Saga Quest 7: A Shadow of the Past

Victory on the second attempt!

The Deck

I've really been looking forward to starting The Black Riders and messing around with Hobbit decks. But I have a few problems. For one, there are a lot of Spirit cards I would love to use with Hobbits (Hobbit Pipe, Smoke Rings, Small Target, Silver Lamp), but I don't like the Spirit Hobbit cards themselves that much. I would also like to go for Tactics/Leadership/Lore to get the four Hobbit companions out (sorry Fatty), but there goes secrecy after the first round. And secrecy seems like such a good fit for Hobbits. So much so, I decided to try a risk and focus on the secrecy aspect at the expense of a full company. Crazy? Possibly.


(Small) Party of Three

Heroes
Sam Gamgee
Pippin (The Black Riders)
Frodo Baggins (The Black Riders)

Allies
Gandalf (Core) x3
Rivendell Scout x3
Bill the Pony x2
Faramir (Core) x2
Henamarth Riversong x2
Barlimn Butterbur x2
Gildor Inglorion x3
Resourceful x3


Attachments
Fast Hitch x3
Protector of Lorien x3
Expert Treasure-Hunter x3


Events
Risk Some Light x3
Sneak Attack x3
Ever Vigilant x3
A Very Good Tale x3
Timely Aid x3
Hobbit Sense x3
Frodo's Intuition x3

The goal here is to keep things secret (via Gandalf) and know the encounter deck via Henamarth/Risk Some Light. You then want to control your own player deck as much as possible with Gildor (+ Ever Vigilant). Timely Aid, A Very Good Tale, and Expert Treasure Hunter area all great combinations with Gildor. And, yes, I realized after starting the scenario that having Gildor be an intergral part of this deck was an...interesting choice, but it worked out really well. In fact, the Gildor hidden in the encounter deck never saw the light of day either time. The only change I made between attempts was switching out Leaf Brooch for Protector of Lorien. The Brooch gave some some small benifit the first attempt, but I found myself wishing I had a way to boost my willpower and/or defense.

How does the deck function? Like a charm. Both attempts saw me never fail a hide test while also pumping enough allies out and/or playing enough Hobbit Sense that the Black Riders never touched my heroes.


The Journey

Once again, a small mistake cost me a first attempt victory (not doing a hide test after revealing Hunting for the Ring and returning zero Black Riders). Even with the mistake, I barley scrapped down that victory, with the win coming down to the result of the final encounter draw (and a painful death promised next). With such a close call the first time around, could this Hobbit secrecy deck pull off a legitimate win?

Campaign Setup
Attach Mr. Underhill to Frodo Baggins.
Add Gandalf's Delay to the staging area.
Shuffle Gildor Inglorion and The Ring Draw Them into the encounter deck.
Just about did a face-slap during the first attempt, not knowing Gildor would be an ally in the encounter deck and having him in my deck instead. But he was so useful to me that I want to keep him in all the same.


Player Setup
Set starting threat to 14
Draw (5, due to Gandalf's Delay): Ever Vigilant x2, Rivendell Scout, A Very Good Tale, Farimir
Rivendell Scout is nice, but the rest are not the best for me at this moment.
Mulligan: Rivendell Scout x2, Expert Treasure-Hunter, Frodo's Intuition, Barliman Butterbur


Encounter Setup
Set Buckleberry Ferry aside (out of play).
Add 1 Black Ridder to the staging area.
Make Bag End the active location. Shuffle encounter.

Round 1
Doing what I can with what I've got, I lay down two Rivendell Scouts and go all-in for questing. It's risky and might cause me to fail a hide test (which would just about end the game for me), but I want to clear Bag End and get the cards, if possible. And I make it! Risk Some Light is in the card draw, which is always good to see.

Resource Phase
+1 Sam (1), +1 Pippin (1), +1 Frodo (1)
Draw: Hobbit Sense

Planning Phase
Play: Rivendell Scout
Play: Rivendell Scout
Play: Expert Treasure-Hunter. Attach to Frodo.

Quest Phase
Commit: Sam, Pippin, Frodo, Rivendell Scout x2
Total willpower: 9
Reveal: Green Hill Country
Total threat: 6
Place 3 progress on Bag End, exploring it and adding it to the victory display. Draw: Gandalf, Risk Some Light, Fast Hitch
Phew. An early Risk Some Light is always a relief to see.
Treasure-Hunting. Name: Event. Discard: Gildor Inglorion.

Travel Phase
Travel to Green Hill Country

No engagements or combat

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 15.

Round 2
I use Risk Some Light to help me see a hide test coming up with only two threat worth of cards behind it, so I quest all in. Sam, with a fast hitch now, readies to take the hide test and passes. I sneak in Gandalf for the next hide test (when a Black Rider will come out) and pass that hide test (just! 5 threat and 5 willpower). I choose to have Gandalf damage a Black Rider, hoping to finish it off next turn.

Resource Phase
+1 Sam (2), +1 Pippin (2), +1 Frodo (2)
Draw: Sneak attack
Timely Aid lifted up with it. Replaced and shuffled deck

Planning Phase
Play: Risk Some Light. Look at (encounter): Crawling Toward Him, Green Hill Country, Lure of the Ring. Replace as is.
Now that I know all three cards, I can hold back two willpower and pass the hide test.
Play: Fast Hitch (Pipin -1). Attach to Sam.

Quest Phase
Commit: Sam, Pippin, Frodo, Rivendell Scout x1
Total willpower: 8
Exhaust Fast Hitch to ready Sam.
Reveal: Crawling Towards Him. Hide 2.
Hide Test. Commit: Sam. Discard: Green Hill Country, Lure of the Ring. Threat: 3. Willpower: 3. Passed.
Total threat: 4
Play: Sneak attack (Sam -1). Put Gandalf into play. Deal 4 damage to Black Rider #1.
Place 3 progress on Green Hill Country, exploring it.
Place 1 progress on stage 1B, clearing it.
Proceed to stage 2, flip to side B.
Search deck and add Black Rider to the staging area. Hide 2.
Hide Test. Commit: Gandalf, Rivendell Scout. Discard: Evil Crow, Crawling Towards Him. Total threat: 5. Total willpower: 5. Passed. No location to place progress on.
Return Gandalf to hand.
Treasure-Hunting. Name: Event. Discard: Gandalf.

No travel, engagements, or combat.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 16.

Round 3
Via Frodo's Intuition, I'm able to draw and play Risk Some Light again. Looking at what's coming up, and looking at the cards and resources I have, I realize I can take out both Black Riders in the staging area at a cost of 2 threat to me (and the use of the Mr. Underhill boon). I play Gandalf from my hand, destroying the already injured Black Rider. Then I quest with just Sam. Engage the last Black Rider (readying and boosting Sam), then go all in and dispatch it. We'll have to see how this plays out!

Resource Phase
+1 Sam (2), +1 Pippin (2), +1 Frodo (3)
Draw: Protector of Lorien

Planning Phase

Play: Frodo's Intuition. +1 willpower to all heroes. Draw: A Very Good Tale, Risk Some Light, Ever Vigilant.
Play: Risk Some Light. Look at (encounter): The Marish, Black Rider, Pathless Country. Place Black Rider on the bottom of the encounter deck. Put Pathless Country on top with The Marish beneath it.

Play: Gandalf (Sam -2, Pippin -2, Frodo -1). Place 4 damage on Black Rider #1, destroying it.
Slight pause here while I debated a crazy decision. What decision? Look and see...

Quest Phase
Commit: Sam
Total willpower: 4
Reveal: Pathless Country
Total threat: 6
Raise threat to 18.

Travel Phase
Travel to Pathless Country.

Encounter Phase
Engage Black Rider. Ready Sam and give him +1 willpower, attack, defense. Draw: Protector of Lorien.
Discard Mr. Underhill to choose Black Rider not to attack this round.

Combat Phase
Sam, Pippin, Frodo, Rivendell Scout x2, Gandalf declare an attack on Black Rider. 10 attack vs. 4 shield =  6 damage, destroying it.
And the staging area is clear for now.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 19.
Discard Gandalf from play.

Round 4
I quest all in, getting 6 progress on the quest card.

Resource Phase
+1 Sam (1), +1 Pippin (1), +1 Frodo (1)
Draw: Frodo's Intuition

Planning Phase
Play: None

Quest Phase
Commit: Sam, Pippin, Frodo, Rivendell Scout x2
Total willpower: 9
Exhaust Fast Hitch to ready Sam.
Draw: The Marish.
Total threat: 3
Place 3 progress on Pathless Country, exploring it.
Place 6 progress on stage 2B (6/8).
Treasure-hunting. Name: Event. Discard: Barliman Butterbeer.

Travel Phase
Travel to The Marish

No engagements, or combat


Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 20.

Round 5
Once again, Frodo's Intuition comes in handy and I'm able to proceed to stage 3 (despite a useless play of A Very Good Tale which added zero allies to help me out). A new Black Rider in the staging area, but no worries. I engage an Evil Crow, which attacks 3 times for zero (due to Piercing Scream), just to get it out of the staging area. Pushing forward to victory should be very possible during round 6..

Resource Phase
+1 Sam (2), +1 Pippin (2), +1 Frodo (2)
Draw: Protector of Lorien
I'm totally going to need to feed a Protector of Lorien to a Protector of Lorien.

Planning Phase
Play: Frodo's Intuition (Frodo -2). +1 willpower to all heroes. Draw: Timely Aid, Bill the Poney, Hobbit Sense
Timely Aid is what I've been searching for. Ironically, very timely now that I'm at the secrecy threshold of 20 threat.
Play: Timely Aid (Sam -1). Look at (player): Gildor Inglorion, Gandalf, Resourceful, Timely Aid, A Very Good Tale. Put Gildor Inglorion into play, shuffling remaining cards into the player deck.
Play: A Very Good Tale. Exhaust Rivendell Scout x2. Discard: A Very Good Tale, Frodo's Intuition, Ever Vigilant, Gildor Inglorion, Expert Treasure-Hunter. Put nothing into play.
Ouch.
Play: Bill the Pony
Play: Protector of Lorien (Pippin -1). Attach to Sam.

Quest Phase
Commit: Sam, Pippin, Frodo, Bill the Pony, Gildor Inglorion
Total willpower: 14
Exhaust Fast Hitch to ready Sam.
Reveal: Black Steed. No Nazgul enemy to attach to. Surge.
Reveal: Evil Crow
Total threat: 2
Place 4 progress on The Marish, exploring it
Place 8 progress on stage 2B, clearing it. Proceed to stage 3.
Add Buckleberry Ferry to the staging area.
Flip to 3B. Search encounter deck and place a Black Rider in the staging area. Hide 2.
Hide Test. Commit: Sam. Discard (encounter): Stock-brook, Rode Like A Gale. Threat: 1. Willpower: 3. Passed.

Treasure-Hunting. Name: Ally. Discard (player): Rivendell Scout. Put into hand.

Travel Phase
Travel to Buckleburry Ferry.

Encounter Phase
Engage Evil Crow. Ready Sam (+1 Willpower, Attack, Defense). Draw: Faramir.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Evil Crow.
Evil Crow attacks. Sam defends. Shadow: Piercing Cry (attack again). No damage dealt.
Deal second shadow to Evil Crow. Evil Crow attacks. Undefended. Shadow: Piercing Cry (attack again). No damage dealt.
Does anyone else imagine the Nazgul scream as soon as they see that card, like an instant reaction?
Deal third shadow to Evil Crow. Evil Crow attacks. Undefended. Shadow: Stock Road (no effect). No damage dealt.


Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 21.

Round 6
I play Henamarth Riversong, the third Rivendell Scout, and a second Protector of Lorien. Feeding the rest of my hand to the two Protector of Loriens, I quest for 21, pass a hide test, and put 17 progress on Bucklebury Ferry for the win.

Resource Phase
+1 Sam (2), +1 Pippin (2), +1 Frodo (1)
Draw: Henamarth Riversong.

Planning Phase
Play: Henemarth Riversong (Pippin -1).
Play: Rivendell Scout (Sam -2).
Play: Protector of Lorien (Pippin -1). Attach to Sam.

Quest Phase
Commit: Sam, Pippin, Frodo, Rivendell Scout x3, Bill the Pony, Gildor Inglorion, Henamarth Riversong
Total willpower: 15
Discard three cards (Ever Vigilant, Barliman Butterbur, Hobbit Sense) to trigger Protector of Lorien #1 and give Sam +3 willpower, +3 defense.
Discard three cards (Hobbit Sense, Protector of Lorien, Faramir) to trigger Protector of Lorien #1 and give Sam +3 willpower, +3 defense.
Updated willpower: 21
Exhaust Fast Hitch to ready Sam.
Reveal: Lure of the Ring. Raise threat to 24. Surge.
Reveal: Hunting for the Ring. Doomed 2 (raise threat to 26). Hide 2.
Hide Test. Commit: Sam. Discard: Green Hill Country, Have You Seen Baggins?
My favorite song from the soundtrack, actually.
Hide threat: 2. Willpower: 9. Passed.
Total threat: 4.
Place 17 progress on Bucklebury Ferry, exploring it and winning the game!

Final Scoring
5 Completed Rounds x10: 50
Ending Threat: 26
Total Damage on Heroes: 0
Threat of Defeated Heroes: 0
Victory Display: -2 (Bag End, Mr. Underhill)
Total Score:74

Campaign Resolution
Choose Gandalf's Delay (burden)
Choose Mr. Underhill (boon) to stay attached to Frodo.

The Recap

Thematic, challenging but not crazy...I loved it! The quest did not necessarily have the variety aspect that I like, but the thematic aspect was strong enough for me to overlook that.

And I'm hooked on the campaign mode. The Road Darkens has been a "maybe" purchase for me so far, due to the terribly small player card pool. I wanted to get a feel for the campaign mode first and see if it was a bit enough draw for me. And I think the answer is: yes (not by itself; Gandalf and his attachments are great enough that I was more on the positive side of "maybe" about the set).

I'll look forward to continuing my campaign adventure, as well as bringing my wife along to take a trip along memory lane with A Shadow of the Past.