Opening Thoughts
Time for my first crack at The Caves of Nibin-dum. The core set introduced the game with an easy quest, then ramped up the difficulty, and ended with a frustrating nightmare. It will be very interesting to see how much the difficulty ramps up here. Does it feel appropriate for a beginner with a starter pool of cards?
The Decks
Precon Gondor and Dwarves are back! Like The Oath, I'll be keeping these as their stock versions to start with. We'll start getting fancy with the ingredients moving forward. Dwarves pumped out a solid ally swarm last time I ran these decks and Gondor struggled to keep up. Let's see if the pattern repeats.
The Quest
Goblin Chieftain and Cracked Pillar set aside. Cave Torch attached to Prince Imrahil (Gondor set as first player). Proceed to 1B. Gondor picks Collapsed Mine to add to the staging area and the Dwarves pick Goblin Dungeon.
Round 1
Resources and cards! Gondor: Heir of Mardil. That'll add some spice to my Steward of Gondor timing. Dwarfs: Lure of Moria. A great card that will definitely come in handy.
Steward of Gondor goes on Boromir (Denethor wishes!). Steward is exhausted and Soldier of Gondor is played, finding Faramir in the first five cards and adding him to hand. Erebor Record Keeper goes down for the Dwarves.
Prince Imrahil, Mabling, Ori, Bifu, and Erebor Record Keeper quest. Total Willpower: 12.
Gondor reveals: Wild Warg
Dwarves reveal: Goblintown Scavengers. Gondor discards Valiant Sword and Dwarves discard Ered Nimrais Prospector, giving the Scavengers +3 threat.
Total threat: 11. One progress placed on the quest. The gang travels to the Goblin Dungeon, revealing Evil in the Dark. Doomed 1 (Gondor 33, Dwarves 27). Gondor will raise there threat by 2 (35) and Dwarves will discard the Erebor Record Keeper.
Gondor engages the Wild Wargs (resource added to Mablung) and Dwarves engage the Goblintown Scavengers. Shadow cards are delt. Wild Wargs attack and the Soldier of Gondor defends. Shadow: None. Soldier of Gondor takes one damage. Goblintown Scavengers attacks undefended. Shadow: +2 attack (3 total). Three damage goes on Dain. Boromir attacks the Wild Wargs, dealing two damage. Dain attacks and kills the Goblintown Scavengers.
Cave Torch is exhausted to put three progress on the Collapsed Mine. Discard: Crumbling Ruin. That's a treachery I'm very happy to see gone.
Ready. Raise (Gondor: 36, Dwarves 28). Pass first player token to Dwarves.
Phew. I'm already feeling the increased toughness in this one!
Round 2
Resources and cards! Dwarves: We Are Not Idle. Gondor: Envoy of Pelagir.
Narvi's Belt goes on Bifer. Erebor Hammersmith comes down. Valiant Sword returned to Gondor's hand. Mablung pays for Envoy of Pelagir, gets a resource back, and plays for Defender of Ramas. Steward of Gondor is exhausted and Faramir comes down.
Cave Torch is exhausted to explore the Collapsed Mine. Discard: Goblin Runners.
Questing: Bifur, Ori, Mablung, Prince Imrahil, Envoy of Pelargir. Total Willpower: 11 (can be bumped to 14 by Faramir).
Dwarves reveal: Obsidian Arrows. Two damages goes on Erebor Hammersmith.
Gondor reveals: Goblin Sniper.
Total threat: 3.
Exhausted Faramir to add +3 to Willpower. Five progress placed on Goblin Dungeon. Dwarves look at the top five and put Dori into play. Six progress placed on 1B.
Gondor engages the Goblin Runners (resource added to Mablung's pool). Shadow cards are dealt.
Goblin Runners attacks Soldier of Gondor. Shadow: Will make an additional attack with an additional shadow. Soldier dies. Prince Imrahil readies. New shadow dealt to Goblin Runners and it attacks, with Defender of Rammas doing it's namesake. No effect. No damage dealt.
Wild Wargs attack and Prince Imrahil defends. Shadow: Cancel all combat damage Wargs would receive. Bromir kills the Goblin Runners.
Dwarves deal a damage to Dori and Gondor deals a damage to Envoy of Pelargir. A resource is moved from Mablung to Bifur. Ready. Raise (Gondor 37, Dwarves 29). Pass token to Gondor.
Round 3
Resources and cards! Gondor: Defender of Ramas. Dwarves: Miner of the Iron Hills, Ered Luin Miner (thank you for the extra card, Ori).
Steward of Gondor exhausts. Visionary Leadership goes on Boromir. Heir of Mardil goes on Mablung. One resource stays in Bormir's pool for reasons. Narvi's Belt exhausts to make Bifur a leader. Gloin is played and two resources are added back to Bifur. Erid Luid Miner enters play.
Questing: Prince Imrahil, Mablung, Ori, Bifur. Total Willpower: 10.
Gondor reveals: Lost in the Dark. Choice is made to exhaust the Cave Torch. Discarded: Branching Paths (not added to staging area).
Dwarves reveal: Goblin Tunnels.
Total Threat: 4.
Stage 1B is history. Advance to stage 2A. Goblin Chieftain added to the staging area. Goblintown Scavengers and Great Cave Troll added to the staging area. Advance to 2B.
The gang travels to the Goblin Tunnels.
Dwarves engage the Goblin Chieftan. Great Cave-Troll engages Gondor (Mablung gains a resource and readies, exhausting Heir). Goblintown Scavengers engage the Dwarves. Shadow cards are dealt.
Busy, busy boardstate
Great Cave Troll attacks and Envoy of Pelagir defends. Shadow: Deal 1 damage to a character I control (Faramir). Envoy dies. Prince Imrahil readies.
Wild Wargs attack and Defender of Rammas defenders. Shadow: +1 attack. No damage dealt.
Goblin Chieftain attacks. Ered Luin Miner defends. Shadow: None. One damage dealt and the Goblin Chieftain returns to the staging area.
Goblintown Scavengers attack and Dori defends. Shadow: None. No damage dealt.
All of Gondor unites to strike down the Great Cave Troll.
Dain and Gloin take out the Goblintown Scavengers.
Goblin sniper puts a damage on Faramir and Dori.
Ready. Raise (Gondor 38, Dwarves 30). Token passes back to Dwarves.
Round 4
Resources and cards! Dwarves: Gloin, Lonbeard Elder. Gondor: Feint.
Dwarves lay down a Longbeard Elder. Gondor gets a second Defender of Rammas and a Valiant Sword is put on Boromir. Steward exhausts to give Bormir two resources, one of which is transferred to Bifur.
Dwarves are questing with six characters. Longbeard Elder peeks at the encounter deck and sees a Cavern Warg, reducing his willpower by 1 and promising another week of winter. Gondor quests with Mablung and Prince Imrahil. Total Willpower: 20.
Dwarves reveal: Cavern Warg (whaaaaat). Gondor reveals: Crumbling Stairs. Total threat: 9. Faramir exhausts to increase willpower by 6. 7 progress placed on Goblin Tunnels, exploring it. 8 progress placed on 2B (which currently has 16 quest points...to be remedied shortly).
The gang travels to the Crumbling Stairs. Gondor engages the Cavern Wargs (resource & ready for Mablung). Shadow cards are dealt.
Cavern Warg attacks a Defender of Rammas. Shadow: Deal 1 damage to defending character. Prince Imrahil readies. The attack of three is now undefended. Dori sacrifices himself to take the damage.
Wild Wargs attack the other Defender of Rammas. Shadow: Discard an ally if attack is undefended (it is not). No damage dealt.
Boromir and Mablung defeat the Cavern Warg. Prince Imrahil defeats the Wild Wargs.
2B now has 8 quest points and 8 progress. Advancing to 3A! Goblin Chieftain is set aside and Cracked Pillar is added to the staging area. Advance to 3B.
Goblin Sniper places a damage on Gloin and Mablung. Ready. Raise (Gondor 39, Dwarves 31). Pass token to Gondor.
Round 5
Cards and resources! Gondor: Need Drives Them. Dwarves: Hidden Cache, Thror's Map.
Steward gives Boromir two more resources. One is transferred to Bifur. Thror's Map goes on Ori.
Gondor quests with Mablung. Dwarves quest with Ori, Bifur, Gloin, and Longbeard Elder. A peek at the encounter deck shows as Lightless Passage, so Longbeard's willpower stays. One progress goes on the Crumbling Stairs.
Gondor reveals: Lightless Passsage.
Dwarves reveal: Crumbling Ruin. Dwarves exhaust Erebor Hammersmith, planning on loosing it. Narvi's Belth is discarded and Erebor Hammersmith (one hitpoint left) is discarded. The only thing that could defeat Boromir (5 hit points) is Gandalf. Two in the deck. I just can't take the risk. I exhaust Defender of Rammas. discard Valiant Sword and discard the Defender. Boo.
Total threat: 8. Crumbling Stairs is explored. Discard: Collapsed Mine, which is added to the staging area.
Discard Thror's Map to make Cracked Pillar the active location.
Gondor engages the Goblin Sniper. Ready & resource for Mablung. Shadow card is dealt.
I play Pillar of the Kings to raise Gondor's threat to 40 and draw a card (Soldier of Gondor).
Goblin Sniper attacks and Prince Imrahil defends. Shadow: Return enemy to staging if a characgter is destroyed. No damage dealt. Faramir destroys the Goblin Sniper.
Exhaust Cave Tourch to put 3 progress on Lightless Passage. Discard: Great Cave Troll, who gets added to the staging area.
Ready. Raise (Gondor: 41, Dwarves: 32). Pass token to Dwarves.
Staging area is starting to get pretty full.
Round 6
Resources & draw. Dwarves: Durin's Song, Longbeard Elder. Gondor: Errand-Rider.
One resource transfers from Boromir to Bifur. Dwarves get Gandalf down and draw three cards (Longbeard Elder, King Under the Moutain, Cram). Cram is played on Boromir. Gondor plays Soldire of Gondor, finding Soldier of Gondor and Squire of the Citadel in the top 5. Another Soldier goes down, finding Angbor the Fearless and Envoy of Pelargir. Envoy of Pelargir goes down, adding a resource to Boromir. Steward is exhausted to add two resources to Boromir. Angbor the Fearless and Squire of the Citadel go down.
Cave Torch is exhausted to explore the Lightless Passage. Goblins are Upon You is discarded and not added to the staging area.
Angor amd Mablung quest for Gondor. Ori, Bifur, and Gloin quest for the Dwarves. Total Willpower: 15.
Encounter deck is shuffled.
Dwarves reveal: Goblin Dungeon
Gondor reveals: Lost in the Dark. I choose that no progress can be placed on the quest until the end of hte phase (lol).
Total threat: 10. Two progress placed on Cracked Pillar. Advance to 4A. Goblin Chieftain is added to the staging area. Advance to 4B.
Opting out of travel. We're out of here next round.
Dwarves engage Goblin Chieftain and Gondor engages Great Cave Troll. Mablung gets ready and gets a resource. Shadow cards are dealt.
Goblin Chieftain attacks and Gandalf defends. Shadow: +3. Three damage placed on our Wizard pal. Chieftain returns to the staging area.
Great Cave-Troll attacks and Squire of the Citadel defends. Shadow: None. Squire is obliterated. One resource added to Boromir's pool.
Boromir, Prince Imrahil, and Mablung destroy the Great Cave-Troll.
Discard Gandalf (by-e). Read. Raise (Gondor 42, Dwarves 32). Token passes to Gondor.
Round 7
Resources and card-os. Gondor: Pelegir Ship-Captain. Dwarves: Ered Luin Miner, Gandalf.
Exhaust Steward to give Boromir even more cash-money. Play down Pelegir Ship-Captain (move a resource from Boromir to Bifur). Transfer another resource from Boromir to Bifur. Dwaves put down another Longbeard Elder.
Everyone goes all in questing (just wait for it), except Dain and Faramir. Total Willpower: 35. Peeking at the top of the encounter deck shows a Goblin sniper, so both Longbeard's loose a willpower (now 33).
Gondor reveals: Goblin Sniper
Dwarves reveal: Wild Wargs
Total Threat: 13. 20 progress is placed on the quest.
Gondor plays Need Drives Them, readying all their characters. Dwarves play Lure of Moria, readying all Dwarves.
No travel.
Gondor engages Goblin Chieftain and Dwarves engage Wild Wargs. Obsidian Arrows is discarded and not added to the Dwarves' engagements. Shadow cards are dealt.
Gondor plays feint to prevent Goblin Chieftain from attacking.
Wild Wargs attack. Ered Luin Miner defends. Shadow: No effect. Miner is destroyed.
Gondor rains hell down on the Goblin Chieftain and victory is achieved!
Final Score: 137 (60 for rounds completed, 41 threat Gondor + 1 hero damage, 32 threat for Dwarves + 3 hero damage, nothing in the victory display).
Parting Thoughts
Now that felt like an appropriate quest to end a beginner's set with. Tough, but able to be beaten with a good deck and keeping your wits about you. I am very thankful these two quests did not remain locked behind the Two-Player Limited Edition Starter. My recommended order for a new player would be:
1. Passage Through Mirkwood
2. The Oath
3. Journey Down the Aundin
4. The Caves of Nibin-dum
5. Escape from Dol Guldur
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