Hello!

Complete newbie (but experienced games)...... Bought case game and the 6 Mirkwood decks and and ready to go........

What is best way to learn?

Should I play base game with the 30 card ready made decks first? Should I stick to one sphere or combine then all and create decks?

After I get I get the feel of the game (after completing base game perhaps), should I combine all my cards, and create decks to go through the 6 Mirkwood scenarios?

Oh and how does one reduce threat level?

Any other suggestions?

Peace

Roger

To just learn the game, I'd stick to the core pre-constructed decks. Once you have a good handle on the rules, you can start mixing things up.

thanks!

After learned, Just combine it all and start play Mirkwood scenarios?

Does the difficulty level of a scenario have anything to do with game play?

Thanks!

Peace

Roger

Read Beorn's Path and some of the hints and strategies from Tales from the Cards.

I played the first adventure in the core set with each of the four 30-card base decks until I could beat it to learn the rules and process, and then went on to start making my own decks for the other adventures.

I had to play two-handed (two decks like two players, instead of one solo deck) to beat the third coree quest, Escape from Dol Guldur, though.

1. Do not play the core 30 card Tactics deck solo - it will not work and you will be frustrated.

2. The 2nd quest in the core set "Journey Along the Anduin" is challenging, expect to spend some significant time learning about deck building for a quest and trial and error with this one.

3. The 3rd quest in the core set is nigh on impossible solo. Fun idea, but in practice it's extremely frustrating. Try it once or twice but realize that it is just crazy hard and there's not much to be done about it.

4. Before you start playing the Mirkwood cycle quests, look up some threads on how the Guarded keyword works in various situations - it can be tricky at first

5. There must be a thousand threads on "should I play the quests in order?" Or "should I play with only the cards that were available when the pack was released?" Just search for some of those threads, it's entirely up to you how you want to approach playing the quests and which cards you want to use.

Thanks Hawkstrike and Delaric.......

I am an old Magic guy. Once I get the game down, I plan on combining it all and designing decks and going for Mirkwood.

I am frustrated with the Tactics deck. Thanks for suggestions, I was getting my ass kicked,

Peace

Roger

The very very first games I played, I made it so my characters did not have to exhaust to commit their willpower to the quest. This makes the starter decks good enough to play a fun game without having your butt handed to you. Once you have a good handle on the game you can play it using the normal rule.

Sadly, "red deck wins" is not the case in this game, at least in solo.

Within the Core set, the main (only?) threat reduction cards are Gandalf and The Galadhrim's Greeting.

The very very first games I played, I made it so my characters did not have to exhaust to commit their willpower to the quest. This makes the starter decks good enough to play a fun game without having your butt handed to you. Once you have a good handle on the game you can play it using the normal rule.

Not a bad idea at all. Also, starting with an extra resource on each hero can also help advance your enjoyment of the game early on, especially with the smaller card pool and some rather expensive allies.

For me, playing the first scenario solo with individual sphere starter decks gave me a better idea of their strengths and weaknesses even tactics.

Then scenario two, Anduin, became combining decks and deck design.

Afterwards, with each Mirkwood adventure I only added the new player cards released with that pack, so the card pool grew slowly one pack at a time and also made each adventure a challenge whereas with latter cards they may have been too easy.

Core3,dial flurry, I never beat. One day I'll revisit with a better expanded deck.

Welcome to an awesome game!!

I have been playing the game with the starter decks to get an idea of what they are all about. I started with Tactics (got me ass kicked), then moved to leadership. Did better. I will try again with leadership and then move on.

I figure if I play a couple games with each deck, I can get a better feel of it.

Alex, I like the idea of adding the cards just from Mirkwood adventure I will be playing. Not certain I will be able to resist. I might add all the Mirkwood cards at once (since I have all 6). I definitely will not add all cards at once (yes, I have more on order). I might add them by adventure cycle.

Peace

Roger

Great stuff.

I feel that using the player cards one pack at a time gets you to see merits of cards you might otherwise dismiss, as well as playing the scenario with the same available card pool from when the adventure was designed such fun!

Great stuff.

I feel that using the player cards one pack at a time gets you to see merits of cards you might otherwise dismiss, as well as playing the scenario with the same available card pool from when the adventure was designed such fun!

yeah i see line of thought too. But I might want more at least a little variety I have time to think about it. I still have a couple of times (or so) per deck for two more decks and then start thinking about tackling Mirkwood.

Peace

Roger

Hello!

OK next newbie question:

In Don't Leave the Path side 3B.......

When revealed, Each player must search the encounter deck and discard pile for a SPIDER of his choice and add it to the staging area.

The Players must find and defeat Ungoliant's Spawn to wind the game........

In a solo game......

1. Do I search the deck/pile for a spider *and* Ungoliant's Spawn and add them to staging area

2. Do I search the deck/pile for a spider and then keep playing until Ungoliant's Spawn crops up in the course of the game

3. Can I search the decks for Ungoliant's Spawn and use that as the "Spider"

4. Something else all together

Thanks!

Peace

Roger

Hello!

OK next newbie question:

In Don't Leave the Path side 3B.......

When revealed, Each player must search the encounter deck and discard pile for a SPIDER of his choice and add it to the staging area.

The Players must find and defeat Ungoliant's Spawn to wind the game........

In a solo game......

1. Do I search the deck/pile for a spider *and* Ungoliant's Spawn and add them to staging area

2. Do I search the deck/pile for a spider and then keep playing until Ungoliant's Spawn crops up in the course of the game

3. Can I search the decks for Ungoliant's Spawn and use that as the "Spider"

4. Something else all together

Thanks!

Peace

Roger

#3. Most people search for the Spawn and use that as the spider. Unless you're a glutton for combat and want to kill more baddies.

1. Do I search the deck/pile for a spider *and* Ungoliant's Spawn and add them to staging area

2. Do I search the deck/pile for a spider and then keep playing until Ungoliant's Spawn crops up in the course of the game

3. Can I search the decks for Ungoliant's Spawn and use that as the "Spider"

4. Something else all together

3. Ungoliant Spawn is a spider so you can search for it and put it into play if you are ready to face it and finish the quest, or it might already be in play in a Snare or waiting to engage someone, or you just aren't ready to face its effect so prefer to play out the game until you draw it naturally from the encounter deck at a later point. Either way the game can't be won until it is defeated. Unlike the Beorn Path which can be won so long as the UNgoliant Spawn is not in play.

So essentially you can choose yourself between your options 2 and 3

Hi!

What do you guys think, is it better to play 2 handed solo or constructed deck when moving to Anduin and Dol Guldur?

Thanks!

Peace

Roger

Hello!

Is there a list of all the expansion abbreviations anywhere?

Be nice to know what they all mean when looking at cards.

Thanks!

Roger

Hi!

What do you guys think, is it better to play 2 handed solo or constructed deck when moving to Anduin and Dol Guldur?

Thanks!

Peace

Roger

I'd say constructed for sure. The 30 card decks are fine for Passage through Mirkwood, but it's not the full solo experience. Anduin is totally possible, though difficult, with only core set 50 card decks. But it's possible you're more interest in 2 handed so it's up to you.

Like I suggested in the other thread, I would go for constructed simply because it's less work for you. Unless you have an easy familiarity with all the cards in each of your hands, how they interact and the structure of the game turns it's easy to get confused in two-handed solo.

as I said in the "newbie wins first game" thread......

thanks for the warm welcome!

If I could combine the threads I would. It would be useful as a new player to talk about the game, but not necessarily on a rules level, which I also started a thread on........

three threads from one loser newbie is too many

One on the game itself and the other on rules would be better

But speaking as a CCG player and a wargamer (hard core wargames) I would say that LOTR LCG is pretty clean rules wise.

Peace

Roger