LotR 64 - Return to Mirkwood (7)

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Since Beorn's Path 9 Return to Mirkwood deck seems to be working fairly well, let's continue with it.

In the previous game, I had intended on getting through my entire work email inbox, but I didn't quite finish that up due to an unfortunate incident with an Attercop.

Since that game was relatively short, let's try another game. With only one email remaining in my work inbox, I'll have to shift to dishes and other cleanup between rounds.

Here is the initial hand:

  1. Unexpected Courage
  2. Song of Travel
  3. Song of Travel
  4. Hasty Stroke
  5. Stand and Fight
  6. Escort from Edoras

Looks ok, I'll keep it.

Encounter: Wolf Rider, surge with Great Forest Web.

Round 1

  1. Resource: 3, draw Escort from Edoras.
  2. Planning: play Unexpected Courage on Gimli, Song of Travel on Thalin.
  3. Quest: Eowy, Thalin, Gimli, draw Hill Troll. Bummer. Net +4 on quest.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Wolf Rider.
  6. Combat: Wolf Rider undefended, The Spider's Ring, which becomes the active location, another bummer. 2 D on Gollum. Gimli swings for 2 killing Wolf Rider.
  7. Refresh: Threat 33.

Work inbox is completely empty, time to do dishes.

Round 2

  1. Resource: 3, draw A Test of Will.
  2. Planning: play Escort from Edoras as a blocker. I don't see I can win this one, I don't see how I can get past the Hill Troll.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Thalin, draw The Brown Lands for Threat 37.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Hill Troll.
  6. Combat: Escort from Edoras defends, Shadow Gollum's Anguish which raises my threat to 41, Escort is killed, no damage on Hill Troll because Gimli only swinging for 2 right now.
  7. Refresh: Threat 45. (!)

This is not looking good at all.

Round 3

  1. Resource: 4, draw Gandalf.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Thalin, Gimli, draw Mirkwood Bats, net 0.
  4. Travel: at The Spider's Lair.
  5. Encounter: engaged with Hill Troll.
  6. Combat: Gimli readies and defends, Shadow Mirkwood Bats for no effect, Hill Troll puts 4 Damage on Gimli.
  7. Refresh: Threat 49.

Not good at all. Time to start going through my personal email.

Round 4

  1. Resource: 7, draw Swift Strike.
  2. Planning: play Gandalf, Threat 44.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Thalin, draw King Spider, discard Swift Strike to quest with 6, Threat now 47.

That's the game as I have no way to reduce threat this round, and no card draws for the round.

I think this game was a little more brutal than average.

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What to play next?

Deciding what to play next is always a tough call when faced with a closet full of games, all of which were purchased with intent to play. Here's one I'm dealing with the decision.

  • Something New: this means both something new to me and a game which has been published recently, within the last two or three years.
  • Something Classic: I've acquired a number of games properly considered "classic" which haven't yet been played. The current example would be PanzerGruppe Guderian.
  • Something Again: mastery requires constant practice, which means playing games many, many times to allow nuance to appear.
  • Something Vietnam: as I'm on a Vietnam binge. I don't have all the Vietnam games ever published, but I can say that I have a lot of them, and probably more than most people.
  • Something Obscure: as it's fun to poke around in the dustier corners of game design.
  • Something Different: break away from the same old publishers and try a game from one of the new kids on the block. Or, conversely, dip into legacy with a classic tried and true.
  • Something Light: once in a while it's nice to actually finish a game all the way through in one sitting, in an hour or two.
  • Something Heavy: if possible, it's nice to set up something big and complicated which can be left out for days or weeks or even months, for a leisurely stroll through a very large or long game.

There are surely many more ways to choose, but the above method keeps me busy enough, helps me get both breadth and depth into my play, and provides me with a sense of progress.

The odd man out

When there is an odd man out:

  • Have a solo game ready to play.
  • Keep score or advise on a game in progress.
  • Referee a game in progress.