LotR 220 - Forgotten Ruins from Ninjadorg (2)

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Another play using the Ninjadorg Old Forest. I don't think this deck works that well, but it was too long ago that I played the first time. I'll use the results of this game to tweak it.

Initial hand:

  1. Son of Arnor
  2. For Gondor!
  3. Steward of Gondor
  4. Stand and Fight
  5. Ever Vigilant
  6. Ever Vigilant

Round 1

  1. Resource: 3, draw Valiant Sacrifice.
  2. Planning: Steward on Aragorn.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Theodred, draw Despair for no effect. Net +5 progress.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 30.

Round 2

  1. Resource: 9, draw Galadhrims's Greeting.
  2. Planning: Galadhrim's Greeting, threat 24. Play Son of Arnor.
  3. Quest: Theodred, draw The Brown Lands, Threat 28.
  4. Travel: The Brown Lands.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 29.

Round 3

  1. Resource: 9, draw Sneak Attack.
  2. Planning: nothing, no allies.
  3. Quest: Theodred, Aragorn, draw Wargs, net +1 Progress.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Wargs
  6. Combat: Aragorn defends, shadow Goblin Sniper, 1 hit on Aragorn.
  7. Refresh: Threat 30.

Round 4

  1. Resource: 14, draw Gandalf.
  2. Planning: This is going to be an interesting round. I'm going to use Sneak Attack Gandalf on this one if I can quest through to get Ungoliant's Spawn in play. The idea is do 4 hits direct, use as defender, then Ever Vigilant to ready Gandalf to help with attack. The bummer would be if I don't clear the quest. I'll use Eowyn and Aragorn. I may have to use Son of Arnor to deal with Wargs.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Aragorn, Theodred, draw Dol Guldur Orcs, 2 hits on Theodred. Stage 1B with 9 progress, Ungoliant Spawn comes into play.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Wargs, Dol Guldur Orcs.
  6. Combat: Aragorn defends Wargs, shadow Dol Guldur Orcs for 2 hits on Aragorn. Son of Arnor defends Dol Guldur Orcs, shadow Enchanted Stream for no effect, Son of Arnor is destroyed. Play Valiant Sacrifice to draw Snowbourn Scout and A Test of Will.
  7. Refresh: Threat 31

Looking pretty dicey, but who knows what will happen? This game could end next turn, or I could get a win.

Round 5

  1. Resource: 19, draw Unexpected Courage.
  2. Planning: Play Unexpected Courage on Aragorn. Play Snowbourn Scout.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, draw Tower Gate. Now, do I want to pitch a card to keep Ungoliant's Spawn in the staging for one more turn? Or bring Ungoliant Spawn out this turn? Pitching one of the Ever Vigilants, Ungoliant's Spawn stays in Staging.
  4. Travel: none. (Watch what I do with Stand and Fight)
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Snowbourn Scout defends Wargs, shadow Misty Mountain Goblins to remove 1 progress from quest. No big deal. Snowbourn Scout is dead. Play Stand and Fight to bring Snawbourn Scout back, place 1 progress to remove Tower Gate, and defend against Dol Guldur Orcs, shadow The East Bight for no effect, Snowbourn Scout is dead. Aragorn and Theodred kill Wargs, Aragorn kills Dol Guldur Orcs.
  7. Refresh: Threat 32.

Ungoliant's Spawn coming out next turn, I don't have any way to reduce threat.

Round 6

  1. Resource: 19, draw Son of Arnor.
  2. Planning: Play Son of Arnor and engage Ungoliant's Spawn to get it out of the staging area so it won't contribute threat.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, draw Wolf Rider, surge Endless Caverns surge King Spider, exhaust Son of Arnor. Threat 33 from Endless Caverns.
  4. Travel: Endless Caverns.
  5. Encounter: King Spider, Wolf Rider.
  6. Combat: Sneak Attack Gandalf to defend Ungoliant's Spawn, shadow Dungeon Jailer for no effect. Aragorn defends King Spider, shadow Goblin Sniper for no effect. Theodred defends Wolf Rider, shadow The East Bight for no effect. Play Ever Vigilant to ready Gandalf, Aragorn and Gandalf swing for 7 to kill Ungoliant's Spawn.
  7. Refresh: Threat 34.

Round 7

  1. Resource: 19, draw Faramir.
  2. Planning: Play Faramir. Play Gandalf for cards, draw Steward of Gondor x 2 and Guard of the Citadel. Play Guard of the Citadel
  3. Quest: Eowyn, draw Hill Troll. Dang. Net +3 progress to clear Endless Caverns. Let's stay in this location until Hill Troll is cleared out.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Hill Troll.
  6. Combat: Gandalf defends Hill Troll, shadow Iron Shackles. Gandalf takes no hits. Aragorn defends, shadow Under the Shadow for Threat 37, takes no damage. Faramir defends King Spider, shadow Marsh Adder for no effect. Son of Arnor takes out Wolf Rider. Aragorn and Guard of the Citadel take out King Spider.
  7. Refresh: Threat 38.

I could have canceled the King Spider "When Revealed," and maybe should have as Son of Arnor would be ready and able to kill Wolf Rider.

I'm not in a too bad of a state, but the game is getting long and I haven't advanced.

Round 8

  1. Resource: 13, draw Iron Shackles. Bummer.
  2. Planning: none. Hopefully no surge.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, draw Tower Gate, which is ok, it's going to force net +2 which clears 1B, and puts Shadow Key in play with Necromancer's Reach! Excellent.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Hill Troll already engaged.
  6. Combat: Faramir defends, shadow Wargs, Faramir is killed. Aragorn, Theodred, Son of Arnor, and Guard of the Citadel attack for 8, play For Gondor! for 12 which kills the Hill Troll.
  7. Refresh: Threat 39.

Round 9

  1. Resource: 18, draw Celebrian's Stone.
  2. Planning: Play Celebrian's Stone on Aragorn.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Aragorn, Theodred for 9, draw Mountains of Mirkwood. Throw a Steward of Gondor to Eowyn for 10 Will, net +6, take Shadow and Attach to Eowyn.
  4. Travel: Mountains of Mirkwood, reveal Caught in a Web which A Test of Will cancels.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 40. Eowyn takes 1 hit.

I'm going to need healing to beat this quest I'm pretty sure.

Round 10

  1. Resource: 20, draw Strength of Will.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Aragorn, Theodred for 9, draw Eyes of the Forest, discard all Event cards, no big deal. This clears Mountains of Mirkwood and Stage 2b. Shadow Key is removed from play. Excellent.
  4. Travel: Tower Gate.
  5. Encounter: "Orc Guard"
  6. Combat: Guard of the Citadel defends, shadow Mountains of Mirkwood, 1 hit. Aragorn kills it.
  7. Refresh: Threat 41.

I might be able to win this, really depends on what the Encounter deck throws at me. I'm hurting for card draw really badly.

Round 11

  1. Resource: 25, draw Son of Arnor, excellent.
  2. Planning: Play Son of Arnor.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Theodred, draw Great Forest Web. Throw Steward of Gondor to Eowyn for 3 Progress, clearing Tower Gate.
  4. Travel: Great Forest Web.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 42.

Round 12

  1. Resource: 27, draw Hasty Stroke, which might be a game winner, just depends on the Encounter deck now.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Eowyn, Aragorn, draw (this is it…) Hill Troll! But it might not matter! It's going to matter…unless I pull Gandalf next turn (and maybe not then) , it's done. Just checked the deck, not Gandalf, calling it here.

AAR

Both games of this have been big boss fights. Tactics, Lore, Spirit might be the way to go with this quest. This deck will almost surely beat it, eventually, but it shouldn't take 12 rounds to do it.

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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.