So I've finally decided to try to make a tri-color Hobbit deck, and while I've got the core of the deck in mind, I'm coming up short regarding which allies I should include. I started with the deck FFG provided in the Black Riders booklet and tried to modify it for a full card pool. So far I've got:

Sam (TBR)

Merry (TBR)

Pippin (TBR)

2x Bill the Pony

2x Barliman Butterbur

2x Farmer Maggot

3x Gandalf

2x Hobbit Cloak

2x Fast Hitch

2x Dagger of Westernesse

3x Sneak Attack

3x Take No Notice

3x Halfling Determination

Cards I'm considering:

+1 Fast Hitch

+1 Dagger of Westernesse

+2-3 Hobbit Sense or Feint

+1-2 Boots from Erebor

+2 Unseen Strike

The events and attachments are easy to choose, although I'm not sure if I should include a 3rd Dagger of Westernesse since I have no card draw or ways to fish for it, and it's an important attachment for Merry to take out bigger enemies. And for allies...drawing a blank.

I was gonna start with the Black Riders quest and move on from there...any ideas regarding what I should consider? I'd like to try to be thematic if possible, but I'm not married to the idea. I'm not adding in any outlands, however.

What do you want from the deck? Is it supposed to win games, or to be thematic?

Famer Maggot is not a great card

If you are playing black riders then Frodo's Intuition is a great card to boost willpower as well as card draw.

Deorns Runes is a good card draw as well.

Depending on how thematic you want to be, of course Stewart of Gondor is a beast to have espeically in a tri-sphere deck. You may also consider Errand Rider to move those resources around.

Feint is a definte atuo-include for me in any tactics deck. Unseen strike is a great card too to boost Mary up especially in black rider quests as the enemy threat is high

In terms of other allies --> one good option is to through in Elf Stone and a few high cost allies (beorn, gildor, etc). The first stage in black riders also lets you put in an ally for free (built in elf stone into the location essentially) so you can benefit from that as well.