Goblin Scrabbler (2C64)
 Goblin Reinforcements (2C63)
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Goblin Spearman (2C65) 
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Goblin Scrabbler (2C64) is a 
Moria Minion from the Mines of Moria set. It is one of many cards built on the enmity between Orcs and Elves, with a close counterpart in Goblin Warrior (1C185)
which highlights the specific conflict between Moria and Dwarves.
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Strategy[edit]
Gameplay Strategy[edit]
Goblin Scrabbler is among the weakest minions in the game, able to lose a skirmish to a Hobbit bearing a sword. Moria recursion such as Host of Thousands (1C187)
and They Are Coming (1C196)
tends to make filler minions unnecessary, so his value depends entirely on how many 
Elven conditions you expect to face and how badly you want to get rid of them. Unfortunately most of the power in an Elven support area comes from allies, especially Rúmil, Elven Protector (1U57)
with Galadriel, Lady of Light (1R45)
and Celeborn, Lord of Lorien (1R34)
, but there are still some cards worth discarding based on the focus of the deck.
Swarm decks will include this minion to target the same conditions that any other Shadow deck would. Far-seeing Eyes (1C43)
and The White Arrows of Lórien (1C68)
tend to be powerful swarm-busters, preventing a player from ever having enough minions in hand to attempt a swarm. On top of that, many players consider them flat out annoying. The Tale of Gil-galad (1R66)
is often played on Legolas, Greenleaf (1R50)
and will enable him to remove up to 3 minions. In Movie Block, Glimpse of Fate (10U12)
essentially nullifies a minion. In Expanded, Namárië (17U10)
will wipe out a support area and the occasional Spied From Afar (15R24)
diminishes the impact of Goblin Armory (1R173)
. All of these conditions will hinder a Shadow side from accumulating a critical mass of minions. Goblin Scimitar (1C180)
should be played on the Scrabbler first (unless a minion needs to die to archery fire), as 4 strength makes it most likely to come up short of overwhelming a companion even when the Shadow player gets to assign it.
Archery decks will have to prioritize healing conditions above those, though in Fellowship block they are are unconventional picks for mainstream Elven decks. Hosts of the Last Alliance (2U18)
is the most obvious target when it appears and Shoulder to Shoulder (1C59)
is another problem card, shuttling wounds from companions to allies and then healing them away next turn. An adventurous player using Moria Archery in Movie Block will also want to get rid of Shadow Between (7R28)
, though the deck is far weaker in this format (and weaker still in later ones) compared to other archery alternatives.
Beatdown decks will want to take out the same healing as above eventually, but The Last Alliance of Elves and Men (1R49)
takes the top priority spot as it makes Aragorn and Boromir impossible to overwhelm. With swords and Flaming Brand (2R32)
, they can be just one event away from winning a skirmish against Cave Troll of Moria, Scourge of the Black Pit (1R165)
, the main attraction for the deck. Elf/Man decks are less common outside of Fellowship Block, but when they appear Faramir, Son of Denethor (4C117)
is a big impediment to Moria Axe (1R190)
and Last Alliance gives him enough strength to win skirmishes or even just avoid being overwhelmed.
The secondary part of his text is almost always inconsequential, since shadow numbers are low at 2 and 3 anyway. However, it is possible to use the roaming penalty reduction and swarm the Free Peoples at site 2 -- flooding the pool is usually safe at this point of the game, so there is little need for caution. As this is highly situational it is rarely a thought when deckbuilding, but occasionally luck will provide a Scrabbler in the starting hand. 3-4 other minions (especially Goblin Runner (1U178)
or Moria Scout (1C191)
against an Elf deck) is often all that is needed to score a win, or at least heavily cripple the opponent by forcing Sam to take the ring or killing a supporting companion early. This is easiest to do in Fellowship Block, when Frodo is likely to start with only 4 strength and many decks will play only Aragorn in the starting fellowship if site 1 isn't The Prancing Pony (1U324)
. Breeland Forest (1U329)
is an absolute must here, which isn't hard to fit since no site 2 particularly benefits Moria. The One Ring, Answer To All Riddles (4R1)
bumps Frodo up to 5 base strength (enough to take on the Scrabbler and another Orc), making this more difficult in Towers Standard. In Movie Block and later, the high strength of alternate Ring-bearers are essentially impossible to overcome.
Deckbuilding Strategy[edit]
Moria decks only have this minion and Goblin Warrior (1C185)
as choices for minion discarding, and its reliance on conditions makes them poor candidates for a splashed Saruman's Power (1U136)
. Because Moria has access to some of the best recursion in the game, this minion is typically just included to harass Elven Free Peoples before a swarm can be properly assembled. Outside of the conditions mentioned above, most aren't terribly high impact. If Elves are particularly common or one of their conditions is a thorn in your side, 2 copies is often enough - even in a fairly large deck - to get one in your discard pile before long and replay as needed. Otherwise, just having 1 copy as an option in the toolkit is sufficient. Moria Scout (1C191)
is more versatile Elf hate, able to overwhelm an unarmed Hobbit and take an archery wound while playing for free, and is prioritized for deck space most of the time.
If going for a site 2 or 3 kill in Fellowship block, it can pay to have 4 copies. You'll want your minion side to be abnormally minion heavy, which will mean fewer copies of supporting conditions and perhaps even Goblin Scimitar (1C180)
. If you're not able to draw the right cards (or worse, your opponent repels the swarm) at the start then along with having lower strength minions you'll also have a less threatening support area as the game progresses. Breeland Forest (1U329)
may bite your own Free Peoples as well. This portion of Goblin Scrabbler's text is better left as a happy incidental than a strategy -- proceed at your own risk.
Strengths and Weaknesses[edit]
Synergizes With...[edit]
- Goblin Scimitar (1C180)
, to make him a worthwhile addition to a swarm
- Breeland Forest (1U329)
, to score the unexpected site 2 kill
Strong Versus...[edit]
- Conditions which stop a Shadow side from accomplishing its task:
- Swarms - Far-seeing Eyes (1C43)
, The White Arrows of Lórien (1C68)
, The Tale of Gil-galad (1R66)
, Glimpse of Fate (10U12)
, Namárië (17U10)
, Spied From Afar (15R24)
- Archery - Shoulder to Shoulder (1C59)
, Hosts of the Last Alliance (2U18)
, Shadow Between (7R28)
- Beatdown - The Last Alliance of Elves and Men (1R49)
, Glimpse of Fate (10U12)
, Hosts of the Last Alliance (2U18)
, Shadow Between (7R28)
- Swarms - Far-seeing Eyes (1C43)
- On rare occasion, lots of twilight added at site 1 without adding strength for the Ring-bearer
Weak Versus...[edit]
- It is the weakest Moria minion, which can end up a liability and make the entire swarm 1 strength short of accomplishing anything
