Quest 12: Flight from Moria

Victory on the fifth attempt

The Deck

My first three attempts were made using different versions of  mono-Spirit Dwarf deck. I made it to Blocked by Shadow all three times (putting all but three progress on the first time), but ultimately failed. This does not count several attempts with a mono Lore deck that were cut short when my internet had issues, causing OCTGN to crash. Looking back at this data, brainflash:

If mono Lore looks like it will come close and mono Spirit comes within spitting distance, what about a Lore and Spirit deck? Wow. Revolution, here we come!

Will of the Wise Dwarfs

Heroes
Bifur
Nori
Oin

Allies (20)
Gandaf (Over Hill and Under Hill) x3
Bofur (The Redhorn Gate) x3
Escort from Edoras x3
Erebor Hammersmith x3
Miner of the Iron Hills x3
Kili x3
Fili x2

Attachments (14)
Resourceful x3
Unexpected Courage x2
Ancient Mathom x3
Protector of Lorien x3
Legacy of Durin x3

Events (16)
A Test of Will x3
Dwarven Tomb x2
Late Adventurer x3
Ancestral Knowledge x3
Secret Paths x2
Untroubled by Darkness x3

Sets Used
Core
A Journey to Rhosgobel
Khazad-dum
The Redhorn Gate
The Watcher in the Water
Over Hill and Under Hill
On the Doorstep


The Journey

Player Setup
Set threat to 24
Draw: Gandalf, Resourceful, Bofur, Fili, Dwarven Tomb, Miner of the Iron Hills
Glad to see Gandalf and Bofur. A Untroubled By Darkness showing up would put my mind at ease as to the questing potential. Ancestral Knowledge would also be nice.

Encounter Setup
The Nameless Fear added to the staging area.
One copy of A Foe Beyond shuffled into the encounter deck
Reveal: Chance Encounter. Surge.
Reveal: Great Cave Troll
Add A Presence in the Dark to the victory display

Round 1
Resource Phase
+1 Bifur (1), +1 Nori (1), +1 Oin (1)
Draw: Kili

Planning Phase
None
I want the ability to put Bofur into play this turn and get Gandalf out next turn, if possible. 

Quest Phase
Commit: Nori, Oin
Total willpower: 4
Stage 2B: A Wrong Turn (reveal 1 card)
Reveal: Fouled Well (random discard, or surge)
Random discard: Miner of the Iron Hills
Reveal: Chance Encounter (surge).
Reveal: Great Cave Troll
Another cave troll, this early on? Man. Thinking of conceding and moving onto a different deck. But this deck does start off with a low threat. If I hit 38, I think I'm just going to stop there.
Total threat: 9
Spend one resource to put Bofur in to play, committed to the quest (Nori -1). Lower threat to 23 (Nori's effect).
Updated total willpower: 6
Raise threat by 3 (threat: 26)

Travel Phase
Travel to Fouled Well

Encounter Phase
None

Combat Phase
Bypass A Wrong Turn

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 27

Round 2
Resource Phase
+1 Bifur (2), +1 Nori (1), +1 Oin (2)
Draw: Gandalf
I was hoping for some Lore dwarf support or any other piece of my bag of tricks.

Planning Phase
Gandalf now our later? I could do: Resourceful this turn, Kili (+Fili) next turn, then Gandalf after that. But I would like a few more allies out that I don't care for, in case any nasty treacheries or enemies pop up.
Play: Kili (Nori -1, Oin -2). Search deck and put Fili into play. Lower threat to 25 (Nori's effect).

Quest Phase
Commit: Bifur, Nori, Oin, Bofur
Total willpower: 8
Stage 2B: Heading Down
Reveal: Undisturbed Bones. 3 damage on Kili, destroying him.
Good call on getting the chumps out. 
Total threat: 6
Place 2 progress on Fouled Well

Travel Phase
None

Encounter Phase
None

Combat Phase
Bypass Heading Down

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 26

Round 3
Resource Phase
+1 Bifur (3), +1 Nori (1), +1 Oin (1)
Draw: Ancient Mathom

Planning Phase
Hmm. I would like the extra card draw Ancient Mathom could give me. Blocked by Shadow isn't out yet, so Gandalf is not "needed" yet. I do have a large active location in my way, though, so maybe it is a good time to get Gandalf out. 
Play: Gandalf (Bifur -3, Nori -1, Oin -1)

Quest Phase
Commit: Bifur, Oin, Bofur, Gandalf
Total willpower: 10
Stage 2B: Blocked by Shadow
Yes! Victory may be in sight.
Discard: The Mountains Roots (no effect)
Total threat: 6
Place 3 progress on Fouled Well, exploring it
Place 1 progress on Blocked by Shadow (1/9)

Travel Phase
None

Encounter Phase
None

Combat Phase
None

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 27
Raise threat to 29 to keep Gandalf in play

Round 4
Resource Phase
+1 Bifur (1), +1 Nori (1), +1 Oin (1)
Draw: A Test of Will
I was hoping for some more questing power (an ally or Untroubled by Darkness)

Planning Phase
Play none

Quest Phase
Commit: Bifur, Nori, Oin, Bofur, Gandalf, Fili
Gandalf does not exhaust, so I still have some defense against any low-engagement enemies that pop up. I'm ready to see some massive progress put onto the stage!
Total willpower: 13
Reveal: Dreadful Gap. Dreadful Gap made active location.
Ouch. Instead of massive progress, I get this massive location to explore and increase The Nameless Fear's threat by 3. 
Total threat: 6
Place 6 progress on Dreadful Gap, exploring it and adding it to the victory display
Place 1 progress on stage 2B (2/9)

Travel Phase
None

Encounter Phase
None

Combat Phase
None

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 30
Raise threat to 32 to keep Gandalf in play

Round 5
Resource Phase
+1 Bifur (2), +1 Nori (2), +1 Oin (2)
Draw: Gandalf
Oy. At least I have more than enough Gandalf's to drop the current one at the end of the round, thus avoiding the Greater Cave Trolls a little longer.

Planning Phase
None

Quest Phase
Commit: all
Total willpower: 13
A large enemy or location could block me out here.
Reveal: Stray Goblin
Total threat: 10
Place 3 progress on stage 2B (5/9)
Slowly but surely. 

Travel Phase
None

Encounter Phase
Engage Stray Goblin

Combat Phase
Shadow card to Stray Goblin
Stray Goblin attacks. Undefended. Shadow: Goblin Archer (no effect). One damage placed on Oin.
Gandalf attacks Stray Goblin, destroying it.

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 33
Discard Gandalf

Round 6
Resource Phase
+1 Bifur (3), +1 Nori (3), +1 Oin (3)
Draw: Secret Paths
Untroubled by Darkness, where art thou! 

Planning Phase
Play: Gandalf (Nori -2, Oin -3)

Quest Phase
Commit: Bifur, Nori, Oin, Bofur, Gandalf, Fili
Total willpower: 13
Reveal: A New Devilry
No! That could destroy all my hopes of winning, if it wasn't for...
Play: A Test of Will (Nori -1)
Total threat: 9
Place 4 progress on stage 2B, clearing it and winning the game!

Final Score
5 completed rounds x10: 50
Final threat: 33
Damage on Heroes: 1
Threat of dead Heroes: 0
Victory Display: -5
Total: 79


The Recap

Flight from Moria seems like it should fit into my "sweet spot" of quests. It has varied challenges and some nice (interesting) variation to the stages. But I just wasn't a big fan. Since there is no way to affect the Quest Deck proactively, you just have to trod along until you need to pull out some massive questing or hold the fort for a rounds while you use the ancient tools. In the midst of that trodding along, you may be called upon to take out some rather large enemies or deal with large blocking locations. I do like the fact that "success" (clearing quest stages, killing certain enemies, exploring certain locations) actually make the quest harder by adding to the The Nameless Fear's stats. Unless I have a "hey, this deck or combo would be perfect!" moment, I don't expect to spend much time fleeing from Moria in the future.