1. When a card instructs a player to discard a hero card, where does it go? Out of the game? In the Wound Pile?

2. When a Quest is put into play, does the player keep it secret or is it revealed to all? Typically revealing tells the Sauron player where to muster up some resistance... Im thinking it should remain secret but would like a confirmation.

3. If a hero enters a perilous location that also has a monster located there he may ambush with either. Can the player then continue his turn normally despite the monster still being there, should Sauron choose peril instead? Similarly if the monster token is actually a "rumor" can he leave it there and the player wondering? Basically is the Sauron player ever forced to reveal a monster token or can he leave it, move it around perpetually etc.?

Lastly, a comment.

We are on our 3rd game and really enjoy it but it seems to go really fast. The Story marker moving twice a turn means you only really experience each stage for a couple of turns. Is there any way to slow this progression by the Sauron player? Im thinking not but maybe Im missing something.

Thanks!

rgrove0172 said:

#1: Depends on how you're forced to discard the card. Due to taking damage in combat? Wound Pile. For moving? Rest Pool. Generally to rest pool unless otherwise mentioned is a good rule of thumb.

#2: Revealed to all.

#3: Sauron has a choice between Peril or Combat in that situation. If he chooses Peril, Hero faces that and goes on with his turn, ignoring the monster. Sauron can leave the monster "safe" and can spend an action to move it on his turns, if he wants to avoid the Heroes tackling with it.

Normal game length is 10 turns, the first turn Story Step is skipped and the Hero token is 18 spaces away from the Finale space. Most of the time I've found Heroes have a hard time letting the game go the distance, as Sauron's tokens will race past them, sometimes very quickly. Get a pair of Black token Plots into play that move it a total of 5 spaces a turn and watch the Hero token fall off into the distance. Sauron has one option to slow the Hero token down, but that's a 12-"cost" Shadow Card, so not available until Stage III.

rgrove0172 said:

1. They're put in the Rest Pool, since that's where they go when discarded for other reasons (i.e. movement).

2. We've always played with them revealed, and yes, that info is usually used by the Sauron player to block likely access routes.

3. Yep, once the hero has survived the combat/peril after entering the location, he can safely explore it. Monster tokens are only revealed when combat is initiated.

Regarding your final comment: I think there's a single shadow card that can cause the Heroes' marker to advance only a single step. There's several means to cause it to advance an extra step, though. I never had the feeling the track advanced too fast, though. If it does it's generally because Sauron has been allowed to advance several plots unchecked and then it's a good thing to get it over quickly, since at that point the game's pretty much lost for the Heroes anyway.

Regarding to what rgrove0172 is referring to with his 3rd question.

Getting 6 wisdom is very difficult.

Does anyone have had to use any house rule that can bypass the ability of the shadow player of not revealing monsters at a 6 influence perilous Barad-Dur location?

If not then the shadow player can easily prevent the "Against the Shadow" mission that the free peoples have, by placing 2 monsters at Barad-Dur.

Or have had to bypass a shadow player from "hiding" minions at Barad-Dur's 6 influence to prevent free peoples from completing their "Minas Morgul kept at Bay" mission.

MelodicSoul said:

I assume you mean 6 Influence is Wisdom 6 is 100% impossible (Eleanor has Wis 3, but you can only boost any given stat +2). Minions/monster tokens in Shadow Strongholds still have to Ambush if the Hero starts his turn there, Sauron can't choose Peril then and must Ambush (only choice he has is which monster/minion does it).