Given what I have heard about the scenario, I decide to use my Lore / Tactics deck with Denethor, Glorfindel and Legolas. It’s not my strongest deck, but it should match up well against this scenario. For those who don’t know, you start out with an eagle, Wilyador, who takes 2 damage each turn. You can’t heal the eagle until you get to Rhosgobel, and you can’t travel there until the second stage of the quest. When you complete the second stage, you heal 5 damage from Wilydor for each Athelas you have collected (a guarded objective from the encounter deck). At that point, if Wilydor has any wounds remaining, you lose, but if he is entirely healed, you win. In order to help find the Athleas, you can, during the second stage of quest, take X damage on Wilyador (Where X is the number of players), to reveal three encounter cards and chose 1. In addition to the Athelas, there is a location called Forest Grove, which lets you pull Athelas from the deck or discard pile.
The encounter deck itself is chalk full of a wide array of nasty events that deal damage to multiple characters, as well as a bevy of flying monsters that can onl be attacked or defended against by eagles or characters with range.
Initial Draw – Daughter of Lorien, Secret Paths, Veteran Axehand, Miner of the Iron Hills, Forest Snare, Strider’s Path
For most scenarios, this would be a great draw. However, it doesn’t have the cards I am looking for to handle Journey. I reluctantly throw it away, hoping to see Haldir, Lore of Imaldris or some other winner.
Mulligan Draw– Secret Paths, Lore of Imladris, Forest Snare, Forest Snare, Blade Mastery, Daughter of Nimrondel
Not great, but it looks to be a playable hand.
Turn 1 - 29 Threat / Wilyador: 2 damage / Staging Area: Rhosgobel / Draw: Gandalf
Questing: Glorfindel and Wilydaor / Encounter Draw: Chieftain Ufthak / 1 Progress
Combat: Engage Ufthak / Block with Denthor (No shadow Effect)
I decide to take a gamble early and send Wilydor along with Glorfindel questing. As we attempt to find our way back to Rhosgobel, we are ambushed by an Orc chieftan. Denthor holds him off, while Legolas starts what will become a trend of accomplishing next to nothing.
Turn 2 - 30 Threat / Wilyador: 4 damage / Staging Area: Rhosgobel / Draw: Secret Paths
Planning: Forest Snare on Ofthak
Questing: Glorfindel / Encounter Draw: Athelas + Exhaustion / 2 Progress
Legolas claims Athelas and Denthor peers into the future, burying Stinging Insects
Having lured him into a trap, Denthor activates his forest snare on Ofthak. The group decides to simply ignore the cheiftan, hoping that the spiders of the forest consume him. Glorfindel sets off to quest on his own. He manages to discover some Athelas, but the whole process leaves him quite tired. Legolas starts picking flowers, while Denthor stares deep into his palantir warding off potentially disastrous swarms of bugs.
Turn 3 - 31 Threat / Wilyador: 6 damage / Staging Area: Rhosgobel / Draw: Riversong
Planning: Henamarth Riversong
Questing: Glorfindel / Encounter Draw: Great Forest Web play Secret Paths/ 2 Progress/ Legolas to travel to the Great Forest Web
Denthor peers into the future, burying Caught in a Web, Riversong sees Necromancer’s Reach
We may not be tarvelling quickly, but our heroes are starting to gain some control of the board. Glorfindel continues to lead us forward, using Secret paths to keep making progress. Legloas spends his time trampling in spider webs, and it is only Denthor’s foresight that keep him from getting caught in a web.
Turn 4 - 32 Threat / Wilyador: 8 damage / Staging Area: Rhosgobel / Draw: Veteran Axehand
Planning: Gandalf used to lower threat
Questing: Glorfindel and Gandalf / Encounter Draw: Necromancer’s Reach / 6 Progress clearing Great Forest Web and Completing Stage 1 / Travel to Rhosgobel
Denthor peers into the future, seeing exhaustion
At this point, I am starting to get a bit desperate. We need to get to Rhosgoble to get treatment for Wyldaor fast. Gandalf appears out of the trees, and shows our heroes the way out of the web and to Thosgobel. Almost out of habit, I use Gandalf to lower threat, a decision that haunts me for the remainder of the game. I needed those extra cards!
Turn 5 - 28 Threat / Wilyador:10 damage / Staging Area: Clear / Draw: Burning Brand
Planning: Glorfidenl Heals himself for 1 and Daughters of Nimrondel
Questing: Glorfindel / Encounter Draw: Exhuastion / 3 Progress
Denthor peers into the future, burying Ugliant’s Spawn, Riversong sees Necromancer’s Reach
Denthor told us to expect exhaustion, so I am forced to advance slowly to prevent massive damage. Glorfindel’s innate healing ability is the only thing that allows the elf lord to continue on the journey and push the group forward.
Turn 6 - 29 Threat / Wilyador:12 damage / Staging Area: Clear / Draw: Gandalf
Questing: Glorfindel and Legolas / Encounter Draw: Necromancer’s Reach / 4 Progress clearing Rhosgobel
Denthor peers into the future, sees a Forest Grove,
With the daughters in play, I can now afford for my heroes to take a bit more damage. The two elves keep searching through the woods, and Denthor locates a Forest Grove that should contain more of the healing herb.
Turn 6 - 30 Threat / Wilyador:14 damage / Staging Area: Clear / Draw: Burning Brand
Questing: Glorfindel, Daughter. Wilyador and Legolas / Encounter Draw: Forest Grove / 5 Progress / Travel to Forest Grove
Denthor peers into the future, burying Black Forest Bats, Riversong sees Dol Goldur Orcs
Lore of Imladris on Wilydor
Safe in the knowledge that the grove will be peaceful, almost everyone join the quest. I use Lore on Wilydor, to help the great eagle keep going. We travel to the grove, and, with 8 progress on the second stage of the quest, we are almost finished. Then, I revaluate the board state and curse. I have a number of ways to finish the quest next turn, and every one of them leaves me with one damage left on the eagles which will cost me the game.
Turn 7- 31 Threat / Wilyador:11 damage / Staging Area: Clear / Draw: Veteran Axe Hand
Planning: Gandalf (draws daughter, Blade Mastery, Rhadagast’s Cunning)
Questing: Take one damage to Wilyddar reveals (Dol Goldur Orcs, Black Forest Bats, Athelas), Athleas in Play, Guarded by Caught in a Web
Glorfindel and Gandalf Quest, revealing Mountains of Mirkwood / 5 progress, clearing Forest Grove / Athelas is in play, guarded by Festering wounds
Denthor and Legolas claim Athelas, Riversong sees Dol Goldur Orcs
Desperate times call for desperate messaures. Gandalf remerges to join the hunt. I flip three cards, desperate for another lore card, but don’t get lucky. I take advantage of the ability to damage Wilydor to choose a card from the top three of the encounter deck, and luck into another Athelas. Saddly, the plant is located in the midst of a giant web. Legolas has been unable to fight anything all game, so he might as well grab another herb. We explore the forest grove, finding a third Athelas, but Wilydor’s wounds seethe with infection, and Glorfdinel is on the brink of death. Denethor claims the herb. Taking a look at the board state, I curse again. I can finish the quest with ease; I have 10 progress token and secret paths to nullify the threat from the mountains. However, I only have three Athelas, and Wilydor has 16 damage. I could use Glorfindel to heal the last point of damage, but that leaves me with only Denathor, the daughters, and Riversong to quest, and the Necromancer’s reach would kill both allies. I need to top deck something good, or take a huge gamble with using Denthor to bury necromancer’s reach.
Turn 8- 31 Threat / Wilyador:16 damage / Staging Area: Mountains of Mirkwood / Draw: Lore of Imladris
Planning: Lore of Imladris on Wyldor
Questing: Glorfindel quests and uses secret paths on mountains of Mirkwood 3 progress completing the quest. Wylador has 11 wounds, and the three athelas are enough to bring him to full health.
Fortune smiles on me, and I draw into another lore card. After healing the eagle, Glorfindel braves the necromancer’s reach, to complete the second stage of the quest. We return to Rhosgobel with enough of the herb to nurse the eagle back to health.
All in all, it was a razor thin victory, and I was luck to pull out the win. The lack of monsters was shocking, he brought next to nothing to the table this time around. I didn’t even end up using tactics cards, yet somehow managed to steal a victory! The lack of monsters was a bit of an aberration; I have since played two more games (both two player) and Legolas and his ranged attack proved invaluable. Overall, it’s another interesting change of pace and I found it to be a fun scenario.
