No, if he lost he would be raving about how cool the quest is.

This box isn't that hard, so I wouldn't expect to be hearing its praises sung by the power gamers among us. Also, you do have to admit that the first quest is pretty "vanilla." Fight and quest, very straightfoward. "Time" is cool but doesn't bend the typical game experience any in the first quest -- when time expires, you just take damage, get more enemies, or lose the game. So it just adds pressure but not a unique flavor... this is a flavor that's been around for awhile. So I can see where he's coming from.

To be honest, i found the fords of isen more difficult than the HoN quests . I thought them easy

No, if he lost he would be raving about how cool the quest is.

This box isn't that hard, so I wouldn't expect to be hearing its praises sung by the power gamers among us. Also, you do have to admit that the first quest is pretty "vanilla." Fight and quest, very straightfoward. "Time" is cool but doesn't bend the typical game experience any in the first quest -- when time expires, you just take damage, get more enemies, or lose the game. So it just adds pressure but not a unique flavor... this is a flavor that's been around for awhile. So I can see where he's coming from.

Od course i won both times…without even pay attention……Time is sounds cool but it never trigger in my game since i just blow up all this Dunldands….. waiting for battle and…..win in 5 min….. What a Grima doing theret? It sounds like: wow let put Grima there. For what? I don't know nut fans will be happy. AAA ok. Some one get his salary for nothing…….

What about draw card mechanic…. there is no cards with surge so is already…..Quest is really nothing…..

i play this game 3 years and i don't need kind of core set quiets difficulty 1 or 2…….. NM we need in the box straight away….

I don't try second quest but i see cards and i like it….sure this one should be ok

Just got a pack….. Play first quest two times. Really boring and so predictable…..nothing interesting….story also chaotic… Grima???? for what? what is that????? Really bad quest….. hope other two will be better…..

Dunlands just a stupid weak gang of idiots. nothing exiting at all….. After brilliant HON and BR is a just a joke……..

Just curious, what deck did you play?

I play my new mono Leadership Dwarfs deck.

i play this game 3 years and i don't need kind of core set quiets difficulty 1 or 2…….. NM we need in the box straight away….

I was thinking about this even before I read your post. I think Deluxe Expansions are always a jumping-on point for new players. They get displayed in store windows, they get more press, whatever... they get the game's presence out there more visibly, and they attract new people.

It's unreasonable to expect that no new players will buy the box, or that only 3-year veterans will pick it up. New players will also come, and should -- this is good for the life of the game. So they make quests that are accessible to everyone. Heirs was a misstep in that department, and I bet we had some new players who outright quit after picking up HoN. Lost business and lost community.

I don't mind a bit of a standard quest in a deluxe box as long as we get some flavor from the rest of it. They need to keep the long-term player base happy as well, too, And we did, in this box. I'll tell you right now though, none of these quests are hard enough to satisfy your glut for punishment! So if challenge is the only thing that excites you about playing cards, you're going to be disappointed.

I think the quests are about right. But the third should have been the first. In other words the third quest should have been the most difficult. Not the easiest quest in the whole game... Glaurung don't even bother playing the third, u will be very very upset!

Just got a pack….. Play first quest two times. Really boring and so predictable…..nothing interesting….story also chaotic… Grima???? for what? what is that????? Really bad quest….. hope other two will be better…..

Dunlands just a stupid weak gang of idiots. nothing exiting at all….. After brilliant HON and BR is a just a joke……..

Hey, the first quest in one of the best they ever designed. I played it over a week before starting with the second one.

To catch an Orc is OTOH is boring. The mechanic sounds cool, but in all my games so far I either was brutally beaten because Mugash entered play too early, or they were a walk in the park because he came too late. There never was a challenge.

The Dunlandings are a gang of well designed enemies. I love love LOVE how they punish card drawing decks. And they're high threat enemies so you're able to play Hobbit and secrecy decks. The locations also make me sweat, and the treacheries are hard, but not unfair.

The story is ok, but I don't like that the heroes basically do all the work for the evil guys. Last cycle we supported Mordor, this time we help Saruman building up his evil might. That's deeply unmotivating for me.

I think the focus of the game is not only around the dificult level. I like the new original quests, 1s quest try to discard hand, 2nd quest try to find out Mugash and capture him, 3rd quest try to avoid huorns.... If you want dificult, play nightmare, if you want combat play HoN, if you want .... game not only is about thinking how is the next dificult step, i think is more about how original is the new way.

I think the focus of the game is not only around the dificult level. I like the new original quests, 1s quest try to discard hand, 2nd quest try to find out Mugash and capture him, 3rd quest try to avoid huorns.... If you want dificult, play nightmare, if you want combat play HoN, if you want .... game not only is about thinking how is the next dificult step, i think is more about how original is the new way.

Yes i stop buy Lotr for now……I will buy now only Nmode…..

there is no point for me play a game which one you win for sure……….. I don't talk about difficulty but after Briliant HON and Ndecks for First cycle is a insult for me…… for what i pay my money……….????!!!!! I will not buy anymore until NM come.

Hobbit NN and lst 3 NM quest that what is interesting for me. And if majority of players happy with VOI so i happy for you. But for me is child play in kinder garden….I create a deck which can play quickly 20 cards of my deck and encounter deck answer location 2 2 and maybe if you move there something happen…come enemy attack 2 and remove 1 tokens……

i like to use my brain not to sleep when i play cards………

Win ratio from the first attempt: 1 quest 3 win lose 0, second 3 win lose 1, third 3 win lose 0. thanks you for amazing quests FFG. Is a shame LOTR getting casual now…...

The game is not only how easy you can win.

In fact, for new players these quests are really hard. For advanced players, are normal dificiults (in adittion, you must build special decks, for example, to play 1st quest specially).

But advanced players like to try the quests with diferent decks. The most boring in this game is to get one deck and try to win all quests with the same deck, and in adittion, to say: this quest is harder, this quest is easier... How? Can you say it only with this one little approach?

I think the focus of the game is not only around the dificult level. I like the new original quests, 1s quest try to discard hand, 2nd quest try to find out Mugash and capture him, 3rd quest try to avoid huorns.... If you want dificult, play nightmare, if you want combat play HoN, if you want .... game not only is about thinking how is the next dificult step, i think is more about how original is the new way.

Yes i stop buy Lotr for now……I will buy now only Nmode…..

there is no point for me play a game which one you win for sure……….. I don't talk about difficulty but after Briliant HON and Ndecks for First cycle is a insult for me…… for what i pay my money……….????!!!!! I will not buy anymore until NM come.

Hobbit NN and lst 3 NM quest that what is interesting for me. And if majority of players happy with VOI so i happy for you. But for me is child play in kinder garden….I create a deck which can play quickly 20 cards of my deck and encounter deck answer location 2 2 and maybe if you move there something happen…come enemy attack 2 and remove 1 tokens……

i like to use my brain not to sleep when i play cards………

Win ratio from the first attempt: 1 quest 3 win lose 0, second 3 win lose 1, third 3 win lose 0. thanks you for amazing quests FFG. Is a shame LOTR getting casual now…...

I beat all these scenarios straight away first time with caldera deck. I was a little disapointed at the time, but figured that power decks are not really the way to enjoy this game, except on the most difficult of scenarios. Building theme decks that fit to the story line seems to be the way the developers are designing the game. If your going to play your Mono-leadership Dwarf deck, sure you are going to be dissapointed, and if power decks are all you want to play, then like you say, just play NM mode, since my hunch is that the new scenarios, with there heavy emphasis on theme are also going to be designed to accomidate playeres who want theme to matter in their games. So yes, scenarios may be more casual, and this will probably satisfy the large majority of players who lean in that direction, the minority of players who enjoy very difficult quests where they must use the best decks around are going to be dissapointed.

Personally, I can adapt my play style to either direction, since i enjoy making decks that are intersting, even if they are not very poweful on the toughtest challenge. When a tough challenge arrives, i'll build a deck to take it on. For me getting the most out of this game is related to the deck building and ustilizing the variety of strategies that can be created with the player cards. If i just settled on a few power decks that can crush most scenarios then the game is boring and i lose interest fast. If every scenario is super difficult then each deck will probably be relying on a similar set of power cards that everyone plays, and the majority of player cards are worthless.

The only solution I am finding to this problem is to make and test a variety of different decks with different strategies to get the most out of a scenario.

Also the ultimate challenge already exists, have you beaten NM Dol Guldur solo yet? That should keep you busy for awhile. If every scenario was that difficult the game would also be boring, and more players would stop playing for that reason then if the scenarios are to easy.

I think the focus of the game is not only around the dificult level. I like the new original quests, 1s quest try to discard hand, 2nd quest try to find out Mugash and capture him, 3rd quest try to avoid huorns.... If you want dificult, play nightmare, if you want combat play HoN, if you want .... game not only is about thinking how is the next dificult step, i think is more about how original is the new way.

Yes i stop buy Lotr for now……I will buy now only Nmode…..

there is no point for me play a game which one you win for sure……….. I don't talk about difficulty but after Briliant HON and Ndecks for First cycle is a insult for me…… for what i pay my money……….????!!!!! I will not buy anymore until NM come.

Hobbit NN and lst 3 NM quest that what is interesting for me. And if majority of players happy with VOI so i happy for you. But for me is child play in kinder garden….I create a deck which can play quickly 20 cards of my deck and encounter deck answer location 2 2 and maybe if you move there something happen…come enemy attack 2 and remove 1 tokens……

i like to use my brain not to sleep when i play cards………

Win ratio from the first attempt: 1 quest 3 win lose 0, second 3 win lose 1, third 3 win lose 0. thanks you for amazing quests FFG. Is a shame LOTR getting casual now…...

I beat all these scenarios straight away first time with caldera deck. I was a little disapointed at the time, but figured that power decks are not really the way to enjoy this game, except on the most difficult of scenarios. Building theme decks that fit to the story line seems to be the way the developers are designing the game. If your going to play your Mono-leadership Dwarf deck, sure you are going to be dissapointed, and if power decks are all you want to play, then like you say, just play NM mode, since my hunch is that the new scenarios, with there heavy emphasis on theme are also going to be designed to accomidate playeres who want theme to matter in their games. So yes, scenarios may be more casual, and this will probably satisfy the large majority of players who lean in that direction, the minority of players who enjoy very difficult quests where they must use the best decks around are going to be dissapointed.

Personally, I can adapt my play style to either direction, since i enjoy making decks that are intersting, even if they are not very poweful on the toughtest challenge. When a tough challenge arrives, i'll build a deck to take it on. For me getting the most out of this game is related to the deck building and ustilizing the variety of strategies that can be created with the player cards. If i just settled on a few power decks that can crush most scenarios then the game is boring and i lose interest fast. If every scenario is super difficult then each deck will probably be relying on a similar set of power cards that everyone plays, and the majority of player cards are worthless.

The only solution I am finding to this problem is to make and test a variety of different decks with different strategies to get the most out of a scenario.

Also the ultimate challenge already exists, have you beaten NM Dol Guldur solo yet? That should keep you busy for awhile. If every scenario was that difficult the game would also be boring, and more players would stop playing for that reason then if the scenarios are to easy.

yes sure I agree with you. But as I say w need NM right in the box.

I like ti build up different decks but I do not like to build up simple decks. For example your decks I can call decks. Decks what build up players who host cboftr is not decks is just a packs if cards. Play on your level im happy in them level just a waist of time...... so for me is clean Nmode!!!!! But I need to wair for that long time..... anyway I dont wonna insult anyone im just s straight

I think the focus of the game is not only around the dificult level. I like the new original quests, 1s quest try to discard hand, 2nd quest try to find out Mugash and capture him, 3rd quest try to avoid huorns.... If you want dificult, play nightmare, if you want combat play HoN, if you want .... game not only is about thinking how is the next dificult step, i think is more about how original is the new way.

Yes i stop buy Lotr for now……I will buy now only Nmode…..

there is no point for me play a game which one you win for sure……….. I don't talk about difficulty but after Briliant HON and Ndecks for First cycle is a insult for me…… for what i pay my money……….????!!!!! I will not buy anymore until NM come.

Hobbit NN and lst 3 NM quest that what is interesting for me. And if majority of players happy with VOI so i happy for you. But for me is child play in kinder garden….I create a deck which can play quickly 20 cards of my deck and encounter deck answer location 2 2 and maybe if you move there something happen…come enemy attack 2 and remove 1 tokens……

i like to use my brain not to sleep when i play cards………

Win ratio from the first attempt: 1 quest 3 win lose 0, second 3 win lose 1, third 3 win lose 0. thanks you for amazing quests FFG. Is a shame LOTR getting casual now…...

I beat all these scenarios straight away first time with caldera deck. I was a little disapointed at the time, but figured that power decks are not really the way to enjoy this game, except on the most difficult of scenarios. Building theme decks that fit to the story line seems to be the way the developers are designing the game. If your going to play your Mono-leadership Dwarf deck, sure you are going to be dissapointed, and if power decks are all you want to play, then like you say, just play NM mode, since my hunch is that the new scenarios, with there heavy emphasis on theme are also going to be designed to accomidate playeres who want theme to matter in their games. So yes, scenarios may be more casual, and this will probably satisfy the large majority of players who lean in that direction, the minority of players who enjoy very difficult quests where they must use the best decks around are going to be dissapointed.

Personally, I can adapt my play style to either direction, since i enjoy making decks that are intersting, even if they are not very poweful on the toughtest challenge. When a tough challenge arrives, i'll build a deck to take it on. For me getting the most out of this game is related to the deck building and ustilizing the variety of strategies that can be created with the player cards. If i just settled on a few power decks that can crush most scenarios then the game is boring and i lose interest fast. If every scenario is super difficult then each deck will probably be relying on a similar set of power cards that everyone plays, and the majority of player cards are worthless.

The only solution I am finding to this problem is to make and test a variety of different decks with different strategies to get the most out of a scenario.

Also the ultimate challenge already exists, have you beaten NM Dol Guldur solo yet? That should keep you busy for awhile. If every scenario was that difficult the game would also be boring, and more players would stop playing for that reason then if the scenarios are to easy.

yes sure I agree with you. But as I say w need NM right in the box.

I like ti build up different decks but I do not like to build up simple decks. For example your decks I can call decks. Decks what build up players who host cboftr is not decks is just a packs if cards. Play on your level im happy in them level just a waist of time...... so for me is clean Nmode!!!!! But I need to wair for that long time..... anyway I dont wonna insult anyone im just s straight

Easy mode would be stupid then....

And you always can assume a good challenge: try to get better higscore. Not only if you win or loss, maybe how you win, with high score or with low...

Easy mode would be stupid then....

And you always can assume a good challenge: try to get better higscore. Not only if you win or loss, maybe how you win, with high score or with low...

The story is ok, but I don't like that the heroes basically do all the work for the evil guys. Last cycle we supported Mordor, this time we help Saruman building up his evil might. That's deeply unmotivating for me.

i didn't realize saving villagers was the work of the devil (I mean Sauron)...

The story is ok, but I don't like that the heroes basically do all the work for the evil guys. Last cycle we supported Mordor, this time we help Saruman building up his evil might. That's deeply unmotivating for me.

i didn't realize saving villagers was the work of the devil (I mean Sauron)...

Hah, I bet they were all in cahoots with Alcaron! A village full of mass murderers, thieves and (looks at Glaurung) FFG scenario creators!

Glaurung, I have a special nightmare mode for you! And you don't even have to pay!

It is very simple: Beat the 1st quest with poor old Bilbo, the lore hero. You must play solo- one handed.

Forced: If Bilbo leaves play, you lose the game.

Glaurung, I have a special nightmare mode for you! And you don't even have to pay!

It is very simple: Beat the 1st quest with poor old Bilbo, the lore hero. You must play solo- one handed.

Forced: If Bilbo leaves play, you lose the game.

Thanks for suggestion but I dont like limitations.... I like to use all cards build up powerful combo and waiting for powerful answer. Nmode us perfect solution but we need to wait for so long time for that......

as I say I will not buy any new lotr product until there will be no NM included. Or will just wait for NPack and then buy......

Guys, I'd like your opinion on Deep Knowledge. At first I considered it to be a very strong effect and determined to put two in my deck along with three Daeron's Runes. The more thought I'm giving it however, the less enthusiastic I get. Even at 0 cost, the drawback is quite significant; 2 threat raise just to net me one card (the second will be the one that will replace the DK I just played) doesn't seem too much of a bargain for me. I know that in combo decks where you want your key cards to come asap, hence digging your deck is golden, it's importance is evident, still the drawback is nothing to sneeze at.

And a more specific question, concerning the aforementioned event: in an Outlands deck with a Lore (Beravor), a Spirit and a Leadership hero, if you had to pick between two DK and two Stargazers, which one would your choice be? I'm asking you because, if I finally decide to include the event, the Noldor gals will be the ones to go. Nothing beats personal trial and error, sure, I'm interested in your opinion though.

All the above concern one-handed solo play.

Guys, I'd like your opinion on Deep Knowledge. At first I considered it to be a very strong effect and determined to put two in my deck along with three Daeron's Runes. The more thought I'm giving it however, the less enthusiastic I get. Even at 0 cost, the drawback is quite significant; 2 threat raise just to net me one card (the second will be the one that will replace the DK I just played) doesn't seem too much of a bargain for me. I know that in combo decks where you want your key cards to come asap, hence digging your deck is golden, it's importance is evident, still the drawback is nothing to sneeze at.

And a more specific question, concerning the aforementioned event: in an Outlands deck with a Lore (Beravor), a Spirit and a Leadership hero, if you had to pick between two DK and two Stargazers, which one would your choice be? I'm asking you because, if I finally decide to include the event, the Noldor gals will be the ones to go. Nothing beats personal trial and error, sure, I'm interested in your opinion though.

All the above concern one-handed solo play.

How much threat reduction do you have in the outlands deck? If it's none to little I would stick with Stargazer, but if you have Glorfindel and Elrond's Counsel it might save you resources to play Deep knowledge.

Is it easy to get the Stargazers in play, or is your spirit hero usuing resources for other cards that makes it a challenge to get them in? If my deck is strong in card draw, and resources are being used fast, a card like stargazer unless it is critical to the deck, might just end up sitting in my hand, since it's not necessary to arrange the cards. If the deck is slow in draw, and I want to make sure I get the cards I need each round then she is a good fit.

Stargazer with Beravor can get you 2 cards you want each round. With DK and Beravor, you can pull in 4 new cards.

Outlands decks need to get up and running fast, and then they can handle most things and threat will usually not be an issue. I would suspect that DK fits an Outland build better than stargazer, which may take a few rounds to get into play, and by that point, if you have a good outlands deck, she will be uneccesary because by round 3 or 4 the deck could already be a powerhouse.

But, without knowing the rest of your deck composition and strategy it's tough to say what the best approach Is. Although any deck that is not playing Aragorn lore with doomed cards is taking a risk.

I'm posting my deck to the strategy thread, since here it's not its place.

Having finally got the box this weekend, I've been running a couple of decks I have kicking around against the new scenarios (the decks are a quest quietly deck using Frodo, Pippin (lore) and Glorfindel (spirit) that aims to mix high willpower cheap allies with deck manipulation, and a deck using Eowyn, Dunhere and Hama to kill things in the staging area). I lost against both quests the first time out (usually to tactical errors), but then walked them second time out.

To Catch An Orc certainly seems to be quite luck based (Mugash came out very late in the game, and got Feinted and whacked), and I was a little sad to see Battle and Siege keywords go, BUT, it was nice to get a new expansion and not immediately have to go build decks just to beat it! I'm excited about how secrecy is becoming viable again, since so few enemies engage at a low-threat, I actually got to play a sneaky deck, and the up-coming cards to help this trait will be mighty welcome.

That said, I can totally see power-decks eating these scenarios. Without the keyword changes, willpower is back as king.

I pay all VOi scenario with 3 players and is getting much better that way. IN solo game time mechanic almost never triggered

but in 3 players game is start to work since questing is not so easy as in solo game. First quest a really brutal and card draw mechanic is doing good… ouch Dunlands is really dangerous!

Second quest also ok. Third is start to shine. I really love this one! Shame in solo encounter deck combo and time mechanic almost useless every game….

I pay all VOi scenario with 3 players and is getting much better that way. IN solo game time mechanic almost never triggered

but in 3 players game is start to work since questing is not so easy as in solo game. First quest a really brutal and card draw mechanic is doing good… ouch Dunlands is really dangerous!

Second quest also ok. Third is start to shine. I really love this one! Shame in solo encounter deck combo and time mechanic almost useless every game….

I'm glad you're enjoying it more. That's one of the reasons why I tend to prefer playing two-handed solo or 3/4 player games with others, as it gives a chance for the encounter deck to build its own combos/synergy.

I also agree with what monkeyrama said, I'm sad to see battle/siege go. I don't think they should appear in every quest, but I was kind of hoping those keywords would stick around rather than be limited to one cycle (and a few saga quests), as they really turned deck building on its head.