LotR 347 - Three Trials 11

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This has been an unusually difficult quest for me, and I've had to netdeck it. It turns out it's one of the harder quests in the game for a true solo player. Given I've beat on it 10 times already, that makes sense to me.

I also watched Chad's video to understand how the deck works, as my initial attempts were not successful. There are a few key things to note when playing:

  • Gondorian Fire lasts for the phase, so it can be used on different enemies given Boromir can ready.
  • Load Boromir up with readying to get around his once-per-phase limitation.
  • Manage the last key in Trial of Strength in the Combat phase so that Gondorian Fire is still active. With appropriate readying, Boromir can take them all out, and they don't get a chance to attack.
  • Gondorian Fire is nuts.

Picking up from yesterday with Chad's Single Core Three Trials deck, let's see how far we can get with it.

Game 347/11

Initial hand:

  1. Ethir Swordsman
  2. Miruvor
  3. Warden of Healing
  4. A Good Harvest
  5. Gondorian Fire
  6. Master of the Forge

Trial of Intuition, Raven engages, Pippin draws Asfaloth.

Round 1

  1. Resource: 3, draw Ancient Mathom.
  2. Planning: Ancient Mathom on Cave Barrow.
  3. Quest: Pippin, Glorfindel reveal Curse of the Wild Men which whiffs. Discard 1.
  4. Travel: Cave Barrow.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends, shadow Turned Around which whiffs.
  7. Refresh: Threat 24.

Round 2

  1. Resource: 5, draw Quick Strike.
  2. Planning: Asfaloth on Glorfindel, +2 on Cave Barrow.
  3. Quest: Pippin, Glorfindel, reveal Spirit of the Wild. Threat 25. Net +4.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends, shadow Spirit of the Wild which whiffs.
  7. Refresh: Threat 26.

Round 3

  1. Resource: 6, draw Peace and Thought.
  2. Planning: Gondorian Fire on Boromir.
  3. Quest: Glorfindel, reveal Wild Tenacity, clear Cave Barrowi with Asfaloth. Ancient gets me Ancient Mathom, Dagger of Westernesse, A Test of Will. Threat 27. Discard 2.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends Raven, shadow The Guardian's Fury, attack Glorfindel undefended shadow Wild Tenacity which is two more shadow cards Ancient Forest exhaust Pippin, Spirit of the Wild for 3 hits on Glorfindel.
  7. Refresh: Threat 28. Raven cycles and puts one damage on everyone.

This is not looking good. I can't do Peace and Thought and get the card draw now. If I don't draw Gondorian Shield next, that's probably the game.

Round 4

  1. Resource: 9, draw Gondorian Shield.
  2. Planning: Gondorian Shield on Boromir. Warden of Healing.
  3. Quest: none, reveal Tangled Woods, Threat 31.
  4. Travel: none. Put +2 Progress on Tangled Woods.
  5. Encounter: Spirit of the Wild.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends, shadow Turned Around which whiffs, Glorfindel undefended on Spirit of the Wild, shadow Grim Foothills for no effect.
  7. Refresh: Threat 32.

Round 5

  1. Resource: 9, draw Stewaard of Gondor.
  2. Planning: A Good Harvest and Steward of Gondor on Boromir. Heal 1 from Pippin and Glorfindel.
  3. Quest: none. Reveal Tangled Woods for Threat 36 but clear existing with Asfaloth so Threat 34.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Pippin defends Spirit, shadow Curse of the Wild Men which whiffs, Boromir defends Raven, shadow Grim Foothills for no shadow. Boromir readies Threat 35, kills Spirit.
  7. Refresh: Threat 36, Boromir readeies Threat 39 play Peace and Thought drawing Light of Valinor 2x, Warden of Healing, Dagger of Westernesse, Daeron's Runes.

Round 6

  1. Resource: 13, draw Fast Hitch. Boromir readies Threat 37.
  2. Planning: Play Fast Hitch, Light of Valinor, Daeron's Runes drawing Deep Knowlegde and Rohan Warhorse, discard Light of Valinor. Heal Boromir and Glorfindel. Ancient Mathom on Tangled Woods. Dagger of Westerness 2x on Glorfindel. +2 Progress on Tangled Woods.
  3. Quest: Glorfindel, reveal Wild Tenacity.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends, shadow Key of the Raven, shuffle it back in. Boromir readies Threat 38, Glorfindel and Boromir for 15, out goes Raven.
  7. Refresh: Threat 39.

Round 7

  1. Resource: 14, draw A Test of Will.
  2. Planning: Rohan Warhorse and Miruvor on Boromir.
  3. Quest: Glorfindel, reveal Guardian's Fury. We'll put Raven back into play, no problem. Tangled Woods is cleared, Acnient Mathom draws Dagger of Westernesse, Ethir Swordsman, Gondorian Shield. Warden heals.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: Raven's Guardian. Draw Anfalas Herdsman.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends, shadow Cursed Forest which whiffs. Boromir and Glorfindel kill Raven again.
  7. Refresh: Threat 41.

Round 8

  1. Resource: 17, draw Unexpected Courage.
  2. Planning: Unexpected Courage on Boromir. Heal 1 from Boromir and Glorfindel.
  3. Quest: Pippin, Glorfindel, reveal Cursed Forest, net +2 progress. No key lol. Asfaloth for +2 Progress on Cursed Forest.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: none.
  7. Refresh: Threat 42.

Round 9

  1. Resource: 20, draw Gondorian Shield.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Pippin, Glorfindel, reveal Grim Foothills and Key of the Raven, which goes on Pippin. Threat 44. Stage 2 Perserverance. Hill Barrow with Key of the Boar. Boar engages Pippin draws Anfalas Herdsman.
  4. Travel: Hill Barrow.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends Boar, shadow none as deck is drawn, no hits.
  7. Refresh: Threat 45.

Round 10

  1. Resource: 25, draw Anfalas Herdsman.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Boromir, Pippin, Glofindel, reveal Tangled Woods. Asfaloth put +2 on Hill Barrow.
  4. Travel: none.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends, shadows Turned Around which whiffs, and Ancient Forest to exhaust Glorfindel.
  7. Refresh: Threat 46. Cycle Boar and discard Warden of Healing.

Round 11

  1. Resource: 30, draw Quick Strike.
  2. Planning: none.
  3. Quest: Pippin, Glorfindel, reveal Turned Around and remove a time counter from Boar. Asfaloth for +2 on Tangled Woods. This clears Stage 2, and we're on to Stage 3 Trial of Strength. Wolf engages, Pippin draws Daeron's Runes.
  4. Travel: Tangled Woods.
  5. Encounter: none.
  6. Combat: Boromir defends, shadow Spirit of the Wild, which puts three hits on Boromir, and raise threat to 48.
  7. Refresh: Threat 49.

I need to pull Elrond's Counsel or this is game over.

Round 12

  1. Resource: 35, draw A Good Harvest.
  2. Planning: Play Anfalas Herdsman 3x, Warden of Healing, Daeron's Rune drawing Deep Knowledge and Daeron's Runes discard Gondorian Shield, draw Deep Knowledge and Ethir Swordsman. Play Quick Strike and take out Wolf, putting key on Pippin, engage all three Guardians drawing Elrond's Counsel, Dwarven Tomb, and Light of Valinor. Play Elrond's Counsel for Threat 46 and +1 Will to Glorfindel. Asfaloth to clear Tangled Woods. Play Ethir Swordsman 2x.
  3. Quest: Pippin, Glorfindel, Ethir 2x for 11, reveal Spirit of the Wild. Play Quick Strike and Boromir kills Wolf. Ready with Unexpected Courage.
  4. Travel: Hallowed Circle.
  5. Encounter: Spirit of the Wild.
  6. Combat: Anfalas defends Raven, shadow Ancient Forest exhaust Glorfindel; Anfalas defends Spirit Wild Tenacity, Anfalas defends Boar, shadow Grim Foothills for no effect. Discard Miruvor to have Boromir take out Raven.
  7. Refresh: Threat 47.

Round 13

  1. Resource: ~20, draw Peace and Thought.
  2. Planning: Ethir Swordsman, Master of the Forge.
  3. Quest: Pippin, Glorfindel, Ethir 3x for 17, reveal Tangled Woods. I think this is the win.
  4. Travel:
  5. Encounter:
  6. Combat:
  7. Refresh: Threat
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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.