The Deck
For this quest, I wanted to return to the mono-Tactics route that many seem to choose for Heirs of Numenor. And I'm glad I did, with cards like Orc Arbalesters and The Master's Malice punishing a non-mono sphere approach. With Siege and Battle factoring big in this box, eagles and their support were welcomed. I did want to branch out a bit, though, so this is not a pure eagle-strategy deck. But, with that said, a win would be harder to pull off without Support of the Eagles and the right allies.
Siege Prep
Heroes
Legolas
Beregond
Boromir
Allies
Defender of Rammas x3
Winged Guardian x3
Beorn x2
Gandalf (Over Hill and Under Hill) x3
Saruman x3
Vassal of the Windlord x3
Envoy of Pelargir x3
Attachment
Blade of Gondolin x3
Rivendell Blade x3
Gondorian Shield x3
Support of the Eagles x3
Black Arrow x1
Rohan Warhorse x3
Event
Thicket of Spears x3
Feint x3
Goblin-cleaver x3
Gondorian Discipline x3
Behind Strong Walls x3
Sets Used
Core
The Hunt for Gollum
The Dead Marshes
Return to Mirkwood
Road to Rivendell
Over Hill and Under Hill
On the Doorstep
Heirs of Numenor
The Steward's Fear
Encounter at Amon Din
The Voice of Isengard
The Journey
Player Setup
Set starting threat to 30
Draw: Support of the Eagles, Beorn, Vassal of the Windlord, Rivendell Blade, Winged Guardian, Rivendell Blade
Encounter Setup
Add The Banks, The Approach, The Citadel to the staging area. Shuffle.
Round 1
I get out a Winged Guardian right away to help with the siege and slap a Rivendell Blade on Legolas to aid him in getting progress points going. I under-quest, cautious after having over-quested on a previous attempt and progressed past stage 1 sooner than I wanted to. Boromir defends against an Orc Arsonist who gets four shadow cards, yet no attack boost for the Aronist comes up.
Resource Phase
+1 Legolas (1), +1 Beregond (1), +1 Boromir (1)
Draw: Behind Strong Walls
Planning Phase
Play: Winged Guardian (Beregond -1, Boromir -1)
Play: Rivendell Blade (Legolas -1)
Quest Phase
Commit: Beregond, Winged Guardian
Siege. Total defense: 8
Reveal: Orc Arsonist
Total threat: 9
Raise threat to 31
Travel Phase
Travel to The Banks
Encounter Phase
Engage Orc Arsonist. Deal shadow card to Orc Arsonist.
Combat Phase
Deal second shadow card to Orc Arsonist
Orc Arsonist attacks. Boromir defends. Shadow #1: The Masters Malice (no effect). Shadow #2: Orc Vanguard (deal two additional shadow cards). Shadow #3: Orc Assault (deal two damage to all battle grounds). Place 2 damage on The Banks (2/3). Place 2 damage on The Approach (2/7). Place 2 damage on The Citadel (2/11). Shadow #4: Orc Rabble (deal additional shadow card). Shadow #5: Southron Support (no effect). Deal one damage to Boromir (1/5)
Legolas declares an attack on Orc Arsonist, destroying it. Place 2 progress on The Banks (2/3).
Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 32
Round 2
A Defender of Rammas comes into my hand, and into play, greatly aiding with the siege. The Banks is explored (with two damage on it, so that was a close one) and a little bit of progress goes onto the stage. The Defender of Rammas is destroyed by a Haradrim Elite, so not much use there. Legolas + Boromir destroy the Elite, helping to put initial progress on The Approach.
Resource Phase
+1 Legolas (1), +1 Beregond (1), +1 Boromir (1)
Draw: Defender of Rammas
Planning Phase
Play: Defender of Rammas (Beregond -1, Boromir -1)
Quest Phase
Commit: Beregond, Boromir, Winged Guardian
Siege. Total defense: 10
Reveal: Haradrim Elite. Immediate attack. Deal shadow card to Haradrim Elite. Defender of Rammas defends. Shadow: Scourge of Mordor (+1 attack, deal additional shadow card). Shadow #2: Orc Arbalesters (+2 attack). Defender of Rammas is destroyed.
Total threat: 8
Add 1 progress to The Banks, exploring it and adding it to the victory display (1). Remove stage 2 from play.
Place 1 progress on stage 1B (1/9)
Travel Phase
Travel to The Approach
Encounter Phase
Engage Haradrim Elite
Ready Boromir (raise threat to 33)
Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Haradrim Elite
Haradri Elite attacks. Boromir defends. Play: Behind Strong Walls (Legolas -1). Ready Boromir and increase his defense by 1. Shadow: Battering Ram. Add 2 damage to The Approach (4/7). Deal 1 damage to Boromir (2/5)
Legolas + Boromir declare an attack on Haradrim Elite, destroying it. Place 2 progress on The Approach (2/7).
Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 34
Round 3
No combat action an a little more progress put on The Approach.
Resource Phase
+1 Legolas (1), +1 Beregond (1), +1 Boromir (1)
Draw: Thicket of Spears
Planning Phase
Play: Support of the Eagles (Legolas -1, Beregond -1, Boromir -1)
Quest Phase
Commit: Beregond, Boromir, Winged Guardian
Siege. Total defense: 10
Reveal: Orc Assault (-2 attack, -2 defense for all characters).
Updated defense: 4
Exhaust Support of the Eagles. Choose Winged Guardian.
Updated defense: 6
Total threat: 3
Place 3 progress on The Approach (5/7)
Travel Phase
No travel
Encounter Phase
No engagement
Combat Phase
No combat
Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 35
Round 4
A standard round of siege questing and attacking. The highlight here is choosing to let The Citadel go unclaimed, keeping my Victory Display at 3 and allowing me to siege quest for stage 5. I wanted to try this for attempt #7, but that plan fell apart along with the falling of The Banks.
Resource Phase
+1 Legolas (1), +1 Bergond (1), +1 Boromir (1)
Draw: Feint
Planning Phase
Play none
Quest Phase
Commit: Bergond, Boromir, Winged Guardian
Siege. Total defense: 10
Reveal: Southron Support. Doomed 3 (raise threat to 38). Search encounter deck and add Southron Mercenaries to the staging area. Shuffle.
Total threat: 5
Exhaust Support of the Eagles. Choose Winged Guardian.
Updated defense: 14
Add two progress to The Approach, exploring it and add it to the Victory Display (3). Remove stage 3 from play.
Add 7 progress to stage 1B (8/9).
But what about The Citadel! Let it fall. I want to siege my way to victory.
Travel Phase
No travel
Encounter Phase
Engage Southron Mercenaries
Combat Phase
Archery 1. Deal 1 damage to Legolas (1/3)
Deal shadow card to Southron Mercenaries.
Play: Feint (Legolas -1). Choose Southron Mercenaries to not attack.
Ready Boromir (raise threat to 39).
Legolas + Boromir declare an attack on Southron Mercenaries, destroying it. Place 2 progress on stage 1B, clearing it. Advance to stage 4, flip to side B.
Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 40
Round 5
Working on stage 4, I'm in comfortable territory with siege questing, even with the curve of +5 threat from the quest card itself. While I'm only able to get 3/5 progress put on the quest during the quest phase, Legolas works his magic during the combat phase and gets the party to the home stretch of stage 5.
Resource Phase
+1 Legolas (1), +1 Beregond (2), +1 Boromir (2)
Draw: Thicket of Spears
Planning Phase
Play: Vassal of the Windlord (Boromir -1)
I'm not planning on switching to Battle, but I'd like either a chump blocker or a little extra attack power.
Quest Phase
Commit: Beregond, Boromir, Winged Guardian
Siege. Total defense: 10
Reveal: Seige Raft. Deal two damage to The Citadel (4/11)
Total threat: 11 (+5 from stage 4 itself)
Exhaust Support of the Eagles. Choose Winged Guardian
Updated defense: 14
Place 3 progress on stage 4B.
Travel Phase
No travel
Encounter Phase
Engage Siege Raft
Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Siege Raft.
Siege Raft attacks. Vassal of the Windlord defends. Shadow: Lieutenant of Mordor (no effect). Vassal of the Windlord is destroyed.
Ready Boromir (raise threat to 41).
Legolas + Boromir declare an attack on Siege Raft, destroying it. Place 2 progress on stage 4, clearing it. Advance to stage 5, flip to side B. Reveal: Orc Arbalesters
Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 42
Round 6
Beorn sees play here, aiding my siege efforts and giving me a great target for archery damage. I get six progress on the quest through siege questing, then Legolas helps contribute another two through combat.
Resource Phase
+1 Legolas (2), +1 Beregond (3), +1 Boromir (2)
Draw: Goblin-cleaver
Planning Phase
Play: Beorn (Legolas -2, Beregond -2, Boromir -2)
Quest Phase
Commit: Beregond, Boromir, Winged Guardian, Beorn
Total willpower: 13
Reveal: Southron Mercenaries
Total threat: 7
Place 6 progress on stage 5 (6/15)
Travel Phase
No travel
Encounter Phase
Engage Southron Mercenaries and Orc Arbalesters
Combat Phase
Archery 2. Deal two damage to Beorn (2/6)
Deal shadow cards to Southron Mercenaries, Orc Arbalesters
Ready Boromir (raise threat to 43). Exhaust Support of the Eagles. Choose Winged Guardian.
Orc Arbalesters attack. Reveal: Orc Vanguard (deal two additional shadow cards). Shadow #2: Seige Raft (+2 attack). Shadow #3: The Power of Mordor (no effect). No damage dealt.
Ready Boromir (raise threat to 44).
Southron Mercenaries attack. Shadow: Scourge of Mordor (+1 attack, deal an additonal shadow card). Shadow #2: Orc Rabble (deal an additional shadow card). Shadow #3: Orc Arbalesters (+2 attack). No damage dealt.
Ready Boromir (raise threat to 45).
Legolas + Boromir declare an attack on Southron Mercenaries, destroying them. Place 2 progress on stage 4 (8/15).
Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 46
Round 7
Drawing (and playing) a second Winged Guardian, I'm able to pull out a total of 21 defense against this siege quest, blasting past the 7 remaining progress needed. Victory achieved!
Resource Phase
+1 Legolas (1), +1 Beregond (2), +1 Boromir (1)
Draw: Winged Guardain
Just the boost I need for this final push!
Planning Phase
Play: Winged Guardian (Beregond -2)
Quest Phase
Commit Beregond, Boromir, Beorn, Winged Guardian x2
Either I'll go so far over that Legolas' 1 defense would not make a difference. Or something terrible will happen and I'll need Legolas ready as a back-up plan.
Siege. Total defense: 17
Reveal: Haradrim Elite.
Haradrim Elite attack. Deal shadow card.
Exhaust Support of the Eagles. Choose Winged Guardian.
Updated defense 21.
Ready Boromir (raise threat to 47). Boromir defends. Shadow: Orc War Camp (+1 attack). No damage dealt.
Total threat: 6
Place 15 progress on stage 4, clearing it and winning the game!
Final Scoring
6 Completed Rounds x10: 60
Ending Threat: 47
Total Damage on Heroes: 3 (1 Legolas, 2 Boromir)
Threat of Defeated Heroes: 0
Victory Display: -3
Total Score: 107
The Recap
Variety? Choosing your path? I think you know by know that I'll like this one, especially as there was not a whole lot of crazyness that came at me. Yes, I did draw The Power of Mordor during the first quest stage on one attempt, which effectively ended all hope by shuffling the three battlegrounds into the encounter deck, but that was the only truly terrible single card the game threw at me.
The strategy to beat the scenario is pretty clear (and a bit up to you). Implementing it can be more difficult. But, despite those difficulties, I enjoyed myself and that's the point after all.
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