Steward’s Fear with Mono-Tactics 4 – July 31, 2019

Introduction

Looking through my old quest log, I think Hands Upon the Bow did a lot to help this attempt.

Decklist

Play by Play

Starting hand: Gandalf, Foe-hammer, Defender of Rammas, Gondorian Shield, Explore Secret Ways, and Beechbone.

Turn 1: Hands Upon the Bow drawn. Beechbone played and Gondorian Shield put on Beregond. Eowyn quests for 4. False Lead ends the quest. Refresh and increase threat to 26.

Turn 2: Feint drawn. Defender of Rammas played. Eowyn and Beechbone quest for 6. Underworld Dissident added to the staging area. 3 progress placed on The 4th Star. Engage dissident and Defender of Rammas defends. Shadow adds 1 attack for 3 total dealing no damage to Defender of Rammas. Legolas and Beregond attack and kill the dissident. Legolas places 2 progress on the active location exploring it. A resource is added to the quest. Pickpocket added to the staging from under The 4th Star. Refresh and increase threat to 27.

Turn 3: Secret Vigil drawn and played on Pickpocket. Eowyn and Beechbone quest for 6. A Knife in the Back discards Beechbone and deals 2 damage to Legolas. Questing is success. Pickpocket does not engage as threat is currently 27 vs his engagement cost of 28. Refresh and increase threat to 28.

Turn 4: Bofur drawn and played. Eowyn quests for 4. Storehouse added bringing staging area threat to 4. Travel to Storehouse. Engage pickpocket and use Feint. Legolas kills pickpocket, places 2 progress on Storehouse, and lowers threat to 25 due to Secret Vigil. Storehouse is explored placing a 2nd resource on the quest and adding Secret Map clue from under it. Beregond exhausts to claim the clue. Exhaust Bofur to search top 5 cards for a weapon card. Dagger of Westernesse added to my hand. Refresh and increase threat to 26.

Turn 5: Dúnedain Hunter drawn. Dagger of Westernesse played on Legolas. Eowyn quests for 4. Underworld Dissident added to the staging area and questing is a success. Dissident engages and attacks. Defender of Rammas defends. Shadow card discards all 4 resources. No damage dealt. Exhaust Bofur and fail to find a weapon in my top 5. Refresh and increase threat to 27.

Turn 6: Foe-hammer drawn. Exhaust Bofur and don’t find a weapon in my top 5. Secret Vigil played on dissident. Eowyn quests for 4. City Streets added, and surge adds Houses of the Dead. Threat increases to 29. Travel to City Streets. Defender of Rammas defends vs the dissident’s attack. Shadow adds 2 attack bringing to 5 with boost from 1 underworld location in play. Legolas attacks and kills the dissident and places 2 progress on City Streets. Threat reduced to 26 from Secret Vigil. City Streets explored adding a 3rd resource to the quest. Exhaust Dagger of Westernesse to play Foe-hammer and draw another Dagger of Westernesse and 2 Derndingle Warriors. Refresh and increase threat to 27.

Turn 7: Foe-hammer drawn. Dúnedain Hunter played and Underworld Dissident put into play engaged with me from encounter deck top 5. 2 Derndingle Warriors played too. Eowyn and Bofur quest for 6. A Knife in the Back discards a Derndingle Warrior and deals 1 damage to Eowyn. Questing is a success. Don’t travel yet. Beregond defends against the dissident. Shadow has no effect and no damage dealt. Legolas kills the dissident and exhausts Dagger of Westernesse to play Foe-hammer. 2 Defender of Rammas and Hands Upon the Bow number 2 drawn. Refresh and increase threat to 28.

Turn 8: Eagles of the Misty Mountains drawn. Defender of Rammas played. W Eowyn, Bofur, and Derndingle Warrior quest for 7. Lost in the City adds Storehouse from the discard pile to the staging area. Questing is a success. Travel to Houses of the Dead and exhaust everyone. Refresh and increase threat to 29.

Turn 9: Dúnedain Hunter drawn and played. No enemies in encounter deck top 5 so he is discarded. Play Eagles of the Misty Mountains. Eowyn, Bofur, Derndingle Warrior, and Eagles of the Misty Mountains quest for 9. Market Square added to the staging area. 4 progress placed on Houses of the Dead exploring it and putting the last resource on stage 1B. A Prisoner clue and Pickpocket added to the staging area from under Houses of the Dead. Stage 2A added Up in Flames plot to the staging area (Again?! I rolled a d4 picking the plot and it must hate me.) It also added Roots of Mindolluin to the active location. Before going to the travel phase, I use the Secret Map clue to put three progress on Roots and Hands Upon the Bow to shoot the pickpocket with Legolas. The pickpocket dies and Legolas adds 2 progress to Roots exploring it and 1 resource is put on the quest. Roots adds a Zealous Traitor to the staging area. Travel to Market Square. Zealous Traitor optionally engaged and allies take 1 damage killing Defender of Rammas. Beregond defends the traitor’s attack. No shadow effect and Beregond takes no damage. Dúnedain Hunter deals 1 damage to the traitor. Mill 1, refresh, and increase threat to 30.

Turn 10: Knights of the Swan drawn and played. Dagger of Westernesse number 2 played on Legolas. Eowyn, Bofur, and Eagles quest for 8. Underworld Dissident added to the staging area. Market Square explored and 2nd resource added to the quest. No travel but use action window to use Hands Upon the Bow and have Legolas kill dissident before engagement. Traitor attacks and is defended by Derndingle Warrior who takes a damage to increase defense to 5. Shadow card has no effect. Dúnedain Hunter kills zealous traitor. Beregond exhausts to use A Prisoner clue. It adds the last 2 resources to quest completing 2B. Stage 3A adds The Hand of Castamir to the staging area. Mill 2, refresh, and increase threat to 31.

Turn 11: Favor of the Valar drawn. Defender of Rammas played. Eowyn, Bofur, and Eagles quest for 8. Treachery revealed and has no effect on its own because underworld deck is gone but The Hand of Castamir attacks and Defender of Rammas defends. No shadow effect so defender blocks the 4 attack. Sewer revealed for the forced effect which is discarded. Surge card is another copy of the same treachery. The Hand of Castamir attacks again which is defended by Derndingle Warrior. Shadow card adds 2 attack but Derndingle was dead anyway. Second forced effect card is Lossanarch Bandit that is discarded. Surge card 2 is Local Trouble which goes on Beregond. Hand of Castmir attacks a for a third time and Knights of the Swan defend. No shadow but they still die. Sewer discarded for forced effect. 3 progress placed on the quest. Hand of Castmir engages and attacks. Beregond defends and threat increases to 32. Shadow card discards Gondorian Shield but Beregond takes no damage. Forced effect discards Zealous Traitor. Legolas and Dúnedain Hunter attack for 8 and deal 5 damage leaving 1 hit point on Hand of Castamir. Mill 3, refresh, and increase threat to 34 thanks to Local Trouble.

Turn 12: Knights of the Swan drawn and played. Eowyn, Bofur, and Eagles quest for 8. Zealous Traitor added to the staging area. Questing is a success adding 3 progress for a total of 7. Optionally engage the traitor and deal 1 damage to allies killing Defender of Rammas and Knights of the Swan. Traitor attacks and Dúnedain Hunter defends. No shadow but the hunter dies anyway. Beregond defends the Hand of Castamir attack. Threat increases to 35. No shadow so Beregond takes no damage. Forced effect reveals The 4th Star and discards it. Legolas attacks Hand of Castamir killing him and placing 2 progress on the quest for a total of 9. Mill 4, refresh and increase threat to 37.

Turn 13: Secret Vigil drawn. Gandalf played and reduce threat by 5 to 32. Gandalf, Eowyn, Bofur, and Eagles quest for 12. Sewer added to the staging area for a total of 5 threat. 7 progress placed on the quest for a total of 16 to complete 3B and win.

Score 163 = 13*10 + 32 + 3 damage on heroes – 2 victory points