Voyage Across Belegaer progression

Description

What an enjoyable quest!

This time the questing deck is supposed to really only quest/support and leave combat to the other player - although it can usually handle the odd enemy it engages due to the Boarding Party treachery. The fighting deck can handle everything after turtling for a bit on the initial stage.

General gameplan: the questing deck sails on the Dream-Chaser (which usually helps for the sailing tests), while the fighting deck boards Nárelenya to defend the ship-attacks (and pump out the costlier allies faster). Both decks have plenty of cheap allies for their sailing. The support player starts game as the first player, usually getting out 1-2 one-cost allies on turn 1 who commit to the sailing test together with the Dream-Chaser, also giving the other deck time to get out an ent or two who should be ready for the next round's sailing. After a couple more rounds your board should be well established to eventually sail through.

Questing deck - notable cards:

Círdan usually only quests and later on readies useful allies (ents/wardens of healing) once he has light of valinor and Narya attached, which is when he can also help paying for Faramir/Anborn. Merry usually holds back to lower your threat. Sam quests and helps out defeating higher threat-cost enemies when applicable.

Northern tracker shines once again to get you out of trouble, although I don't include him as a 3-of because the cheaper allies for sailing are more imporant.

Mariner's Compass and West Road Traveller help out with some nasty travel effects.

Silver Harp lets you keep both cards you draw with Círdan's ability.

Song of Eärendil is the threat reduction (or, more precisely, threat-staller) for the other deck where the questing deck absorbs its threat raise (it can afford to do so with Merry and Sneaky Gandalf).

Mulligan for: cheap allies are a must on your starting hand, Light of Valinor / Narya / Silver Harp are also very nice to see.

Fighting deck - notable cards:

Galdor very often quests and works as card draw as it is quite likely you will be able play out all your cards with Nárelenya's resource acceleration. Háma recycles your Feints a few times and Denethor can make your sailing tests a lot easier when not needed for defense - if you use him for scrying and don't see a passing mark, you can slightly improve your odds by tossing the encounter card to the bottom.

Treebeard is an additional resource help with the many ents, while the Booming Ents can eventually take care of most enemies with their boost from other damaged ents.

Explorer's Almanac/The Evening Star are another source of location control, while Infighting / Tireless Hunters can help you out with enemies engaged with the other player that should not be.

Nárelenya stays in reserve to defend against any ship attacks that don't get Feinted.

As there is quite a bit of attachment hate during combat, there are almost no attachments in this deck.

Mulligan for: Cheap allies (2 cost allies are ok) who can be ready for turn 2's sailing. It's also good to get Treebeard onboard rather sooner than later.

Don't. Leave. The. Course!

0 comments