Saga Quest 6: The Battle of Five Armies

Victory on the fourth attempt!

The Deck

On the Doorstep has been a tough journey so far and I've heard that The Battle of the Five Armies takes that toughness to an even higher level. My first instinct was to go for a Leadership-Tactics deck, featuring both Dain Ironfoot and Thorin Oakenshield. I was debating between Gimli for the tactics inclusion or Oin for Spirit + Tactics. A few ideas were thrown down into a rough draft, but I didn't want to waste valuable deck-building time only to find out my strategy was all wrong.

So I decided to take my first crack at the quest with the Dain's Mountaineers deck I used against The Lonely Mountain. The only additions were Thror's Golden Cup and the Mithril Shirt that I won during my last victory. The plan was to go in, get a feel for the quest, and come back with a deck designed just for this scenario.

And then I won!...and then I noticed a few terrible mistakes. And again. And yet again. But the deck did hold its own really well, so why just stick with it?

The Journey

Player Setup
Set starting threat to 26
Draw: Longbeard Map-Maker, Thror's Golden Cup, Untroubled by Darkness, Ancestral Knowledge, Fast Hitch, Protector of Lorien
I usually search for Thror's Golden Cup early on with Bilbo, so this is a welcome surprise. It'll save me a turn and one point of threat. I would like to see more allies, but the Cup will likely fetch them for me.

Encounter Setup
Add Bolg to the staging area
Reveal: Goblins Are Upon You! Search the encounter deck and put  Goblin Climber into play (no progress to remove), engaged with me. Shuffle encounter deck.
Flip to stage 1B. Put stage 2 (The Eastern Spur), 3 (Battle in the Dale), and 4 (The Defense of Ravenhill) into play. Flip all to side B. Remove stage 1 from play.

Round 1
Choose Stage
Choose: Stage 3 (Battle in the Dale)

Resource Phase
+1 Dain Ironfoot (1), +1 Ori (1), +1 Bifur (1), +1 Bilbo (1)
Draw: Protector of Lorien

Planning Phase
Spend 1 Baggins resource (Bilbo -1) to search deck for Bilbo's Magic Ring. Add to hand. Shuffle.
Play: Bilbo's Magic Ring. Attach to Bilbo.
Exhaust Bilbo's Magic Ring (raise threat to 27) to add 1 resource to Bilbo's pool (1).
Spend 1 Baggins resource (Bilbo -1) to search deck for Sting. Add to hand. Shuffle.
Play: Sting. Attach to Bilbo.
Play: Thror's Golden Cup. Attack to Dain. Add to victory display (3). Draw: Mithril Shirt, Song of Travel, Longbeard Map-Maker
Play: Mithril Shirt. Attach to Bilbo.
Pay 1 resource from Dain's pool to add 1 resource to Bifur's pool (2)
Play: Longbeard Map-Maker (Ori -1, Bifur -2)

Quest Phase
Commit: Ori, Bifur, Longbeard Map-Maker
Battle. Total strength: 7
Reveal: Gundabad Climber (no progress to remove)
Total threat: 2
Add 5 progress to stage 3B (5/8)

Travel Phase
No travel

Encounter Phase
No engagements

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Gundabad Climber.
Gundabad Climber attacks. Bilbo defends. Exhaust Sting. Discard: Ravenous Warg. Deal two damage to Gundabad Climber, destroying it.

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 28

Round End Effects
Stage 2 (The Eastern Spur): Randomly discard Untroubled by Darkness
Stage 4 (The Defense of Ravenhill): No resources to discard

Round 2
Choose Stage
Choose: Stage 3 (Battle in the Dale)
I want to finish off this stage's requirements and move on.

Resource Phase
+1 Dain (1), +1 Ori (1), +1 Bifur (1), +1 Bilbo (1)
Draw: Miner of the Iron Hills

Planning Phase
Spend 1 Baggins resource (Bilbo -1) to search deck for Glamdring.
Play: Glamdring. Attack to Bilbo.
Pay 1 resource from Dain's pool to add 1 resource to Bifur's pool (2)
Play: Fast Hitch (Ori -1). Attack to Bilbo.
Exhaust Bilbo's Magic Ring (raise threat to 29) to add 1 resource to Bilbo's pool (1).
Spend 1 Baggins resource (Bilbo -1) to search deck for Orcrist.
Play: Orcrist. Attach to Dain.
Play: Miner of the Iron Hills (Bifur -2)

Quest Phase
Commit: Ori, Bifur, Bilbo, Longbard Map-Maker, Miner of the Iron Hills
Battle. Total strength: 13
Exhaust Fast Hitch to ready Bilbo.
Reveal: Gunbadad Wolf Rider
Total threat: 3
Add 10 progress to stage 3 (15/8)
That should give me some nice buffer room to work with!

Travel Phase
No travel

Encounter Phase
Engage Gunbadad Wolf Rider

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Gunbadad Wolf Rider.
Gunbadad Wolf Rider attacks. Bilbo defends. Exhaust Sting. Discard: Weighed Down (no effect). Shadow: Hatred Rekindled (additonal attack). No damage dealt. Remove 1 progress from stage 3 (14/8).
Deal shadow card to Gunbadad Wolf Rider. Gunbadad Wolf Rider attacks. Dain defends. Shadow: Bodyguard of Bolg (no effect). No damage dealt. Remove 1 progress from stage 3 (13/8)

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 30

Round End Effects
Stage 2 (The Eastern Spur): Randomly discard Protector of Lorien
Stage 4 (The Defense of Ravenhill): No resources to discard.

Round 3
Choose Stage
Choose: Stage 2 (The Eastern Spur)

Resource Phase
+1 Dain (1), +1 Ori (1), +1 Bifur (1), +1 Bilbo (1)
Draw: Gandalf
Draw: Daeron's Runes

Planning Phase
Play: Daeron's Runes. Draw: Daeron's Runes, Erebor Record Keeper. Discard: Song of Travel.
Play: Daeron's Runes. Draw: Protector of Lorien, Steward of Gondor. Discard: Protector of Lorien.
Exhaust Bilbo's Magic Ring (raise threat to 31) to add 1 resource to Bilbo's pool (2).
Play: Gandalf (Dain -1, Ori -1, Bifur -1, Bilbo -2)

Quest Phase
Commit: Ori, Bifur, Longbeard Map-Maker, Miner of the Iron Hills, Gandalf.
Total willpower: 13
Reveal: Heedless of Order. Choose stage 4 (The Defense of Ravenhill).
Battle. Updated strength: 13
That's convenient.
Surge. Reveal: Dark Bats
Total threat: 4
Place 9 progress on stage 4B (9/8)

Travel Phase
No travel

Encounter Phase
Engage Dark Bats

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Dark Bats, Gundabad Wolf Rider
Dark Bats attack. Gandalf defends. Shadow: Vanguard of Bolg (remove all progress if character is destroyed). No damage dealt.
Gundabad Wolf Rider attacks. Bilbo defends. Exhaust Sting. Discard: Bodyguard of Bolg (deal 2 damage to Wolf Rider). Shadow: Vanguard of Bolg (remove all progress if character is destroyed). No damage dealt. Remove 1 progress from stage 4 (8/8)
Dain declares an attack on Gundabad Wolf Rider, destroying it. Add 1 resource to Dain's pool (Orcrist).
Exhaust Fast Hitch to ready Bilbo.
Bilbo declares an attack on Dark Bats, destroying them.

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 32

Round End Effects
Stage 2 (The Eastern Spur); Randomly discard Protector of Lorien.
Raise threat to 34 to keep Gandalf in play

Round 3
Choose Stage
Choose: Stage 2 (The Eastern Spur)

Resource Phase
+1 Dain (2), +1 Ori (1), +1 Bifur (1), +1 Bilbo (1)
Draw: Erebor Record Keeper
Draw: Untroubled by Darkness

Planning Phase
Play: Steward of Gondor (Dain -2).
Exhaust Steward of Gondor. +2 Dain (2).
Pay 1 resource from Dain's pool to add 1 resource to Bifur's pool (2)
Play: Erebor Record Keeper (Ori -1)


Quest Phase
Commit: Ori, Bifur, Gandalf, Lonbeard Map-Maker, Miner of the Iron Hills
Total willpower: 13
Reveal: Hidden Path
Total threat: 5
Place 8 progress on stage 2B.
Stage 2, 3 and 4 cleared. Advance to stage 5, flip to side B
Search encounter deck and put Bodyguard of Bolg into play.

Travel Phase
No travel

Encounter Phase
Engage Gundabad Climber, Bodyguard of Bolg.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow cards to Bolg, Bodyguard of Bolg, Gundabad Climber
Bodyguard of Bolg attacks. Gandalf defends. Shadow: Vanguard of Bolg (remove all progress if character is destroyed). No damage dealt.
Bolg attacks. Bilbo defends. Exhaust Bilbo's Magic Ring (raise threat to 37) to cancel all damage. Shadow: Gundabad Wolf Rider (+1 attack). No damage dealt.
Exhaust Fast Hitch to ready Bilbo.
Gundabad Climber attacks. Dain defends. Shadow: Northern Slopes (no effect). No damage dealt.
Exhaust Erebor Record Keeper and spend 1 Lore resource (Bifur -1) to ready Dain.
Dain + Bilbo declare an attack on Bodyguard of Bolg, destroying it. +1 resource to Dain (2). Draw: Dawn Take You All

Refresh Phase
Ready all
Raise threat to 38

Round End Effects
Raise threat to 40 to keep Gandalf in play

Round 4
Resource Phase
+1 Dain (3), +1 Ori (1), +1 Bifur (2), +1 Bilbo (2)
Draw: Longbeard Elder
Draw: Erebor Hammersmith
Exhaust Steward of Gondor. +2 Dain (5).

Planning Phase
Play: Longbeard Elder (Dain -3)
Play: Erebor Record Keeper (Ori -1)

Quest Phase
Commit: Gandalf, Miner of the Iron Hills, Longbeard Elder. Look at: Heedless of Order (-1 willpower for Longbeard Elder).
Total willpower: 7
Reveal: Heedless of Order. Doomed 3 (raise threat to 43). Surge.
Reveal: Northern Slopes
Total threat: 7
No progress placed

Travel Phase
Travel to Northern Slopes

Encounter Phase
No engagements

Combat Phase
Deal shadow cards to Bolg, Gundabad Climber
Gundabad Climber attacks. Longbeard Map-Maker defends. Shadow: Hidden Path (no effect). Deal 1 damage to Longbeard Map-Maker.
Bolg attacks. Bilbo defends. Exhaust Bilbo's Magic Ring (raise threat to 46) to cancel all damage. Shadow: Northern Slopes (no effect).
Exhaust Fast Hitch to ready Bilbo.
Dain, Ori, Bilbo, Gandalf declare an attack on Bolg and destroy him.
Victory!

Final Score

3 Completed Rounds x10: 30

Ending Threat: 46

Total Damage on Heroes: 0

Threat of Defeated Heroes: 0

Victory Display: -3

Total: 73

The Recap

It's frustrating to see that "fourth attempt" up at the top. Why? Because I actually be the quest all four times, but made one terrible mistake early on during each of the first three attempts (using a Lore resource to pay for Kili, neglecting to put a Bodyguard of Bolg from the encounter deck into the staging area at the end of round 1, not raising my threat the second time I used Bilbo's ring for a resource). Each error was early enough, and the deck worked well enough, that they would not have likely affected the outcome (maybe made the game run 1-2 extra rounds), but they happened too early to have any definite answer as to what would have happened.

I had heard that Battle of the Five Armies was a pretty nasty quest. Truly, there is a lot to take care of and keep your focus on, but it actually ended up being pretty enjoyable to play. I really did not mind the three re-dos. That's surprising after the first two grueling quests in this saga box. Now, that might just be a testament to how crazy dwarves w/Dain can be. And I can see that multiplayer might be a whole different story. But for now, I'm marking this as a favorite quest and will be returning here with decks that can pull out major numbers on all three stats (willpower, attack, defense).