The Trust Me deck

This Deck was build by Matt Clemans and was published first on "Lord of the Rings Online (lotrtcg.decipher.com)".

The Trust Me deck

Deck listing:

Hints & strategie notes for this Deck

When I first saw the spoiler list for Realms of the Elf Lords, I was immediately drawn to Trust Me As You Once Did. Cards that stay on the table and pump up your companions are very strong, and Trust is no exception. The ability to pump any of your companions up to +3 in a skirmish allows you to win many skirmishes and makes Trust decks a staple of today's tournament environment. There is no standard Trust deck - any number of deck archetypes can use it. One of the things that make it appealing to the people who play it is its diversity. Here we'll look at why Trust Me As You Once Did - or just Trust - is a strong card and why it is a solid choice to build a deck around.

The key to a good Trust deck is choice. Trust Me As You Once Did gives you the option of pumping any companion +3. This should give you the ability to win almost any skirmish. Once you get your companions and their weapons down, Gandalf can exert to make most of your companions win their skirmish. This gives you the ability to avoid things that trigger off minions winning skirmishes, like Dunlending Pillagers, Goblin Swarms or Down to the Last Child. Also, if you use weapons that have Damage bonuses, you can clear the board of minions and be quite safe on a double move. Another popular version of Trust runs seven to nine different companions and uses Trust to keep them alive so you can double move every turn while you try and outrace your opponent.

In order to run Trust efficiently, you want to get the most out of each exertion on Gandalf. Since you can get up to +3 per exertion each skirmish, you'll want to have three Gandalf signets out as soon as possible. The easiest way to do that is to start with all three on the table. A Gandalf signet Frodo and two starting companions can get you all you need. One of the popular starts now is Legolas and Gimli, however once Battle of Helms Deep releases, you'll surely see a few decks that start two Rohan companions with the Gandalf signet. One other companion that finds his way into many Trust decks is Faramir, Son of Denethor. His gametext allows him to win almost any skirmish since you can use Trust to bump him up, but your opponent can't pump their minion.

Regardless of the starting fellowship, the other key component to the deck is obviously Gandalf. There are two Gandalfs that work well - Friend of the Shirefolk and The White Wizard. The White Wizard has the benefit of being Gandalf Signet himself, but Friend of the Shirefolk can be a more consistent fighter if you have several different cultures in your deck. Since Gandalf has to exert every time you want to add a +3 to a companion's strength, you'll want ways to add to Gandalf's vitality and some ways to heal him. After all, if your opponent manages to Hate away Gandalf or play a few Too Great And Terribles, your deck is left without a backbone. The easiest way to heal Gandalf is by including multiple copies (four isn't too much), but you can also play Elrond, Herald to Gil-Galad or use Athelas if you're running Gondor companions. Narya and a Gandalf's Staff are also key components - a six vitality Gandalf is hard to take down.

Now that you've got the frame work of your deck down, a little strategy is in order. The minion side is flexible, but you want something that can slow your opponent down. Uruks or Nazgul work well in this capacity. However you need to make sure your deck can cycle well - if you get your hand clogged with minions and can't draw your Trusts, you'll be in big trouble. Since you're already using Gandalf, adding Ottar, Man of Laketown for card cycling isn't out of the question. The goal of your minions should be to stop your opponent at every chance. This way, your own fellowship can get out ahead and win the race to nine. Durin's Secret is another card choice you should consider if you think you can make the triple move from site six to site nine.

Here is a sample decklist for a Trust deck. This particular version uses Legolas and Gandalf as the main fighters, capitalizing on their powerful possessions. Aragorn and Faramir add some additional strength to the deck - with Faramir's game text, he might not ever lose a skirmish! The deck is also teched against Uruk Hai decks by including two Foul Creations and two copies of Betrayal of Isengard. The Shadow side is a typical Moria deck designed to go through your deck fast and threaten your opponent with an overwhelm scenario.