Hello!
AFTGRN:
I have some confusion about the text in some Starting Plot Cards. Some state "Gain X amount of Inlfuence in Stronghold", or something around this words... I am confused on how much Influence does the Sauron Player obtain then... Just the number (X), or that number for each Stronghold?
It's too vague. Unless I'm reading it wrong (which usually is the case)!
Please help!
Thanks!
L
IIRC, the Black token Starting Plot says place 3 influence in each Shadow Stronghold and 3 in extension. So Mt. Gundabad, Dol Guldur and Barad-Dur would all have 3 influence on them and you get to place 3 influence total (not per Stronghold) in extension (for example, just enough I think to connect Mt. Gundabad and Dol Guldur via Rhosgobel-Gladden Fields-High Pass).
Hiyas!
So "X (amount) in extension" just means place X amount of Inlfuence total [using the extension rules].
You sho'? Wouldn't that make Sauron's starting position too difficult?
Thanks!
L
There is another Starting Plot (Red token) that places 9 in extension. If that were 9 per Stronghold, that would allow Sauron to place 27 (!!!) Influence during setup, pretty much blanketing whole Middle-Earth with influence (or at least most of the relevant locations would be insta-perilous). Not to mention how horribly sucky the Black token Plot would be, 3x3 = 9 influence in extension vs 27 on the Red token Plot. Overall influence placed on Starting Plots comes to 14 on Black and Yellow Plots, 15 on Red.
Hiyas!
Sigh...
I guess you're right... One can always dream.
Another question: Once a Story Marker reaches the Finale box or all 3 of Sauron's Story Markers pass The Shadow Falls box, the game immediately goes to "the Finale phase"? Sauron doesn't get to do the rest of his turn?
Thanks!
L
Finale is checked at the end of the Story Step, so if the Finale starts, only Steps that happen on that last turn are Hero Rally Step (which is one of the key reasons the Mission requiring 6 influence in the Shire is very, very hard that way, Ringwraiths to the Shire is much easier) and Story Step. Then you move on to resolve the Finale.