MECCG Strategy Tips

And so I remained an elitist role-playing snob...until I heard about MECCG. I had to see for myself if my very definite visions of the Professor's work would be violated by this, this "flashcard" game.

Thankfully, the high standards to which ICE has always adhered remained intact in the CCG format. You cannot show me a card game today that has the artwork, the adherence to detail, and the logic of Middle Earth. I love this game so much that I've recently started working as a member of ICE's Crown Guard, an organization devoted to demonstrating ICE products. I can (and have) run demo games of MECCG and Middle Earth Role-Playing: As a professional teacher, it only seemed natural for me to be teaching my favorite games to others.

Resources

• I've spoken with dozens of players who use far too few marshalling point sources in their decks. My simple rule of thumb is this: Half of my resource cards are items, factions, allies, and permanent-events with MP value.

• If you're not getting MP every turn, you're losing. Any strategy that helps you maintain a constant flow of MP is a good one; any that relies on long waits and unique cards is suspect.

• The KISS principle works just as well in MECCG as it does in every other aspect of life: Keep It Simple, Stupid! Relying on complex plans may not be a sure way to lose, but it sure does increase the chances that your opponent will be grinning like a fool in the end...

• Most tournaments are nassssty cruel single-deck affairs, so stays close to the 30/30 resource/hazard minimum to runs as fast as you can. With all the tassssty expansion cards available, my Precious, I tends to go with 33/33 these days, I does.

• I apologize for the Gollum-like language in the previous suggestion. I've been listening to the excellent BBC Radio serialization of LotR, and their Smeagol was absolutely BRILLIANT!

• In a similar vein to my advice above, try not to rely on the presence of Gates of Morning for your success. It's been my experience that the world is full of yahoos who just LOVE to see Doors of Night in play so they can inflict MAXIMUM DAMAGE on their opponents. IMNSHO, those types have been playing that OTHER CCG a little too long. They simply can't see the point of playing a card game if you're not somehow attacking the other player. Silly boys: Middle Earth CCG is far more elegant than you'll ever know.

Hazards

• You, yes you, cannot cover every possibility at once. Admit that. Come on, be brave, you can do it. There, doesn't that feel better? There's no one, I don't care HOW fan-bloody-tastic a CCG player, who can construct a 30-35 card hazard deck that will stop every player cold every time. What if your corruption/Undead deck runs into a faction/ally resource strategy? What if your "deny the Underdeeps" Nazgul deck comes up against a Coastal Sea strategy? It's better to have a sound GENERAL hazard strategy than a killer SPECIFIC strategy that doesn't apply to your opponent!

• Tournament rules call for a 12-creature minimum. I usually carry that plus a few more, because I usually carry Nazgul and the Mouth of Sauron, all of which count as half a creature. I've favored Undead creatures lately: Thanks to the Dark Minions expansion, there are lots of Undead creatures playable at Ruins & Lairs sites and in Wilderness regions now. But hey, three Assassins in the deck can ruin anyone's day, particularly if they're playing a faction strategy against me.

• My non-creature hazard cards are a broad spectrum of hindrances. I favor the very annoying Lost in Free-domains as a defense against the very common 'Factions of Gondor' strategy; the new, hideously-evil The Moon Is Dead gives real punch to all my Undead creatures; likewise, Like the Crash of Battering-rams is a new card that makes it downright dangerous to simply wound a Hobbit and chance the body check against an overwhelming high-Prowess attack.

• Just as I advised people to avoid reliance on Gates of Morning, so to do I counsel the avoidance of Doors of Night. You never know when some punk will Twilight it out from under you and leave you hanging with a handful of useless hazard cards. And speaking of Twilight, I almost always have two in my deck: one as a resource, and one as a hazard, as is allowed.

Characters

Characters in MECCG give the game a great deal of its role-playing feel. Choose the group with whom you're most comfortable, and choose the characters who give you the most for your 20 points of general influence. Here are a few of my favorite starting companies:

• GLORFINDEL (Wa/Sa Elf, 8P/9B, 8 Mind, 2 DI, +1 DI vs. Elves)
• BEORN (Wa/Ra Man, 7P/9B, 7 Mind, 2 DI)
• ANNALENA (Sc/Sa Elf, 3P/8B, 3 Mind; goes under Glorfindel's DI)
• ANBORN (Ra/Sc Dunadan, 2P/8B, 2 Mind; goes under Beorn's DI)
• This group gives you 2 Rangers (important for defending against a River card), 2 Scouts (for Siege defense and for playing Thorough and Lucky Search) and the two most powerful fighters in the game. All in all, the best all-purpose combo I've yet discovered. Using these characters, you begin play with 6 MP: 3 for Glorfindel, 2 for Beorn, and 1 for Annalena.
  • THRAIN II (Wa/Ra/Sa Dwarf, 7P/8B, 9 Mind, 2 DI, +3 DI vs. Dwarves)
  • GLOIN (Wa/Di Dwarf, 5P/7B, 5 Mind, 2 DI; goes under Thrain II's DI)
  • OIN (Wa/Ra Dwarf, 3P/8B, 3 Mind)
  • KILI (Wa/Sc Dwarf, 3P/8B, 3 Mind)
  • This group has but one Scout, but the only two Dwarf Rangers. It is designed for Underdeeps exploration, and is the company I find myself playing most often these days. Using this company, you begin play with 7 MP: 3 for Thrain II, 2 for Gloin, and 1 each for Oin and Kili.
    • CELEBORN (Wa/Sa Elf, 6P/9B, 6 Mind, 1 DI; holding an Elf-stone)
    • ELLADAN (Wa/Ra Elf, 5P/8B, 4 Mind)
    • ELROHIR (Wa/Ra Elf, 5P/8B, 4 Mind)
    • ANNALENA (Sc/Sa Elf, 3P/8B, 3 Mind, under Celeborn's DI)
    • ARWEN (Sc/Sa Elf, 2P/8B, 3 Mind)
    • This is the group I use for my Coastal Sea strategy: 2 Rangers, 2 Scouts (all good for reasons mentioned previously) and not a Body stat below 8. Gildor Inglorion is an acceptable substitute in case one of the twin sons of Elrond is unavailable. Using this company, you begin play with 6 MP: 2 for Celeborn and 1 each for the other 4 characters.

© 1997 srbh@worldnet.att.net

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