Quest 3: Escape from Dol Guldur

Victory on the 13th attempt

The Deck

After refreshing myself with the quest using a mono-Leadership deck, I decided to peak around and see what others were building to tackle this beast(master). No pride here. Many people think this quest should simply be passed up for solo, one-handed players (two-handed being a term for players playing two decks at once). Poking around refreshed my memory on Tracker1's Mono (Solo) Caldara Deck. I had run a Caldara deck against Watcher in the Water earlier this year, resulting in a victory, but hadn't touched the idea again for a while. Still, there's something cool about discarding your hero to benefit yourself. So starting with Tracker 1's template, and making a very small adjustment for only having two core sets, here is what I ended up with:

Caldara's Quest (or Caldara Needs to Be the Prisoner)

Heroes
Caldara
Glorfindel
Eowyn

Allies
Arwen Undomiel x2
Damrod x2
Emry x2
Ethir Swordsman x3
Northern Tracker x3
Pelargir Shipwright x3
Zigil Miner x3
Imladris Stargazer x3
Elfhelm x2
The Riddermark's Finest x2
White Tower Watchman x3

Attachements
Map of Ernil x3
Light of Valinor x3

Events
Fortune or Fate x2
Hasty Stroke x3
A Test of Will x3
Elrond's Counsel x3
Hidden Cache x3

Sets Used:
Core
The Hills of Emyn Muil
The Dead Marshes
The Watcher in the Water
Khazad-dum
Foundations of Stone
Heirs of Numenor
The Stewards' Fear
The Druadan Forest
Assault of Osgiliath
The Blood of Gondor
The Morgul Vale

I tried to be hipster and original, messing with the formula (including attempting to swap out Glorfiendel for Frodo), but nothing worked right. This is a solid deck. Every round I played, each card I had was useful and helped get me as far as I could. Tracker1 is frequently posting unique decks and I've only seen praise for them. Now I know it's deserved.

Fortune or Fate and Dwarven Tomb are only x2 due to my lack of a third Core. I experimented with a few options for this spot (Silver Lamp, Stand and Fight) and The Riddermark's Finest panned out as a great choice. It can quest or attack as needed, survive a Necromancer's Reach, or be held in the background to snipe a 1-2 progress location that pops up during staging.

The Journey

Let's chronicle the descent from fun to "please just end it" that this scenario takes many a player on.

Attempt #1: My first attempt with the mono-leadership deck was a conceded match, with me well under the curve in regards to threat early on and two objectives out of my immediate reach (including one in the discard pile after being dealt as a shadow card). Not sure if a modification of this deck would stand a fair chance or not. It seems something special is needed.

Attempt #2: My first attempt with the Caldara deck, using Frodo instead of Spirit Glorfindel. I got the Silver Lamp + Small Target combo I was hoping for, but it actually didn't prove useful as both enemies were dealt shadow cards with effects. I did enjoy the combo of Imladris Stargazer + Hidden Cache + Zigil Miner. Threated out in stage 4 with no progress placed the entire game.

Attempt #3: Finally made it to stage 2 this time around, but could not put the progress on to rescue the prisoner. I could see glimmerings of what this deck could do. If I had been able to squeeze that one progress token on the stage, it would have given me Caldara back with Fortune & Fate in my hand, 5+ resources in my pool, and some good allies in the discard to choose from.

Attempt #4:  Made 1/3 of the way through stage 2 with two objectives claimed and one waiting to be claimed. Nazgul engaged with me with 1 damage. Dungeon Jailer in the victory display. Lost Caldara early on, rescuing Glorfiendel the next round. Having two heroes the entire first two stages hurt quite a bit. Will need to keep one defender up at all times in case a low-threat enemy appears. White Tower Watchman really shined this attempt.

Attempt #5:  So close! Threated out, due to the Cave Torch, on round 12, with only one more round of questing to go. Looking at the top card of my deck and the top card of the encounter deck, I would have made it if I had my threat just a few points lower. Reflecting on the game, I could have made some choices to gain that amount. I need to be careful with the proper use of the objectives in the future. At least I know now that this is the deck to beat this quest with.

Attempt # 6: Slaughtered. Two King Spiders and a Cavern Guardian guarding the objectives. Took two undefended attacks, loosing one of my two heroes (fortunately having an ally to suck up the last one). Lost my final hero on round 2.

Attempt #7: Lasted until round 4. Glorfindel captured. Five enemies out, three of which were engaged with me at time of death.

Attempt #8: Now we're on to the amount of times it took me to break the Anduin code! Great opening hand (two trackers, Fate or Fortune, Test of Will). Guardians: Two low creatures and a Caught in the Web. Captured: Glorfindel. Lost in round 6 due to hero death.

Attempt #9: Conceded in round 4. One hero left, King Spider engaged, overwhelmed in staging area.

Pause for reflection. 

A solid deck and (hopefully) wise playing choices have only gotten me close once. It's becoming very clear that three things need to align to give me a decent chance:

1. Caldara needs to be the prisoner
2. I need a solid opening hand (like Light of the Valinor + Northern Tracker + Eldrond's Counsel)
3. Easy, manageable cards need to be guarding the objectives. 

I could rig this (and many players do to avoid banging their heads against the walls of Dol Guldur this much), but I am curious how often this pattern will naturally fall in place. So, I will simply concede rounds where the initial steps are stacked against me heavily (counting them against my total played and recording them).

Attempt #10: Concession. High threat in the staging area.

Attempt #11: Concession. High threat in the staging area again (almost the same set-up as attempt 10) (gave it a small attempt...but no)

Attempt #12: Concession. Tried to push through with Eowyn captured, but no dice.

Attempt #13: Started out with a good hand (including Northern Tracker and Light of Valinor), a manageable staging area (Dol Guldur Orcs, Tower Gate, and an ineffective Under the Shadow). But Glorfindel was the captured hero. Something told me to go for it. And go for it my band of heroes and allies did, carrying me to stage 3 where our story picks up.

The state of things:

It's the beginning round 10. My threat is 37. Caldara has one damage on her and all three objectives (having picked them up at the end of stage 2). Glorfindel is equipped with Light of the Valinor. In the staging area we have the Nazgul of Dol Guldur and two Dungeon Jailers. We're on the Planning Phase and I'm realizing there might be a victory to be had here.

Resource Phase
+1 Glorfindel (2), +1 Eowyn (2), +1 Caldara (1)

Planning Phase
Play: Map of Earnil (Caldara -1) on Glorfindel

Quest Phase
Put Orc Guard (top card of player deck) engaged with me.
Commit: Glorfindel, Eowyn, Emry, Arwen, Nothern Tracker, Ethir Swordsman, Pelargir Shipwright.
Arwen's +1 defense bonus goes to White Tower Watchman.
Play Elrond's Counsel to lower threat to 34 and give Glorfindel a +1 willpower bonus.
Total willpower: 16
Reveal: Chieftain Ufthak
Total threat 9
7 progress placed on stage 3B
Progress requirements met. I don't think anything in this encounter deck can remove that. Now to take out the Nazgul for the victory

Travel Phase
None

Encounter Phase
Optionally engaged Nazgul of Dol Guldur

Combat Phase
Deal shadow cards to Nazgul of Dol Guldur and Orc Guard
Nazgu attacks. Defend with White Tower Watchman. Shadow: King Spider (Exhaust one character). Exchaust Glorfiendel. Discard Northern Tracker (to fulfill Nazgul's text).
Orc Guard Attacks. Undefended. Shadow: Mountains of Mirkwood (no effect).
Discard Caldara to put The Riddermark's Finest and Northern Tracker into play. Objective cards returned to staging area.
Declare attack on Orc Guard with The Riddermark's Finest. Orc Guard destroyed.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Set threat to 35

Round 11
Resource Phase
+1 Glorfindel (3), +1 Eowyn (3)
Draw: Northern Tracker

Planning Phase
Play: Northern Tracker (Glorfindel -2, Eowyn -2)
Discard Map of Ernil to play Elrond's Counsel as it from my hand (sorry Caldara!). Threat reduced to 32.
+1 willpower bonus to Glorfindel.

Quest Phase
Put Orc Guard (top card of player deck) engaged with me.
Commit: Glorfindel and Arwen
Arwen's +1 defense bonus goes to White Tower Watchman.
Total willpower: 5
Reveal: Ungoliant's Spawn. Total willpower lowered to 3.
Total threat: 6
Raise threat to 36
Shuffle objectives into encounter deck.

Travel Phase
None

Encounter Phase
Engaged by Chieftain Ufthack nd Ungoliant's Spawn.

Combat Phase
Shadow cards to Nazgul of Dol Guldur, Chieftain Ufthack, Ungoliant's Spawn, Orc Guard.
Chieftain Ufthack attacks. White Tower Watchman defends. Shadow: The Necromancer's Reach (no effect). No damage to White Tower Watchman.
Nazgul of Dol Guldur attacks. Undefended. Shadow: The Endless Caverns (no effect). Four damage on Glorfindel.
Any higher damage amount would have been placed on White Tower Watchman. Arwen was ready to be discarded in case of a resolved shadow effect.
Ungoliant's Spawn attacks. Undefended. Shadow King Spider (Exhaust two characters). Emery and Ethir Swordsman exhausted. Five damage placed on White Tower Watchman, destroying him.
My plan was to do an all-out attack and destroy the Nazgul this round. Hopefully I can survive this combat phase and one more round of attacks. Victory is in sight! I do not want another repeat of Attempt #5.
Orc Guard attacks. Undefended. Shadow: Necromancer's Pass (no effect). One damage placed on Eowyn.
Declare attack on Nazgul of Dol Guldur with: Glorfindel, Eowyn, Pelagir Shipwright, The Riddermark's Finest, Northern Tracker x2. 10 attack vs. 3 shields = 7 damage.
Two damage to go. Glorfindel and a Tracker can take him out

Refresh Phase
Ready all. threat to 37.

Round 12
Resource Phase
+1 Glorfindel (2), +1 Eowyn (2)
Draw: The Riddermark's Finest

Planning Phase
Play: White Tower Watchman

Quest Phase
Put Orc Guard (top card of player deck) engaged with me
Commit: Glorfindel and Arwen
Arwen's +1 defense bonus goes to White Tower Watchman
Total willpower: 5
Reveal: Caught in a Web. Attach to Glorfindel.
Total threat: 3
2 progress placed on stage 3B

Travel Phase
None

Encounter Phase
None
Thankfully! One additional threat would have sicked both Dungeon Jailers on me, which would tie up too many allies to defeat the Nazgul

Combat Phase
Shadow to Nazgul of Dol Guldur, Chieftain Ufthack, Ungoliant's Spawn, Orc Guard 1, Orc Guard 2
Chieftain Ufthack attacks. White Tower Watchman defends. Shadow: Mountains of Mirkwood (no effect). No damage on White Tower Watchman.
Ungoliant's Spawn attacks. Emery defends. Shadow: Caught in a web (no effect). Emery is destroyed.
Nazgul of Dol Guldur Attacks. The Riddermark's Finest defends. Shadow: Gandalf's Map (no effect). The Riddermark's Finest is destroyed.
Orc Guard 1 attacks. Pelagir Shipwright defends. Shadow: Shadow Key (no effect, but ironic). No damage dealt.
Orc Guard 2 attacks. Ether Swordsman defends. Shadow: Iron Shackles (placed on top of player deck). No damage dealt.
Declare attack on Nazgul of Dol Guldur with Glorfiendel and Northern Tracker, destroying Nazgul of Dol Guldur and winning the game!

Final Scoring
11 completed rounds x 10: 110
Final Threat: 37
Damage on Heroes: 5 (4 on Glorfiendel, 1 on Eowyn)
Threat Cost of Defeated Heroes: 8 (Calandra)
Victory Points: 0
Final Score: 160

The Recap

Now I remember why this scenario made my wife and I wonder if we purchased the right game for us. Our goal in playing games is to unwind and have fun. Now, there might be some adrenaline released at key moments during Escape from Dol Guldur, but "unwind" and "fun" are not fitting words to use while tackling this. Oh, and while I'm writing I just noticed the preview for the first Dwarrowdelf Nightmare Decks just came out. Probably not a good fit for those relaxing nights.

Did it come across how much the initial set-up mattered? Most importantly, the three encounters guarding the objectives. While I played a few attempts I thought were lost causes just to check things out (Attempt #6 and 8 stick out for that), I could pretty much tell how well I'd fare based on that aspect alone. The captured hero mattered, but not as much as I thought. After all, I won with Glorfindel captured and I had assumed I could only win with Caldara as the prisoner.

That isn't to say a solid deck and wise strategy were not important. I doubt I could ever take that mono-Leadership deck I started off with to the finish line. And I could have had a perfect opening setup on attempt #1, with the final deck I used, and made horrible choices based on knowledge I had not gained yet.

Still, the random draw of the set up is what matters most and, for this player, that means this is a quest I will not be returning to frequently.