LotR 264 - Into Ithilien 9

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Taking a slightly modified Vilya deck.

Initial hand:

  1. Dunedain Watcher
  2. Gildor Inglorion
  3. Imladris Stargazer
  4. Vilya
  5. Henamarth Riversong
  6. Zigil Miner

This is an outstanding opening hand, about as good as it gets with this deck.

Round 1

  1. Resource: 3, draw Erebor Hammersmith.
  2. Planning: Play Henamarth and scry Morgul Spider. Play Zigil to soak up the Morgul Spider attack.
  3. Quest: Celador, Glorfindel (Threat 27), Dunhere, reveal Morgul Spider. Ithilien Road cleared.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Morgul Spider.
  6. Combat: Zigil defends, shadow Haradrim Elite for another attack; Elrond defends, shadow Secluded Glade which whiffs. Elrond takes 4 hits.
  7. Refresh: Threat 28.

Round 2

  1. Resource: 3, draw Dwarven Tomb.
  2. Planning: Scry Overgrown Trail. Play Imladris Stargazer as a chump.
  3. Quest: Elrond, Celador, reveal Overgrown Trail.
  4. Travel: Overgrown Trail.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Imladris Stargazer defends, shadow Watcher in the Wood to raise threat to 29. Dunhere and Glorfindel put 4 hits on Morgul Spider.
  7. Refresh: Threat 30.

I can't really do anything until Morgul Spider is killed.

Round 3

  1. Resource: 4, draw Elrond's Counsel.
  2. Planning: Scry Ithilien Guardian, which is cool, but has Surge, so no idea what's coming behind.
  3. Quest: Elrond, Celador, reveal Ithilien Ranger, surge Southron Company. Net +5 on Overgrown Road.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Erebor defends Morgul Spider, shadow Southron Company and Erebor is killed. Dunhere puts two damage on Southron Company in the staging area. Glorfindel kills Morgul Spider.
  7. Refresh: Threat 31.

Round 4

  1. Resource: 5, draw Gandalf.
  2. Planning: Play Elrond's Counsel for Threat 28. Scry Forest Bat. Play Dwarven Tomb to fish out Imladris and play her. Scry deck for A Test of Will on top for drawing next turn.
  3. Quest: Celador, Ithilien Tracker, reveal Forest Bats to clear Overgrown Road and 1 porgress on Stage 1.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Forest Bats.
  6. Combat: Glorfindel defends, shadow Watcher in the Woods to raise Threat to 29. Dunhere puts 2 hits on Southron, Elrond fills Forest Bats.
  7. Refresh: Threat 30.

Round 5

  1. Resource: 5, draw A Test of Will.
  2. Planning: Scry Ithilien Guardian. Scry deck for Gandalf. Play Vilya then E/V to put Gandalf into play, drawing Daeron's Runes, Zigil Miner and Galadhrim's Greetings.
  3. Quest: Celador, Ithilien Tracker, reveal Secluded Glade. Would like to have quested with Gandalf, but the risk was too high, had I drawn an enemy, I'd be in a lot of trouble.
  4. Travel: Secluded Glade.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Dunhere kills Southron Company.
  7. Refresh: Threat 31.

Now it's time to really build board state and get on with the quest.

Round 6

  1. Resource: 6, draw Vilya.
  2. Planning: Scry Lost Companion. Scry deck for Ancient Mathom, Light of Valinor, Faramir in that order, with Asfaloth as the 4th card. Daeron's Runes to draw Ancient Mathom and Light of Valinor, play on Secluded Glade and Glorfindel respectively. Discard extra Vilya. Play E/V to draw and put into play.
  3. Quest: Faramir, Glorfindel, Dunhere, Celador, Ithilien Tracker x2 for 12 Will, reveal Lost Companion, clear Secluded Glade and draw Asfaloth, Snowbourn Scout, and Hasty Stroke; net +9 on Stage 1.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 32.

Round 7

  1. Resource: 7, draw Unexpected Courage.
  2. Planning: Scry Blocking Wargs.

I'm calling this one here as Celador should have left play on Round 3. That's just too large of a mistake to continue. I don't mind small asterisks very late in the game, but this mistake is just too large.

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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.