Sam, Samwise the Brave (4C316)
 Sam, Frodo's Gardener (4R315)
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Sam's Pack (4R317) 
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Sam, Samwise the Brave (4C316) is a 
Shire Companion from the The Two Towers set.
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Strategy[edit]
Similar to the popular Sam, Son of Hamfast, Samwise the Brave aims to thwart burdening shadow sides by preventing the Shadow player from adding burdens altogether rather than removing them afterwards. Samwise the Brave is also capable of preventing many burdens with a single exertion, and may do so outside of the Fellowship Phase when the Shadow player needs them most.
!Samwise the Brave has many pitfalls, however. Most importantly, if he is unable to prevent a burden the Free Peoples needs to rely on other cards for burden removal and is denied from using the most efficient burden-removing card, Sam, Son of Hamfast. Samwise the Brave must be in the fellowship from the start or played soon after in order to be most effective and has to spot Frodo (either as Ring-bearer or Frodo, Frenzied Fighter), while Son of Hamfast is useful no matter when he is played and can continue to use his ability if Frodo dies or the Free Peoples is using an alternate Ring-bearer. Only a handful of Shadow cards are actually capable of adding multiple burdens at once - a majority of them add one at a time and there are few ways to allow Samwise the Brave to use his ability more than 3 times per turn against persistent burden addition from cards like Small Hope. He is also of no help preventing burdens added from sites or Free Peoples cards. These reasons, and considering that the [Shire] ally Melilot Brandybuck is already capable of preventing a burden if need be, cause Samwise the Brave to rarely be used.
Strengths and Weaknesses[edit]
Strong Versus...[edit]
- Cards which trigger once a burden is added, such as Gates of the Dead City
- Cards which add multiple burdens at once, such as Orc Officer
Weak Versus...[edit]
- Consistent burden adding
- Burdens added from sites or Free Peoples cards
- Fellowships with an alternate Ring-bearer
Rulings[edit]
From the Current Rulings Document:
If something happens to prevent one effect which in turn would have prevented a second effect, the second effect is performed.
Morgul Destroyer is played.(“When you play this minion, you may spot a Nazgûl to add 2 threats. The Free Peoples player may wound the Ring-bearer to prevent this.”) The Free Peoples player wounds the Ring-bearer to prevent the threats from being added. The Free Peoples player then discards Sapling of the White Tree. (“Response: If a Gondor Man is about to take a wound, discard this artifact to prevent that.”) Because Sapling has prevented the effect (a wound) that would have prevented Morgul Destroyer’s effect, the threats are now added.
- As per the CRD, for Shadow cards which add burdens as an optional prevent cost such as Grishnakh, Orc Captain, preventing those burdens with cards such as Samwise the Brave will cause Grishnakh to draw 3 cards as the Free Peoples did not meet the criteria (in Grishnakh's case, add 2 burdens) for preventing that action.
Alternate Personas[edit]
| Portrait | Name | Game Text |
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Sam, Faithful Companion (1R310)
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Fellowship: Play Bill the Pony from your draw deck.
Response: If Frodo dies, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
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Sam, Son of Hamfast (1C311)
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Fellowship: Exert Sam to remove a burden.
Response: If Frodo dies, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
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Sam, Proper Poet (2C114)
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Maneuver: Exert Sam twice to make him defender +1 until the regroup phase.
Response: If Frodo dies, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
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Sam, Frodo's Gardener (4R315)
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Ring-bound.
Fellowship: Play Sam’s Pack from your draw deck. Response: If Frodo is killed, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
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Sam, Nice Sensible Hobbit (5U115)
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Ring-bound.
While you can spot Frodo and Sméagol, Sam may not be overwhelmed unless his strength is tripled. Response: If Frodo is killed, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
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Sam, Needer of Vittles (7C326)
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Ring-bound.
Fellowship: Play a Hobbit companion to remove a burden. Response: If Frodo is killed, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
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Sam, Resolute Halfling (7R327)
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Ring-bound.
Fellowship: If you have initiative, discard a card from hand to heal Sam. Response: If Frodo is killed, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
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Sam, Great Elf Warrior (10P122)
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Ring-bound.
Sam is strength +1 for each Response: If Frodo dies, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
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Sam, Steadfast Friend (11U172)
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Ring-bound. Each other companion is resistance +1. |
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Sam, Bearer of Great Need (13R156)
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Ring-bound.
Sam is resistance +1 for each Hobbit you can spot. Regroup: Exert Sam and transfer a follower he is bearing to your support area to discard a minion from play. |
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Sam, Innocent Traveler (15U153)
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Ring-bound. While Sam bears the One Ring, he is resistance –4.
Maneuver: If Sam is bearing a follower, exert him to heal another Hobbit. Response: If Frodo is killed, make Sam the Ring-bearer. |
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Sam, Loyal Friend (19P32)
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Fellowship. Ring-bound.
While Sam bears The One Ring, he is resistance -4. While you can spot 3 Response: If Frodo dies, make Sam the Ring-bearer. |
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Sam, Of Bagshot Row (V1_54)
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Each time a companion with the Frodo signet wins a skirmish, you may exert Sam or add a burden to heal that companion.
Response: If Frodo is killed, make Sam the Ring-bearer (resistance 5). |
See Also[edit]
- Add links to the wayback machine (or wiki archival links) for official Decipher articles regarding the card
- Link to decks that use this card
