Hello,

I'm playing OL on a campaign with 3 heroes

- Jain FairWood as a Treasure Hunter

- Nanok of the Blade as Beastmaster

- Leoric of the book as Runemaster

And I need some advice for our next quest : The Cardinal’s Plight

Up to now we have played

- "First Blood" with the heroes winning, Jain found the Elm Great Bow

- the Rumor Quest "Rude Awakening" were they won also and found enought gold to buy the Heavy Cloak for Leoric (cancel 1 surge on an attack targeting him), the relic Valyndra’s Bane going to Nanok (1 blue, 1 Red and 1 yellow dices, and if agains large monster add another Yellow dice, more over for 1 surge Pierce 3).

I know Rumor Quests are mainly in favor of the heroes.. but as it was their first campaign I wanted them to have more choices...

A poor choice for me..

I have few chances in wining this one, but I want to make it as difficult for them as possible...

So my questions is :

what monsters would you take as free group for the first Encounter?

Large Monsters like the Shadow Dragon / Troll knowing that it will be only the major one and Nanok will be able to kill him in his first turn!

Leaving the other two heroes to go for the Key..

Small Monsters that any hero will be able to kill with one attack but in number, like Razor Wings or Skeleton archers?

If I can make the first Encouter to last enought to get out 2 zombies (3 would be better) without using my OL cards I have some chances to win the 2nd encouter... But with Nanok and the Valyndr'as Bane I'm not sure I will be able to last the 3, 4 turns I need..

Edit: I have all the extensions till the The Trollfens

All advices are welcome!

Felin

I haven't played that quest yet, but one advice I tend to give is: hoard OL cards for the second encounter!!! Try to hinder the heroes in the first one but keep your OL cards for the second.

I think a shadowdragon would be useful or a merriod for its double attack...

First bit of advice- don't play the Rumor cards featuring quests unless you have to, Valyndra's Bane is annoying- so is Aurium Mail, and the Healing Elixir.

As far as monsters- I hate to say it, but anything you put in front of a blue/red/yellow in Act ! will be hurting- it sounds like you're using the CK, so use Golem's whenever you can (not Cardinal's Plight, unfortunately.) This map is a little cramped for Shadow Dragons. The heroes could place themselves such that you can't really move around- however, this would force them to leave someone in the main hallway, and Merrick could attack them, so you can do that if you want. Note that you only get reinforcements at the end of your turn- so your dragon will be back at the Entrance every time it spawns. If you think your heroes will be tempted to go back and attack it, then by all means. (Also, I would pick a giant over a troll.) Also, Chaos Beast! Use that sword against him!

If not, even though they're still "large," I'd recommend Barghests. All of your heroes have willpower = 2, so you can reliably howl away their fatigue- this will slow them down, and distract them from searching the tokens, which is what you want. If it doesn't distract them, continue draining/damaging them. Hellhounds have fire breath, also nice.

As far as 1x1 monsters, anything with Undying is nice because you "immediately reinforce," giving you actions your next turn. You can also just go for numbers- anything with 3x1 will make the heroes spend more actions attacking rather than moving or searching- and that buys time for Merrick. Good luck!

There is allot of really good advice out there. My two are your heroes. Jane can move but she is really squishy. Be sure to look at where she can land (goal related) and have a death trap waiting for her. It will only take one or two times of this happening that will make her want to cling to the group. Second is Nanok. That black dice looks really scary, I know, but don't let it. Just like it's gray counterpart, it too had a blank. Prove to your heroes that you are not afraid of him and they will respect you for the remainder of the campaign. Also, if you hit it with harder monsters then the 4 shield may not matter.

Hello

Ser Folly:

About the cards it's just what I'm planning.. and it's why I need advices with the monsters because it's the first time I do this quest and with the heroes I have in face of me I can't decide what group has the more chance to win me time!

About the monsters you suggest...

Between the Shadow Dragon and the Merriod I think the first one is better, more HP, more Armor, and more mouvement (size 2x3 instead of 2x2) and the Shadow power has no match.. even if agaist Nanok's Relic there is few probabilities it will be helpfull!

And If it's to attacks many targets I think the Giants are better that Merriods, same size but with more HP (12 vs 7) but with Sweep (attack all figures within range.. and it also as Reach!) in place of Flail (double attack)

NB: by the way I have make an error on my description Trolls can't be taken in this quest I was thinking of Giants!

Zaltyre:

I know about Rumors Quest.. but this was their first time.. and the last I try to be kind with beginners!! ;-)

About the Golem I love it (above all his immunity to Pierce!!).. but as you say I can't have it here!

Yet you are telling something I didn't understood while reading the Quest.. Lord Merrick can attack through the portal?
I know he has LOS to the outside but as the portal his a little bit like a door I thought only powers that asked like of sight could be used not attacks...
This is a good news... even if only with a blue and a red at best he can attack to a maximum range of 6.. and if he is to rise the zombies he will not have much time to attack.. but this can always be helpfull !

For the reinforcements.. I know it's at the end and on the entrance.. what will bother me, it's that if I have reinforcements.. this means Lord Merrick has not done what he was supposed to.. and so I'm already loosing one turn.. and probably the encounter!!
This is if the Portal is always active.. if it's already gone... what ever the monster I reinforce, it will not make it to the combat in time !

I have looked for the Chaos Beast, the fact they have ranged attacks it's a good point and there are two of them... but I'm afraid Nanok will be able to kill both in one turn like the Shadow Dragon... But If I'm to count with reinforcements they are a very good choice.

What is good with Barghests it's they are one more than the Chaos Beasts but with nearly the same HP ... so the warrior will not be able to kill them all in one turn... what makes me unconfortable with these it's that howling takes one action..not sure 1 fatigue will slow them much.. compared to one attack, + move and try to block the way.

The hellhounds are rather the same, the fire breath is cool... but with a blue and a red I don't have much luck to use it.. and if against Leoric even less! a pity they don't have a yellow dice.. ;-)

If I go for numbers the Skeleton archers seems the best choice 3 minors 1 major ranged attack and Undying (with out forgetting the Pierce 1 !)
If the heroes want to kill all this lot they will need at least 5 attacks .. but on the other side no way to block anything with these, pour armor and reinforcements will be helpless..

So I'm always at the same point.. without beeing able to decide what's the best.. make them loose time at the beginning killing little monsters or letting them try to kill big monsters, hoping there will be something that fails for them and if ever some thing goes wrong with Merrick have reinforcements that will help after...

Kunzite:

I plan to keep as much cards as I can for encouter 2.. so unless I'm certain that loosing one card makes me win a zombie out, I won't try to stop Jain!

About Nanok I'm not afraid of him.. in the last quest I put him to the ground (by the way with a golem! ;-) ).. but bad luck for me they had found a healer during their travel and he has been revived to his full health !!

But in this quest what I need is to gain time, putting him down will cost me too much efforts and I'm not sure I have nor the monsters for that nor if this will really gain me time.

Thank you all for your advices..
And feel free to give more!

Felin

This is if the Portal is always active.. if it's already gone... what ever the monster I reinforce, it will not make it to the combat in time !

Keep in mind that the portal opens when the heroes discover the Relic of Dawn, so they are still likely to be at the Caravan here and haven't had a chance to move towards the Graveyard yet. Also be aware that you can move diagonally between the obstacles on the Ruins and that a Shadow Dragon placed on the entrance using two move actions can place itself 2/3 on the Graveyard assuming nothing is blocking its way.

A quick note on Rumor Quests: Playing them on purpose isn't always bad. If you think you can win them, the Relics are pretty nice. If you're using a plot deck, you get a threat for just playing the rumor and the possibility of even more threat for beating on the heroes.

Jee

A quick note on Rumor Quests: Playing them on purpose isn't always bad. If you think you can win them, the Relics are pretty nice. If you're using a plot deck, you get a threat for just playing the rumor and the possibility of even more threat for beating on the heroes.

Jee

It's usually bad unless you're certain you can not only win, but can do so blazingly fast or pressure them enough that they have no real chance. The reason is that the simple act of gaining treasure is enough. Since you can only have one relic on each lieutenant, getting mediocre or only decent relics is not usually worth letting the heroes get more gold.

The three threat tokens for winning one (1 for playing the card, 2 for the win) can be worth it though. The quest reward cards can be helpful too.

Hello

Griton:

I know but without using cards putting a Shadow Dragon or a any 2x1 monster will be the same.. Nanok will be able to kill them with is two attacks (perhaps even with a single one!)

Without the Valyndra's Bane (more precisely without those damned yellow dices) I think I wouldn't even have started the topic Shadow Dragons seems the best for this Quest!

Inspector Jee, Whitewing:

Again I know Rumor Quest are not good for OL, for the reasons that Whitewing sayd but in short here is a sumary :

- OL win's : OL gains a relic, Heroes get gold, and items (don't forget I have a treasure Hunter in my heroes!! )

- Heroe's win : OL nothing, Heroes gold, Items and Relic !!

In any case Heroes have something where as OL can loose all!

And I'm not convinced that threat tokens change something... indeed to gain the tokens you have less cards... cards that can make the difference between a defeat and a victory!

Actually I'm not playing with threat tokens (doesn't have the lieutenant packs yet) but If I had, I would have won (If I'm correct):

1 for the rumor quest, 1 for playng the quest... and as all three heroes have tasted the ground 3 more..

but how much of these three I would have If have collected tokens instead of cards.. I would say one perhaps 2

Lest say 4 in total , knowing that when using them you give them as fortune tokens to the heroes...

Does really 4 theat tokens make a match again a weapon with 3 dices B/R/Y with a 4th Y one again large monsters (nearly all the most usefull ones!) and with suge Pierce 3?.. In my own opinon I would say no...

Now as I said I have done this quest because I wanted to be kind with my heroes who where beginners and because I thought I had some chances to win (also! ;-) ) but Luck was not really on my side!

First they found a healer (when reviving a hero he revives at full HP) during the travel (even if all heroes had -1HP for helping refugees)

Then during the Quest my both Tripwire Failled, so did my dark Charm on Nanok (0 Shields!! :-( ) who was just revived with the healer, my Golem in front of him tried again to put him down but too much HP and too few time,

and my both attacks (frenzy) on Leoric with the minor Sentinel ended with an X, Leaving Leoric to heal the last villager who went out of the board in 2 steps....

Only Leoric had yet his Heroic Feat..

So my conclusion is even if you think you can win.. don't forget the dices and the cards are not obliged to be on your side and do as you planned!! ;-)

Thank you all for your advices

Felin

Threat tokens even out the rumor experience (and the gold-grab dynamic in general IMO). They're the Overlord version of treasure. You can get 5 per mission, win or lose (and more if you win) and the stuff they let you buy is amazing. Go and get Zachareth's plot deck and you'll be playing rumors left and right. There's a card in there called "Trouble on the Road" that basically allows you to stun the whole party before every single quest. It really changes the game.

- Jee