By Zach "Rubber Chicken" Shephard

Good day, fellow The Lord Of The Rings Online TCG players! My name is Zach Shephard, and I’d like to personally (or as close to “personally” as the Internet gets) introduce you to my latest column,"Marching Into Mordor." This column is devoted to advanced strategies, competitive play, and the search for eternal life (if I should succeed in that last part, don’t expect me to share that knowledge with you).

Today’s installment of “Marching Into Mordor” will be a top ten (minus five) list of the best splash companions in Standard Format. Although Dictionary.com might lead you to believe that a splash is “a flying mass of liquid,” that’s not what it is in The Lord Of The Rings Online TCG terms. A “splash” card in this game refers to a card that’s included in a deck that doesn’t necessarily fit that deck’s theme – sort of an extra card that doesn’t help the greater cause, but is useful on its own. With that being said, let’s take a look at the attributes it takes to make my list of top five splash companions.

A TRUE SPLASHER
A true splash companion has to have no spotting requirements whatsoever in order to be played. If a companion needs to spot three Rohan companions to be played, he can’t very well be splashed into non-Rohan decks, now can he?

MORE USEFUL THAN A SWISS ARMY KNIFE
The companions in question have to be useful in virtually any deck, regardless of that deck’s theme. Sure, Durin, Dwarven Lord is good and all, but he won’t help much in your Hobbit deck that doesn’t contain a single Dwarven support card. What we need is the ability to provide assistance to any decktype.

STAYING WITH THE TIMES
Just because a companion is good doesn’t mean it’s good against the Shadows out there today. A solid splash companion’s usefulness can be greatly affected by what the common opposition is at any given time.

Now, there have been many great splash companions that have come and gone, but this list will be sticking to Standard Format. So although Aragorn, Ranger of the North and Legolas, Greenleaf rotated out with Fellowship Block, these are two companions that you should really keep in mind if you plan on playing Expanded or Highlander Format. Aragorn is probably the single best splash companion of all time (excluding those that have been X-listed… sorry, Sam, Son of Hamfast), so he’s definitely one you should keep in mind if you’re going to play a format that he’s legal in.

Without further ado, I bring you the top five splash companions in Standard Format, starting with one of Gondor’s loyal guardians.

#5: Derufin

Possession removal is something that most cultures don’t have, and to cover this weakness, an entire truckload of cards usually needs to be added (such as four copies of any Gandalf and several Roll of Thunder). Although Derufin can’t hit possessions until the regroup phase, making him significantly less useful against hand weapons, he’s still great against support area cards (such as Black Sails of Umbar and Web), and he has no spotting requirements. Derufin can fit into any deck, and not only takes out possessions, but machines and engines as well (the latter of which is an important counter to Besieger decks, as Derufin can discard Grond, Hammer of the Underworld – getting rid of Shadow possessions is something that not many Free Peoples cards can do, and Grond isn't something you want to leave on the table).

But even with all of these benefits, the fact of the matter is, Corsairs and Besiegers don’t see that much play these days. Derufin only reaches the #5 slot, because even though he’s a great splash to take out possessions, this may not be the most useful ability in the current meta.

#4: Haethen, Veteran Fighter

Everyone’s favorite Rohirrim Cyclops comes into the list at #4 for his ability to take bumps like only a one-eyed companion could. Although he may not be too good on the offensive end (you can’t honestly expect him to hit anything with that kind of depth perception), Haethen is the type of guy that can really step up when it comes to defending the fellowship.

Any minions that are strength-13 or less will just bounce off of this one-eyed wonder in the fierce skirmish phase, and that’s a lot of wounds saved that would otherwise be applied to the rest of your fellowship. He also has the ability to boost his own strength in a pinch, so he can take on that Cave Troll of Moria, Savage Menace without being overwhelmed.

Haethen is good and all, but he still can’t survive against larger minions without having the appropriate support cards (in which case he’s no longer a “splash”). His unique ability is enough to land him on this list, but not enough to get him past the #4 slot.

#3: Eowyn, Lady of Rohan

The only deck types that Eowyn won’t fit into are those that run all Ring-bound companions (extremely rare these days), and those that absolutely must use a different version of Eowyn (such as wounding decks that require Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien). Virtually any other deck you can think of would benefit from having this companion if there was a spot open. Her ability to prevent wounds to unbound companions makes her the ultimate insurance – be it Red Wrath, Whistling Death, or an untimely Shadow strength-boost that puts your best warrior on the losing end of a fight, Eowyn’s there to save the day.

However, with Corsairs and Easterlings seeing less play than they have in the past, Eowyn’s ability to save companions from Red Wrath isn’t quite as necessary as it once was. Between this and her inability to be used in certain decks, Eowyn achieves only the #3 slot.

#2: Faramir, Son of Denethor

It doesn’t matter if he’s facing a Morgul Destroyer with a fountain of threats at its disposal, an Easterling Captain with thirty twilight in the pool, or an exhausted Ulaire Enquea, Thrall of the One when the Ring-bearer is on the verge of corruption – Faramir always laughs in the face of his enemies. Skirmish abilities are useless against Denethor’s son, and if that wasn’t enough, he also keeps your opponent from firing out any events that would otherwise land this Ranger in the dead pile.

Faramir has no spotting requirements, is great in today’s meta against things like Morgul Brutes and Morgul Destroyers, and can fit in just about any deck, regardless of theme – it seems that he’s swept all three categories mentioned earlier in this article.

So with all of these pros and not a single con, why isn’t he #1? Although Faramir can certainly help you out, he doesn’t usually have the ability to single-handedly win you the game, like our next companion does…

#1: Radagast, The Brown

When it comes down to which splash companion can win you the most games, Radagast is the king. It doesn’t matter what type of deck you’re playing, it doesn’t matter what type of deck you’re playing against, Radagast can single-handedly take what looks like an inescapable loss and turn it into a three-site path to victory. Countless times I’ve been in situations where I would have won games with my comfortable lead at site eight, only to have my opponent drop a Radagast back at site six and go screeching past me for the win. Never has modifying the move limit been so easy, and never has it been so easy to splash. As if that wasn’t enough, Radagast boasts Aragorn-esque stats, with his eight strength and four vitality, so he can take some bumps for the fellowship along the way.

So, if you ever find yourself building a deck that has that ninth companion slot open, and you’re just not sure where to go, keep this list in mind – sometimes one card can make all the difference.

-Zach "Rubber Chicken" Shephard

Stay tuned for future installments of "Marching Into Mordor," where we’ll take a closer look at Free Peoples strategies, Shadows strategies, and Gimli’s beard!