Duplicate Tournament 2: Into the Pit

Backtracking a bit, I forgot that the second duplicate tournament I participated in was Into the Pit. In contrast to my multiple failed attempts for this blog's challenge, here is an attempt that was won on the first try. Of course, there was a major mistake I had to correct. Because that's how I roll.

Set Up

Starting Hand: Untroubled by Darkness, Zigil Miner, Strength of Will, Unexpected Courage, Dwarven Axe, Gandalf. Decide not to mulligan (ha). 

Planning on saving Gandalf for a big baddy or some last-minute threat reduction.

Make East Gate active location. Attach Cave Torch to Dunhere. Set aside Bridge of Kazad-Dum and First Hall.

Flip to stage 1B. Reveal Goblin Follower, who engages me.

Round 1

Resource Phase

Add one resource to everyone’s pool.

Draw Lorien Guide

Resources: Eowyn 1, Dunhere 1, Gimli 1

Planning phase

Play Unexpected Courage on Gimli (Eowyn -1, Dunhere -1)

Extra quest power for this round, then the ability to attack and defend next turn. We’ll see…

Quest Phase

Going all in for the quest phase: Eowyn, Dunhere, Gimli. Total willpower: 7

Reveal: Stair of Nain. Staging area threat:2

Place 5 progress on East-gate

Travel Phase

No where to run to, baby.

Encounter Phase

No encounter possible, and no one to encounter. I will exhaust Unexpected Courage to ready Gimli.

Combat Phase

Goblin Follower dealt a shadow card and declared attacker.Gimli declared defender.

Shadow card: Goblin Follower, giving the attacking Goblin Follower+2. 

Gimli takes 3 damage.

Refresh Phase

Threat increased to 29. All characters ready

Round 2

Resource Phase

Everyone gets a resource! Draw Dwarven Axe

Resources: Eowyn 1, Dunhere 1, Gimli 2

Cards in Hand: Untroubled by Darkness, Strength of Will, Zigil Miner, Dwarven Axe, Gandalf, Lorien Guide, Dwarven Axe

Planning phase

Play Zigil Miner (Eowyn -1, Dunhere -1)

Play Dwarven Axe. Attach to Gimli (Gimli -2)

Quest Phase

Committed to quest: Eowyn, Gimli. Total willpower: 6

Reveal: Crumbling Ruin

So, my plan was to sacrifice the Zigil Miner to the Goblin follower. Do I basically sacrifice it to the Crumbling Ruin (the odds of pulling a 2+ are pretty darn good)? Or do I risk Dunhere (with 2 Northern Trackers and 2 Gandalfs in the deck, which would finish him off). Fine. Risk it.

Exhaust Dunhere and discard a player card for Crumbling Run: The Favor of the lady (cost 2). Dunhere lives!

Staging area threat: 2. Place 2 progress on East-gate, clearing it and adding it to my Victory Display. Add First Hall to the staging area. Place 2 progress on Stage 1B.

Travel Phase

Travel to First Hall. Raise threat by 3 (threat at 32)

Encounter Phase

No enemies to engage. 

Exhaust Unexpected Courage to ready Gimli

Combat Phase

Goblin Follower is dealt a shadow card and declares an attack. Zigil Miner declared defender. 

Shadow card: Cave In. No shadow effect. Zigil Miner is still destroyed.

Gimli declares an attack against Goblin Follower for 7 attack. Destroys his man. 

Refresh Phase

Threat: 33. All characters ready. 

Round 3

Resource Phase

Silver all around! Draw: A Light in the Dark

Cards in Hand: Untroubled by Darkness, Strength of Will, Gandalf, Lorien Guide, Dwarven Axe, A Light in the Dark

Resources: 1 all around.

Planning phase

No cards played

Quest Phase

Questing time: Eowyn, Gimli committed to the quest. Total willpower: 6

Reveal: Zigil Mineshaft. Staging area threat: 7

Raising my threat by 5 to discard Zigil Mineshaft (Threat to 38)

New staging area threat: 2

Place 2 progress on First Hall to explore it and add it to my victory display. Adding Bridge of Khazad-dum to the staging area. Place 2 progress tokens on Stage 1B.

Travel Phase

Travel to Bridge of Khazad-dum

Encounter Phase

No one wants to play with me

Combat Phase

See above and see my tears

Refresh Phase

Threat: 39. Everyone’s up.

Round 4

Resource Phase

Pay-day for the kids. Draw: Veteran Axehand (but I like to call him “Chump”)

Cards in Hand: Untroubled by Darkness, Strength of Will, Gandalf, Lorien Guide, A Light in the Dark, Dwarven Axe, Veteran Axehand

Resources: Everyone has two in the bank.

Planning phase

No time to play cards on the Bridge. Fly, you fools.

Quest Phase

All in for the quest: Eowyn, Dunhere, Gimli. Total willpower: 7

Reveal: Branching Paths. Total threat in the staging area: 3

Place 3 progress on Bridge of Khazad-dum, exploring it and adding it to the staging area. Place 1 progress on Stage 1B. 

Exhaust Unexpected Courage to ready Gimli.

Travel Phase

Travel to Stairs of Nain. Exhaust Gimli. 

Encounter Phase

:: crickets ::

Combat Phase

:: dead crickets ::

Refresh Phase

Threat at 40

Everyone’s up and raring for a fight. 

Round 5

Resource Phase

+1 resource to everyone. Draw: Untroubled by Darkness

Cards in Hand: Untroubled by Darkness (x2), Strength of Will, Gandalf, Lorien Guide, A Light in the Dark, Dwarven Axe, Veteran Axehand

Resources: 3 all around.

Planning phase

Play Veteran Axehand (Gimli -2)

Play Lorien Guide (Dunhere -3)

Quest Phase

Committed to quest: Eowyn, Dunhere, Gimli, Lorien Guide. Add 1 progress to Stairs of Nain.

Total willpower: 8

Reveal: Goblin Swoardsman. Stagin area threat: 2

Place 3 progress tokens on Stairs of Nain, exploring location. 

Place 3 progress tokens on Stage 1B, clearing the stage.

Proceed to stage 2A, flip to 2B. Search for Patrol Leader and add him to the staging area.

Travel Phase

Keeping Branching Paths in the staging area for now.

Encounter Phase

Engage Patrol Leader and Goblin Swordsman. 

Exhaust Unexpected Courage to ready Gimli

Combat Phase

Patrol Leader receives a shadow card, then Goblin Swordsman.

Play A Light in the Dark (Eowyn -2). Return Goblin Swordsman to the staging area.

Patrol Leader declares an attack. Veteran Axehand declared defender.

Shadow card: Goblin Tunnels. Patrol Leader gets + 3 attack and just barely destroys Veteran Axehand.

Gimli declares an attack against Patrol Leader. 7 attack strength vs. 3 shield and 4 hp. Patrol Leader is destroyed.

Discard Goblin Swordsman’s shadow card (discarded card = Sudden Pitfall)

Refresh Phase
Threat: 41. Everyone’s up!


Round 6

Resource Phase
It’s raining money. Draw: The Galadhrim’s Greetings
Resources: Eowyn 2, Dunhere 1, Gimli 2
Cards in Hand: Untroubled by Darkness (2), Strength of Will, Gandalf, Dwarven Axe, The Galadhrim’s Greetings

Planning phase
Play Gandalf (Eowyn -2, Dunhere -1, Gimli -2).
Place 4 damage on Goblin Swordsman, destroying him.
Clear stage 2B. Proceed to stage 3A, then 3B.

Quest Phase
Quest all in: Eowyn, Dunhere, Gimli, Lorien Guide, Gandalf. Total willpower: 12
Reveal: Burning Low. Exhaust Cave Torch to cancel effect. Staging area threat: 1.
Discard Untroubled by Darkness to give Eowyn +1 willpower.
Place 12 progress tokens on Stage 3B. Stage cleared. Quest completed!


Tally It Up

Points for Rounds Completed: 50
Final Threat: 41
Damage on Heros: 3 (on Gimli)
Heros destroyed: 0
Victory Display: -4

Total Score: 90

I can live with that

Edit: Horrible mistake! Forgot to see if the Patrol Leader was able to fend of the damage dealt by Gimli! Fortunately, a mistake at the end is easy to backtrack. Unfortunately, it's going to cost me some points...

Gimli declares an attack against Patrol Leader. 7 attack strength vs. 3 shield and 4 hp. Patrol Leader tries to deflect the damage. Reveal: burning low. Patrol Leader defeated!

Discard Goblin Swordsman’s shadow card (discarded card = Sudden Pitfall)

Refresh Phase

Threat: 41. Everyone’s up!

Round 6

Resource Phase

It’s raining money. Draw: The Galadhrim’s Greetings

Resources: Eowyn 2, Dunhere 1, Gimli 2

Cards in Hand: Untroubled by Darkness (2), Strength of Will, Gandalf, Dwarven Axe, The Galadhrim’s Greetings

Planning phase

Play Gandalf (Eowyn -2, Dunhere -1, Gimli -2). 

Place 4 damage on Goblin Swordsman, destroying him.

Clear stage 2B. Proceed to stage 3A, then 3B. 

Quest Phase

Quest all in: Eowyn, Dunhere, Gimli, Lorien Guide, Gandalf. Total willpower: 12

Reveal: Goblin Scout. Total staging threat: 4

Discard Untroubled by Darkness to give Eowyn +1 willpower.

Place 9 progress stage 3B.

Travel Phase

No travel attempted

Encounter Phase

Encountered by the Goblin Scout 

Exhaust Unexpected Courage to ready Gimli

Combat Phase

Deal shadow card to Goblin Scout. 

Goblin Scout declared attacker; Gimli declared defender. Shadow: Patrol Leader

No damage done to Gimli

Refresh Phase

Threat: 42. Everyone’s ready for more!

Except Gandalf. He’s going away.

Round 7

Resource Phase

Shortage of funds. Draw: Veteran Axehand

Resources: zip

Cards in Hand: Untroubled by Darkness (2), Strength of Will, Gandalf, Dwarven Axe, The Galadhrim’s Greetings, Veteran Axehand

Planning phase

Broke and bitter

Quest Phase

Quest all in: Eowyn, Dunhere, Gimli, Lorien Guide Total willpower: 8

Reveal: Goblin Swordsman. Total staging threat: 2

Place 6 progress tokens on stage 3B. Stage cleared and quest completed (for reals this time...I think)

Tally It Up

Points for Rounds Completed: 60 

Final Threat: 42

Damage on Heros: 3 (on Gimli)

Heros destroyed: 0

Victory Display: -4

Total Score: 101

Alright, but I would have loved to keep it below 100