The Fortress of Nurn 5 – June 4, 2022

Starting Hand after Mulligan

• Ranger of Cardolan
• Thalion
• Unexpected Courage
• Hauberk of Mail
• Thorongil
• A Good Harvest
• Unexpected Courage and A Good Harvest are nice to have early. No Arwen or Keep Watch which would have been nice. Unexpected Courage might be enough to help get things going, but we’ll see.

Setup

• Ulchor’s Guard engaged with me.
• Thane Ulchor in the staging area
• Covered by Darkness, Tower of Barad-dur, Kabul the Easterling, and The Armies of Mordor on each Storm the Castle side quest along with 8 cards from my deck.
• Threat – 34
• Thurindir fails to find a side quest.*

Turn 1

1.3 Draw

• Armored Destrier
• This is really nice with Hauberk. I can reasonably keep 2 enemies engaged and let Amarthuil gain extra resources.

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• A Good Harvest naming Leadership.
• Armored Destrier and Hauberk of Mail on Beregond

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Storm the Castle with Armies of Mordor

• Stronghold of Mordor and Plaza of Nurn added to the staging area.
• Eowyn
• Thurindir
• Total Quest Power = 6

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• Plaza of Nurn 2
• Total Staging Area Threat = 3

3.3 Action(s)

• none

3.4 Quest Resolution

• +3 Stronghold of Mordor progress (3 / 8)

3.4 Action(s)

• none

4.2 Travel

• Plaza of Nurn 2
• Deal 1 damage to Thurindir

4.2 Action(s)

• none

5.2 Optional Engagement

• a

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 – Beregond
• 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
• Threat – 33
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none
• Ready with Armored Destrier

6.7 Player Attacks

6.8b Target – Ulchor’s Guard

• 6.8b Attackers
  • Amarthuil
  • Beregond
• 6.8.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.8.2 Total Attack – 4
• 6.8.3 Damage Dealt – 3
• 6.8.3 Action(s)
  • none

7 Refresh

• 7.3 Threat – 34
• 7.4 Action(s)
  • none

Turn 2

1.3 Draw

• Heir of Valandil

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• Thalion
• I could play Unexpected Courage, but I think I need the willpower more right now.

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Stronghold of Mordor

• Eowyn
• Thurindir
• Thalion
• Total Quest Power = 8

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• Ulchor’s Rage

6.4b Enemy – Thane Ulchor

• 6.4b Action(s)

  • none

• 6.4.1 Defender – Beregond

• 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 – 3 I’m going to need healing ASAP.

• 6.4.3 Action(s)

  • none

• Ready with Armored Destrier

• Total Staging Area Threat = 2

3.3 Action(s)

• none

3.4 Quest Resolution

• +5 Plaza of Nurn progress (5 / 5) and explore it.
• +1 Stronghold of Mordor progress (4 / 8)

3.4 Action(s)

• none

4.2 Travel

• none
• I think I need to complete Stronghold of Mordor to get the cards and side quest bonuses online soon.

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 – Beregond
• 6.4.1 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.2 Shadow – none (Fanaticism)
• 6.4.2 Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.3 Determine combat damage – 0
• Threat – 33
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none

6.7 Player Attacks

• none

7 Refresh

• 7.3 Threat – 34
• 7.4 Action(s)
  • none

Turn 3

1.3 Draw

• Ranger of Cardolan 2
• I’m hitting all my expensive allies. I was keeping the option for Unexpected Courage, but I guess I should have saved a Leadership resource for Heir of Valandil.

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• Ranger of Cardolan 1

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Stronghold of Mordor

• Eowyn
• Thurindir
• Thalion
• Ranger of Cardolan 1
• Total Quest Power = 10

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• The Dark Lord’s Reach deals 1 damage to Eowyn, Thurindir, Thalion, and Ranger of Cardolan.
• Total Staging Area Threat = 2

3.3 Action(s)

• none

3.4 Quest Resolution

• +8 Stronghold of Mordor progress (12 / 8) and addi it to the victory display.
• Shuffle 8 cards under Stronghold of Mordor into my deck
• Draw Warden of Annuminas
• The expensive ally parade continues. Good thing I have a Leadership resource for Heir of Valandil.

3.4 Action(s)

• none

4.2 Travel

• Plaza of Nurn
• 1 damage to Thalion and Ranger of Cardolan (2 / 3)
• I never like keeping too much threat in the staging area. Plus, I might not play another ally next turn.

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

• Ready Thalion

6.2 Action(s)

• none

6.3 Enemy Attacks

6.4b Enemy – Ulchor’s Guard

• 6.4b Action(s)
  • none
• 6.4.1 Defender – Beregond
• 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 – 0
• Threat – 33
• 6.4.3 Action(s)
  • none
• Ready with Armored Destrier

6.7 Player Attacks

• none

7 Refresh

• 7.3 Threat – 34
• 7.4 Action(s)
  • none

Turn 4

1.3 Draw

• Sarn Ford Sentry

1.3 Action(s)

• none

2.2 Planning

• Heir of Valandil
• I’m going to try and build up some resources for the other Dunedain allies.

3.1 Quest Phase 3.1 Action(s)

• none

3.2 Committed Characters vs Storm the Castle with Covered in Darkness

• Covered in Darkness and Lethal Counterattack to the staging area.
• 1 damage to each character. Thalion and Ranger of Cardolan destroyed. I need healing so bad right now.
• Threat – 39
• Eowyn
• Thurindir
• Total Quest Power = 7

3.2 Action(s)

• none

3.3 Staging

• Ulchor’s Rage

Post Mortem

I concede there because Beregond will die defending Thane Ulchor’s attack. I got a Castle side quest completed. I considered questing against the main quest or the Storm the Castle with Kabul. Eowyn could have killed Kabul but I would have risked losing Beregond. The main quest probably would have been better and hope to find healing next turn. The quest this time did more direct damage than I remember seeing the last couple of times. I’ll have to look back to confirm that impression. It could just be that I had some healing from The Long defeat help out. Lethal Counterattack might be one I hope to see first before I get Wardens of Healing otherwise they’d be toast. I’m tempted to add Honour Guards just to double up on ways to deal with the direct damage. Beregond definitely helped make defense much more manageable without Keep Watch. The deck still wants a player side quest early. The Storm Comes is probably worth subbing in just to increase the odds of having one and smoothing resources for the Dunedain allies.