The Fords of Isen with No Men Self-Starters – December 31, 2019

Introduction

After the Hobbit fellowship didn’t work out, I found another deck on Ringsdb I wanted to try, WanderingTook’s Real Self-Starters. Although, I had to change up the line up a little bit. At the time, I didn’t have A Storm on Cobas Haven to play Na’asiyah. I put in Grimbeorn because then I could argue that my heroes weren’t technically all men still. I also added a couple copies of Bofur to help find weapons for Grimbeorn.

Decklists

Play by Play

Starting hand: Book of Eldacar x2, Beorn’s Rage, Warrior Sword, Dagger of Westernesse, and Bofur.

Turn 1: Warrior Sword drawn. Sword and Dagger played on Grimbeorn. Eowyn quests for 4. Staging area has The Islet, Dunland Prowler, and Dunland Chieftain for 6 threat. Threat increases to 31. Travel to The Islet. Optionally engage the chieftain. Prowler engages. Grimbeorn defends against the chieftain, no shadow, Grimbeorn takes 2 damage. Spend Grimbeorn’s resource to attack and kill the chieftain. Beorn defends the prowler’s attack, discard Warrior Sword to shadow, and Beorn takes a damage. Beorn attacks the prowler dealing 2 damage. Refresh and threat is 32 and time on quest is 4.

Turn 2: Quick Strike drawn. Warrior Sword played on Grimbeorn. Eowyn quests for 4. Dunland Berserker added to the staging area for 3 threat. Play Quick Strike with Beorn to kill the berserker. The Islet is explored, 3 progress added to the quest, and Grima joins me. Grimbeorn defends the prowler’s attack, no shadow, and no damage dealt. Refresh, threat is 33, and time is 3 on the quest.

Turn 3: Tireless Hunters drawn. Play Book of Eldacar on Eowyn. Grima and Eowyn quest for 6. Fords of Isen added to the staging area and Tireless Hunters drawn from forced effect. 3 progress placed on the quest. Travel to the Fords. Grimbeorn defends against the prowler, Book of Eldacar discarded to a shadow card, and no damage dealt. Beorn kills the prowler. Refresh, threat is 34, and time on quest is 2.

Turn 4: Goblin-cleaver drawn. Play Bofur and Book of Eldacar on Eowyn. Eowyn, Bofur, and Grima quest for 8. 2 Prowlers and Dunland Tribesman added to the staging area for 5 threat. Honour Guard drawn for the tribesman when revealed effect. Prowlers engage and are dealt shadow cards. Play Tireless Hunters to engage tribesman and discard its shadow card, a Fords of Isen. Grimbeorn defends the first prowler, shadow is +1 attack, and no damage dealt. Grimbeorn spends a resource to attack and kill the prowler. Beorn defends the prowler and tribesman attacks, no shadow, and Beorn takes 4 damage. Beorn kills the tribesman. Refresh, threat is 35, and time on quest is 1.

Turn 5: Secret Vigil drawn. Honour Guard played. Eowyn, Grima, and Bofur quest for 8. Dunland Chiehftan added to staging area for 3 threat. Fords of Isen explored and stage 1b completed. Tribesman added to the staging area from the encounter deck for stage 2b. Dunland Chieftan engages and forced effect adds Dunland Berserker to the staging area. Grimbeorn defends against the Chieftan and shadow discards the second Book of Eldacar. Play Beorn’s Rage and spend a resource to attack the Chieftan after taking no damage. Grimbeorn kills the Chieftan. Beorn defends the prowler’s attack, no shadow, and damage cancelled by Honour Guard. Beorn attacks prowler for 2 damage. Play Goblin-cleaver to kill the prowler. Refresh, threat is 36, and time on quest is 1.

Turn 6: Swift Strike drawn. Berserker attacks, and Beorn defends. Damage canceled by Honour Guard. Play Secret Vigil on berserker. Eowyn, Grima, and Bofur quest for 8. Gap of Rohan added to the staging area for 4 threat resulting 4 progress. Travel to the Gap. Berserker engages and dealt a shadow card. Play Tireless Hunters to engage Tribesman and discard shadow card, Gap of Rohan #2. Grimbeorn defends against the Tribesman spending a resource to attack and kill him. Beorn defends the berserker, no shadow, and 1 damage dealt. Beorn attacks and kills the berserker lowering threat by 2 for the attached secret vigil.

Refresh, threat is 34, and time counter removed dealing 1 damage to Honour Guard. Quest gains 2 new time counters.

Turn 7: Thicket of Spears drawn. Same questers for 8. 3 treacheries revealed resulting Ill tidings added to my hand, Sterner than Steel drawn, threat raised to 38, 1 damage dealt to Bofur, and 1 damage cancelled by Honour Guard. 9 progress placed on the quest and Gap of Rohan explored. Refresh to 39 threat and time counter removed.

Turn 8: Goblin-cleaver drawn. Same questers for 8. Dunlending Bandit added to the staging area for 2 threat. Stage 2b completed, and prowler added to the staging area for stage 3a effect. Both enemies engage and get shadow cards. Play Thicket of Spears to avoid attacks. Grimbeorn kills the bandit. Beorn plus Goblin-cleaver kills the prowler. Refresh, threat is 40, and time on quest is 2.

Turn 9: Feint drawn. Same questers for 8. Bandit added to the staging area for 2 threat and 6 progress put on the quest. Bandit engages. Play Feint. Beorn and Grimbeorn attack and kill the bandit. Refresh, threat is 41, and time on quest is 1.

Turn 9: Goblin-cleaver drawn. Same questers for 8. Treachery added as a condition to the quest and Chieftan added to the staging area for 3 threat. 5 progress placed on the quest for a total of 11. Chieftan engages and forced effect puts a prowler engaged with me too. Chieftan attack defended by Grimbeorn. Play Swift Strike and spend a resource to kill the Chieftan. Grimbeorn takes 1 damage after canceling one with Honour Guard. Prowler attack defended by Beorn taking 1 damage. Beorn attacks and Goblin-cleaver kill the prowler. Refresh, threat is 41,and Tribesman added to the staging area when time counter removed. Time counters reset to 3.

Turn 10: Tireless Hunters drawn and threat increased to 42. Same questers for 8. Treachery forces draw of Swift Strike and increases threat to 46. 6 progress placed on the quest to 17 total. Tribesman engages. Grimbeorn defends. Play Sterner than Steel to cancel shadow card. Beorn attacks and kills the Tribesman to complete the quest.

Score 110 = 10 rounds 10 + 11 damage on heroes + 0 dead heroes – 1 victory point.

I realized on turn 5 that I forgot the forced effect for the first chieftain on turn 1. That puts an asterisk next to victory on this one.