The Fortress of Nurn 4 – May 21, 2022

Starting Hand after Mulligan

• East Road Ranger
• Thorongil
• Light of Valinor
• Guardian of Arnor
• Ranger of Cardolan
• Feint
• I was hoping for Keep Watch, but Light of Valinor is great to see. I also have Feint to buy a turn if I need it. I think I can make this work.

Setup

• Ulchor’s Guard engaged with me.
• Thane Ulchor in the staging area
• Covered by Darkness, Tower of Barad-dur, Kabul the Easterling, and Under the Watchful Eye on each Storm the Castle side quest along with 8 cards from my deck.
• Threat – 35
• Thurindir finds Prepare for Battle and adds it to my hand. Not what I was hoping for, but better than nothing.

Turn 1

1.3 Draw

• Andarath Guardsman

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• Prepare for Battle
• Light of Valinor on Glorfindel

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Prepare for Battle

• Aragorn
• Thurindir
• Glorfindel
• Total Quest Power = 7

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• Fortress Walls
• Total Staging Area Threat = 4

3.3 Action(s)

• none

3.4 Quest Resolution

• +3 Prepare for Battle progress (3 / 6)

3.4 Action(s)

• none

4.2 Travel

• Fortress Walls
• Thorongil put under Storm the Castle with Covered in Darkness
• I don’t mind losing Thorongil because I know there is another copy in my deck right now thanks to Thurindir’s setup ability.

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)

• Feint on Ulchor’s Guard

6.3 Enemy Attacks

• Canceled by Feint.

6.7 Player Attacks

6.8b Target – Ulchor’s Guard

• 6.8b Attackers
  • Amarthuil
  • Glorfindel
• 6.8.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.8.2 Total Attack – 6
• 6.8.3 Damage Dealt – 6 (6 / 5)
• 6.8.3 Action(s)
  • none
• Target destroyed.

7 Refresh

• 7.3 Threat – 36
• 7.4 Action(s)
  • none

Turn 2

1.3 Draw

• The Long Defeat

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• Ranger of Cardolan

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Prepare for Battle

• Aragorn
• Thurindir
• Glorfindel
• Ranger of Cardolan
• Total Quest Power = 9

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• Ulchor’s Guard
• Total Staging Area Threat = 3

3.3 Action(s)

• none

3.4 Quest Resolution

• +6 Fortress Walls progress (6 / 6) and explore it.

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

• Ulchor’s Guard

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 – Amarthuil
• 6.4.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.2 Shadow – +0 attack because no Castle side quests in the victory display (Easterling Mercenary).
• 6.4.2 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 1
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none

6.7 Player Attacks

6.8b Target – Ulchor’s Guard

• 6.8b Attackers
  • Glorfindel
• 6.8.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.8.2 Total Attack – 3
• 6.8.3 Damage Dealt – 3
• 6.8.3 Action(s)
  • none

7 Refresh

• 7.3 Threat – 37
• 7.4 Action(s)
  • none

Turn 3

1.3 Draw

• Ranger of Cardolan 2

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• East Road Ranger

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Prepare for Battle

• Thurindir
• Glorfindel
• Ranger of Cardolan 1
• East Road Ranger
• Total Quest Power = 10

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• The Dungeons of Dol Rhugar
• Soldier of Nurn
• Total Staging Area Threat = 3

3.3 Action(s)

• none

3.4 Quest Resolution

• +4 Prepare for Battle progress (7 / 6) and add it to the victory display. Progress is capped because of The Dungeons of Dol Rhugar.

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
• Put Ranger of Cardolan 2 into play.

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 – Ranger of Cardolan 2
• 6.4.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.2 Shadow – Put Guard Dogs into play engaged (Guard Dogs)
• 6.4.2 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 2
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none

6.4b Enemy – Guard Dogs

• 6.4b Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.1 Defender – none
• 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 – 2 assigned to Glorfindel
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none

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 – +2 attack (Mordor Olag-hai)
• 6.4.2 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 2
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none
• Amarthuil destroyed.

I will concede on that.

Post Mortem

Questing is a lot better. I also have some early combat ability if Light of Valinor is on Glorfindel. That doesn’t really fix the issue the original deck had that there are 2 key cards needed to get going. The big temptation is to make the deck even less thematic by replacing Aragorn with Tactics Eowyn and Spirit Glorfindel with Spirit Beregond. I can see those swaps helping tremendously in the early game. Spirit Beregond can also provide threat reduction that will help even if Covered in Darkness hits the board. I think the deck was doing pretty well. I could probably just put in another copy of Keep Watch to increase the likelihood of hitting it, or just try it again as is and hope to get lucky. I can also seeing it doing much worse if I don’t either Keep Watch or Light of Valinor. I’m also concerned about threat in the late game since Covered in Darkness, Under the Watchful Eye, and The Tower of Barad-Dur combo together.