I got my copy of Treason 2 weeks ago and after playing all the scenarios a few times I can say, they're not as hard as some random people I read made them out to be. I first tried The Uruk Hai with an Elladan and Elrohir deck and lost pretty quickly since I couldn't get the attachments. But then I built a Gandalf Elrond Glorfindel deck with lots of unique allies and beat it the first time, and then Helm's Deep and The Road to Isengard and won as well, recruiting 3 ents. Since then I've played with a variety of decks, all very powerful granted (Rohan, Elladan and Elrohir in Campaign mode), but I'm sure my win rate is higher that my losses. Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't found the quests that hard, and I am rather shocked to be honest.

I haven't tried the quests just yet (still going through Campaign mode, currently at Fog of the Barrow Downs). After what I've read online I am scared to try these quests, especially Helm's Deep, even though I play exclusively on easy mode. If you tried these quests with various decks and got more wins, than either you're lucky, or you know how to build great decks and play well. As an easy mode player, that gives me hope.

Did you play one-handed solo? If so, I would love to see your decklist for the twins. I've always wanted to try them out, but I'm bad at deck building haha

Try them thematic mode. If you use the power decks I'm not surprised they weren't too hard.

I play 1 handed solo, yes. I was also very scared of these quests, but some of my fears were unfounded. For example, I didn't know that you don't raise your threat from questing unsuccessfully during a Defense quest, so threat levels like 5 and effects like Deeping Wall make more sense, an are way tamer due to the fact that you don't raise your threat.They're still very complex quests and there are lots of things to keep track of, but I played carefully and they weren't really hard. i also played thematic mode with a Theoden, Eowyn and Eomer deck with 3 proxies of Gamling and Snowmane and just your standard Rohan alies that discard themselves, some events, Theoden's and Eomer's stuf, etc. and won the first 2 quests in the first try. Also, Eowyn's just great at convincing the ents. So as I said I'm kinda shocked but I also appreciate that they didn't make these quests frustratingly hard.

I do not find them that hard also, but certainly not easy if you play thematic decks. Never tried any of my super decks. Either tried with thematic to have a play and offcource on my campaign were again I use thematic decks. They are a puzzle and especially Helms deep is unique and you have to think different in order to win it with the defence thing. In all of them the problem is threat raiging IMO, if you can manage that then they can be won

When I first tried Uruk Hai I had not read encounter or quest cards, had a treesphaire deck and with a hero captued failed misserably. The I tried a two sphaire and won on second attempt.

Helms Deep lost the first out of a bad shadow card, if not I would have won it on my attacking phase. Won next attempt.

On Road to Isengard I never managed to have more than on Ent of Fangorn with me and usually takes two or three turns (have 2 or 3 quest power heroes), thus I start with at least two encounter card for only one ent. Maybe I am unlucky I do not know. Yet again if I can reduse my threat during the game I win it.

I've found Uruk-Hai to be a pretty easy quest. Not sure I've ever actually lost it. Helm's Deep gets harder with more players, so I'm not surprised you beat it solo.

In general many of the recent quests are much more manageable solo. The encounter deck simply has very little chance of manifesting much synergy on its "turn". If you want to see how difficult a scenario like Helm's Deep can be, try playing it with four players where the decks were not tailored ahead of time. Scenarios like Weather Hills - where the encounter deck is designed to combo certain treacheries with other effects, are a particularly striking example of this. That scenario can feel trivially easy solo, but watching two teams play it - on easy mode no less - at Gen Con was a stark reminder of how much more effective the encounter deck is when you are revealing 4-7 cards per round instead of 1-2 (or very rarely 3) cards per round. I know that many players play exclusively solo, but I feel very strongly that the best way to have the complete experience of this game is with 2 players. If you want true difficulty, play 4 players. There are of course exceptions to this, but in playing the game hundreds of times over the last 3 years I have found this to be generally the case.

But multiplayer is meant to be played with decks built ahead of time... I mean, this is precisely how it works. Encounter deck usually becomes much more sinister with the more players, as it now manages to combo stuff, and if players are not doing the same - they're simply handicapping themselves.

I can imagine that Helm's Deep is a lot less scary in solo play than 2-player upwards - although I've only played two games against it (both two-handed), they were pretty hairy in places. Encounter deck can pack a punch on a nasty turn, especially if two bad treacheries turn up in one round, or 3 in two rounds (which is much less likely in solo play). The enemies are tough, but it's the treacheries that can really hurt in Helm's Deep.

I play solely 2 handed solo.

I agree with Givzaldi to an extent, Uruk-Hai and Road to Isengard are not that difficult. Helm's Deep though will squash you if you are not prepared. I have all the NM packs and I consider normal Helm's Deep as equivalent in difficulty with some of the more difficult NM packs. Makes me really nervous/excited for when we do get the NM version of this quest.

I agree with Dan's points. A couple weeks ago we started our Santiago group and I've been having my first multiplayer games. And yeah, some quests even 2 player are much more difficult. Still, losing disastruosly with more people is inmensenly more fun than losing alone, so I like this trend in the game.

I agree with Dan's points. A couple weeks ago we started our Santiago group and I've been having my first multiplayer games. And yeah, some quests even 2 player are much more difficult. Still, losing disastruosly with more people is inmensenly more fun than losing alone, so I like this trend in the game.

Have you tried the Massing at Osgiliath (POD) with only 2 Cores and Shadows, Kazad-dum, Dwarrowdelf and Hobbit Sagas? That is insanely fun with 4 payers....

I remember tried it during time when juicebox hosted is Living Tournament (remember it), with my brothers and my sister in law and was fun... But we beat it...

Here some info

I mainly play solo...

I agree with Dan's points. A couple weeks ago we started our Santiago group and I've been having my first multiplayer games. And yeah, some quests even 2 player are much more difficult. Still, losing disastruosly with more people is inmensenly more fun than losing alone, so I like this trend in the game.

Good to hear you've got a group going Giz. The game is just so much more fun playing with other people.

I read there is a Chilean blog up now too. You got a growing community in Santiago?

Anyway, I almost exclusively play with 3 players, but when I do 1H solo, I find the 1 encounter card per turn very.....eh, boring?

Like other said, the encounter deck can't combo too well with just 1 card.

If you are planning to keep playing solo as well as in a group, I suggest you might try 2H solo. It gives the encouter deck more teeth in general.

Just a tip: Don't try Druadan Forest with 4 players anytime soon

Yes, there's a new blog my friend is making called El Libro Rojo de Bolsón Cerrado (The Red Book of Bag-end), expect to see my custom cards over there soon. And yes, the game is harder and much more fun with 2+ players. Drúadan Forest was brutal for us even in 2 player (got Ancestral Clearing in setup both times, and then ended up with like archery 15).

Make sure you're playing Uruk Hai with only two heroes (your third one is technically "captured" - it makes it a fair bit trickier.

Helm's Deep is tricky - especially if you don't go for the free ally!

Road to Isengard is quite difficult if you're trying to get the boon and avoid the burden.

Same as others have said. The quests in this box are much more difficult multiplayer than one deck solo. As for multiplayer being meant to be played with decks built ahead of time, sure that would be great if everyone had unlimited time to plan decks out ahead of time, but at Gen Con, for example, often you are randomly grouping up together with others, and the same may be true at a local game store. Even if you know who you are playing with in advance, again, time is a factor, and not everyone has time to fine-tune their decks.

It is much, much, much easier solo. But of course, a power deck will beat it most of the time. And certain decks are super effective in coop, too, like a mono-Tactics combined with a quester deck for Helm's Deep.

That why I not even touch the TOS quests card until Nihtmare cards will come out. Still in my shelf waiting for nightmare boost!

That why I not even touch the TOS quests card until Nihtmare cards will come out. Still in my shelf waiting for nightmare boost!

Ha, I knew this would happen when I made this thread. Love ya Glaurung!

Hmm, the Isengard quest, now that I've played it, is not so nasty...maybe it was because in two rounds I managed to get 3 ents into play, but it never felt threatening. The final stage was a bit silly. I explored a location to move between quest cards before questing, quested enough to get 16 points on the quest card, then made Orthanc the active location, defended Saruman with Eomund, who readied all my many Rohan allies, and we splatted Saruman. One round on stage 3. Perhaps I played it wrong...

Finally beat the third quest. Now, when I say themed decks I mean beating the first quest with Gimli and Legolas and the third quest with Pippen, Merry and Treebeard. I still haven't beaten the first quest proper, but I did manage to beat the third. It took the additions of the Ents from the Angmar cycle etc. so that there was a critical mass of Ents.

I know that the saga rules don't allow the changes I'm talking about but I'm trying to recreate the books right now. If you say that beating the third quest with Eowym, Eomer and Theoden is easy I won't argue, but Eowyn wasn't at Helm's Deep etc. so it's really a question of depth of "theme". Ymmv

Done the same on my campaign too. Changed the heroes nearly each quest on Treason of Saruman and have the starting threat raising "punishment" in order to remain thematic. Ents are strong when they get on the table but treason of Saruman has a lot of treachuries with damage and threat raising to deal with, so if there is no Spirit in game in becomes tough

Indeed if you use Eomer, Theoden and Eowyn quests are easy (I tried it when first bought it)

What kind of decks are people using on the Uruk hai solo? I'm having a lot of trouble beating that thing consistently (other than the normal power decks) and people here are claiming it's the easiest of the bunch. Whereas I'm having no issue at all with the other two scenarios one or two handed but the first one drives me up the wall. Consistently getting +2-5 pursuit on the first few turns with no way of lowering it is just annoying. Not to mention by the end of the first stage pursuit is at 25ish most of the time and then you have 3 heroes to deal with the unique orc that has toughness 3. His attack isn't all that bad there are ways around it but if you have low attack heroes you have no chance. The pursuit timer will just tick over and you lose. Any advice from people saying it's easy?

How come you have three heroes? The one is captured

I think he is including Fellowship Aragorn in his count?