Tried the challenge today, took me five tries to win. Even then it was by just an extremely narrow margin. Played every turn just barely surving from round to round and yet miracualously, somehow I was just able to clear the final location and score a win. One more turn and I would have had five Nazgul engaging me at once, no way I would have survived that! An awesome challenge and pretty dang hard, but tons of fun. I don't recommend this challenge to the new player, this one takes a lot of experience to manage and every turn has to be planned out very carefully and cautiously. The balance of saving characters for the hide tests vs. using them for questing really takes some experience and forethought (not to mention luck!) Loved the ultra-thematic theme of only using what the Hobbits actually had (at this stage of the story) I know it's too much to ask for, but I would love to see the whole Saga cycle given this treatment. A truly thematicly accurate and immersive experience, (what I personally am always looking for in LOTR LCG) I found this way more engaging and rewarding than a Nightmare deck, so keep it coming FFG, I had a blast!

On 11/10/2018 at 9:54 PM, Buckalbertbill said:

Tried the challenge today, took me five tries to win. Even then it was by just an extremely narrow margin. Played every turn just barely surving from round to round and yet miracualously, somehow I was just able to clear the final location and score a win. One more turn and I would have had five Nazgul engaging me at once, no way I would have survived that! An awesome challenge and pretty dang hard, but tons of fun. I don't recommend this challenge to the new player, this one takes a lot of experience to manage and every turn has to be planned out very carefully and cautiously. The balance of saving characters for the hide tests vs. using them for questing really takes some experience and forethought (not to mention luck!) Loved the ultra-thematic theme of only using what the Hobbits actually had (at this stage of the story) I know it's too much to as for, but I would love to see the whole Saga cycle given this treatment. A truly thematicly accurate and immersive experience, (what I personally am always looking for in LOTR LCG) I found this way more engaging and rewarding than a Nightmare deck, so keep it coming FFG, I had a blast!

Absolutely. We NEED this mode covering all the LOTR Saga.

I played twice, I lose both of theme. But it was AMAZING.

Very cool new challenge and hope to see the whole saga covered this way

Four of my first five attempts at this quest were almost immediate losses. Revealing a second Black Rider on the first turn is pretty much an automatic loss. Revealing a hide test is almost an automatic loss. It also didn't help that even with mulligans my hand was constantly filled with card that require a Spirit resource to play and Fatty doesn't show up until very late in the game. The one game in five where I made it past the first turn, I still didn't clear Bag End (thanks to Stock Road) and I was location locked by turn 5.

After that I decided I was going to start documenting how dang tough this quest is.

Game 1: Quit on turn two after a second Black Rider showing up and I had nobody untapped to make the hide test.

Game 2: Victory! Two Rivendel Scouts showed up early along with Gildor on Turn 4! There was an actual fight with a Black Rider just before the hobbits reached the ferry. Sam was wounded but the elves helped the hobbits take down one rider. Fatty showed up with pipes and ponies and then a bunch of Curious Brandybucks helped guide everyone safely across the Ferry while 4 Black Riders looked on.

So there you have it! I'm going to see if I can beat it a couple more times and offer some tips.

47 minutes ago, Goblin King said:

It also didn't help that even with mulligans my hand was constantly filled with card that require a Spirit resource to play and Fatty doesn't show up until very late in the game.

I'm sure you already know it, but just to let other people know, in this challenge Frodo is supposed to have a resource match for every sphere, precisely to let you play spirit cards without Fatty.

Oh ...

Well, I guess I beat it in Nightmare Mode then.

Always read those directs carefully and all the way through kids!

I played it correctly this time. I had one first turn loss. One second turn loss, then I beat it.

I have a question. Hide is a keyword like Surge?

I finally had the time to get one shot at this challenge and, surprisingly, I beat it on the first try (even though it was apparent that I was always dancing on the razor's edge).

I was able to get a very first turn of questing, just enough to clear House Baggins (and draw the cards) so I could still a turn longer on stage 1 (and even got a Curious Brandybuck out just for fun. Once arrived on Stage 2 the second turn I got really lucky getting Rosie Cotton with Merry's cards and on turn 4 I got a Fast Hitch that ended up straight on her and gave me a lot more breathing room. Mr. Underhill was used on turn 5 to block a raider's attack and letting Merry's go in for the kill with Rosie and Sam.

At turn 7, with just a Black Rider on the staging area and the Ferry as active location i drew my very first A Test of Will of the game and it was crucial avoiding a treacher and letting me place exactly the progress needed to explore the location and win the game.

On the other end I drew three Hobbit Pipe and no threat reduction events. I also wasn't sure completely sure the fact that Frodo’s Fellowship resources provide a resource match for all spheres was enough to cover Spirit 0 cost cards like Hobbit Pipe and Hobbit Pony, so to play it safely I didn't play those cards till I got Fatty, perhaps I handicapped myself a little.

Card draw is indeed plenty, but Merry's resources very basically useless in my game.

I shall see if I will find the time to play more times, but for now I quite enjoyed the theme and the difficulty of this challenge.

Took me 3.5 tries. I completed the a victory on Round 8 and had a blast. It was a great excuse to play cards that otherwise never make the cut in more powerful decks.

Here's a fun narrative of the journey through a Shadow of the Past.

We begin our journey in Bag End but were quickly thrown off course as we found ourselves in Stock-Brook . The delay proved helpful as our Three is Company soon turned to six. We were aided by a Curious Brandybuc k who's wanderlust for Stock-Brook was overwhelming. Halfast Gamgee who provided us with resources for our journey and directed us to a stable were we procured a Hobbit Pony. Back on track, we eventually left Bag End but with a Black Rider on our trail. We noticed something unusual in Frodo as seemed to be toying with a certain Ring. The Curious Brandybuck proved a short lived ally as he disappeared to the bottom of Deck-land.

We decided to take a Shortcut to Musrhooms where we found out Merry had been following us the whole time. As we spotted him so did a second Black Rider. Of course Merry always makes time for food and after a Good Meal we needed to get out Out of Sight. In addition Merry brought him with some valuable and timely tools. A Fast Hitch and a Hobbit Cloak gave Sam Gamgee enough courage and Hafling Determination to take on the Riders. Combined with a tactic to strike from In the Shadows it was enough to send one of them away. Unfortunately the second rider attacked a Curious Brandybuck who had recently joined our party. It was unfortunate to have a tragedy so early. We trust he is in Discardhalla with plenty of Good Meals and visions of Smoke Rings* and friends like Old Toby*.

We made our way through the Mushroom farm but a second Black Rider was stalking. It seemed appropriate to heed Gildor's council. As luck would have it Mr Underhill was just enough to throw off the scent of our perilous pursuer. This allowed Merry and Sam to shake the last black shadow off our trail. It took awhile longer than expected but it was peaceful to travel through the Mushrooms without trouble from the Black Riders.

Out of the Mushroom patch and into the frying pan! With Buckleberry Ferry within sights we thought we had finally made it... until a Black Rider appeared as we attempted our Escape to Buckland. Out in the open we were unable to Hide successfully. Pippen who had previously been summoned to answer "Have you Seen Baggins" was no longer with the party. Unable to Hide meant Sam took a mighty blow from the charge of a Black Rider attack. The set back could have cost us dearly but Frodo recalled the only bit of encouragement he knew. He remembered one of Bilbo's favorite elvish hymns and drew it on for strength to carry them through... "A Elbererth! Ethiloniel!" It worked! And suddenly the Black Rider was out of sight. We ran as fast we could - no one had ever seen Fatty Bolger move so fast prior or ever again - and with the second piece of Gildor's Council we were able to make our way past Buckleberry onto the Brandywine River Ferry.

*Smoke Rings and Old Toby were never played they stayed in my hand.

Great adventure. It was nice to play with only cards that would have likely been with the Hobbits.

Finally got round to trying this challenge today - first attempt was lost when I advanced to stage 2, as I failed the hide test for the second black rider, both engaged and made an immediate attack, killing two heroes, and then in the combat phase they attacked and finished me off. Having not played this quest for a while, I had forgotten about the second rider when you advance, so I rushed through stage 1, trying to get through the quest quickly.

Second attempt was a win, and I took longer over stage 1 to give myself some build up time, using hobbit pony to make sure I had spare willpower for the hide tests. A well time Elbereth got rid of one rider, and I optionally engaged one once, using Mr Underhill to a pod the attack, and finishing it off in one hit.

Good fun, I hope they do more of these!