Progressive by Cycle - Khazad-Dum and Dwarrowdelf

naner 72

Description

Play Log:

Into the pit

Very intense play-through. Both decks ended with 46 threat. I was not lucky with the open hand for deck 1, but somehow I managed to gather a lot of allies on deck 1. Deck 2 was the support deck, and it was decisive to win the scenario. Durin's Song was really strong. And lure of moria saved my ass at stage 3B, so I could quest with everyone and than ready everyone to battle.

I sensed a lack of card drawn force, but for the purposed to staying true to the theme, I opted to leave out a lot of this cards.

Deck1 Dwalin was decisive to keep player 2 alive, killing orcs. Thalin was very strong on questing, do to the damage factor. Gimli didn't do much, only blocked.

Deck 2 Dain-Iron foot was the real mvp, he did nothing himself, but his ability was legendary. Whenever a shadow card triggered him to be exhausted, my entire team suffered. Bifur only quested and blocked. Gloin was brave, doing a little bit of everything. Worth of note: Gloin died to a Patrol Leader orc, because of a shadow card that added more 2 power to the orc. (on stage 2).

The general filling of the scenario was great. You really get the urge to run through the underground passages and trying to figure out the way while fighting the orcs. The flavor of the cards was good.

Rate: 8.5/10

The Seventh Level

It was an easy scenario. With a couple allies in the field you can control the enemies flow and be in control of the quest phase. The real mvp here was Thalin, doing quests every time he killed at least 3 goblin archers which are the most threatening enemies. So ensure he quests every time.

The troll was took down with faint.

But again, the lack of a card draw mechanic really hurts both decks. I had to use gandalf to draw cards to keep it going. A lot of resources and lack of useful cards in hand.

Also a good combo was the Erebor Record Keeper with other heroes.

About the flavor, it was bad. It was good to see book of mazarbul as an objective, but they could have done it better.

Rate: 5/10

Flight from Moria

What a ride. I got a lit bit unlucky here, but it was enough to test the decks and beat the scenario. Deck 1 was going really really strong on killing and questing. With copies of Ever My Heart Rises and Dwalin, I was almost going under 20 threat at the begging of the game.

But then I was faced with the quest Blocked by Shadow, and deck 1 died. And after that because of an treachery card I had to shuffle this quest in the quest deck again.

Deck 2 manage to carry till the end of the quest, but unluckily my objective card was one of the last cards in the encounter deck, and I spent too much time on the Flee from Darkness quest. Till I was running out of time and decided to bypass it and try to beat the Bloecked by Shadow again. And that is was I did.

It was intense, the feel was great, the flavor was excellent and you really get anxious to flee from Moria asap !

Rate: 8/10

1 comments
Jul 04, 2018 naner 72 Play Log: Last half of the cycle The Long Dark The quest was very enjoyable and thematic. Bombur and Erebor Archivist were the big hits for this quest. Bombur was consistently letting me nullify any location threat that comes into play during questing, while the Erebor Archivist was really helping during combat to ready key characters. I took a lot of damage on my heroes but none died, Gimli was really strong after taking 3 damage. In a critical turn, I found the Durin's Greaves, which saved me during combat for because of its huge defense boost. You could feel the tension building up as you went down and down. Rate: 7.5/10 The Foundation of Stone I really liked the key idea behind getting lost due to a water flux. And each player needed to fight to find each other. Really helped the immersion. As far as the deck goes, I was cough by surprise because I didn't ready the quest in advance and I was not expecting to get the two decks apart from each other. Deck 2 was still strong by itself due to a couple allies in play, while deck 1 was focusing in just keeping alive, while deck 2 can encounter it. After they got together again, it was better to handle the enemies. The Nameless ones were so strong... and a couple of treachery cards powering them up, costed me the life of Thalin and Gloin. It was hard to see them go away. In the end, deck 1 was dangerously close to reach thread 50, but I managed to finish it in time. Rate: 8/10 Shadow and Flame The best adventure of the cycle, and the most difficult one. On immersion level, this one is top notch. While I was doing it, I didn't even need to read any of the quest cards in advance, I knew what I have to do: flee, as fast as you can. But in the middle of the adventure, on stage 2, I decided that maybe I had a chance, and I went half way combat mode to "kill" the Balrog, and half questing. This almost cost me the game later on. The Balrog was so strong. Attacking both players every turn ! I also got many treacheries that allowed him to make immediate attacks during quests, this was brutal. I manage to take it down on stage 2, but them on stage 3, because I finished the quest during combat, I didnt had the dark pit as my active location on the refresh phase, so I had to quest again before the next refresh. This allowed the Balrog to recover 6 life, and with 2 treacheries that allowed him to attack and one attachment, I ended with only Dwalin alive on deck 1 and no hand, and Gloin and one Ally on deck 2. I was betting everything for this turn refresh phase. If I could not reach the 7 cost, the Balrog would annihilate my team. I exhausted 2 characters from deck 2 first player, and the first card: Brok Ironfist!!!!!!! WOW!!!!! Already had 6 ! Only more 1 ! and I manage it with Hardy leadership ! I won, but it was lucky, I flew from Moria finally ! This quest was insane. And finishing it on the verge of defeat left me with a sweet taste in my mouth. The Dwarves had made it ! P.S.: Long shall be remembered. king Dain Ironfoot, who fought bravely and fell for the last hit of Durin's Bane. May it be the last dwarf killed by this terrible foe. Rate: 10/10

1 comments

Jul 04, 2018 naner 72

Play Log: Last half of the cycle

The Long Dark

The quest was very enjoyable and thematic. Bombur and Erebor Archivist were the big hits for this quest. Bombur was consistently letting me nullify any location threat that comes into play during questing, while the Erebor Archivist was really helping during combat to ready key characters.

I took a lot of damage on my heroes but none died, Gimli was really strong after taking 3 damage.

In a critical turn, I found the Durin's Greaves, which saved me during combat for because of its huge defense boost.

You could feel the tension building up as you went down and down.

Rate: 7.5/10

The Foundation of Stone

I really liked the key idea behind getting lost due to a water flux. And each player needed to fight to find each other. Really helped the immersion.

As far as the deck goes, I was cough by surprise because I didn't ready the quest in advance and I was not expecting to get the two decks apart from each other.

Deck 2 was still strong by itself due to a couple allies in play, while deck 1 was focusing in just keeping alive, while deck 2 can encounter it.

After they got together again, it was better to handle the enemies.

The Nameless ones were so strong... and a couple of treachery cards powering them up, costed me the life of Thalin and Gloin. It was hard to see them go away.

In the end, deck 1 was dangerously close to reach thread 50, but I managed to finish it in time.

Rate: 8/10

Shadow and Flame

The best adventure of the cycle, and the most difficult one.

On immersion level, this one is top notch. While I was doing it, I didn't even need to read any of the quest cards in advance, I knew what I have to do: flee, as fast as you can.

But in the middle of the adventure, on stage 2, I decided that maybe I had a chance, and I went half way combat mode to "kill" the Balrog, and half questing. This almost cost me the game later on.

The Balrog was so strong. Attacking both players every turn ! I also got many treacheries that allowed him to make immediate attacks during quests, this was brutal.

I manage to take it down on stage 2, but them on stage 3, because I finished the quest during combat, I didnt had the dark pit as my active location on the refresh phase, so I had to quest again before the next refresh. This allowed the Balrog to recover 6 life, and with 2 treacheries that allowed him to attack and one attachment, I ended with only Dwalin alive on deck 1 and no hand, and Gloin and one Ally on deck 2. I was betting everything for this turn refresh phase. If I could not reach the 7 cost, the Balrog would annihilate my team.

I exhausted 2 characters from deck 2 first player, and the first card: Brok Ironfist!!!!!!! WOW!!!!! Already had 6 ! Only more 1 ! and I manage it with Hardy leadership !

I won, but it was lucky, I flew from Moria finally ! This quest was insane. And finishing it on the verge of defeat left me with a sweet taste in my mouth.

The Dwarves had made it !

P.S.: Long shall be remembered. king Dain Ironfoot, who fought bravely and fell for the last hit of Durin's Bane. May it be the last dwarf killed by this terrible foe.

Rate: 10/10