By Factor

I recently interviewed Bartek "nutrin" Starypan about his first-time tournament win, going 5-1 in a field of 65 extremely tough competitors at the February WCQ. Read on...

FACTOR: So you're a first time winner! Have you been playing Lord of the Rings TCG long?

NUTRIN: It was my first LOTRO tournament, in fact. I've been playing Lord of the Rings TCG since the Realms of the Elf-lords release, but it was just playing with my buddy. I've been playing local tournaments for about 8 months seriously.

FACTOR: What made you decide on Gandalf/Ents and Lurker Orcs?

NUTRIN: It's a very strong deck. Lurkers can swarm almost any Free Peoples side. Gandalf/Ents let me bid 2 burdens and make the opponent go first - I had control of the site path. Saved from the Fire gives good filtering for Lurkers and my Free Peoples can run if it's needed. Besides, it was my only playable deck for such a tournament.

FACTOR: Even though you've qualified for Online Worlds, are you planning to play in the March WCQ?

NUTRIN: I'm going to play in the March WCQ. I think that it's worth it to play and have some fun, when you are sure that you'll get 4+ Hunters packs for 10 EPs. Besides, I'll test my skills.

FACTOR: Did you have any tough matchups this time around? What happened?

NUTRIN: It was a very tough tournament since the beginning. I was playing with high-rated players only. In the first game vs Keil's rangers, I realized that there were too few minions in my discard pile when I had started swarm with a Mountain Troll. Fortunately, I won at site 9, where Keil had to go, forced by my Forced March. My Free Peoples wasn't able to survive anymore. It was the toughest metchup.

FACTOR: You lost a game. Who did you play against and what happened in that one?

NUTRIN: I played against Ellington. I could have won, but I had made a mistake. Ellington bid 3 and I had to go first. My opponent used Blood Runs Chill and gave me enough pool to use Forced March, if I hadn't discarded Forced March by Blood Runs Chill, he would has gone again. But I had stayed with 2x Goblin Hordes. Site number 7 was my last site. The fellowship got swarmed on Mount Doom. Fortunately Ellington had lost his last game and I won the WCQ.

FACTOR: If someone wanted to beat your deck, what's the best way they could go about it?

NUTRIN: The Gandalf/Ents deck easily beats Lurkers. Also low Twilight pool Dwarves with Blood Runs Chill are a good choice. Corsairs, Bill Ferny and a few others aren't easy matchups for Gandalf/Ents, but I can't name one deck and tell that you will, for sure, beat Gandalf/Ents with it.

FACTOR: Thanks, nutrin!

Here's the deck:

Ring-bearer and One Ring
Frodo, Weary from the Journey
The One Ring, The Ring of Rings

Free Peoples (34)
1 Gandalf, Leader of Men
1 Dasron, Merchant from Dorwinion
1 Erland, Dale Counselor
1 Jarnsmid, Barding Emissary
1 Leaflock, Finglas
1 Quickbeam, Hastiest of All Ents
1 Radagast, The Brown
1 Shepherd of the Trees
1 Treebeard, Keeper of the Watchwood
4 G for Grand
1 Traveler's Homestead
1 Look to My Coming
1 Out of the High Airs
4 Saved From the Fire
2 Terrible and Evil
3 The Flame of Anor
4 Traveled Leader
1 Alatar, Final Envoy
1 Pallando, Far-travelling One
1 Glamdring, Foe-hammer
1 Sting, Weapon of Heritage
1 Gandalf's Staff, Ash-staff

Shadow (34)
1 Horror of Harad
2 Mountain-troll
2 Orc Skulker
2 Orc Strategist
4 Orkish Smith
3 Picket Denizen
3 Prowling Orc
2 Rallying Orc
3 Always Threatening
4 Demoralized
1 Forced March
4 Goblin Hordes
3 Unforgiving Depths

Adventure Path (9)
1 Abandoned Mine Shaft
1 Caras Galadhon
1 Cavern Entrance
1 Heights of Isengard
1 Mount Doom
1 Neekerbreeker's Bog
1 Pinnacle of Zirakzigil
1 West Gate of Moria
1 Window on the West

-Factor