Curious Brandybuck

Posted on by Matt Kell (kattattack22)
  • Cycle  
    • Angmar Awakened
  • Set
    • Wastes of Eriador

Efficient quester for a limited time.

Background

The Brandybucks are descendents of the first Thains of The Shire. Originally called the Oldbucks, they ruled The Shire until the twelveth Thain, Gordenhad Oldbuck, moved to Buckland. He began to turn it into a settlement and renamed himself Brandybuck. The only member of the Brandybuck family from the main story is Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck.

Card Theme

This card appears to be modeled after Gordenhad as the exmplar of the Brandybuck family. The ally comes into play for traveling to a new location. Then once that location is known, the ally goes away much like how Gordenhad left his nominal leadership position to establish a new Hobbit settlement.

Card Synergies and Interactions

Hobbit Character Boosts

Curious Brandybuck particularly benefits from any Hobbit character boost that doesn’t require an attachment to be placed on it. Fortunately Hobbits have a few options here. Tom Cotton boosts its attack to 2 for the round. This could be triggered multiple times in a game if the Brandybuck is put back on the bottom and later drawn again. Redbook of Westmarch will boost its willpower by 1 each time it can quest. Lastly, Bill the Pony provides an extra hit point that can help soak some damage, especially archery. This is a good play since any damage put on it will disappear when it is placed on the bottom of the deck.

Merry + Horn of the Mark

Hobbits don’t have many ways to bounce in and out of play like Rohan. Curious Brandybuck, however, provides one of the more reliable triggers for Horn of the Mark. The card draw from it helps offset the loss of the card when Brandybuck leaves play.

Westroad Traveler

West Road Traveler provides a way to avoid the Forced effect to put the Curious Brandybuck on the bottom of the deck. It still can only be temporary since there is an active location providing a buffer to the main quest. Still if a player wants to keep the Curious Brandybuck around for another round to chump block then West Road Traveller

Erestor

Curious Brandybuck gives an Erestor deck a free ally it can play. This is important when Erestor decks have a 10 card starting hand but only 3 resources to play them. Mid to late game, the card being put back on the bottom is not an issue as a player can expect to draw it eventually with 4 cards being drawn a turn.

Ring Rating

Card Talk uses the highly scientific yet arbitrary scale of 1 ring for the card to rule them all to 10 to be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

I rate Curious Brandybuck at 7 rings. This is recognizing that getting a free ally even temporarily is a good deal. Tom Cotton can give it low but helpful attack when it comes into play. It also can be used to get a free chump block in an emergency. Using its cost reduction ability, however, results in it having to leave play eventually. Horn of the Mark, Valiant Sacrifice, or other card draw can offset the loss of the card. Still there are other 2 cost 2 willpower Spirit allies that won’t have to leave play if the active location is explored. The availability of these solid alternatives make this more of a niche card.

  • Dave – 4
  • Grant – TBR
  • Ted – 5
  • Matt – 7
  • Average 5.33

External Links

Sample Decks

Hobbit swarm by Fleone

A Bond of Friendship deck that aims to swarm the board with Hobbits.

Main Deck

Hero (4)
Merry (The Wastes of Eriador)
Pippin (The Black Riders)
Sam Gamgee (The Black Riders)
Tom Cotton (The Mountain of Fire)

Contract (0)
1x Bond of Friendship (The Fortress of Nurn)

Ally (27)
1x Bilbo Baggins (The Road Darkens)
2x Bill the Pony (The Black Riders)
2x Bywater Shirriff (The Fate of Wilderland)
2x Cautious Halfling (Wrath and Ruin)
2x Curious Brandybuck (The Wastes of Eriador)
2x Farmer Maggot (The Black Riders)
2x Gaffer Gamgee (Mount Gundabad)
2x Gandalf (Core Set)
2x Halfling Bounder (The Sands of Harad)
2x Hobbit Archer (The Land of Sorrow)
2x Odo Proudfoot (Under the Ash Mountains)
2x Robin Smallburrow (The Drowned Ruins)
2x Rosie Cotton (The Mountain of Fire)
2x Wandering Took (Core Set)

Attachment (11)
2x Horn of Gondor (Core Set)
2x Horn of the Mark (The City of Ulfast)
1x Inner Strength (Wrath and Ruin)
1x Magic Ring (The Crossings of Poros)
2x Red Book of Westmarch (The Land of Sorrow)
1x Sword-thain (The Dread Realm)
1x The One Ring (A Shadow in the East)
1x Thorongil (The Fortress of Nurn)

Event (12)
2x A Good Harvest (The Steward’s Fear)
2x Drinking Song (Mount Gundabad)
2x Knife-work (A Storm on Cobas Haven)
2x Raise the Shire (The Mountain of Fire)
2x The Shirefolk (Mount Gundabad)
2x Tighten Our Belts (The Nîn-in-Eilph)

4 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The Fortress of Nurn

Sideboard

Hero (1)
Frodo Baggins (A Shadow in the East)

Ally (4)
2x Halfast Gamgee (The Crossings of Poros)
2x Keen-eyed Took (The Hills of Emyn Muil)

Attachment (6)
2x Dagger of Westernesse (The Black Riders)
2x Fast Hitch (The Dead Marshes)
2x Hobbit Cloak (The Black Riders)

Event (8)
2x A Very Good Tale (Over Hill and Under Hill)
2x Halfling Determination (The Black Riders)
2x Hobbit-sense (Encounter at Amon Dîn)
2x Keen as Lances (Escape from Mount Gram)

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Beregond’s amazing discount sale! by Steinwell

A multiplayer gift deck that uses Beregond’s armor and weapon discount combined with Battering or Long Lake Trader to pass out attachments to other players.

Main Deck

Hero (3)
Beregond (Heirs of Númenor)
Erestor (The Treachery of Rhudaur)
Thurindir (Race Across Harad)

Ally (13)
3x Curious Brandybuck (The Wastes of Eriador)
2x Elven Jeweler (Escape from Mount Gram)
3x Guardian of Rivendell (Flight of the Stormcaller)
2x Ioreth (A Storm on Cobas Haven)
3x Long Lake Trader (The Wilds of Rhovanion)

Attachment (29)
1x Black Arrow (On the Doorstep)
3x Citadel Plate (Core Set)
3x Explorer’s Almanac (The Grey Havens)
2x Gondorian Shield (The Steward’s Fear)
3x Keeping Count (The Redhorn Gate)
3x Legacy Blade (The Dungeons of Cirith Gurat)
2x Mighty Warrior (Race Across Harad)
3x Raiment of War (The Thing in the Depths)
3x Raven-winged Helm (The Wastes of Eriador)
1x Spear of the Citadel (Heirs of Númenor)
3x The Long Defeat (The Battle of Carn Dûm)
1x Weather-stained Cloak (The Dread Realm)
1x Wingfoot (The Nîn-in-Eilph)

Event (6)
3x Bartering (The Wilds of Rhovanion)
3x The Evening Star (The Grey Havens)

Player Side Quest (2)
1x Gather Information (The Lost Realm)
1x The Storm Comes (The Sands of Harad)

3 Heroes, 50 Cards
Cards up to The Wilds of Rhovanion

Decklist built and published on RingsDB.

Published by Matt Kell (kattattack22)

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