Quest 004(r) v2: The Oath

 Opening Thoughts

You know what will stop a re-launch in it's tracks? Escape from Dol Guldur. So we'll skip that and head right to the Dark of Mirkwood quests. My last re-launch attempt was just a single match of The Oath. While I'm tempted to move onto the next quest (picking up where I left off, in a way), I want (and need) a little warm-up.

Awkward Aragorn is in attendance

The Decks

Dwarfs and Gondor precons won the day during my last run through this quest, so Elves and Rohan decks are up! The stock lists will be used. My theory is that Elves is going to run circles around the encounter deck. Cards that I always included in Elf decks are here (The Tree People), but there are also cards I rarely added (Greenwood Archer). The Rohan deck's performance will be more of a mystery.

The Quest

Regular, non-campaign mode will be ran this time. The goal is to shake off some rust.

setup
The Eves of Mirkwood added to the staging area
Goblin Troop set aside
Elves set as player 1 

Elf hand: Nenya, O Lorien! and four allies. Can't ask for better than that.
Rohan hand: A bit event heavy, but one of those events is A Test of Will, so we'll keep it

Round 1

Elf deck draws Daeron's Runes. I don't need filtering right now and I have plenty of playables, but always glad to see this. Rohan deck grabbed Ancient Mathom. 

Slapped down Nenya on to Galadriel and O Lorien! onto Celeborn. Exhausted O Lorien! and played a Galadhrim Minstrel, finding a Feigned Voices and putting it in hand. Sweet grab, even though I already have a second Minstrel in hand. Rohan will save resources to hopefully slap down a discounted Westfold Lancer after questing and to have a resource free for A Test of Will.

Galadriel lends her willpower to the minstrel, who quests. Celeborn quests. All three Rohan heroes quest. Emond comes down to quest, thanks to Lothiriel's ability.Total willpower: 17.

Elves reveal: Obsidian Arrows. 2 damage onto Galadriel.
Rohan reveals: Caught in a Web. A Test of Will deployed to counter it. Loosing regular access to a hero so quickly is a no-go.

Total threat: 3. Blew past the quest and stage 1B. Advancing to stage 2A, then 2B. Two locations need to be added from the encounter deck and the quest cannot advance without a Goblin Trail in the victory display. So Goblin Trail and a Forest Gate hit the staging area.

Rohan deck will use the -1 discount on a tactics ally to put down the Westfold Lancer. No need to raise threat and increase its stats. Then Eomund is shuffled into the Rohan deck, which triggers all Rohan characters to ready.

The gang travels to the Goblin Gate, which means revealing the top card of the encounter deck: Driven By Shadow. Technically has an effect but practically doesn't. Shame; I wanted at least one enemy to take out.

Ready. Raise threat (Elves: 30, Rohan: 28). Pass first player token to Rohan.

Round 2

Resources and cards. Horn of the Mark for Rohan. Lembas for the Elves.

Rohan plays Ancient Mathom on the Goblin Trail,  Elves play Daeron's Runes, drawing Galadhrim Minstrel and Orophin. Minstril is discarded (there are plenty of options for Lore to spend resources and nothing in hand for Leadership). Silvan Tracker comes down.

Lothiriel and Hirgon quest for Rohan. Galadriel lends her willpower to  the Silvan Tracker, who quests. The minstrel and Celeborn quest. Total willpower: 15.

Rohan reveals: Goblin Runners. Surge. Goblintown Scavengers. Rohan discards Gandalf. Elves discard Greenwood Archer. Goblintown Scavenger's threat is increased by 7 (shoot).  
Elves reveal: Spider Den.

Total threat: 17. Quest failed and both parties raise there threat by 2 (Elves 32, Rohan 30).

Rohan engages the Goblintown Scavengers and Elves engage the Goblin Runners. Shadow cards dealt. 

Goblintown Scavengers attack Rohan and Westfold Lancer defends. Shadow: No effect. Lancer takes one damage. Goblin Runners attacks Rohan, Silvan Tracker defends. Shadow: No effect. Silvan Tracker takes two damage. Eomer kills the Goblintown Scavengers andHaldir klls the Goblin Runners. 

Read. One damage healed from Silvan Tracker. Raise threat (Elves: 33, Rohan 31). Pass token to Elves.

Round 3

Resources! Cards! Elves: Defender of the Naith. Rohan: Ancient Mathom. 

Elves use O Lorien! to get Orophin down, who returns a Greenwood Archer to hand from the discard. A second Galadhrim Minstrel goes down, but finds no event in the top 5. Rohan attempts the Muster of Rohan. Westfold Lancer, Escord from Edoras, Eomund, and Guthlaf all come into play. Horn of the Mark is played on Lothiriel. 

Elves quest with: new Minstrel, Orophin, Celeborn, and Galadriel helping out Celeborn. Rohan quests with: Both Westfold Lancers, Escort from Edoras, Hirgon, Lothiriel. Total Willpower: 25

Elves reveal: Goblin Trails.
Rohan reveals: Goblin Runners. Surge. Spider Den.
Total threat: 16. 

As a quest action, Rohan searches the encounter deck for a Great Spider, putting into play engaged and exhausting Guthlaf. total threat reduced to 12. Goblin Trails is explored and added to the victory display. Ancient Mathom triggers and Elves draw three cards (Elrond's Counsel, Gandalf, Defenders of the Naith). Goblin Trails puts six progress on the quest. Questing puts an additional seven. Stage 2B explored, moving onto stage 3A. Goblin Troop added to the staging area. Goblintown Scavengers added to the staging area. Proceed to 2B. Both Westfold Lancers are discarded. Two damage goes on the Goblin Runners, killing them.Two damages goes on the Goblin Troop. Eomer gets +2 attack until the end of the round. Horn of the Mark is exhausted and Rohan draws Gandalf. Escort from Edoras is discarded.

Elves engage the Goblintown Scavengers and Rohan engages the Goblin Troop. Shadow cards are dealt. 

Goblintown Scavengers attacks the Elves. The old Galadhim Minstrel defends. Shadow: Discard an ally if undefended. Nope! but the Ministrel dies. Goblin Troop attacks Rohan and Eomund defends. Shadow: No effect. Eomond dies and all Rohan characters ready. Great Spider attacks and Guthlaf defends. Shadow: No effect. Guthlaf takes two damage. Orophim kills the Goblintown Scavengers. Eomer and Hirgon kill the Goblin Troop. Haldir assists Lothiriel in killing the Great Spider. 

Gutlaf is discarded (Muster's effect). Everyone readies. Threat raises (Elves: 34, Rohan: 32). Token passes to Rohan.

Round 4

Resources and cards! Rohan: A Test of Will (niice). Elves: Daeron's Runes (niiiice).

Rohan will just sit and save A Test of Will. Elves play Daeron's Runes, drawing Gandalf + Mirkwood Runner. Gandalf is discarded (already one in hand). O Lorien! is used to put down a Galadriel's Handmaiden. Elve's threat is lowered to 33. 

Rohan goes all-in on the quest (only heroes on the board for them). Elves go in with all heroes and all allies (Silvan Tracker, Galadhrim Minstrel, Orophin, new Galadriel's Handmaiden). Eown commits her willpower to Celeborn. Total Willpower: 22. A little shy of what I would like, but I do have an Elrond's Counsel to boost a bit and A Test of Will to help with bad effects.

Rohan reveals: Spiders of Mirkwood
Elves reveal: Great spider
Total threat: 12

Spider Den is explored. Stage 3B is explored. VICTORY!

He's so happy (and dusty)

Final Score: 94 (30 for rounds completed, 32 threat Rohan, 34 threat + 1 hero damage for Elves, -3 for the victory display). I could have lowered this by 3 with Elrond's Counsel, but I'm not even sure why I track the score.

Parting Thoughts

More than anything, it's good to be back! I'm still, like last time, enjoy the Oath as a first adventure. It's not a push over, but it's not punishingly difficult either. At least with the (well-built) starter decks. I definitely wouldn't run one of the single-sphere "starter" decks from the core against this. Time will tell how I fair at more challenging scenarios...