Hi guys, just starting to get back into LOTR LCG. I have everything up to and including the lost realm. Currently I am looking for a couple of decks to play solo with, and also a couple of decks so I can play co-op with my GF.
Any advice is appreciated.
Greets
Tarm
Check out the Strategy and deck-building forum: https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/forum/250-strategy-and-deck-building/
OlorinCZ has put together some thematic 2-players decks:
Silvan: https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/179212-silvan-two-player-cooperative-thematic-decks/
Rohan: https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/178097-rohan-two-player-cooperative-thematic-decks/
Dwarf: https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/178296-dwarf-two-player-cooperative-thematic-decks/
Fellowship: https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/189213-fellowship-two-player-cooperative-thematic-decks/
Then there is a long thread of various 2-handed decks (mainly PsychoRocka's decks):
This does bring up the interesting question of "teaching decks"... I've generally handed people mono-Tactics decks to start out, since they get to smash things, and resource management issues are minimized. How do other people handle this situation?
I give them very generalist decks and then we play a very generalist quest. By generalist deck I mean:
1. One hero quests, 1 attacks, 1 defends. Usually Eowyn, Beregond, Legolas.
2. Two sphere decks. Its more fun than monocolor ones and not really confusing in any way since resource match is easy to explain.
3. Mixed genders! I used to build decks with 3 female heroes for female players thinking it would draw them in but it had the opposite efect, girls like their Aragorn , know what I am saying?
4. Simple interactions.
5. Usually core set cards but no duds, keep the power level high.
6. Stick to multiplayer and support one another.
As for quests I usually start with one of the best quests of all time, Foundations of Stone! Their face when they are all alone after getting eased into the game in the first few quest stages is memorable and meeting up again and escaping together is an appealing idea.
Edited by FetaCheeseThis does bring up the interesting question of "teaching decks"... I've generally handed people mono-Tactics decks to start out, since they get to smash things, and resource management issues are minimized. How do other people handle this situation?
As a 'teaching' deck I have a backup outlands deck. I have to deconstruct one of my solo decks to use it out of not having enough cards but if I know I will be teaching a new player I put it together for them to use. As Outlands is a strong archetype on its own allowing the new player to feel safer in play and that they contribute to the team without needing to know the ins and outs of the game.
More importantly it teaches the players:
I usually start players in co-op with journey down the anduin since it shows the basics and has nothing too nasty except necromancer's reach. However that doesn't affect an outlands deck all too badly once they're set up.
We know the rules, we don't need 'teaching'. We just want some general decent decks to blast through the first X quests.
I won DolGuldor solo with only core deck one time: with Aragorn, Legolas and Eowyn, and cards like Sneak Attack, Gandalf, Celebrian Stone, Stewards, Unexpected Courge, Blade Gondolin, Feint, Quick Strike, Northern Tracker, Test of Will...
We know the rules, we don't need 'teaching'. We just want some general decent decks to blast through the first X quests.
Alright, let's stick to the topic.
You are asking for the easiest thing in the game. Build an Outlands deck. Squeeze in a spirit hero like Glorfindel and x3 tests of will as well as Elrond with Vilya and x3 Imlrandis Stargazer. Quest slow and win 90% of the quests in the game. XD
For multiplayer build a second deck with Dwarves. Look up Thorin's Company deck in cardgamedb although any Dain deck will do.
Or go through all the topics in the deck-building board till you find something you like.
Edited by FetaCheesethe first several quests are pretty easy. You probably don't need advice. Sometimes the most fun deck to play is the one you built yourself. Ask your GF if she would like to spend some time building decks with you. Think of combos with each other, and which characters might work well together.
That said, not everybody likes deck building. My wife loves the game and I can confidently say she is very good at it. She does not like building decks. She does occasionally ask that I include things though. "I want more willpower, I'd like to have this character, etc." I then come up with a deck that I think fits her guidelines and meshes well with the one I'm currently playing. This is another route to go that works well with 2 player.
I would suggest including at least one hero with Ranged and perhaps one hero with Sentinel. This really brings home the cooperative feel that you are helping each other. Personally I use Haldir and Beregond (in opposite decks). But the Sons of Elrond will work with Elven Mail or Rivendell bow, Legolas is great, the new Theoden is pretty good although he could use some help if you want to make him into a mainline defender role, but he does come with Sentinel.
But maybe it's best to just play with people you like. If you'd rather go adventuring with Eowyn than Treebeard, than to me it's obvious who should be in your deck. As I said, the first several quests are not too difficult with the current card pool, you should be able to beat them with just about whatever you make, so go have fun and don't worry so much about winning.