By Factor

Another Online WCQ, another first-time winner. Pip powered his way through a field of 43 players to go 5-1, taking the win and the Online World Championship bye. Second place JR1, who got eighth in February, also received the Online Worlds bye.

The addition of Demoralized to the Standard X-List had a tremendous effect on the metagame, ensuring that the deck field in the top 8 would be far different than February. Such predictions were confirmed as the decktypes were many and varied, including at least one deck making its first showing in top-level Lord of the Rings Online TCG play!

WCQ winner Pip played a couple of old favorites, Orc Swarm Massing Strength paired with a powerful card-drawing Dwarven side. The choice of vanilla Orc swarm proved to be a good one, as decks were apparently not teched to handle Lurker Orc Swarm anymore.

Rounding out the top 8 was one Dwarven / Morgul Orc deck; one Ranger deck that started Gimli Ring-bearer and had Forest Nazgűl; a pair of identical Refuge/Corsair decks that finished fourth and fifth; a Smeagol/Aragorn choke deck that made its first appearance last month paired with a Bill Ferny deck; another Ferny deck, this time with a highly unusual Smeagol Ring-bearer with Frodo and Sam fellowship; and the first appearance of a Gondor Token deck, using mechanics introduce in Bloodlines to great effect, paired with another Forest Nazgűl side.

The other notable thing about the top 8 is the complete absence of the Gandalf/Ent deck for the first time in many months. With fewer swarm decks out there, perhaps large Fellowships just weren't necessary.

Altogether, the top 8 contains six different Free Peoples sides out of eight, and five different Shadow sides out of eight. The only thing predictable about The Lord of the Rings Online TCG is that it's unpredictable!

Here's a link to the top 8. Check back later this week for an interview with March WCQ winner Pip!

March 2006 WCQ Top Eight Decklists:

1. Pip – Free Peoples: Dwarves. Shadow: Orc Swarm (Massing Strength).
2. JR1 – Free Peoples: Dwarves. Shadow: Morgul Orcs.
3. Keil – Free Peoples: Gimli Rangers. Shadow: Forest Nazgűl.
4. lelaidcopain – Free Peoples: Rainbow Fellowship (Refuge). Shadow: Corsairs.
5. Sting – Free Peoples: Rainbow Fellowship (Refuge). Shadow: Corsairs.
6. Starfury – Free Peoples: Smeagol Aragorn Choke. Shadow: Evil Men (Bill Ferny Kill).
7. Walther13 – Free Peoples: Smeagol/Frodo/Sam Ringbound. Shadow: Evil Men (Bill Ferny Kill).
8. Bodders – Free Peoples: Gondor/Gandalf Tokens. Shadow: Forest Nazgűl.

-Factor