Recently i decided to give up on my , dwarf, outlands, silvan and all the others power decks and i tried to build 4 monochromatic (single sphere) decks and i was pleasantly surprised with the amount of options and the overall effectiveness of this type of decks. This was my second try, my first was many months ago and i remember it not to be a very good option (to be honest not an option at all) as i was struggling to find cards to reach the 50 cards limit.

Have you try to build a monochromatic deck recently ?

What's your overall thoughts and experiences on that matter ?

Depends on the number of players. The more players - the more potential for monosphere decks to shine.

At the moment , and it its more out of lazynes I have built four monosphere decks. Well, actually, the leadership has Gandalf.

Anyway, its really fun, because I used to specifically build for quests, and the tweaking between losses took a lot of time.

Now i just throw traps and scrying at a quest with lore, if it fails i try quiesting with spirirt, or sheer attack with tactics. Leadership Gandalf deck is the more tricksy one.

Its fun, though I lose more of then the not.

You can build strong decks with lore and spirit. I just made a mono spirit deck with Glorfindel, Frodo ad Galadriel that seems to be really strong - it did beat Steward's Fear after all!

Leadership + Gondor/Dwarfs should also make an excellent deck.

Tactics is probably the most problematic, at least when you're playing solo. But with Théoden even the red sphere has enough willpower to avoid a location lock.

Tactics is probably the most problematic, at least when you're playing solo. But with Théoden even the red sphere has enough willpower to avoid a location lock.

I would argue here. With Theoden you can have decent starting willpower, but if you'll get flooded with locations - there'll be nothing you can do.

Tactics is probably the most problematic, at least when you're playing solo. But with Théoden even the red sphere has enough willpower to avoid a location lock.

I would argue here. With Theoden you can have decent starting willpower, but if you'll get flooded with locations - there'll be nothing you can do.

I have managed to win 90% f the quests with solo mono tatcics ... there are cards you can use to boost yourself in questing, there is the event with which you quest with your att and can recycle it with Hama

First few turns decide everything. If you can't clear staging area in a couple of turns - then you'll get swallowed no matter what.

Tactics is probably the most problematic, at least when you're playing solo. But with Théoden even the red sphere has enough willpower to avoid a location lock.

I would argue here. With Theoden you can have decent starting willpower, but if you'll get flooded with locations - there'll be nothing you can do.

To possibly avoid a location lock.

You guys are kidding right? What quests are we talking about, Passage through Mirkwood? Mono tactics has a max of what... 9 willpower if you're questing with all your heroes? And like 1 ally who has above 1 willpower? There's plenty of scenarios where there are starting locations you wouldn't clear, and that's a wrap. Even if you're doing Trained for War, beating "90%" of quests seems a dubious claim at best. Maybe show a decklist?

Best allies for mono tactics, Bofur, Rumil, Gwaihir, eagles of the misty mountain, westfold outrider. They all have 2 wp, and Westfold can pull out enemies with high threat.

Sure, but 3 of those are unique, they all cost more than 3, and Westfold Outrider can't pull locations, so I'm still completely unconvinced mono Tactics is working anywhere except the simplest of quests. I mean feel free to explain, I've got my crow eating knife and fork out, but I don't think mono tactics has any place outside of battle questing.

I build monochromatic decks almost every time i do deck building and i think that it's really fun since you have more choices to make a deck when you don't have to stick with in one trait.

Then for this tactics conversation. I don't think either that tactics could pull out enough willpower without any other sphere's help since as Chris said there aren't any good allies that could quest well in tactics.

I like to play mono-color since you don't have to worry about resource match and it's nice to play those more expensive cards more reliably. But, mono-tactics, I don't feel they're up to snuff. Poor tactics, always getting the short end of the stick while other spheres get the love while stepping on your toes. Which is a shame, tactics is my favorite sphere.

Still waiting for Tactics Glorfindel with 5 Threat, that raises your threat by 1 when he attacks, but Light of Valinor 2.0 attachment makes him not exhaust to attack and quest (because Tactics can't have nice things).

You guys are kidding right? What quests are we talking about, Passage through Mirkwood? Mono tactics has a max of what... 9 willpower if you're questing with all your heroes? And like 1 ally who has above 1 willpower? There's plenty of scenarios where there are starting locations you wouldn't clear, and that's a wrap. Even if you're doing Trained for War, beating "90%" of quests seems a dubious claim at best. Maybe show a decklist?

I just beat Intruders in Chestwood with Théoden/Mablung/Merry. Played 6 times, won 2 attempts. In the end of my second win I had 21 points WP (not including Iarion). I don't think it's the lack of WP allies that makes tactics less attractive, but the fact that they are so costly. Mablung helps a lot in this. He also comboes nicely with Dunedain-Hunter. Merry gets + 2WP from Halfling Determination. Also, there are neutral allies that can add some WP to your deck. Blade of Gondoloin and Arod can give you additional progress when you'e fighting.

That said, tactics is still very, very difficult to play, but you can beat most of the scenarios - you just shouldn't expect a win-ratio of 90 percent.

It is true that tactics remains the "weaker" choice for solo play but in it's defense i like to say that one of the main characteristics that has raise the difficulty of the game is the fact that combat has become more deadly, so in a 2+ players game it has a very strong part to play.
Now back on the topic, 2 more things that i love about monochromatic decks is that you can make changes on the fly and that you can use effectively cards that you ("i") never used in a multicolor deck.

It is true that tactics remains the "weaker" choice for solo play but in it's defense i like to say that one of the main characteristics that has raise the difficulty of the game is the fact that combat has become more deadly, so in a 2+ players game it has a very strong part to play.

Now back on the topic, 2 more things that i love about monochromatic decks is that you can make changes on the fly and that you can use effectively cards that you ("i") never used in a multicolor deck.

That and that we have some cards that only work in mono decks.

For years I played dual or tri sphered decks.

Just really liked it, I guess.

A few weeks ago I went back to mono lore when I got Treebeard and must say I like it.

Treebeard is a beast, but I seem also to enjoy the 3 resources per turn of the same sphere.

I had quite forgotten how simple this made it to play the more expencive cards.

Lore always has been my favorite sphere and I almost never build a deck without it, and the sphere can stand fine by itself now.

There are a ton of options on heroes and deck types, and they work. Plus there are some more wp allies out & coming out, which is a blessing.

Seems I will stay on this course for a while too with Damrod & Erestor in the works, and a still unknown hero in the next AP coming up.

Can't wait to use a Damrod trap deck.

So yea, Lore is fine mono sphere, and I'm using Treebeard-Elrond-Mirlonde now.

One of my buddies has always played mono spirit since we started out years ago.

He did exact the opposite of me, in sometimes splashing tactics. But very rarely.

Mono spirit has always been very strong though. Nothing new there.

Yet ever since Ganadalf came out he's been hogging him very effectively.

His line up has been Eowyn-Glorfindel-Gandalf since then, and the deck can quest with 10 right out of the door.

I'd like to see a video of someone beating The Hunt for Gollum nightmare solo with a mono tactics deck!

I can definetely stage one for you, but to beat it fair and square - it'll take a lot of attempts.

Mono Tactics new slogan: "It's theoretically possible!"

I managed to beat a considerable number of quests with variants an updates of this monotactics deck:

http://susurrosdelbosqueviejo.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/la-inspiracion-de-theoden.html

Now, with Legolas ally, his horse, secret vigil, and dúnedain hunter, monotactics decks with Mablung (who is an essential piece for the sphere in solo play) can perform even better.

You guys are kidding right? What quests are we talking about, Passage through Mirkwood? Mono tactics has a max of what... 9 willpower if you're questing with all your heroes? And like 1 ally who has above 1 willpower? There's plenty of scenarios where there are starting locations you wouldn't clear, and that's a wrap. Even if you're doing Trained for War, beating "90%" of quests seems a dubious claim at best. Maybe show a decklist?

I might find one, but more or less I was playing with Legolas, Hama and Beregond as heroes. It was not always easy, some of the quests took many tries to win them

I was always taking Radagast, Gandalf (two copies each), all three of Eagles of Misty Mountains, (generally most of the eagles), all three copies of trained for war, three copies of the event that lets you attack an enemy in staging area (usefull with Legolas), two copies of faint and maybe two of thicket of spears, lots of attachments offcourse

From core set never won Dol Guldur, won the two others

From Shadows of Mirkwood never won the Return to MIrkwood, and it was very difficult to win The Hills of Emyl Muin, won all the others

From Khazad Dum I think I managed to win all three of them

From Dwarrondelf , RedHorn Game is an autoloss , I think there is another one I have not win

From Heirs of Numenor, won all of them

From Against the Shadow, won all of them, most of them did a score I could not match with other decks

From Voice of Isenguard, never won the third quest

Also won Massing at Osgiliath

So, I guess it is a fairly good record

Have not yet tried any from the Ring Maker Cycle, but with the deck I was using I think it is not possible. Maybe some of the new cards might help but I am not so sure

Here is a image on OCTGN of a last turn of Massing at osgiliath, I think is about a year back or more. WIth traiined for war questing was easy