LotR 328, 329 - The Dunland Trap

Tags

• lotr
• the-dunland-trap

First solitaire play of The Dunland Trap. For this first play, will use Vilya Catches an Ord deck which beat Into Fangorn. Will tune it if necessary.

Let's see how this plays out.

Initial hand:

1. Ancient Mathom
2. Unexpected Courage
3. Imladris Stargazer
4. Beorn
5. Haldir of Lorien
6. Dunedain Watcher

Not a great hand, but at least I have Stargazer.

Round 1

1. Resource: 3, draw Daeron's Runes.
2. Planning: Play Stargazer, arrange the deck, nothing really interesting to get, bummer.
3. Quest: Eowyn, Glorfundel, reveal Frenzeied Attack, draw Erebor Hammersmith and discard all the allies in my hand. Net +3 progess.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: Elrond takes Boar Clan Stalker undefends, shadow Dunland Chieftain for no effect, 1 hit on Elrond, Elrond kills Boar Clan Stalker.
7. Refresh: Threat 29. Time 1.

Round 2

1. Resource: 4, draw Imladris Stargazer.
2. Planning: Scry deck, play Daeron's Runes drawing Snowbourn Scout and Hasty Stroke, discard Ancient Mathom. Play Unexpected Courage on Elrond, Snowbourn Scout.
3. Quest: Elrond, Eowyn, Glorfindel (Threat 30) for 10 + 1 discard spare Stargazer from hand for 11 Will, reveal Dunland Tribesman, net +10 progress.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: none.
7. Refresh: Threat 31. Time 0. Draw Vassel of the Windlord and Bofur.

Round 3

1. Resource: 4, draw Vassal of the Windlord.
2. Planning: Both Vassals.
3. Quest: Eowyn and Glorfindel (Threat 32), reveal Hills of Dunland. Pitch Bofur. This clears Stage 1. Boar Clan Stalker engages. Draw Zigil Miner.
4. Travel: none. Munuv Duv Ravine is active now.
5. Encounter: optional Dunland Tribesman.
6. Combat: Elrond takes it undefended, shadow Dunlending Ambush for no effect. Elrond puts 1 hit on stalker.
7. Refresh: Threat 32.

I need to hoard resources through Stage 1 so that I have something to spend when Stage 2 kicks off.

Round 4

1. Resource: 5, draw Daeron's Runes
2. Planning: Scry some good stuff, Daeron's Runes to draw Vilya and Light of Valinor, play both. Do the thing to put Beorn directly into play. Play Zigil Miner.
3. Quest: Eowyn, Glorfindel for Will 7, reveal Low on Provisions, assign 6 damage. Pitch Daeron's Runes to clear Munuv Duv Ravine.
4. Travel: Hills of Dunland.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: Elrond defends stalker, shadow Hithaelglir Stream, shadow Dunland Berserket, and that's the game. Maybe not, Glorfindel can defend, shadow Off Track for no effect, 1 hit on Glorfindel. Beorn defends Dunland Berserker and that really is the game because I'm going to lose a hero.

AAR

Not too bad. As mentioned above, I should hoard resources during first stage. Also, I should get 3 Burning Brands into this deck to cancel the stupid shadow. It's an item, which will discard after Stage 1, but would really like to have it for Stage 2/3.

Also, I don't think I removed anough Time counters on engagement, I think I could have removed 1 more.

Also might be good to not have any enemies engaged or in the Staging area at the end of Stage 1. The problem here is that all the allies get discarded, so any enemies left can overwhelm before getting into Stage 3.

Game 329/6

Again!

Initial hand:

1. Zigil Miner
2. Imladris Stargazer
3. Imladris Stargazer
4. Dwarven Tomb
5. Dori
6. A Test of Will

Round 1

1. Resource: 3, draw Henamarth Riversong.
2. Planning: Play Imladris and Henamarth. Scry encounter to find Hithaeglir Stream.
3. Quest: Elrond, Eowyn, Glorfindel (Threat 28), pitch Dori for Will 11, net +7 Progress.
4. Travel: Hithaelgir Stream.
5. Encounter: Boar Clan Stalker.
6. Combat: Undefended, shadow Dunland Berserkers, 2 hits on Glordindel, another with shadow Hills of Dunland for no effect, 2 hits on Glorfindel. Scry deck with Stargazer.
7. Refresh: Threat 29. Time 1.

Round 2

1. Resource: 3, draw Vilya and Elrond's Counsel.
2. Planning: Vilya on Elrond, reveal Gildor Inglorion and put into play. Scry Dunlending Ambush. Play Elrond's Counsel for Threat 26.
3. Quest: Eowy, reveal Dunlending Ambush and cancel with A Test of Will
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: Gildor defends Stalker, shadow Frenzied Attack Stalker cannot take damage this round. No hits on Gildor.
7. Refresh: Threat 27, Time 0.

Round 3

1. Resource: 3, draw Bofur.
2. Planning: Vilya for Haldir of Lorien. Scry Plains of Enedwaith. Play Light of Valinor on Glorfindel.
3. Quest: Eowyn, Glordindel for 7 + 1 pitching Bofur net +6 Will.
4. Travel: Plains of Enedwaith.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: Gildor defends Stalker, shadow Low on Provisions, Gildor takes a hit. Glorfindel and Haldir put 2 hits on Stalker. Stargazer scries.
7. Refresh: Threat 28, time 1.

Round 4

1. Resource: 3, draw nothing.
2. Planning: Vilya puts Vassal of the Windlord in play. Scry Hills of Dunland.
3. Quest: Eowyn, reveal Hill of of Dunland. Net +1 on Plains of Enewaith.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: none.
6. Combat: Gildor defends, shadow Hithhaeglir Stream for no effect. Glorfindel, Vassal and Haldir kill Stalker. Scry deck.
7. Refresh: Threat 29, time 0. Draw HAsty Stroke and Ancient Mathom. Encounter draw Boar Clan Stalker.

Round 5

1. Resource: 6, draw nothing.
2. Planning: Vilya puts Zigil Miner into play. Scry Boar Clan Warrior. Play Ancient Mathom.
3. Quest: Eowym, Haldir, reveal Boar Clan Warrior.
4. Travel: none.
5. Encounter: Boar Clan Warrior/
6. Combat: Zigil Miner defends Boar Clan Warrior, shadow Hithaeglir Stream, shadow Hithaeglir Foothills for no effect, Zigil is dead. Gildor defends Stalker, shadow Boar Clan Warrior hasty stroke it away. Glorfindel and Vassal kill Boar Clan Warrior. Scry deck.
7. Refresh: Threat 30, time 1.

Round 6

1. Resource: 7, no draw.
2. Planning: nothing to play, scry In Need of Rest, which will likely cost the game. I can't enough rounds played to remove the Stage 3 time and keep a hero alive.

I'm calling it here and spending the remainder of the day rebuilding the deck.

AAR

So the basic strategy is stall through Stage 1 until resources are built up, non-item and mount attachments are in play, no enemies engaged, then proceed to Stage 2. Vilya and Imladris are super helpful as cards with Vilya are "put into play" and not "drawn" so that don't add nasty effects.

What I need:

1. Gandalf => Warden of Healing.
2. Bofur, Dori => Burning Brand.
3. Asfaloth => ??? Some attachments? More Unexpected Courage?
4. Dunedain Watcher => Poison Spikes? Miner of the Iron Hills?

Stalling does have the problem of higher chance of getting really nasty cards, so it's a mixed bag.

Tags

• lotr
• the-dunland-trap