3U107)
 Bill the Pony (3U106)
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Frying Pan (3C108) 
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Frodo's Pipe (3U107) is a 
Shire Possession from the Realms of the Elf-Lords set.
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Strategy[edit]
Gameplay Strategy[edit]
In many ways it is the complement of Aragorn’s Pipe (1U91)
, putting massive healing on a single companion rather than healing several companions once. Pipeweed decks typically include 2-3 Shire pipes and either Aragorn's Pipe or Gandalf’s Pipe (1U74)
- often both - so it will reliably heal a staggering 3-5 wounds, far more than most companions need. Using it to heal just two wounds is typically less efficient than spending an extra pipeweed to use Aragorn's Pipe twice to heal several companions (regardless of signet). If there are many companions with the Frodo signet it is, perhaps unexpectedly, still less efficient than Aragorn's Pipe much of the time -- needing to heal two companions three times happens less often than needing to heal three companions twice. However, it's still a good fallback should an opponent discard Aragorn's Pipe. Gandalf’s Pipe (1U74)
outdoes them both with The Shire Countryside (3R113)
, though this makes Sleep, Caradhras (1C84)
much harder to benefit from (and makes the deck very susceptible to Saruman's Power (1U136)
by the same token).
This leaves a very particular circumstance for Frodo's Pipe to shine: healing many wounds off of one companion without necessarily needing to heal anyone else (or there's no room for any 
Gondor companions). There are a number of possibilities for this, the most obvious ones are listed in the Strengths and Weaknesses section below.
In Fellowship Block, pipe-based strategies are largely untouchable -- a pipeweed deck only really has to fear Isengard Smith (3U60)
. Towers' 
Dunland can threaten a pipeweed deck by getting rid of the pipes with War Club (4U36)
or Dunlending Pillager (4U13)
, although decks built around Frodo's Pipe in particular are often able to handle troublesome Dunland minions. While Úlairë Cantëa, Faster Than Winds (7R211)
opens up targeted possession discarding in Return of the King, the costs associated make it difficult to do this repeatedly and the pipes are often kept safe by Shadow players prioritizing weapons. This all changes in Siege of Gondor, where Corsairs make quick work of all possession-based strategies thanks to Corsair Marauder (8R57)
and Ships of Great Draught (8R65)
. This largely confines pipeweed decks to Fellowship Block, Towers Standard, and King Standard.
Deckbuilding Strategy[edit]
While Old Toby (1C305)
and Longbottom Leaf (1C300)
provide plenty of cycling to a pipeweed deck, space is still limited: pipes and pipeweed will add 10 or more cards to a deck on their own. Since all pipes are unique, players are left with a deckbuilding conundrum: with too few distinct pipes, you'll often have to burn through pipeweed too quickly at the start of the game and may run out before the end; with too many, you'll wind up drawing redundant pipes instead of more helpful cards. Duplicates of the most important pipes are a good idea to make sure they appear when they're needed, but too many will keep the other pipes stuck in the deck for a longer time. Typically, the solution is to pick the 2-3 most important pipes for two copies and then another 1-2 pipes at one copy each to support them.
How Frodo's Pipe competes for space depends on the deck. If the strategy hinges on a single companion with the Frodo signet, it may take top priority with two or even three copies. Otherwise, decks with Gondor companions will typically get more out of Aragorn’s Pipe (1U91)
, and if the Frodo signet is only on unimportant companions it jockeys with Bilbo's Pipe (1U285)
for least-most important pipe depending on whether there are any tales worth recycling. A deck with Gimli and no Frodo signets may still value Frodo's pipe above Gimli's Pipe (3U2)
, which is seldom of any more use. The other Shire pipes may be borne by Hobbit allies who are less likely to be killed than Gimli, while Frodo's Pipe is safest of all on the Ring-bearer.
Strengths and Weaknesses[edit]
Synergizes With...[edit]
Obviously any companion with the Frodo signet can benefit from Frodo's Pipe, but most of them don't need or can't use all the healing it provides. So which companions make the best targets?
- Gandalf, Friend of the Shirefolk (1R72)
is the only Gandalf with the Frodo signet. Even if you can't get much out of his text, his high vitality is constantly stressed by both skirmishing and exerting for effects such as Sleep, Caradhras (1C84)
or Trust Me as You Once Did (3U35)
, which makes him a solid choice in a deck using Frodo's Pipe. He's also often played with Gandalf's Staff (2R22)
and Narya (3R34)
, which would make him one of few companions capable of taking 5 wounds without dying. - Aragorn, Heir to the White City (3R38)
is also a good bet, namely to allow maximal usage of Aragorn’s Bow (1R90)
. He is only an option in Fellowship block though, banned shortly afterwards. - Merry, Friend to Sam (1R302)
is appealing when he bears Escape (4R300)
, the healing will allow him to use his ability twice per turn. When he doesn't, one wound is often all he really needs to recover between sanctuaries which makes Aragorn's Pipe preferable - Armed with Sting, Baggins Heirloom (5R116)
and The One Ring, Answer To All Riddles (4R1)
, Frodo, Son of Drogo (1C290)
and Frodo, Courteous Halfling (4R301)
are able to greatly benefit from his own pipe to keep Smeagol (particularly Sméagol, Slinker (5R29)
in fighting shape. - Legolas, Greenleaf (1R50)
is able to take advantage of the healing, though unless Aragorn's Pipe is not yet in play or he bears The Tale of Gil-galad (1R66)
it often sub-optimal.
Strong Versus...[edit]
- Wounding strategies of all stripes -- even cards like Hate (1R250)
typically rely on some indirect wounding to soften companions first, and Frodo's Pipe naturally encourages the Free Peoples player to place wounds on high vitality companions who can stay out just out of striking distance - Beatdown decks, which aim to hound the Free People's key companions until they can't risk skirmishing
Weak Versus...[edit]
- Possession discarding such as Corsair Marauder (8R57)
, which can heavily cripple a Free Peoples strategy that depends on the healing from Frodo's Pipe until another copy is drawn
See Also[edit]
Decks[edit]
Towers Standard Pipeweed by ket_the_jet
- Ring-bearer: Frodo, Reluctant Adventurer (2C102)
- Ring: The One Ring, Answer To All Riddles (4R1)
Free Peoples Draw Deck (37 cards):
- 1x Faramir, Son of Denethor (4C117)
(Starting) - 1x Merry, Friend to Sam (1R302)
(Starting)
- 1x Sméagol, Slinker (5R29)
(Starting)
- 4x Gandalf, The Grey Pilgrim (2P122)
- 1x Albert Dreary, Entertainer From Bree (1R69)
- 1x Bounder (1C286)
- 2x Gandalf’s Pipe (1U74)
- 1x Glamdring (1R75)
- 2x Aragorn’s Pipe (1U91)
- 1x Armor (1C92)
- 1x Faramir's Bow (4R118)
- 1x Sword of Gondor (4C134)
- 2x Frodo's Pipe (3U107)
- 1x Hobbit Sword (1C299)
- 2x Longbottom Leaf (1C300)
- 4x Old Toby (1C305)
- 2x Sting, Baggins Heirloom (5R116)
- 1x The Gaffer's Pipe (1U292)
- 1x Gandalf's Staff (2R22)
- 1x Narya (3R34)
- 1x Mithril-coat (2R105)
- 4x The Shire Countryside (3R113)
- 1x There and Back Again (1C317)
