LotR 79 - Into the Pit (9)

We’ll give it another try for today, after suffering three sudden death games in a row. Another play of my first dedicated dwarf deck.

Initial hand:

1. Unexpected Courage
2. Untrouble by Darkness
3. A Test of Will
4. Feint
5. Untrouble by Darkness
6. The Galadhrim’s Greetings

Not a super great hand, but let’s see how it plays out.

Initial encounter: Goblin Swordsman.

Round 1

1. Resource: 3, draw Erebor Record Keeper.
2. Planning: none.
3. Quest: none, draw another Goblin Swordsman. Threat 31.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: Both Goblin Swordsman.
6. Combat: Dain and Thalin defend, shadow Watchful eyes on Dain, no effect and no damage, Lightless Passage on Dwalin, which cancels all damage, but no big deal, I can handle it so far.
7. Refresh: Threat 32.

Round 2

1. Resource: 6, draw The Galadhrim’s Greetings.
2. Planning: Unexpected Courage on Dwalin.
3. Quest: none, draw Goblin Scout for Threat 35.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: Feint on one of the Goblin Scouts, shadow for that is Signs of Conflict. Thalin defends other, shadow Crumbling Ruin for no effect, 1 D on Thalin. With Dain still up, Dwalin swings for 3 and kills Goblin scout, Threat 33.
7. Refresh: Threat 34.

Round 3

1. Resource: 6, draw Gandalf.
2. Planning: none.
3. Quest: none, draw Dark and Dreadful, no effect since no questing.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: Thalin defends, draw shadow Lightless Passage which cancels damage. Bummer, can’t clear this fucker.
7. Refresh: Threat 35.

Round 4

1. Resource: 9, draw Sneak Attack.
2. Planning: none.
3. Quest: Thalin, draw Branching Paths, net 0.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: Dain defends, Goblin Swordsman, add to the Staging Area. No damage on Dain, Dwalin kills for Threat 34.
7. Refresh: Threat 35.

Round 5

1. Resource: 12, draw Erebor Record Keeper.
2. Planning: none.
3. Quest: Thalin, draw Zigil Mineshaft. Play Gandalf Sneak Attack to quest for +4 more and, Threat 38.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: Goblin Swordsman.
6. Combat: Dain defends, draw Stairs of Nain and exhaust Dwalin no damage to Dain, Dwalin readies and defends, draw Goblin Follower with +5 Attack which kills Dwalin, and concede.
7. Refresh: Threat

This deck is really hard to get started.

Also, I have not been exploiting Zigil Mineshaft, for which I could be raising Threat to explore it. I need to start doing that in the future. I may bring Citadel Plate back in.

The hardest thing is figuring out how to get through the East-Gate within the first two rounds. It requires 7 quest, and the best I can get is 4 on the first turn.