Gandalf

Beregond

BN: Gandalf - I love Sam, but I dont' even see this as a contest. Gandalf enables a multitude of fascinating options, he's amazing, and all his serious competition went out earlier in the championship. As far as I'm concerned, the only real challenger he actually faced directly was Elrond, and as soon as I picked him for that one he was locked in all the way to the victory for me. Sam's nice, but he's just not on the same level.
3P: Théoden (S) - Theoden enables a fun deck archetype (which admittedly I haven't played that much). Beregond just sits behind his shield. As a general rule, I'll take the intricate over the straightforward (this applies equally to my vote in the final matchup).

Sam

Theoden

Gandalf and Beregond are probably more powerful, but not as fun.

Gandalf

Beregond

Sam

Theoden (spirit, right?)

BN: Gandalf

3P: Beregond

BN: Gandalf

3P: Theoden (S)

BN: Gandalf

3P: Beregond

BN: Sam Gamgee

3P: Theoden

BN: Sam!

3P: Beregond

BN: Sam

3P: Theoden (S)

BN: Sam Gamgee

3p: Theoden

BN Gandalf

3P Beregond

BN: Sam Gamgee v Gandalf - The Istari over the gardener​. Sam is a rock solid hero, as is Gandalf. But Gandalf simply feels more epic. Readying with flame of Arnor, wielding his staff discarding shadowcards and Smoking his pipe laeting u Play the Card you want. Sam has a Pony. I wouldn't be surprised, if Sam wins and maybe I give him not enough credit for his stats and effect combined with his threat, but this isn't a fully objective contest

3P: Beregond v Théoden (S)​ - I will go with Beregond, as he his a very good defender in any tactics deck, while Théoden only exist to make Rohan viable.

BN: Sam Gamgee - I have a lot of decks with Sam in them that I like, whereas I never got the hang of Gandalf.
3P: Théoden (S) - Rohan decks are so much fun, and Theoden really brought them on the map.

BN: Sam Gamgee

3P: Santa Theoden

BN: Gandalf
3P: Beregond

BN - Sam Gamgee

3P - Beregond

Gandalf

Theoden

Gandalf

Theoden Spirit

BN: Sam Gamgee - I'm going to give Sam the versatility vote here. Both he and Gandalf require attachments to become powerful, and although Gandalf is 3/3/3/5 from the start, I just smashed Passage through the Marshes with a Sam deck. It was the first game I'd won in weeks. So, no question about the vote.

3P: Beregond - I'm going with the tried and true, despite my desire to run more Théoden decks.

Another excellent competition which I hope to see again next year!

BN: Sam Gamgee: he's had a long journey to get here and deserves the win.

3P: Theoden: 'Tisch the season for a solid third place finish

I'm going to give Sam the versatility vote here. Both he and Gandalf require attachments to become powerful,

I would argue that both of them are powerful without attachments. The attachments make them better, but they do not require them to be powerful.

(I also would consider Gandalf more versatile than Sam, but that's a personal impression)

BN: Sam Gamgee: he's had a long journey to get here and deserves the win.

Surely so has Gandalf? Anyone who makes it to the final has had an equally long journey (unless one of the bottom 6 seeds made it all the way from their first miniature round, then they would've had a slightly longer journey). Obviously, you vote whichever way you like, I just find "he's had a long journey" an odd comment to make in support of it.

BN: Sam Gamgee
3P: Théoden (S)

I'm going to give Sam the versatility vote here. Both he and Gandalf require attachments to become powerful,

I would argue that both of them are powerful without attachments. The attachments make them better, but they do not require them to be powerful.

(I also would consider Gandalf more versatile than Sam, but that's a personal impression)

BN: Sam Gamgee: he's had a long journey to get here and deserves the win.

Surely so has Gandalf? Anyone who makes it to the final has had an equally long journey (unless one of the bottom 6 seeds made it all the way from their first miniature round, then they would've had a slightly longer journey). Obviously, you vote whichever way you like, I just find "he's had a long journey" an odd comment to make in support of it.

Maybe because he came second to Legolas the first year this competition was run?

or perhaps because he was released so long ago and has been around so much longer than the Gandalf hero?

Just guesses as to what he may mean.