LotR 307-9 - The Antlered Crown (3-5)

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This was a sad series of games, three in all, where we were never able to keep up with the encounter deck. The main challenge here is that questing power is vitally necessary, but questing triggers enemy engagement on success. With the quest card all having time counters, and all the locations having time counters, it's very difficult to biuld a tableau. Turtling is not an option.

I played a Vilya deck on the first game, a Mirlonde deck the second, then back to the Vilya deck for the third game. I did not get either deck firing in any of these games, despite having decent starting hands.

All three games ended with enemy swarms, and with relatively high threat given the few rounds we played for each.

I don't have a clear vision on what to do next. I probably need to spend a bit of time staring at the cards in the binder and working out a strategy.

Still, we had a good time as always.

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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.