LotR 128 - We Must Away, Ere Break of Day (3)

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Another crack with the "A Hobbit Goes Adventuring" deck. This deck isn't published yet, I'll get around to it at some point. It's also weak on questing I think, need to play it a few more times to see.

Initial hand:

  • Burglar Baggins
  • A Test of Will
  • Veteran Axehand
  • A Test of Will
  • Feint
  • A Test of Will

I don't think I shuffled this very well. I'm going to play it out anyway.

Encounter: Hobbit Lands, nice.

Round 1

  1. Resource: 3, draw Veteran Axehand.
  2. Planning: play Veteran Axehand, Threat 28.
  3. Quest: Thalin, Bilbo, draw Cave Entrance, for net 0 progress.
  4. Travel: Hobbit Lands.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 29.

Round 2

  1. Resource: 6, draw Heavy Stroke.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Thalin, Bilbo, draw Lone Lands, Threat 30.
  4. Travel: none
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 31.

Round 3

  1. Resource: 10, draw Heavy Stroke. I did not shuffle my deck. Ok.
  2. Planning: Veteran Axehand, Threat 30.
  3. Quest: Nori, Thalin, Bilbo, draw More Like a Grocer for no effect. Net +1 Progress clear Hobbit Lands draw Unexpected Courage.
  4. Travel: Lone Lands.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 31.

Round 4

  1. Resource: 12, draw Erebor Battlemaster.
  2. Planning: Unexpected Courage on Gimli.
  3. Quest: Gimli, Thalin, Nori, Bilbo, draw Hungry Troll surge No Campfire, I'll take the encounter…draw Troll Camp. Net +2 Progress.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 32.

Round 5

  1. Resource: 13, draw Unexpected Courage.
  2. Planning: Unexpected Courage on Thalin.
  3. Quest: Gimli, Thalin, Nori, Bilbo, draw A Nice Pickle, Threat 33, net +2 Progress to clear Lone-Lands.
  4. Travel: Cave Entrance.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 34.

Round 6

  1. Resource: 16, draw Gandalf.
  2. Planning: Gandalf.
  3. Quest: Gandalf, Gimli, Thalin, Nori, Bilbo, draw Hungry Troll which is surge for another Troll Camp, net +4 which clears Cave Entrance and puts another P on quest.
  4. Travel: Troll Camp.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 35.

Round 7

  1. Resource: 15, draw Gandalf.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Gimli, Thalin, Nori, Bilbo, draw Hungry Troll surge Troll Camp! No net progress. Looking at imminent location lock.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 36.

Round 8

  1. Resource: 19, draw Dwalin.
  2. Planning: Dwalin, Threat 35. Gandalf.
  3. Quest: Gandalf, Gimli, Thalin, Dwalin, Nori, Bilbo, draw No Campfire for surge Dreary Hills for net +2 on Troll Camp.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 39 to keep Gandalf in play.

Round 9

  1. Resource: 17, draw Citadel Plate.
  2. Planning: Citadel Plate on Gimli.
  3. Quest: Gandalf, Gimli, Thalin, Nori, Bilbo, Dwalin, draw Dreary Hills and I think that is going to be the game… Threat 40.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 43, need to keep Gandalf in the game…

Round 10

  1. Resource: 17, draw Citadel Plate. This is ridiculous.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: same, draw Suspicious Crow, which is eliminated by Thalin before pulling his nasty surge tricks. Threat 44.

I'm calling it here, location lock.

This deck is too light on questing. I'm probably going to play it a couple more times to get a good handle on the Encounter deck. I don't think I need much more questing though.

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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.