Print On Demand 1: The Massing at Osgiliath

Victory on the eighth attempt!

The Deck

After a few attempts of bashing decks against this quest and not seeing a glimmer of hope once I reached stage 4, I figured there was something fundamentally wrong with my strategy. This was especially frustrating since many view this quest as fairly easy in light of the current available card pool. I cried "Uncle!" and decided to go against it with a deck that has already proven successful (of which there are many), hopefully learning something useful for my own future attempts. Looking at a few options on BoardGameGeek, I settled on Stephen Valkyser's Rohan deck and road on to victory.


The Journey

A slow and steady burn ending dramatically with a 58 willpower quest phase in round 11.

Player Setup
Starting Threat: 25
Draw: Elfhelm, Dunadain Watcher, The Favor of the Lady, Elfhelm, Astonishing Speed, Gandalf
Mulligan: The Galadhrim's Greeting, Dunadain Watcher, Astonishing Speed, Northern Tracker, Astonishing Speed, Elfhelm

Encounter Setup
Set The Witch-king to the side
Add Wolves From Mordor x1, Snaga Scouts x1, and Wainriders x1 to the staging area. Shuffle.

Round 1
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (1), +1 Dunhere (1), +1 Eowyn (1)
Draw: Dunedain Mark

Planning Phase
Play: Dunedain Mark (Theodred -1). Attach to Dunhere.

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn. Add 1 resource to Dunhere's pool (2). Total willpower: 5.
Reveal: Cut Off. Doomed 1 (raise threat to 26). Discard all allies from hand: Elfhelm, Northern Tracker, Dunedain Watcher.
I almost gave up right here. That is quite a blow to take early on, especially when I was hoping to build up a small band of forces.
Total threat: 4
Place 1 progress on stage 1B (1/7)

Travel Phase
No travel

Encounter Phase
Engage Shaga Scouts

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Shaga Scouts. Attack! Undefended. Shadow: Uruk Vanguard (+1 attack). Deal 2 damage to Eowyn (2/3).
Dunhere declares an attack on Wolves From Mordor, destroying them.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 27.

Round 2
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (1), +1 Dunhere (3), +1 Eowyn (2)
Draw: Faramir

Planning Phase
Play: The Galadhrim's Greeting (Dunhere -3). Lower threat to 21.

Quest Phase
Commit: Eowyn. Total willpower: 4
Reveal: Uruk Vanguard.
Total threat 4. No progress placed.

Travel Phase
No travel.

Encounter Phase
No engagements.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Shaga Scouts. Attack! Theodred defends. Shadow: Wolves From Mordor (deal 2 damage to defending character; 2/4 damage on Theodred). No combat damage dealt.
Dunhere declares an attack on Shaga Scouts, destroying them.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 22.

Round 3
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (2), +1 Dunhere (1), +1 Eowyn (3)
Draw: Northern Tracker

Planning Phase
Play: Northern Tracker (Dunhere -1, Eowyn -3).

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn. Add 1 resource to Theodred's pool (3). Total willpower: 5
Reveal: Snaga Scouts.
Total threat: 5. No progress placed.

Travel Phase
No travel

Encounter Phase
Engage Snaga Scouts.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Snaga Scouts. Attack! Undefended. Shadow: Cut Off (discard Faramir). Deal 1 damage to Theodred (3/4).
Northern Tracker declares an attack on Snaga Scouts, destroying them.
Dunhere declares an attack on Wainriders, dealing 3 damage (3/4).

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 23.

Round 4
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (4), +1 Dunhere (1), +1 Eowyn (1)
Draw: West Road Traveler

Planning Phase
Play: West Road Traveler (Dunhere -1, Eowyn -1).

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn, West Road Traveler. Add 1 resource to Eowyn's pool (1). Total willpower: 7
Reveal: Morgulduin
Total threat: 5
Place 2 progress on stage 1B (3/7)

Travel Phase
No travel.

Encounter Phase
No engagements.

Combat Phase
Dunhere declares an attack on Wainriders, destroying them.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 24.

Round 5
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (5), +1 Dunhere (1), +1 Eowyn (2)
Draw: The Favor of the Lady

Planning Phase
Play none.

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn, Northern Tracker. Add 1 resource to Eowyn's pool (3). Place 1 progress on Morgulduin (1/3). Total willpower: 6
Reveal: Ranger of Ithilien. Gain control of Ranger, exhausted and committed to the quest.
Total willpower: 8
Reveal: Captured Watchtower.
Total threat: 4
Place 4 progress on stage 1B, clearing it. Advance to stage 2, flip to side B.

Travel Phase
No travel

Encounter Phase
No engagements

Combat Phase
Dunhere declares an attack on Uruk Vanguard, dealing 3 damage (3/8).

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 25.

Round 6
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (6), +1 Dunhere (2), +1 Eowyn (4)
Draw: Astonishing Speed
All three? If I can pull of playing them all, this will be epic.

Planning Phase
Play none.

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn, Northern Tracker. Add 1 resource to Eowyn's pool (5). Place 1 progress on Morgulduin (2/3). Place 1 progress on Captured Watchtower (1/2). Total willpower: 6
Reveal: Pelennor Fields.
Total threat: 5
Place 1 progress on stage 2B (1/5).

Travel Phase
Travel to Pelennor Fields

Encounter Phase
No engagements

Combat Phase
Dunhere declares an attack on Uruk Vanguard, dealing 3 damage (6/8).

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 26.

Round 7
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (7), +1 Dunhere (3), +1 Eowyn (6)
One copy of Parting Gifts might be a good fit for this deck.
Draw: Elfhelm

Planning Phase
Play: Elfhelm (Eowyn -4).

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn, Northern Tracker, West Road Traveler, Ranger of Ithilien. Add 1 resource to Eowyn's pool (3). Place 1 progress on Morgulduin, exploring it. Place 1 progress on Captured Watchtower, exploring it. Total willpower: 10.
Reveal: Wolves From Mordor.
Total threat: 3.
Place 7 progress on Pelennor Fields, exploring it and adding it to the victory display (1).

Travel Phase
No travel.

Encounter Phase
No engagements.

Combat Phase
Dunhere declares an attack on Wolves From Mordor, destroying them.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 27.

Round 8
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (8), +1 Dunhere (4), +1 Eowyn (4)
Draw: Dunedain Mark

Planning Phase
Play: Dunedain Mark (Theodred -1). Attach to Dunhere.

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn. Add 1 resource to Eowyn's pool (5). Total willpower: 5
Reveal: Snaga Scouts
Total threat: 3
Place 2 progress on stage 2B (3/5)

Travel Phase
No travel.

Encounter Phase
Engage Snaga Scouts.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Snaga Scouts. Attack! Elfhelm defends. Shadow: Ranger of Ithilien. Deal 2 damage to Snaga Scouts, destroying them. Exhaust West Road Traveler to gain control of Ranger of Ithilien.
Dunhere declares an attack on Uruk Vanguard, destroying it.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 28.

Round 9
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (8), +1 Dunhere (5), +1 Eowyn (6)
Draw: Snowbourn Scout

Planning Phase
Play: Snowbourn Scout (Theodred -1).

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn, West Road Traveller. Add 1 resource to Eowyn's pool (7). Total willpower: 7.
Reveal: Cut Off. Doomed 1 (raise threat to 29; reduce back to 28 due to Elfhelm's ability). No allies to discard.
Place 7 progress on stage 2B, clearing it. Advance to stage 3, flip to side B.

No travel, engagements, or combat.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 29.

Round 10
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (8), +1 Dunhere (6), +1 Eowyn (8)
Draw: Steward of Gondor

Planning Phase
Play: Steward of Gondor (Theodred -2). Attach to Eowyn.
Exhaust Steward of Gondor. Eowyn +2 (10).

Quest Phase
Discard Ranger of Ithilien #2 to commit characters to the quest.
Commit: Theodred, Eowyn. Add 1 resource to Eowyn's pool (11). Total willpower: 7.
Reveal: Captured Watchtower.
Total threat: 1
Place 6 progress on stage 3B, clearing it. Advance to stage 4, flip to side B.
Add The Witch-king to the staging area.

Travel Phase
No travel.

Encounter Phase
Engage The Witch-king.

Combat Phase??
Deal shadow card to The Witch-king. Attacks! Ranger of Ithilien defends. Shadow: Ruins of Osgiliath (no effect). Ranger of Ithilien is destroyed.
Why not toss the Snowbourn Scout to him? Because the Scout is Rohan and Rohan has a big turn coming up next.
Raise threat by 3 to keep The Witch-king engaged (raise threat to 32).
Elfhelm's ability would lower this, right? I didn't think about that until the write-up, and it didn't end up mattering, but I'll keep that in mind next time.

Refresh Phase
Ready all. Raise threat to 33.

Round 11
Resource Phase
+1 Theodred (7), +1 Dunhere (7), +1 Eowyn (12)
Draw: Dwarven Tomb
Exhaust Steward of Gondor. +2 Eowyn (14).

Planning Phase
Play none.

Quest Phase
Commit: Theodred, Dunhere, Eowyn, West Road Traveler, Elfhelm, Snowbourn Scout. Add 1 resource to Eowyn's pool (15). Total willpower: 9.
Play: Astonishing Speed (Eowyn -3). +12 total willpower. Updated willpower: 21.
Play: Astonishing Speed (Eowyn -3). +12 total willpower. Updated willpower: 33.
Play: Astonishing Speed (Eowyn -3). +12 total willpower. Updated willpower: 45.
Play: Dwarven Tomb (Eowyn -1). Return Astonishing Speed to hand.
Play: Astonishing Speed (Eowyn -3). +12 total willpower. Updated willpower: 57.
Discard Favor of the Lady to give Eowyn +1 willpower. Updated willpower: 58.
Reveal: Captured Watchtower.
Total threat: 8.
Place 50 progress on stage 4B, clearing it and winning the game!

Final Scoring
10 Completed Rounds x10: 100
Ending Threat: 33
Total Damage on Heroes: 5 (Theodred 3, Eowyn 2)
Threat of Defeated Heroes: 0
Victory Display: -1
Total Score: 137


The Recap

Variety and the necessity to have a well-rounded approach? Love it. But I was not able to crack the quest on my own, so we'll hold it back from Favorite Quests right now and let it grow on me.

Having just beating The Morgul Vale, I wonder if that same deck would have any effect on this quest? Maybe not. Taking out the Nazgul is a big challenge, but getting 15 points of progress on stage 4 while not being able to travel is an even bigger one!