LotR 131 - We Must Away, Ere Break of Day (6)

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I'm starting this in the evening, but I'm probably not going to finish it, too intense for a weekday. I'm using the current iteration of A Hobbit Goes Adventuring. I don't think it's a great deck for this quest, but I think I might be able to beat the quest with it. I believe I came close the last time I played this scenario.

Let's deal and get started.

Initial hand:

  • A Test of Will
  • Dwarrowdelf Axe
  • Dwalin
  • Zigil Miner
  • Stand and Fight
  • Song of Travel

Encounter: Lots or None at All. Threat 31.

Round 1

  1. Resource: 4, draw Foe Hammer.
  2. Planning: Song of Travel on Bilbo.
  3. Quest: Nori & Bilbo, draw Hungry Troll for surge Lots or None at All for Threat 33. Progress +3.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 34.

Round 2

  1. Resource: 7, draw Gondorian Spearman.
  2. Planning: play Zigil Miner.
  3. Quest: Nori & Bolbo, draw No Campfire, choose draw again for Troll Key. Progress +3.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 35. Not good. Need to reduce.

Round 3

  1. Resource: 11, draw Erebor Battlemaster.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: none, draw A Nice Pickle.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 36.

Round 4

  1. Resource: 15, draw Veteran Axehand.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: none, draw Troll Camp. Threat 39.
  4. Travel: Troll Camp.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 40.

Round 5

  1. Resource: 19, draw Heavy Stroke.
  2. Planning: play Veteran Axehand, Dwalin.
  3. Quest: none, draw Wind-Whipped Rain, which I cancel wit A Test of Will.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 41.

Round 6

  1. Resource: 22, draw A Test of Will.
  2. Planning: Gondorian Spearman.
  3. Quest: Nori, draw Roast 'em or Boil 'em for no effect. Progress +2 on Troll Camp.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 42.

Round 7

  1. Resource: 22, draw Fili.
  2. Planning: Dwarrowdelf Axe on Thalin.
  3. Quest: Thalin, draw Hobbit Lands.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 43.

Round 8

  1. Resource: 25, draw Dwalin.
  2. Planning: play Erebor Battlemaster.
  3. Quest: Thalin, draw Wind-Whipped Rain, which I'm canceling again with A Test of Will.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 44.

Round 9

  1. Resource: 25, draw Foe Hammer.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Thalin, draw A Suspicious Crow, which Thalin knocks off, reveals Lone-Lands for Threat 46.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 47.

Round 10

  1. Resource: 29, draw Gandalf.
  2. Planning: play Gandalf.
  3. Quest: Gandalf, Thalin, Nori, Bilbo, draw Hungry Troll for surge Roast 'em or Boil 'Em, no effect.
  4. Travel: Hobbit Lands.
  5. Encounter: Trolls! Sack Thalin, Nori, Bilbo, Veteran Axehand. Bummer.
  6. Combat: here we go! Gondorian Spearman defends Bert, Shadow Troll Camp for no effect, Bert takes a hit, Gondorian Spearman is dead. Dwalin defends William, shadow Cave Entrance, Dwalin is dead (for now). Gimli defends Tom, Shadow Hungry Troll for no effect, 3 damage on Gimli. Attacking Bert with Gandalf +4, Erebor Battlemaster +3, Zigil +1 to deal +6 damage to Bert, not enough and I'm calling the game here.
  7. Refresh: Threat 48.

AAR

I think the next game I want to pull in the first Troll (Bert) as fast as possible, and get him out of the way. That way I can get some damage on Gimli right away, who can then take out Bert probably within a two turns at that point. The problem is all the trolls get into the staging area at once, which requires some burly questing. Also, they return to the staging area unless threat is raised to keep them out of it. Interesting quest!

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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.