A Promise (2R112)
 Practically Everyone Was Invited (2U111)
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Red Book of Westmarch (2R113) 
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A Promise (2R112) is a 
Shire Condition from the Mines of Moria set. It is one of a handful of Fellowship Block cards reprinted in War of the Ring Block, making it legal in the Standard tournament format for the entire lifespan of the game.
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Strategy[edit]
Gameplay Strategy[edit]
Frodo has high vitality but low strength, which is a problem for a Ring-bearer: even a modest minion can overwhelm him if he has only The One Ring at his disposal, and two minions of almost any sort are a sure kill. This is a core problem for the Free Peoples and making sure that there aren't more minions than the Ring-bearer can handle is what the game boils down to. Sam is a possible solution, able to take the Ring should Frodo die. Unfortunately, he himself is even easier to overwhelm since he doesn't start with The Ring, so swarms are can simply go for him first or even overwhelm them both. A Promise covers these weaknesses, turning two members of the weakest race in the game into characters which can not only survive a multitude of skirmishes but even win some of them.
Alongside overwhelm protection such as Bounder (1C286)
, Frodo and Sam can be virtually impossible to overwhelm -- but not impossible to kill. Since the strength bonus goes away once either one of them becomes exhausted, having some sort of healing is crucial for A Promise decks. Frodo can bear Mithril-coat (2R105)
and (depending on which version of The One Ring is chosen) usually turn wounds into burdens at will, so Sam is often the weakest link. Rosie Cotton, Hobbiton Lass (1U309)
and The Gaffer, Sam's Father (1R291)
are both obvious choices, with or without any other support such as Frodo, Old Bilbo's Heir (1R289)
or Hobbiton Party Guest
. Hobbit Appetite (1C294)
, while expensive, can bring one of them back from the brink and undo everything the Shadow player has accomplished over several sites. Sam, Resolute Halfling (7R327)
can be kept fully healed almost trivially, and with Frodo, Son of Drogo (1C290)
the pair of them are all they need to stay healthy.
If Frodo is able to skirmish without fear, there is less need for other companions to cover him. This makes A Promise a natural fit for a choke deck. While it's possible to win games with only Frodo and Sam, most players will use all 4 twilight for the starting fellowship for a bit of breathing room, especially towards the start when there's no telling when the first copies of A Promise might be drawn. Merry and Pippin are commonly chosen to maximize the benefit of A Talent for Not Being Seen (1U316)
, a card which already make sense to include anyway. Perhaps surprisingly, Gimli is also a good choice thanks to 
Dwarven choke tactics (namely free possessions) and his skirmishing capabilities. In Fellowship Block Green Dragon Inn (1U322)
allows the widest variety of starting fellowships, and in Towers Standard Eastemnet Gullies (4U325)
enables Sam and A Promise to fit nicely into a Legolas, Dauntless Hunter (4R73)
deck.
Of course, A Promise isn't perfect -- Shadow sides of all sorts have conditions they fear and typically pack some condition removal for them. A Free Peoples that relies only on A Promise will struggle against a variety of decks, and especially 
Isengard which will typically have Saruman's Power (1U136)
regardless of strategy. Even when A Promise isn't removed directly, a slow setup or intense wounding will kill Sam or Frodo before site 9 from time to time. When facing corruption strategies, the strength bonus from A Promise is usually less important. Don't let it stop you from killing Frodo off to clear burdens.
Deckbuilding Strategy[edit]
In Fellowship Block and Towers Standard, including A Promise almost always means including 4 copies of it. Not only can this potentially bring Frodo and Sam up to 7 base strength, but it also provides some redundancy for Saruman's Power (1U136)
as Isengard Shadow sides are popular in both formats. Between A Promise, some method of healing, Hobbit Sword (1C299)
/ Sting (1R313)
, and additional skirmish pumps, the part of the deck built for Frodo and Sam will likely take up 10-15 cards. This leaves plenty of room to develop the remainder in almost any direction. Since the core of it all still functions even as parts are stripped away (e.g., forgoing healing or only having 3 copies of A Promise), it can also be trimmed down and used as a contingency against swarm strategies. This is particularly useful against 
Moria in Towers Standard, which has no way to discard it and uses Cavern Entrance (4U355)
to shut out skirmish pumps and wounding from Power According to His Stature (1R308)
and Frying Pan (3C108)
.
In Movie Block, Sam, Great Elf Warrior (10P122)
makes A Promise less necessary for a Hobbit fellowship -- Sam gets up to 10 strength with a standard 4-Hobbit Fellowship, Rosie Cotton, Hobbiton Lass (1U309)
, and Hobbit Sword (1C299)
. For Frodo, The One Ring, Such a Weight to Carry (7R2)
, a sword, and the unbanned O Elbereth! Gilthoniel! (2R108)
bring him to 8 strength which is enough to survive 3 5-strength minions at base. Further, Merry and Pippin are less expendable for the strength boost they give Sam (which won't go away should Frodo die) and need space in the deck for Everyone Knows (9R50)
. A Promise still helps, of course, but it isn't necessary to prevent overwhelms. It is more often seen with fewer than 4 copies compared to earlier formats and, unless there are minions which you need to be able to beat in skirmishes reliably and A Promise puts Frodo or Sam up to the necessary levels, it sometimes can be pushed out completely in favor of cards for Merry and Pippin or to help all Hobbits equally.
In Expanded, there are more reasons to pass on A Promise than not. The One Ring, The Great Ring (19P1)
is chief among them, allowing you to start the game with everything needed to stave off overwhelm (as long as you can avoid Cavern Entrance (11S232)
, that is). But that's just the start: choke decks are harder to pull off, Bilbo becomes a major companion for Hobbit decks, skirmish cancelling is far more reliable, condition discarding is more prevalent, and various sources of event recursion let you constantly replay events capable of making Hobbits almost arbitrarily strong, like Chance Observation (10C106)
and Concerning Hobbits (11S161)
. The final hurdle is Sudden Fury (12U132)
, which essentially fills the same role without any of the restrictions.
Strengths and Weaknesses[edit]
Synergizes With...[edit]
- Rosie Cotton, Hobbiton Lass (1U309)
- Sam, Nice Sensible Hobbit (5U115)
, Bounder (1C286)
, and any other overwhelm protection - Rare Good Ballast (5U114)
- Mithril-coat (2R105)
- Good Work (4U305)
- A Talent for Not Being Seen (1U316)
Strong Versus...[edit]
- Saruman's Snows (1C138)
or Cavern Entrance (4U355)
, which is otherwise often a death warrant for Hobbits assigned to skirmishes - Swarms of every sort, which may be completely unable to make an impact without discarding A Promise first
- Uruk-hai, whose damage bonuses are much more manageable for Hobbits (and especially the Ring-bearer) than most other companions
Weak Versus...[edit]
- Saruman's Power (1U136)
, a common sight in any Isengard
deck
- Wounding decks, especially those with direct wounding effects like Desert Lord (4R219)
Alternate Versions[edit]
A Promise was reprinted without change in Black Rider to keep the card legal at the introduction of set rotation, which banned all cards from Fellowship of the Ring and Mines of Moria.
| Portrait | Name | Game Text |
|---|---|---|
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A Promise (12R128)
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While you can spot Frodo and Sam and neither is exhausted, each is strength +1.
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See Also[edit]
Three of the top 16 decks from the Towers Standard World Tournament played A Promise and Legolas, Dauntless Hunter (4R73)
: https://lotrtcgwiki.com/forums/index.php?topic=12100.msg99058
