I don't see much reason to [exp] buy role cards that are not #11 and #12 in respective roles. The reason being #11 and #12 have successes while the others are mere fate cards which only decrease your chances of success for a test. I understand scouting will thin out a deck if you prepare cards, but I have yet to be in a group that gets enough scouting opportunity to have more than 2 prepared cards. Cards get used or the scout showed 2 successes so you don't prepare anything.

So, basically the only way to have a strong deck is to have as many success cards as possible because being unsuccessful in tests, especially combat tests is devastating. You and sometimes your team takes damage/fear, you discard prepared cards, lose inspiration, and basically wasted your turn. The work around would be using inspiration, however I can never seem to have enough inspiration or any inspiration at all for most scenarios which only keeps me in a rut with failed tests and no inspiration gains. Often times successful tests gives inspiration, but if you constantly use inspiration you net nothing and come across tests that you can't pass because you just keep drawing 1 success and the rest fates. The struggle of 0 inspiration, 1 success, 3 fates on a test.

I had a group where someone went musician specifically to give out inspiration, but the group was so spread out trying to get all the search tokens and completing objectives that the only person who got the inspiration was the musician.

As I write this, I am speculating that scouting is the most important ability in the game to being a powerful character, but it is not often the card you scout has Scout on it to prepare and using a prepared card with Scout nets nothing in reducing the fate cards in the deck...

Does anyone have a video of people playing the game with #4-10 role cards and still being successful?

The group I currently have is 5/5 win but it has been a super rough battle full of failed tests [so not much lore gains which super sucks]. Other groups have been 8/8 or 7/8 wins but they always seem to just barely make it and not warrant making a real role deck with the fate cards included. (I've only gotten as far as chapter 8 even now)

you think that's bad?

Not imagine you get two or three titles in your deck. They're mandatory, and none of them bring successes with them.

Granted, they will have some powerful once per mission abilities, but the deck dilution is a problem.

o ya, I forgot about titles. I've only managed to get two in a deck. They hurt, but are also super strong. Mist Walker has won my group a game a twice.

The majority of those #4-#10 skill cards are worth it. There are a few duds, but most of their abilities make up for the lack of successes.

You could always play Guardian, since #7 in that class is also a success.

While I agree, the success symbols are important, often the non-success cards have ways of getting inspiration or getting other important effects off, when they're prepared.

Yeah... I Also did avoid non succes cards first, but then started to read the game effect of certain cards and yeah... They can be very powerfull!

Hey there.

I disagree with something you said (paraphrased): If you scout 2 success cards you should put them both back on top of your deck. Sometimes this is true, but not always. I think if you look at successes as only the success symbols in your deck, you're going to miss a lot of opportunities. A prepared card can be worth multiple success symbols.

Basically any card that generates inspiration or successes from its prepared ability is worth a success symbol when prepared. Obviously, I'm going to want role cards #11 and #12 because they're also worth successes when not prepared, but that doesn't mean #4-10 are useless.

Often these cards can be used to generate multiple inspiration tokens, or have other effects that can't be achieved by successes alone (like adding attack modifiers, getting a boon, or healing party members).

Certain character builds call for a focus on certain key words to maximize their effectiveness, and #4-10 role cards help with that, too. A pathfinder needs as many sprint cards as possible, especially with the greenwood garb, Berevor's ability, or other such abilities that benefit from sprinting. A guardian wants guard cards, especially in tandem with the banner. A burglar wants hide cards, which can also key off the dunedain banner. A hunter wants strike cards, especially in tandem with guarded strike. Etc. Etc.

That said, I generally play 2-player or single player, so I always switch to success cards whenever I can as there's lots of options available to me.

Another thought -- Master Tactician: This greatly increases the chances of preparing those lovely abilities for the whole party.

We have had no problems with having enough inspiration. In fact, acquiring, generating, abs using inspiration is one of the most critical keys to success in the game. To me, that is more likely the problem. If you do that well, while successes are inherently better, they are not overwhelmingly so.

No success/no fate: these cards are the first to come available. Usually, one is worth it for your character build. It becomes your instant grab for a prepared cArd. And that ability is usually pretty good, adding damage, making a test an auto-success without burning inspiration, making a test more likely to succeed, granting a keyword you need.

fate: these are usually pretty good. The fact that the Hunter gets a duplicate of their starting ability at this level should tell you something about how good that ability is. You should almost always be pitching it for inspiration or a prepared card at the end of your activation, then it becomes a key card to prepare again if you draw it. By the way, preparing cards is a key way to set your deck up for successes. We regularly cap out our prepared cards, so that’s four non-successes out of your deck, not to mention greater utility. We usually trade out the first tier when these become available. That is usually mission two.

success: obviously the best, we trade out at 12xp, then repeat the process above till we get the abilities and deck we want.

if your group spread out rather than stay near the Musician, you may want to rethink your movement choices and order if operations. This has huge ramifications for how efficiff egg NT you are at everything, including prepared cards and inspiration. Get this working and you can really find it snowballing effortlessly in your direction.

Hope that helps.

11 hours ago, Vergilius said:

if your group spread out rather than stay near the Musician

There's part of the problem, no one wants to play musician.

After thinking about it, the problem is not just the musician is not played, but not scouting more than at the rally phase to get non success cards prepared. We rarely have 4 cards prepared, usually 2 or 3 because they keep getting used to help with tests. (discard this card to add a success to a will test for example)

On 12/20/2019 at 11:00 AM, Thaeggan said:

There's part of the problem, no one wants to play musician.

After thinking about it, the problem is not just the musician is not played, but not scouting more than at the rally phase to get non success cards prepared. We rarely have 4 cards prepared, usually 2 or 3 because they keep getting used to help with tests. (discard this card to add a success to a will test for example)

Sounds like you’ve made some good progress in identifying that. From there, it is a matter of adjusting play styles. Experimenting is good. It is how we learn and grow.

i only played the musician in my most recent game. Elena/musician is good, but not strictly necessary. We could have found ways to survive in a five player game without her.

Also, in low player games, especially on the first campaign, you can trade our roles to maximize successes. Many of them can trigger bonus inspiration without resorting to the Musician, and they compound pretty well.

Switch to Legolas musician with some Hunter stuff. Had a lot more success though some of it seemed lucky draws which was very refreshing.

Also had the Rage fear card which adds 2 hits but can't prevent damage which wasn't so bad at the end of a scenario. I had Keen Eyes and Coordinated Strike (from Hunter), a Strike 2 card and 3 successes for the 7 hits with all that. Much damage, such range, wow. [12dmg + pierce]. If only I had cleave on the elite group of 3 wargs with 10hp 2 armor 😱

On 12/26/2019 at 9:46 PM, Thaeggan said:

Switch to Legolas musician with some Hunter stuff. Had a lot more success though some of it seemed lucky draws which was very refreshing.

Also had the Rage fear card which adds 2 hits but can't prevent damage which wasn't so bad at the end of a scenario. I had Keen Eyes and Coordinated Strike (from Hunter), a Strike 2 card and 3 successes for the 7 hits with all that. Much damage, such range, wow. [12dmg + pierce]. If only I had cleave on the elite group of 3 wargs with 10hp 2 armor 😱

I love Legolas as musician/hunter because of the upgraded bow that benefits from singing for some reason.

if you're having trouble scouting, try using Tale of Tinuviel musician card. It's worth it just for the scouting ability. Once you have lots of inspiration the only thing you fear is blank cards at the top of the deck, so scouting outside of the rally phase really helps. The best role for this is Captain. Maybe encourage your team mates to play Captain more often.

Personally, I like being well-stocked in inspiration and scouting so much that my favourite 2-player team is Aragorn / Elena.