Can someone help me understand the advantages/disadvantages of willingly engaging an enemy (in the staging area) during the encounter phase, when that enemy's engagement cost is lower than my current threat level? If he's going to engage me during the combat phase, what's the difference?

In a multiplayer game, you get some control over the order of engagements by optionally engaging something before it engages the player it would have found.

Ahhh... that makes perfect sense. I have been playing solo so far, which is why that didn't occur to me. So I'm not crazy in thinking that in a solo game, it's largely irrelevant when you engage.

Thanks Kakita!

You can also use your optional engagement to take an enemy whose engagement cost is above your threat, thus removing its threat from the staging area and letting you kill it.

Also a slight correction: you said "if the enemy is going to engage me in combat anyway." Both optional engagement and making engagement checks for enemies happen during the encounter phase, not the combat phase.

Also a slight correction: you said "if the enemy is going to engage me in combat anyway." Both optional engagement and making engagement checks for enemies happen during the encounter phase, not the combat phase.

You're right Pocket. That's what I meant to say. Thanks for the clarification!

Let ask another question that's popped into my head just now (sitting here playing as I read the forums): I only have the base set, and so far I've only tried the tactics deck against the Mirkwood quest. I'm on my 3rd attempt, and have yet to be able to beat the "Flies and Spiders" quest. Each attempt has ended in me losing all of my heroes in battle before I can place the 8 progress tokens on the quest to advance to 2a. Does the tactics deck just plain suck? Or do I suck? Or is it a combination of both?

Tactics sucks solo.

Another question: If an enemy is not defeated at the end of the combat phase, does the hero engaged with that enemy get to refresh during the refresh phase? If so, then does the enemy auto-engage the same hero at the start of the next encounter phase? Or is it open for a different hero to engage?

Sorry about all the questions... but I'm sure I'll have more before the night is though

An enemy is engaged with a player, not a hero. Not sure where you got the idea that an engaged enemy would affect something like readying a hero, but the answer to your question is no. Once an enemy is engaged with a player it stays there until it dies unless some other effect specifically returns it to the staging area or engages it with another player. It does not reengage because it simply remains engaged.

Also a slight correction: you said "if the enemy is going to engage me in combat anyway." Both optional engagement and making engagement checks for enemies happen during the encounter phase, not the combat phase.

You're right Pocket. That's what I meant to say. Thanks for the clarification!

Let ask another question that's popped into my head just now (sitting here playing as I read the forums): I only have the base set, and so far I've only tried the tactics deck against the Mirkwood quest. I'm on my 3rd attempt, and have yet to be able to beat the "Flies and Spiders" quest. Each attempt has ended in me losing all of my heroes in battle before I can place the 8 progress tokens on the quest to advance to 2a. Does the tactics deck just plain suck? Or do I suck? Or is it a combination of both?

I am also a fairly new player to this great game and learnt the hard way about the solo tactics deck. It is not impossible but difficult to complete the initial scenario with the tactics deck. I have beaten the initial scenario with Lore, Leadership and Spirit solo decks (leadership seemed easiest). I have now made a multi sphere deck to try again on initial scenario before giving it a bash against Journey down the Anduin.

I am trying to play this game in some type of order but as a collector/hoarder I have already bought the full Mirkwood cycle, Khazad Dum deluxe and a few of the Saga boxes. All as yet unopened until I am ready to dive in. Try the link below for advice about solo play.

http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/16397/guide-new-lotrlcg-solo-players

You're right Pocket. That's what I meant to say. Thanks for the clarification!

Let ask another question that's popped into my head just now (sitting here playing as I read the forums): I only have the base set, and so far I've only tried the tactics deck against the Mirkwood quest. I'm on my 3rd attempt, and have yet to be able to beat the "Flies and Spiders" quest. Each attempt has ended in me losing all of my heroes in battle before I can place the 8 progress tokens on the quest to advance to 2a. Does the tactics deck just plain suck? Or do I suck? Or is it a combination of both?Why does everyone continue playing tactics even when they know there are 3 other spheres they haven't tried yet other than the one that gave them patethic defeat 8 times i na row?

You're right Pocket. That's what I meant to say. Thanks for the clarification!

Let ask another question that's popped into my head just now (sitting here playing as I read the forums): I only have the base set, and so far I've only tried the tactics deck against the Mirkwood quest. I'm on my 3rd attempt, and have yet to be able to beat the "Flies and Spiders" quest. Each attempt has ended in me losing all of my heroes in battle before I can place the 8 progress tokens on the quest to advance to 2a. Does the tactics deck just plain suck? Or do I suck? Or is it a combination of both?

Why does everyone continue playing tactics even when they know there are 3 other spheres they haven't tried yet other than the one that gave them patethic defeat 8 times i na row?

Why rant in a post at a new player without offering any help or even minutely offering any kind of advice. Better to retain someones interest by helping rather than slagging them off, just a thought !!

An enemy is engaged with a player, not a hero. Not sure where you got the idea that an engaged enemy would affect something like readying a hero, but the answer to your question is no. Once an enemy is engaged with a player it stays there until it dies unless some other effect specifically returns it to the staging area or engages it with another player. It does not reengage because it simply remains engaged.

Thanks Duke.. forgive my ignorance, but I'm still a bit unclear: so if I have NOT defeated an enemy at the end of the combat phase, am I able to refresh the hero that last attacked it when I get to the refresh phase? Also, can I choose a different hero to defend/attack it the next round?

Again, I'm really sorry for the lack of understanding. Thanks to all for your help so far.

Unless explicitly stated on a card effect or scenario card or something there is nothing that prevents you from readying everything during the refresh phase. Whether or not you use a hero to quest, attack, or defend is entirely unrelated to the issue of readying in the refresh phase. Again, since I don't know what lead you to think this I can't clear up the rules farther than that.

As for engaged enemies, the enemy is engaged with the player, not a hero. During combat the enemy will attack. When it attacks you can either defend with ONE character (hero or ally) or you can let the attack go undefended. If it goes undefended you have to put the damage on one of your heroes (defense is ignored). If you defend then you exhaust the defending character and the damage is assigned to that character (reduce the damage with defense). After all enemies attack then you can attack. You may declare one attack against each enemy. Each of your attacks may have as many characters as you want participating. You exhaust each attacking character (hero or ally) and add up all the attack strength, then apply the damage (subtract defense). Each enemy attack and each of your attacks happen one at a time and you can use the same character to defend multiple enemies as long as you can use a card effect to ready the character between attacks. You can also use the same character to attack multiple enemies, again as long as you can ready the character between attacks.

Now, not to be mean or anything but all I am doing is telling you what is explained in the rules. Maybe you should try reading them again.

During the encounter phase:

1. Each player can choose to engage an enemy

2. Going in player order, enemies take turns engaging players (see "engagement checks" in the rules)

During the combat phase:

1. Enemies engaged with players get shadow cards

2. You exhaust a character to defend against an enemy, then flip shadow card and take damage

3. Repeat step 2 for each enemy in play

4. You exhaust characters to attack an enemy, then deal damage

5. Repeat step 4 until you've attacked everything or can't attack anymore

During the refresh phase

1. Ready every card you control