Quest 33: Trouble in Tharbad

Victory on the first attempt!

The Deck

This deck started off with some brainstorming on the combination of Erestor and Cirdan the Shipwright. What could I do with four cards per turn (seeing five)? I've also been wanting to try out Tale of Tinuviel as well as Fair and Perilous. Core Aragorn (Coragon?) is most un-creative inclusion for Tale of Tinuviel that came to the top of my mind. Card draw + Aragorn made me think that maybe this is time to try out the new Arwen as well (Cirdan will have his day). The idea of Erestor accompanying Aragorn & Arwen on an outing was amusing to me.

Armed with my first draft of heroes and spheres, I started pouring over cheap inclusions: Zero-cost cards, allies that can be put into play for free, allies that put other allies into play for free. I also looked for cards that could take advantage of discard: Protector of Lorien, Steed of Imaldris, Lindon Navigator. With Arwen's ability to add a resource to any of my chosen heroes, two-cost cards were on the table. I did worry that the deck was sacrificing quality cards for cheap cards, but it felt right that what this deck wanted to do was to spit out a ton of small things that would add up to a large effect.

The deck ended up being a blast to play, allowing me to get utilization out of almost every card in my hand.  While I'm usually keeping track of quests I would like to return to, this is actually a deck I look forward to coming back and tweaking some day.

Chaperone
Heroes
Aragorn (Core Set)
Arwen Undomiel (The Dread Realm)
Erestor (The Treachery of Rhudaur)

Allies
Herald of Anorien x3
Fili x1
Kili x1
Elven Jewler x3
Curious Brandybuck x3
Lindon Navigator x3
Erebor Hammersmith x2
Quickbeam x1
Envoy of Pelargir x3

Attachments
Celebrian's Stone x2
Cram x3
Dunedain Warning x3
Spare Hood and Cloak x2
Light of Valinor x2
Steed of Imladris x1
Healing Herbs x3
Protector of Lorien x1

Events
Legacy of Numenor x2
Tale of Tinuviel x3
Elrond's Counsel x3
Fair and Perilous x2
Dwarven Tomb x2
A Good Harvest x2

Sets Used
Core Set
Conflict at the Carrock
The Watcher in the Water
Foundations of Stone
Over Hill and Under Hill
Heirs of Numenor
The Steward's Fear
The Voice of Isengard
Trouble in Tharbad
The Wastes of Eriador
Escape from Mount Gram
Across the Ettenmoors
The Treacher of Rhudaur
The Dread Realm
The Grey Havens

Now, before we get started, here is the funny thing: I would not have taken this deck on this quest if I knew what I was going up against. It's not that I had particular challenges, it's that knowledge of this quest would have encouraged me to experiment in some other directions. Massive orc hate + secrecy is something I would love to play around with, for instance.


The Journey

Player Set-Up
Set starting threat to 31.
Draw: Erebor Hammersmith, Herald of Anorien, Dunedain Warning, Curious Brandybuck, Dunedain Warning, Celebrian's Stone
I'll go for the keep. Still unsure exactly what I want this deck to do. Might normally mulligan in the hopes of getting some more zero costs items, but I know I'll be drawing four more cards.

Encounter Set-Up
Set Bellach and The Crossing at Tharbad out of play. Put one copy of Spy from Mordor in the staging area. Make The Empty Mug the active location. Gain control of Nalir. Flip to side 1B. Place 4 time counters on stage 1B.

Round 1
Resource Phase
+1 Aragorn (1), +1 Arwen Undomiel (1), +1 Erestor (1)
Draw: Light of Valinor, Spare Hood and Cloak, Elrond's Counsel. Lindon Navigator
Herald of Anorien into Lindon Navigator sounds like a solid plan. Curious Brandybuck might make it to the table if I can blow past The Empty Mug and reveal a new location.

Planning Phase
Arwen: Discard Dunedain Warning to add one resource to Aragorn's pool (2).
Play: Light of Valinor (Arwen -1). Attach to Arwen.
Play: Spare Hood and Cloak. Attach to Erestor.
Play: Elrond's Counsel (The Empty Mug: No threat reduction). Choose Arwen to get +1 willpower.
Shame to not get the threat reduction, but something is better than nothing.
Play: Herald of Anorien (Aragorn -2). Give it Doomed 2 (raise threat to 33) and put Lindon Navigator into play.
I did debate getting Celebrian's Stone down instead, but two allies will give me some versatility to work with.

Quest Phase
Commit: Arwen (4; does not exhaust), Erestor (2), Lindon Navigator (2; does not exhaust).
Total Willpower: 8
Reveal: Hidden Allyway
Total Threat: 5
Place 3 progress on The Empty Mug (3/4).
Lindon Navigator: Discard Dunedain Warning.
Drat. Just a bit too low to travel and play my hobbit for free.

No Travel

Encounter Phase
Engaged by Spy from Mordor

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Spy from Mordor. Attacks! Remove 1 time counter from stage 1B (3/4). Herald of Anorien defends. shadow: Cornered (+1 attack). Herald of Anorien is destroyed.
Aragorn + Arwen + Nalir + Lindon Navigator declare an attack on Spy from Mordor, destroying it.

Refresh Phase
Forced (Nalir): Raise threat to 34.
Ready all. Raise threat to 35.
Discard hand.
Remove 1 time counter from stage 1B (2/4)

Round 2
Resource Phase
+1 Aragorn (1), +1 Arwen Undomiel (1), +1 Erestor (2)
Draw: Elrond's Counsel, Kili, Envoy of Pelargir, Healing Herbs

Planning Phase
Play: Envoy of Pelargir (Erestor -2). Add 1 resource to Arwen's pool (2).
Envoy is really my all-time MVP, making it into most of my decks.
Arwen: Discard Healing Herbs to add 1 resource to Arwen's pool (3).
Play: Kili (Arwen -3). Search deck and put Fili into play.

Quest Phase
Commit: Aragorn (2), Arwen (3), Erestor (2), Fili (1), Kili (1), Envoy (1)
Total Willpower: 10
Reveal: Seedy Inn
Total Threat: 6
Place 1 progress on The Empy Mug, exploring it and adding it to the victory display (4).
Place 3 progress on stage 1B. Cancel and reduce threat to 32.
Play: Elrond's Counsel. Reduce threat to 29. Choose Arwen to get +1 willpower. Remove card from game.

Travel Phase
Travel to Hidden Allyway (no enemies in play = no threat increase). Add 1 time counter to stage 1B (3/4).

No Engagements or Combat

Refresh Phase
Forced (Nalir): Raise threat to 30.
Ready all. Raise threat to 31.
Remove 1 time counter from stage 1B (2/4)

Round 3
Resource Phase
+1 Aragorn (2), +1 Arwen Undomiel (1), +1 Erestor (1)
Draw: Light of Valinor, Celebrian's Stone, Elvish Jewler, Cram

Planning Phase
Play: Celebrian's Stone (Aragorn -2). Attach to Aragorn.
That's the nice thing about passing on this early: I'm burning through my deck so fast that I was likely to see it again. Not guaranteed, though, so it is still a welcome sight. 
Arwen: Discard Light of Valinor to add 1 resource to Arwen's pool (2).
Play: Elvish Jewler (Arwen -2).
Play: Cram. Attach to Aragorn.

Quest Phase
Commit: Aragorn (4), Arwen (3; does not exhaust), Erestor (2), Fili (1), Kili (1), Elvish Jewler (1), Envoy (1).
Total Willpower: 13
Reveal: Spy from Mordor.
Total Threat: 5
Place 5 progress on Hidden Alleway, exploring it.
Place 3 progress on stage 1B. Cancel. Reduce threat to 28.

Travel Phase
Travel to Seedy Inn. Search encounter deck and add Orc Hound to the staging area.

Encounter Phase
Engage Orc Hound Exhaust Nalir.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Orc Hound. Attacks! Arwen defends. Shadow: Ruins of the Second Age (no effect). No damage dealt.
Discard Cram to ready Aragorn.
Aragorn declares an attack on Orc Hound, destroying it.

Refresh Phase
Forced (Nalir): Raise threat to 29.
Ready all. Raise threat to 30.
Remove 1 time counter from stage 1B (1/4).

Round 4
Resource Phase
+1 Aragorn (1), +1 Arwen Undomiel (1), +1 Erestor (2)
Draw: Curious Brandybuck, Cram, Envoy of Pelargir, Healing Herbs

Planning Phase
Play: Envoy of Pelargir (Erestor -2). Add 1 resource to Aragorn's pool (2).
Play: Cram. Attach to Erestor.

Quest Phase
Commit: Aragorn (4), Arwen (3; does not exhaust), Erestor (2), Fili (1), Kili (1), Elven Jewler (1), Lindon Navigator (2; does not exhaust), Envoy of Pelargir #1 (1), Envoy of Pelargir #2 (1)
Total Willpower: 16
Spend one of Aragorn's resources to ready him.
Reveal: Streets of Tharbad
Total Threat: 5
Place 3 progress on Seedy Inn, exploring it.
Place 8 progress on stage 1B. Cancel and reduce threat to 22.
Rounds 1-3 helped me get set up for success and now it is time to plow through stage 1.
Forced (Lindon Navigator): Discard Healing Herbs.

Travel Phase
Travel to Streets of Tharbad.
Put Curious Brandybuck into play.

Encounter Phase
Engage Spy from Mordor.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Spy from Mordor. Attacks! Remove final time counter from stage 1B. Reduce threat elimination level to 40. Place four time counters on stage 1B. Curious Brandybuck defends. Shadow: Orc Skirmisher (+1 attack). Curious Brandybuck is destroyed.
Aragorn + Arwen + Nalir + Lindon Navigator declare an attack on Spy From Mordor, destroying it.

Refresh Phase
Forced (Nalir): Raise threat to 23.
Ready all. Raise threat to 24.
Remove 1 time counter from stage 1B (3/4)

Round 5
Resource Phase
+1 Aragorn (2), +1 Arwen Undomiel (2), +1 Erestor (1)
Draw: Elrond's Counsel, Herald of Anorien, Erebor Hammersmith, Legacy of Numenor

Planning Phase
Play: Elrond's Counsel. Reduce threat to 21. Choose Arwen to get +1 willpower. Remove card from play (The Empty Mug's effect).
Play: Herald of Anorien (Aragorn -2).
Arwen: Discard Legacy of Numenor to add one resource to Erestor's pool.
Play: Erebor Hammersmith (Erestor -2). Add Healing Herbs to hand.

Quest Phase
Commit: Aragorn (4), Arwen (3; does not exhaust), Erestor (2), Fili (1), Kili (1), Elven Jewler (1), Lindon Navigator (2; does not exhaust), Envoy #1 (1), Envoy #2 (1), Erebor Hammersmith (1)
Total Willpower: 17
Reveal: Orc Hound. Surge.
Reveal: Orc Hunter. Remove 1 time counter from stage 2B (2/4).
Total Threat: 3
Place 1 progress on Streets of Tharbad, exploring it.
Place 14 progress on stage 1B. Cancel. Reduce threat to 7.
Forced (Lindon Navigator): Discard Healing Herbs.

Travel Phase
No travel.

Encounter Phase
Engage Orc Hunter.
Engaged by Orc Hound. Exhaust Nalir.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow cards to Orc Hunter, Orc Hound.
Orc Hound attacks. Arwen defends. Shadow: Orc Skirmisher (+1 attack). Deal 1 damage to Arwen.
Orc Hunter attacks. Herald of Anorien defends. Shadow: Constant Tail (no effect). Herald is destroyed.
Discard Cram to ready Erestor. Exhaust Erestor and Spare Hood and Cloak to ready Aragorn. Attach Spare Hood and Cloak to Aragorn.
Aragorn + Lindon Navigator declare an attack on Orc Hunter, destroying it.
Discard shadow card.

Refresh Phase
Forced (Nalir): Raise threat to 8.
Ready all. Raise threat to 9.
Remove 1 time counter from stage 1B (1/4)

Round 6
Resource Phase
+1 Aragorn (1), +1 Arwen Undomiel (3), +1 Erestor (1)
Draw: Steed of Imladris, Fair and Perilous, Tale of Tinuvil, A Good Harvest

Play None

Quest Phase
Commit: Aragorn (4), Arwen (3; does not exhaust), Fili (1), Kili (1), Elven Jewler (1), Lindon Navigator (2; does not exhaust), Envoy #1 (1)
Total Willpower: 13
Reveal: Get That Dwarf! Surge (no enemies).
Reveal: Orc Hunter. Remove final time counter from stage 1B. Reduce threat elimination level to 30. Place 4 time counters on stage 1B.
Total Threat: 2
Place 11 progress on stage 1B. Cancel. Reduce threat to 0.
That stage worked out pretty well. Now I'm waiting for an unexpected slap in the face from stage 2.
Advance to stage 2A. Add Bellach and The Crossroads at Tharbad to the staging area. Shuffle encounter discard into the encounter deck. Discard: Spy from Mordor. Add to the staging area.
Flip to side 2B. Place 3 time counters on stage 2B.
Actually, that's not bad. Really the same general philosophy: quest like crazy.
Forced (Lindon Navigator): Discard Steed of Imaldris.

No Travel.

Encounter Phase
Engage Orc Hunter.

Combat Phase
Deal shadow cards to Orc Hunter, Orc Hound.
Orc Hunter attacks. Envoy of Pelargir #2 defends. Shadow: Constant Tail. No effect. Envoy is destroyed. Forced (Stage 2B): Raise threat to 2.
Orc Hound attacks. Erebor Hammersmith defends Shadow: Orc Skirmisher (+1 attack). Deal 2 damage to Erebor Hammersmith (2/3).
Play: Tale of Tinuviel (Arwen -1). Exhaust Arwen. Ready Aragorn, giving him +3 willpower, attack, and defense for the phase.
Aragorn declares an attack on Orc Hunter, destroying it.
Erestor +Nalir declare an attack on Orc Hound, destroying it.
Arwen: Discard A Good Harvest to add 1 resource to Arwen's pool (3).

Refresh Phase
Forced (Nalir): Raise threat to 3.
Ready all. Raise threat to 4.
Discard hand.
Remove 1 time counter from stage 2B (2/3)

Round 7
Resource Phase
+1 Aragorn (2), +1 Arwen Undomiel (4), +1 Erestor (2)
Draw: A Good Harvest, Protector of Lorien, Fair and Perilous, Dwarven Tomb

Planning Phase
Play: Dwarven Tomb (Arwen -1). Return Tale of Tinuviel to my hand.
Play: Protector of Lorien (Erestor -1). Attach to Arwen.

Quest Phase
Commit: Aragorn (4), Arwen (3; does not exhaust), Erestor (2), Fili (1), Kili (1), Elven Jewler (1), Lindon Navigator (2; does not exhaust), Erebor Hammersmith (1), Envoy of Pelargir (1).
Total Willpower: 16
Spend 1 of Aragorn's resources to ready him.
Reveal: Orc Skirmisher
Total Threat: 10
Exhaust Aragorn and Spare Hood and Cloak. Ready Erestor. Attach Spare Hood and Cloak to him.
Play: Tale of Tinuviel (Arwen -1). Exhaust Arwen. Ready Aragorn, giving him +3 willpower, attack, defense for the phase.
Updated willpower: 19
I could go Dwarven Tomb -> Tale of Tinuviel to get two more willpower, but I need three and I would rather hold onto the resources for now.
Place 9 progress on The Crossing at Tharbad (9/12).
Forced (Lindon Navigator): Discard A Good Harvest.

No Travel

Encounter Phase
Engage Orc Skirmisher. Deal 3 damage to Erestor (3/4).
I could sacrifice an ally, but I don't care too much about my score and would rather have all the willpower I can keep for next round. Especially since I'll likely need to loose my Navigator this round

Combat Phase
Deal shadow card to Orc Skrimisher. Attacks! Lindon Navigator defends. Shadow: Cornered (+2 attack). Navigator is destroyed. Raise threat to 6.
Play: Fair and Perilous (Arwen -1). Choose Erestor to add his 2 willpower to his attack for the phase.
Aragorn + Erestor declare an attack on Orc Skrimisher, destroying it.

Refresh Phase
Forced (Nalir): Raise threat to 7.
Ready all. Raise threat to 8.
Discard hand.
Remove 1 time counter from stage 2B (1/3)

Round 8
Resource Phase
+1 Aragorn (2), +1 Arwen Undomiel (2), +1 Erestor (2)
Draw: Tale of Tinuviel, Healing Herbs, Herald of Anorien, Dwarven Tomb

Play None

Quest Phase
Commit: Aragorn (4), Arwen (3; does not exhaust), Erestor (2), Fili (1), Kili (1), Elven Jewler (1), Erebor Hammersmith (1), Envoy of Pelagir (1).
Total Willpower: 14
Spend 1 of Aragorn's resources to ready him.
Reveal: Decrepit Rooftops
Total Threat: 8
Won. Time to win more.
Protector of Lorien: Discard Healing Herbs and Herald of Anorien to give Arwen +2 willpower
Updated Willpower: 16
Play: Tale of Tinuviel (Arwen -1). Exhaust Aragorn. Ready Erestor, giving him +2 wilpower, attack, defense for the phase.
Updated Willpower: 18
Play: Dwarven Tomb (Aragorn -1). Return Tale of Tinuviel to hand.
Play: Tale of Tinuviel (Arwen -1). Exhaust Arwen. Ready Aragorn, giving him +3 willpower, attack, defense for the phase.
Updated willpower; 21
Place 13 progress on The Crossing and Tharbad (21/12), exploring it and winning the game!

Final Scoring
7 Completed Rounds x70: 70
Ending Threat: 8
Total Damage on Heroes: 4 (1 on Arwen, 4 on Erestor)
Threat of Defeated Heroes: 0
Victory Display: -4
Total Score: 78


The Recap

I am a bit torn on how to classify this quest, in terms of it being a favorite or not. I had a blast playing it due to the deck I was piloting but not necessarily due to the quest it self. Now the mechanic of trying to get to zero threat on stage 1 opens up the possibility for some fun deck design, specifically allowing you to use secrecy cards (eventually) without limiting your starting threat (Shadow and Flame does this as well). That makes me want to come back to this one and do some deck testing, but there was little else about the quest itself that really stuck out as memorable. Still, making it to the list of quests I want to come back to is merit enough to earn it a spot on the Favorite list. Because when the itch to get up to some crazy secrecy shenanigans hits me, I'll be looking to stir up some trouble in Tharbad again.