The Fortress of Nurn – April 18, 2022

Starting Hand after 7 Mulligans

• Celebrian’s Stone
• Northern Bowmaster
• Arwen Undomiel
• East Road Ranger
• Thorongil
• Vigilant Dunadan

Setup

• Ulchor’s Guard engaged with me.
• Thane Ulchor in the staging area
• Covered by Darkness, Kabul the Easterling, Tower of Barad-dur and Under the Watchful Eye on each Storm the Castle side quest along with 8 cards from my deck.
• Threat – 30
• I fail to find a player side quest in the remaining player cards. The deck description says Keep Watch is a key piece. I’m going to try it once this way. Next attempt I may bend the rules to have player setup before encounter set up.

Turn 1

1.3 Draw

• Andrath Guardsman

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• Northern Bowmaster

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

*3.2 Committed Characters vs Storm the Castle with Under the Watchful Eye

• Under the Watchful Eye revealed and discard Andrath Guardsman
• Lethal Counterattack revealed and 1 damage dealt to each character.
• Northern Bowmaster destroyed.
• Aragorn
• Thurindir
• Total Quest Power = 4

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• Soldier of Nurn
• Total Staging Area Threat = 3

3.3 Action(s)

• none

3.4 Quest Resolution

• +1 Lethal Counterattack progress (1 / 10)

3.4 Action(s)

• none

4.2 Travel

• none

4.2 Action(s)

• none

5.2 Optional Engagement

• none

5.2 Action(s)

• none

5.3 Engagement

• Soldier of Nurn

5.3 Action(s)

• none

6 Combat Phase

6.2 Action(s)

• none

6.3 Enemy Attacks

6.4b Enemy – Soldier of Nurn

• 6.4b Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.1 Defender – none
• 6.4.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.2 Shadow – whiffs because no attachments (The Dark Lord’s Reach)
• 6.4.2 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 3 assigned to Aragorn
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none
• Thorongil added to Lethal Counterattack.

6.4b Enemy – Ulchor’s Guard

• 6.4b Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.1 Defender – Amarthuil
• 6.4.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.2 Shadow – whiffs because no attachments (The Dark Lord’s Reach 2)
• 6.4.2 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 1
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none

7 Refresh

• 7.3 Threat – 31
• 7.4 Action(s)
  • none

Turn 2

1.3 Draw

• Northern Bowmaster 2
• Threat – 32

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• Celebrian’s Stone on Aragorn
• Northern Bowmaster

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Lethal Counterattack

• Aragorn
• Soldier of Nurn
• Total Quest Power = 6

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• Under Guards adds Fortress Walls to the staging area
• Total Staging Area Threat = 4

3.3 Action(s)

• none

3.4 Quest Resolution

• +2 Lethal Counterattack progress (3 / 10)

3.4 Action(s)

• none

4.2 Travel

• none
• I don’t think I can afford to lose another card from my hand right now. I’ll lose one already to Soldier of Nurn.

4.2 Action(s)

• none

5.2 Optional Engagement

• none

5.2 Action(s)

• none

5.3 Engagement

• none

5.3 Action(s)

• none

6 Combat Phase

6.2 Action(s)

• none

6.3 Enemy Attacks

6.4b Enemy – Ulchor’s Guard

• 6.4b Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.1 Defender – Northern Bowmaster
• 6.4.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.2 Shadow – none (Plaza of Nurn)
• 6.4.2 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 4
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none
• Defender destroyed.

6.4b Enemy – Soldier of Nurn

• 6.4b Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.1 Defender – Amarthuil
• 6.4.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.2 Shadow – none (Guard Tower)
• 6.4.2 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 0
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none
• Vigilant Dunadan added to Lethal Counterattack.

7 Refresh

• 7.3 Threat – 33
• 7.4 Action(s)
  • none

Turn 3

1.3 Draw

• Hauberk of Mail
• Threat – 34
• I think I’m toast at the combat phase, but we’ll see.

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• Arwen
• East Road Ranger
• Hauberk of Mail on Amarthuil

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Lethal Counterattack Quest

• Aragorn
• Thurindir
• Arwen and Amarthuil +1 defense
• Total Quest Power = 8

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• Ulchor’s Rage

I concede because I’ll lose the East Road Ranger that I was counting on to block the Soldier of Nurn.

Postmortem

I see why Keep Watch is really needed. That would have let me get Thurindir to 3 willpower and much easier to take additional attacks. There are going to be many attempts that I lose based on my starting hand or setup it looks like.

I might have to play it where I just have Celebrian’s Stone be in my hand and do Thurindir’s ability before encounter setup. The alternative is modify the deck to have more starting willpower. I think it would be fairly easy to adapt the deck into a Bond of Friendship deck with Spirit Glorfindel. Another alternative would be put in Spirit Beregond and replace Aragorn with Tactics Eowyn. I lose the ability to reset my threat if I replace Aragorn. Also it becomes less of a Dunedain deck. I’ll play the deck unmodified at least a couple times more.