Thorin and Company: Dungeons Deep and Caverns Dim

With my apologies for the delay since my last session report, the thematic journey through The Hobbit continues. After being abducted by goblins during their journey over the Misty Mountains, Thorin and Company killed the Great Goblin and escaped. As the dwarves and Gandalf try to find their way through the maze of goblin tunnels, Bilbo is alone and lost. When he meets the creature called Gollum, he must win a game of riddles in order to find the way out and rejoin his companions. This quest is played with the same 54-card deck as the last quest (including the three treasures).

GENERAL STRATEGIES

This is an unconventional quest, with stages one and two simultaneously in play. Stage two of this quest requires me to answer riddles by guessing the cost, sphere, and/or type of random cards from my deck. This is a controversial mechanic: while some players appreciate it as a thematic recreation of Bilbo searching for the answer in the riddle game, others dislike the randomness which can result in Bilbo’s death. Stage one is more conventional, but causes the encounter deck to reveal an additional card for each player during staging. Since Goblin Runners have surge, it’s quite possible for three goblins to be revealed in one round of solo play, so I need to be ready to handle heavy combat quickly. Stage three is usually completed quickly if my forces are built up, but a chain of surging treacheries and some tough warg enemies can pose a challenge. Here are some of my tactics for this quest:

Know your deck thoroughly: The best opportunity to reduce the randomness of finding riddle answers is when deck-building. A monosphere deck with 30 allies and 25 2-cost cards will answer riddles pretty easily. If you choose less effective cards for the sake of riddle consistency, however, you may have trouble in stages one and three. In my case, I built a thematic deck for all the Hobbit quests with cards from all four spheres, but I kept riddles in mind when deck-building. At the end of my introductory article I did a deck analysis, determining the best and second-best guesses for each riddle with a full deck. Of course, I never have to answer a riddle with all of my cards in the deck, so the best guess for a riddle may change. (If my opening hand is Gloin, Fili, Bifur, Dori, Self Preservation and Lure of Moria, then Leadership 2 is tied with Leadership 3 and Lore 3 for the best answer to What’s In My Pocket? It may become the best answer as more cards are drawn.) Before answering a riddle, I always look at the cards in my hand, in play, and in my discard pile. If I know my deck composition thoroughly, or at least the more likely candidates for answering that riddle, I can determine by process of elimination how many matches are left in my deck for the answers I might give. This doesn’t remove the randomness of riddles, but it ensures that I choose the answer with the best odds.

Thin your deck aggressively, provided you can recycle it: A smaller player deck is better for answering riddles. Even if the cards that were originally the best guesses have mostly been drawn, there’s less randomness with a smaller deck. That means a better chance of finding a match, especially if Bilbo has a few resources available. Ori, Legacy of Durin, Glamdring, We Are Not Idle and Bifur all help me to shrink my deck by drawing. King Under the Mountain is especially powerful, since it removes two cards from the deck each turn. A small deck is helpful, but it’s necessary to have cards in the deck to answer riddles. Will of the West recycles my discard pile into a new deck so that I don’t run out of cards. Because I have so much draw and not many events, my discard pile tends to be relatively small, meaning there’s not too much randomness after it gets shuffled into a new deck. If Will of the West is discarded during a riddle, Dwarven Tomb can retrieve it. If ever Will of the West and Dwarven Tomb are both in the discard pile (or if Song of Travel, A Good Harvest and both copies of Narvi’s Belt are), then I want to avoid using optional effects to draw cards and focus on completing stage two before running out of cards in my deck.

Usually choose to answer riddles: This is a rule of thumb, since it depends on several factors: the odds of finding a match, whether Bilbo has any damage, the number of Baggins resources, how difficult not answering the riddle would be for the dwarves, and the amount of progress on stage two. It’s worth keeping in mind that answering a riddle is required for What’s In My Pocket? (always) and for It Likes Riddles? (unless cancellation is available), which is especially significant when Bilbo has damage and is trying to avoid difficult riddles. This deck was built to handle most riddles fairly well, which can help the dwarves from being overwhelmed by encounter cards. Usually answering riddles also helps to complete stage two sooner. The Warg’s Glade is an exception: it is a difficult riddle and a relatively harmless location, so it should normally be resolved as a location.

Build up Baggins resources: I tend to use Bilbo’s Magic Ring for resources whenever Bilbo is low on resources and threat isn’t a major concern. Sneak Attack and Gandalf typically allow me to use the ring several times without threating out. (Gandalf’s draw ability can also be used to thin my deck if Bilbo has several resources or my threat is not high.) If I’m answering a difficult riddle, I might take a damage on Bilbo instead of spending Baggins resources for a slim chance at finding a match. On the other hand, it can be worth spending resources for an easy riddle even after a match is found, to advance more quickly in stage two.

Get several allies out quickly: With two encounter cards revealed each round and 12 goblins in the encounter deck, it’s important to prepare for combat quickly. Threat in the staging area can also be an issue, especially when The Goblins’ Caves is the active location. If there are multiple enemies early on, it might be better to take an attack undefended than to sacrifice an ally, especially if that will result in controlling less than 5 dwarves. Taking an attack undefended is not especially dangerous if Thorin has no damage: there are no shadow cards that boost attack by more than 1 (with the exception of shadow cards with riddles on Wild Wargs, which I normally choose to resolve as a riddle instead of as an enemy), and the only encounter card that deals direct damage (the shadow effect of Grip, grab! Pinch, nab!) allows me to distribute that damage. Balin’s ability is useful against the shadow effect of Goblin Runners, which has the enemy attack again. Once several allies are out, the dwarves are able to handle combat and questing.

Note: As before, the text in green is purely thematic. It describes what happened each round according to the cards, but with the underlying influence (and some of the words) of Tolkien’s text. This quest in particular covers a good deal of the story, so these sections can be long.

SESSION REPORT

Heroes: Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Ori, Bilbo Baggins

Starting Threat: 29

Starting Hand: Dori, Nori, Gandalf, Unexpected Courage, Legacy of Durin, Sting

I mulligan.

New Starting Hand: Gloin, Fili, Song of Travel, We Are Not Idle, Lure of Moria, Dwarven Tomb

Thoughts: The first hand wouldn’t allow me to quickly control five dwarves. It had Legacy of Durin, but no Leadership dwarves, no resource management, and a dead card (Sting). The second hand is much better. With We Are Not Idle and Fili, I can control five dwarves the first round. Gloin and Song of Travel provide some resource flexibility, and Dwarven Tomb ensures that I’ll be able to retrieve Will of the West if it’s discarded.

Encounter Deck Setup: I add Lake in the Cavern (2 threat) to the staging area and create a riddle area with Bilbo, Bilbo’s Magic Ring, and Gollum.

ROUND 1 (2 threat in staging area, 0/14 progress on 1B, 0/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 29 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 1, Balin – 1, Ori – 1, Bilbo Baggins – 1

Draw: A Test of Will

New Hand: Gloin, Fili, Song of Travel, We Are Not Idle, Lure of Moria, A Test of Will, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I play We Are Not Idle, exhausting Ori to give Thorin a resource and drawing We Are Not Idle. I play Fili, searching my deck for Kili and putting him into play.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 0, Balin – 0, Ori – 1, Bilbo Baggins – 1

Dwarves in play: 5

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Thorin, Fili and Kili to the quest, for a total of 5 willpower. With two encounter cards being revealed each turn, I might get significant threat in the staging area, and might have to engage two enemies. Keeping only Balin back for defense lets me invest reasonable willpower in the quest. If two enemies engage me, Thorin can take an undefended attack.

Staging:

Card 1: Goblin Axeman (2 threat).

Card 2: Goblin Miners (2 threat). Facing two enemies is not ideal.

Resolution: I have 5 willpower committed against 6 threat, so I raise my threat by 1 to 30. I then proceed to combat with the goblins who engage me.

COMBAT

Enemy attacks: Balin (2 defense) defends against Goblin Axeman (2 attack). The shadow card, Great Gray Wolf, has no effect. Balin is unharmed, and it’s good to see Great Gray Wolf discarded. The Goblin Miners (2 attack) attack is taken undefended. Their shadow card, Goblin Runners, has them make a second attack. This is the downside of not leaving a resource for Balin’s ability. Ori takes 2 damage (1 hit point remaining). For their second attack, their shadow card, Grip, grab! Pinch, nab!, has me deal two damage among my characters. I deal 1 damage to Fili (1 hit point remaining) and 1 to Kili (1 hit point remaining). Thorin takes 2 damage (3 hit points remaining). Since threat is not a major concern right now, I exhaust Bilbo’s Magic Ring and raise my threat by 2 to 32 to give Bilbo a resource. I then Refresh, raising my threat to 33.

Bilbo bumped up and down on Dori’s back as Thorin and company hurried forward, looking for a way out of the goblin caves. As the company reached an intersection of tunnels, goblins swarmed out, separating the members of the company and creating chaos. One goblin grabbed Dori from behind, who stumbled, and Bilbo fell, rolling into a nearby shaft the goblins sometimes used to mine deeper. Fortunately it was not a long fall, but Bilbo landed hard and lay there stunned.

Thorin, Balin, Ori, Fili and Kili had been at the front of the company, and they found themselves surrounded by a small group of goblins. Balin deflected the blow of a goblin with a sharp-looking axe, but several smaller goblins jabbed with daggers at Thorin, Ori, Fili and Kili, drawing blood.

Meanwhile, Bilbo shakily got up. Everything around him was black. He groped around, trying to orient himself. His hand came across what felt like a small ring on the stone floor of the tunnel, and he absent-mindedly put it into his pocket. He heard sounds of fighting in the distance above, but couldn’t find any way to climb up. Finally he decided that it was no good waiting around, so he headed forward down the tunnel.

ROUND 2 (2 threat in staging area, 0/14 progress on 1B, 0/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 33 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 2, Balin – 1, Ori – 2, Bilbo Baggins – 3

Draw: Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), Bombur.

New Hand: Gloin, Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), Bombur, Song of Travel, We Are Not Idle, Lure of Moria, A Test of Will, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I play Gloin, adding two resources to Ori. I play Nori. I play We Are Not Idle, exhausting all dwarves to give Balin 7 resources, and drawing Fili. I play Lure of Moria, readying all dwarves. I use one of Balin’s resources to play Song of Travel on Balin.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 0, Balin – 3, Ori – 1, Bilbo Baggins – 3

Dwarves in play: 7; Thorin and Ori each have 2 damage, and Fili and Kili each have 1 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Gloin and Kili to the quest, for a total of 3 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Ori, Fili and Nori back for combat).

Staging:

Card 1: Come down little bird. My favourite riddle: I choose Ally 3. There are currently 15 possible matches in my deck of 42 cards. I discard A Good Harvest, Fili and King Under the Mountain. I place 1 progress token on 2B, for a total of 1/9.

Card 2: What’s In My Pocket? This riddle is tougher. I choose Lore 3. There are currently 7 possible matches in my deck of 39 cards. I discard Fast Hitch and Narvi’s Belt. I don’t have great odds of finding an answer, so I’ll save my resources for later. Since I didn’t find a match, Gollum (2 attack) attacks Bilbo (1 defense). Bilbo takes 1 damage (2 hit points remaining).

Resolution: I have 3 willpower committed against 2 threat, so I place 1 progress token on 1B, for a total of 1/14. The dwarves have their hands full, so I’m glad the encounter cards didn’t affect them. I then proceed to combat.

COMBAT

Enemy attacks: Balin (2 defense) defends against the Goblin Axeman (2 attack). The shadow card, Wild Wargs, has no effect and Balin is unharmed. Nori (1 defense) defends against Goblin Miners (2 attack). The shadow card is Goblin Runners, and Balin spends a resource to cancel it. The replacement shadow card, It Likes Riddles?, has no effect and Nori takes 1 damage (2 hit points remaining).

Player attacks: Thorin (3 attack) and Fili (1 attack) together kill the Goblin Axeman (2 defense, 2 hit points). Ori (2 attack) wounds the Goblin Miners (1 defense, 2 hit points), which now have 1 hit point remaining. I also exhaust Bilbo’s Magic Ring and raise my threat by 2 to 35 to give Bilbo a resource. I don’t plan on doing this again until I can lower my threat with Gandalf, but I want some insurance since Bilbo already has a damage. I then Refresh, raising my threat to 36.

Gloin and Nori saw that Thorin’s group of dwarves was surrounded and rushed to join them. They formed a tight circle, facing the goblins, and Thorin cried, “We’ll fight our way free and reach the Lonely Mountain.” Balin sang out, “To find our long-forgotten gold,” as he again blocked a goblin axe. A small goblin stabbed at Nori before Ori struck it down, and Thorin and Fili killed the larger goblin with the axe.

Meanwhile, Bilbo was hurrying down the tunnel, trying to find an exit, when suddenly he stepped into icy cold water. He stopped in the pitch darkness, and heard drops falling from the cavern roof into a large underground lake. He was unsure of what to do next, when he heard stealthy paddling and a soft hiss ahead: “Is it a tasty morsel, my preciouss?” He jumped in alarm as pale eyes approached him, and he heard a whispered voice: “What iss he? It looks juicy, gollum!” The creature made a horrible swallowing noise (which others used as a name for him) as his clammy fingers wrapped around Bilbo’s neck, tightening. Bilbo squeaked in terror, “I am Mr. Bilbo Baggins, and the dwarves and the wizard are looking for me.” To Bilbo’s immense relief, Gollum got back into his boat, though Bilbo could feel bruises on his neck.

ROUND 3 (2 threat in staging area, 1/14 progress on 1B, 1/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 36 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 2, Balin – 3, Ori – 2, Bilbo Baggins – 5

Draw: Healing Herbs, King Under the Mountain.

New Hand: Fili, Bombur, King Under the Mountain, Healing Herbs, A Test of Will, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I spend a resource from Thorin and one from Balin to play King Under the Mountain on Thorin. I use King under the Mountain, keeping Gandalf and discarding Dawn Take You All. I play Healing Herbs on Ori. I don’t play Gandalf now, since that would leave the dwarves without resources.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 1, Balin – 2, Ori – 2, Bilbo Baggins – 5

Dwarves in play: 7; Thorin and Ori each have 2 damage, and Fili, Kili and Nori each have 1 damage. Bilbo also has 1 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Thorin, Kili and Nori to the quest, for a total of 5 willpower (keeping Balin, Ori, Fili and Gloin back for combat). Gloin is better at questing than combat, but I want an uninjured defender aside from Balin.

Staging:

Card 1: It Likes Riddles? Bilbo already has a damage, so I will answer the riddle instead of resolving the When Revealed effect (meaning that I won’t answer another riddle immediately after this one). I choose 3: 16 of the 33 cards in my deck are matches. I discard Oin (Longbeard Elder) and We Are Not Idle, and place a progress token on 2B for a total of 2/9.

Card 2: The Wargs’ Glade (2 threat). This is a difficult riddle for this deck. Currently my best options are Leadership and Lore, each of which is 8 cards in my 31 card deck. It’s a relatively harmless location, so I choose not to answer the riddle.

Resolution: I have 5 willpower committed against 4 threat, so I place 1 progress token on 1B, for a total of 2/14.

TRAVEL

I travel to The Wargs’ Glade.

COMBAT

Enemy attack: Balin (2 defense) defends against the Goblin Miners (2 attack). The shadow card, Come down little bird, has no effect and Balin is unharmed.

Player attack: Ori (2 attack) kills the wounded Goblin Miners (1 defense, 1 remaining hit point). I then Refresh, raising my threat to 37.

With most of the nearby goblins killed, Thorin rallied his group of dwarves to find their companions. They hurried back to the intersection and headed along a tunnel that sloped upwards, opening up into a small forested mountain hollow. Kili, glad to be out of the goblin tunnels, saw some herbs that might help the wounded and gathered them, giving them to Ori. Balin was looking around for the rest of the company when a small goblin ran at him with a dagger. He deflected the blow, and Ori handily dispatched the goblin.

Meanwhile, Gollum saw the blade that Bilbo had found in the trolls’ cave, and decided it was best to appear friendly for now. “P’raps ye sits here a bit, my preciousss. It likes riddles, does it?” “Very well,” said Bilbo, who didn’t trust Gollum but thought he might know how to leave these tunnels. Gollum asked, “What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees, Up, up it goes, And yet never grows?” “Easy!” said Bilbo. “Mountain.” “Does it guess easy? It must have a competition with us, my preciouss! If precious asks, and it doesn’t answer, we eats it, my preciousss. If it asks us, and we doesn’t answer, then we does what it wants.” “You show me the way out,” said Bilbo, scared but not seeing a better option.

ROUND 4 (2 threat in staging area, 2/14 progress on 1B, 2/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – The Wargs’ Glade, 37 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 3, Balin – 3, Ori – 3, Bilbo Baggins – 6

Draw: Will of the West, Dwalin. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping Sneak Attack and discarding Nori ( Longbeard Map-Maker).

New Hand: Fili, Dwalin, Bombur, Gandalf, Sneak Attack, A Test of Will, Will of the West, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I play Bombur and Dwalin.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 3, Balin – 2, Ori – 0, Bilbo Baggins – 6

Dwarves in play: 9; Thorin and Ori each have 2 damage, and Fili, Kili and Nori each have 1 damage. Bilbo also has 1 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I spend one of Thorin’s resources to sneak attack Gandalf, drawing Lure of Moria, Sneak Attack and Sting. I commit Gandalf, Ori, Nori, Fili, Kili and Gloin to the quest, for a total of 11 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Dwalin and Bombur back).

Staging:

Card 1: The Goblins’ Caves (3 threat).

Card 2: Wild Wargs. This is a fairly easy riddle. I choose Ally, which has 13 possible matches in my deck of 24 cards. I discard Durin’s Song and Dori, and place 1 progress on 2B for a total of 3/9.

Resolution: I exhaust Bombur to lower the threat of The Goblins’ Caves to 2. I have 11 willpower committed against 4 threat. I clear The Wargs’ Glade and place 3 progress on 1B, for a total of 5/14. At the end of the phase, Gandalf returns to my hand.

TRAVEL

I travel to the Goblins’ Caves. I then proceed to Refresh, raising my threat to 38.

Thorin saw a small clearing ahead, with Gandalf, Dwalin, Bombur and the bodies of several goblins there. “We can’t get to the east of the Misty Mountains from here,” said Gandalf. “The cliffs on that side are too steep, but I know a path through the tunnels after we find the rest of our company.” As Gandalf and the dwarves headed back into the caves, they heard wolves howling in the distance.

Meanwhile, Bilbo quickly thought of a riddle. “Thirty white horses on a red hill, First they champ, Then they stamp, Then they stand still.” Gollum, however, answered it easily: “Teeth!” He then asked, “Voiceless it cries, Wingless flutters, Toothless bites, Mouthless mutters.” This one took Bilbo a few moments, but he had heard a similar riddle before, and soon he said, “Wind, of course.”

ROUND 5 (2 threat in staging area, 5/14 progress on 1B, 3/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – The Goblins’ Caves, 38 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 4, Balin – 3, Ori – 1, Bilbo Baggins – 7

Draw: A Test of Will, Bombur. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping Dwalin and discarding King Under the Mountain.

New Hand: Fili, Dwalin, Bombur, Gandalf, Sting, Lure of Moria, Sneak Attack, A Test of Will x2, Will of the West, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I don’t have any attachments or allies I can play except for Gandalf. There’s at least one copy of the four remaining dwarves in the company and of Narvi’s Belt (to play Bofur) in my deck of 18 cards. I’ll sneak attack Gandalf during the quest phase to draw cards.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 4, Balin – 3, Ori – 1, Bilbo Baggins – 7

Dwarves in play: 9; Thorin and Ori each have 2 damage, and Fili, Kili and Nori each have 1 damage. Bilbo also has 1 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I spend one of Thorin’s resources to Sneak Attack Gandalf, drawing Dori, Unexpected Courage, and Bifur. I commit Gandalf, Ori, Nori, Fili, Kili and Gloin to the quest, for a total of 11 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Dwalin and Bombur back).

Staging:

Card 1: Grip, grab! Pinch, nab! I add Goblin Miners (2 threat +1 from The Goblins’ Caves) to the staging area.

Card 2: Hiding in the Trees. This is currently a tough riddle, with no guess giving me more than two matches in my 15 card deck. If I take it as a treachery, however, I won’t clear The Goblins’ Caves and I won’t be able to kill Goblin Miners, so I risk accumulating locations or enemies. Since I have two copies of A Test of Will and there are no cancellable devastating treacheries in this quest, I cancel it with A Test of Will.

Resolution: I have 11 willpower committed against 5 threat in the staging area, so I clear The Goblins’ Caves and place 3 progress tokens on 1B, for a total of 8/14. Gandalf returns to my hand at the end of the phase. I proceed to combat with the Goblin Miners that engage me.

COMBAT

Enemy attack: Balin (2 defense) defends against Goblin Miners (2 attack). The shadow card, Goblin Driver, has me exhaust Bombur and Balin is unharmed.

Player attack: Thorin (3 attack) kills the Goblin Miners (1 defense, 2 hit points). I then Refresh, raising my threat to 39.

As Gandalf and the dwarves steadfastly made their way back to the intersection of tunnels, a couple of small goblins charged at them. Balin blocked them, though one hit Bombur and caused him to fall. Thorin quickly struck them both down.

Meanwhile, Bilbo thought of a riddle that might puzzle a cave dweller like Gollum, and asked it. “An eye in a blue face Saw an eye in a green face. ‘That eye is like to this eye’ Said the first eye, ‘But in low place, Not in high place.’” “Ss, ss” hissed Gollum, searching for an answer.

ROUND 6 (2 threat in staging area, 8/14 progress on 1B, 3/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 39 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 5, Balin – 3, Ori – 2, Bilbo Baggins – 8

Draw: Bofur, Legacy of Durin. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping Ring Mail and discarding Bifur.

New Hand: Fili, Dwalin, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Gandalf, Unexpected Courage, Ring Mail, Legacy of Durin, Sting, Lure of Moria, A Test of Will, Will of the West, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I don’t have enough Lore resources and I don’t have access to Tactics, so I can’t currrently play any dwarves. I want to draw Narvi’s Belt and Oin (Longbeard Elder), and threat is not currently a problem. I spend 4 resources from Thorin and 1 from Balin to play Gandalf, drawing Oin (Longbeard Elder), Gandalf and Gloin. My deck now has 8 cards. I plan on playing dwarves and Will of the West next turn.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 1, Balin – 2, Ori – 2, Bilbo Baggins – 8

Dwarves in play: 9; Thorin and Ori each have 2 damage, and Fili, Kili and Nori each have 1 damage. Bilbo also has 1 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Gandalf, Fili, Kili, Gloin and Nori to the quest, for a total of 9 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Ori, Dwalin and Bombur back).

Staging:

Card 1: Goblin Driver (3 threat). I exhaust Bombur.

Card 2: The Wargs’ Glade. This is not a great riddle. My best guess is Tactics, which currently has 2 matches in my deck of 8 cards. Still, I need to make some progress on 2B, so I’ll answer the riddle. I discard Kili, and then spend Bilbo’s resources to discard Glamdring, Orcrist, Self Preservation, Gandalf and finally Bofur. I know that the two cards left in my deck are Narvi’s Belt and Dwarrowdelf Axe. Bilbo has only three resources left and I want to draw Narvi’s Belt, so I don’t spend any more resources to get an additional progress token. I place 1 progress on 2B, for a total of 4/9.

Resolution: I have 9 willpower committed against 5 threat, so I place 4 progress tokens on 1B for a total of 12/14. I then proceed to combat with the Goblin Driver that engages me.

COMBAT

Enemy attack: Balin (2 defense) defends against Goblin Driver (2 attack). The shadow card, Wild Wargs, has no effect. Balin is unharmed

Player attacks: Thorin (3 attack) and Ori (2 attack) together kill Goblin Driver (2 defense, 3 hit points). I exhaust Bilbo’s Magic Ring and raise my threat by 2 to 41 to give Bilbo a resource. I then Refresh, raising my threat to 42. At the end of the round, Gandalf leaves play.

As Gandalf and the dwarves reached the intersection again, Fili saw a scrap of yellow from Bifur or Bofur’s hood in one of the tunnels. “That way!” he said. A large goblin with a whip ran out of that tunnel and lashed out, tripping Bombur. Balin blocked his charge, and Thorin and Ori quickly killed him.

Meanwhile, Bilbo was waiting for Gollum to answer, and was beginning to hope that Gollum might have to show him the way out. Just then, Gollum remembered his life by a river ages ago and answered, “Sun on the daisies it means, it does.” Gollum then quickly asked, “Alive without breath, As cold as death; Never thirsty, ever drinking, All in mail never clinking.” Bilbo racked his brain, grateful at least that Gollum had been slow to answer, so Bilbo had some time to think.

ROUND 7 (2 threat in staging area, 12/14 progress on 1B, 4/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 42 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 3, Balin – 3, Ori – 3, Bilbo Baggins – 5

Draw: Dwarrowdelf Axe, Narvi’s Belt. Since I want to maximize healing and I’m going to be reshuffling my discard pile into a new deck, I exhaust Ori and discard Healing Herbs to remove 2 damage from Thorin. I play Will of the West, shuffling my 27 card discard pile into my deck. I then use King Under the Mountain, keeping Orcrist and discarding Gandalf.

New Hand: Gloin, Oin (Longbeard Elder), Fili, Dwalin, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Gandalf, Narvi’s Belt, Unexpected Courage, Dwarrowdelf Axe, Ring Mail, Legacy of Durin, Sting, Orcrist, Lure of Moria, A Test of Will, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I play Orcrist on Thorin. I spend a resource from Balin and one from Thorin to play Narvi’s Belt on Thorin. I exhaust Narvi’s Belt and choose Lore, spending one of Thorin’s resources to play Legacy of Durin on Thorin. I spend Ori’s resources to play Bifur, drawing Bifur, We Are Not Idle, and A Good Harvest. I play We Are Not Idle, exhausting Thorin, Balin, Gloin, Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur and Nori to give Thorin 9 resources and drawing Lure of Moria. I play Oin (Longbeard Elder), drawing King Under the Mountain. I play Dori, drawing We Are Not Idle. I play Lure of Moria, readying all dwarves. I then play We Are Not Idle, exhausting all dwarves to give Balin 12 resources and drawing King Under the Mountain. I play A Good Harvest and choose Tactics. I use 3 of Balin’s resources to play Bofur, drawing Oin (Longbeard Elder). I also use Balin’s resources to play Dwarrowdelf Axe on Bifur, Ring Mail on Balin, Unexpected Courage on Thorin and Lure of Moria. This turn snowballed beautifully, and the full company is now in play and well equipped. I just need to answer riddles.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 1, Balin – 2, Ori – 0, Bilbo Baggins – 5

Dwarves in play: 13! Ori has 2 damage and Fili, Kili and Nori each have 1 damage. Bilbo also has 1 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Nori, Fili, Kili, Gloin, Oin and Bofur to the quest, for a total of 9 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur and Dori back).

Staging:

Card 1: Goblin Runners (1 threat), which surges into Goblin Miners (2 threat).

Card 2: What’s In My Pocket? I guess Lore 3, which has 3 matches in my deck of 17 cards. I discard Fili and We Are Not Idle, and spend Bilbo’s resources to discard Fast Hitch, Sneak Attack, Gandalf, Dawn Take You All and A Test of Will. I exhaust Bilbo’s Magic Ring and raise my threat by 2 to 44 to give Bilbo a resource, which I spend to discard Sneak Attack. Since I haven’t found a match, Gollum (2 attack) attacks Bilbo (1 defense), who defends and takes 1 damage (1 hit point remaining). Bilbo is now in a very dangerous position. I’ll need to choose to answer only easy riddles.

Resolution: I have 9 willpower committed against 5 threat. I place 4 progress tokens on 1B, for a total of 16/14. I need to complete 2B before advancing to stage 3. I proceed to combat with the goblins that engage me.

COMBAT

Enemy Attack: Balin (3 defense) defends against Goblin Runners (3 attack). The shadow card, Not fair! Not fair!, has no effect. Balin is unharmed, and I am relieved to see it discarded. Dwalin (2 defense) defends against Goblin Miners (2 attack). The shadow card, It Likes Riddles?, has no effect and Dwalin is unharmed.

Player Attack: Thorin (5 attack) kills Goblin Runners (1 defense, 2 hit points) and gains a resource from Orcrist’s response. He then readies using Unexpected Courage and does the same thing to Goblin Miners (1 defense, 2 hit points). I then Refresh, raising my threat to 45.

As the dwarves headed up the tunnel, they saw Bifur, Bofur, Oin and Dori in a small cave ahead, hard pressed by goblins. Ori quickly applied a small poultice to Thorin’s injured side, energizing him. Thorin remembered his grandfather, who had ruled gloriously under the mountain and been shamefully butchered by Azog. Furious against Smaug and all goblins, Thorin unsheathed Orcrist and cried, “Kill these foes quickly, and then onward towards vengeance and our gold!” As the company entered the cave, Gloin saw a few pieces of maggoty bread in a corner and grabbed them, knowing they were low on provisions. Balin quickly put on his mail shirt as Bifur pulled out an axe. A goblin ran at Balin with a spear. His ring mail absorbed the blow, and Dwalin blocked two small goblins attacking with pickaxes. Thorin fearlessly cut down all three goblins with Orcrist, reuniting the thirteen dwarves.

Meanwhile, Bilbo, who avoided lakes and rivers, had no idea what the riddle’s answer was. Gollum climbed out of his boat and Bilbo, shivering, said, “I gave you a good long chance just now.” “It must make haste, haste!” said Gollum, reaching for Bilbo’s neck and squeezing. Just then a fish jumped out of the lake and fell on Bilbo’s toes. “Fish! Fish!” he cried, gasping for air when Gollum released his grip. Gollum, disappointed, returned to his boat.

ROUND 8 (2 threat in staging area, 16/14 progress on 1B, 4/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 45 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 5, Balin – 3, Ori – 1, Bilbo Baggins – 1

Draw: Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), Healing Herbs. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping Glamdring and discarding Durin’s Song. I have 5 cards left in my deck, and I can use Dwarven Tomb to play Will of the West again.

New Hand: Gloin, Oin (Longbeard Elder), Fili, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur, Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), Gandalf, King Under the Mountain x2, Healing Herbs, Sting, Glamdring, A Test of Will, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I spend Thorin’s 5 resources to play Gandalf, lowering my threat to 40. I play both Glamdring and Healing Herbs on Ori.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 0, Balin – 3, Ori – 1, Bilbo Baggins – 1

Dwarves in play: 13; Ori has 2 damage and Fili, Kili and Nori each have 1 damage. Bilbo has 2 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Nori, Fili, Kili, Gloin, Oin and Bofur to the quest, for a total of 9 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Ori, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur, Dori and Gandalf back).

Staging:

Card 1: Goblin Axeman (2 threat).

Card 2: Goblin Axeman (2 threat).

Resolution: I have 9 willpower committed against 6 threat. I place 3 progress tokens on 1B, for a total of 19/14. I then proceed to combat with the Goblin Axemen that engage me.

COMBAT

Enemy Attack: Balin (3 defense) defends against Goblin Axeman (2 attack). The shadow card, Wild Wargs, has no effect and Balin is unharmed. Gandalf (4 defense) defends against Goblin Axeman (2 attack). The shadow card, Hiding in the Trees, has no effect and Gandalf is unharmed. The only riddle left in the six cards of the encounter deck is The Wargs’ Glade. This should give Bilbo some time to build up resources.

Player Attack: Thorin (5 attack) kills one Goblin Axeman (2 defense, 2 hit points), and gains a resource from Orcrist’s response. Thorin readies using Unexpected Courage, and together with Ori (4 attack) kills Goblin Axeman. Thorin gains another resource and I use Glamdring’s response to draw Kili. I exhaust Bilbo’s Magic Ring and raise my threat by 2 to 42, giving Bilbo a resource. I then Refresh, raising my threat to 43. At the end of the round, Gandalf leaves play.

Gandalf saw a horde of goblins rushing down a large tunnel towards the company. “Follow me, everybody!” he cried. He gave Ori a herb poultice and Glamdring, saying, “Kill any goblins that catch up, and tend the injured when you get a chance.” At that moment a goblin with an axe bounded forward, striking at Gandalf. Gandalf deflected the blow with his staff and headed down a tunnel, calling, “This way to the exit.” A large goblin swung at Balin, who dodged the blow. Thorin and Ori struck down both goblins, their blades shining cold and bright. “Biter and Beater!” shrieked the pursuing goblins, falling into confusion, and the company followed after Gandalf.

Meanwhile, Bilbo was too nervous to think of a difficult riddle, so he asked the first one he could remember: “A box without hinges, key, or lid, Yet golden treasure inside is hid.” Gollum rocked back and forth in his boat, feeling hungry and thinking.

ROUND 9 (2 threat in staging area, 19/14 progress on 1B, 4/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 43 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 4, Balin – 4, Ori – 2, Bilbo Baggins – 3

Draw: Self Preservation, Dori. I don’t use King Under the Mountain now because I have 2 cards left in my deck. If The Wargs’ Glade shows up this turn, I’ll be able to find a match.

New Hand: Gloin, Oin (Longbeard Elder), Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), King Under the Mountain x2, Self Preservation, Sting, A Test of Will, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I don’t currently need Self Preservation, so I play nothing.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 4, Balin – 4, Ori – 2, Bilbo Baggins – 3

Dwarves in play: 13; Ori has 2 damage and Fili, Kili and Nori each have 1 damage. Bilbo has 2 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Nori, Fili, Kili, Gloin, Oin and Bofur to the quest, for a total of 9 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Ori, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur and Dori back).

Staging:

Card 1: The Wargs’ Glade. I choose Leadership, which has one match in my deck of two cards. I discard Bofur, then spend one of Bilbo’s resources to discard Narvi’s Belt. I place 1 progress token on 2B, for a total of 5/9. My riddle progress is very slow.

Card 2: The Goblins’ Caves (3 threat).

Resolution: I have 9 willpower committed against 5 threat. I place 4 progress tokens on 1B for a total of 23/14.

TRAVEL

I travel to The Goblins’ Caves. I play Dwarven Tomb, returning Will of the West to my hand, and play it. My deck now has 19 cards. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping Fili and discarding Lure of Moria. I don’t really need it, and if I use Will of the West again, I’d like to have the discard mostly consist of leadership events. I also exhaust Bilbo’s Magic Ring and raise my threat by 2 to 45, giving Bilbo a resource. This is risky, but I should draw Gandalf soon. I then proceed to Refresh, raising my threat to 46.

The company hurried through a maze of tunnels. Thorin was able to keep enough of his sense of direction to realize that they were mostly heading east, towards vengeance for his kin killed by Smaug.

Meanwhile, Bilbo was growing impatient as Gollum hissed and spluttered in his boat. Putting his hands on his hips in a businesslike manner (and vaguely feeling a small bump in his pocket), he said, “Well, what about your guess?” Suddenly Gollum remembered stealing from nests long ago, and cried out “Eggses it is!” Disappointed, Bilbo wondered where Gandalf and the dwarves were and whether he would see them again.

ROUND 10 (2 threat in staging area, 23/14 progress on 1B, 5/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – The Goblins’ Caves, 46 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 6, Balin – 3, Ori – 3, Bilbo Baggins – 4

Draw: Dwarven Tomb, Sneak Attack. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping Sneak Attack and discarding Durin’s Song. With a fairly small deck for riddles, Dwarven Tomb for Will of the West, and two Sneak Attacks to lower threat as soon as I draw Gandalf, I’m in a pretty good position.

New Hand: Gloin, Oin (Longbeard Elder), Fili x2, Kili, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), King Under the Mountain x2, Self Preservation, Sting, Sneak Attack x2, A Test of Will, Dwarven Tomb

Planning: I don’t play anything. There are no riddles left in the encounter deck of 4 cards, so I have to wait until it’s reshuffled while building up resources on Bilbo.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 6, Balin – 3, Ori – 3, Bilbo Baggins – 4

Dwarves in play: 13; Ori has 2 damage and Fili, Kili and Nori each have 1 damage. Bilbo has 2 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Thorin, Nori, Fili, Kili, Gloin, Oin, Bifur and Bofur to the quest, for a total of 13 willpower (keeping Balin, Ori, Dwalin, Bombur and Dori back).

Staging:

Card 1: Goblin Miners (2 threat +1 from The Goblins’ Caves).

Card 2: Goblin Driver (3 threat +1 from The Goblins’ Caves). I exhaust Bombur.

Resolution: I have 13 willpower committed against 9 threat. I clear The Goblins’ Caves and place 1 progress token 1B, for a total of 24/14. I then proceed to combat with the goblins that engage me.

COMBAT

Enemy Attacks: Balin (3 defense) defends against the Goblin Driver (2 attack). The shadow card, The Goblins’ Caves, would have me raise my threat by 2. I spend a resource from Balin to cancel it. Since the encounter deck is empty, no replacement shadow card is dealt, and Balin is unharmed. Dwalin (2 defense) defends against Goblin Miners (2 attack). The shadow card, Grip grab! Pinch nab!, has me deal 2 damage among my characters. I deal 1 damage to Bifur and 1 to Bofur, and Dwalin is unharmed.

Player Attack: Thorin (5 attack) readies using Unexpected Courage and kills the Goblin Driver (2 defense, 3 hit points), gaining a resource from Orcrist’s response. Ori (4 attack) kills Goblin Miners (1 defense, 2 hit points). I use Glamdring’s response to draw A Good Harvest. It’s too risky to use Bilbo’s Magic Ring, since I don’t know whether I’ll draw Gandalf next turn. I Refresh, raising my threat to 47.

The company rounded a bend, and saw a faint gleam of what looked like moonlight ahead. There were goblins blocking their way, however. A large goblin knocked Bombur down and hit Balin in the chest. He was unhurt, protected by his ring mail, and Thorin struck down the goblin. Bifur and Bofur were not as lucky as Balin, as two small goblins jabbed at them. Dwalin cornered these goblins and Ori cut them down with Glamdring.

Meanwhile, Gollum had thought of hard, horrible riddle and he asked it: “This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down.” Bilbo tried to remember tales of monstrous giants, but had an uncomfortable feeling that the answer would be something entirely different.

ROUND 11 (2 threat in staging area, 24/14 progress on 1B, 5/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 47 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 8, Balin – 3, Ori – 4, Bilbo Baggins – 5

Draw: We Are Not Idle, A Test of Will. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping We Are Not Idle and discarding Lure of Moria. I care more about the ability to draw cards at the right moment than the resources from the combo with Lure of Moria.

New Hand: Gloin, Oin (Longbeard Elder), Fili x2, Kili, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), King Under the Mountain x2, Self Preservation, Sting, We Are Not Idle x2, Sneak Attack x2, A Test of Will x2, Dwarven Tomb, A Good Harvest.

Planning: I don’t play anything. There are currently only 12 cards in my deck and discard pile combined, which removes much of the randomization of riddles even after I play Will of the West. The encounter deck is reshuffled this turn, so I could get any riddle.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 8, Balin – 3, Ori – 4, Bilbo Baggins – 5

Dwarves in play: 13; Ori has 2 damage and Fili, Kili, Nori, Bifur and Bofur each have 1 damage. Bilbo has 2 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Nori, Fili, Kili, Gloin, Oin, Bifur and Bofur to the quest, for a total of 10 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Ori, Dwalin, Bombur and Dori back).

Staging:

Card 1: It Likes Riddles? I answer the riddle instead of resolving the When Revealed effect. My best option is 5, which has 3 matches in my deck of 8 cards. I discard Narvi’s Belt and Gandalf, and place 1 progress token on stage 2B, for a total of 6/9.

Card 2: Goblin Axeman (2 threat).

Resolution: I have 10 willpower committed against 4 threat. I place 6 progress tokens on 1B, for a total of 30/14. I then proceed to combat with the Goblin Axeman that engages me.

COMBAT

Enemy attack: Balin (3 defense) defends against the Goblin Axeman (2 attack). The shadow card, Goblin Runners, has Goblin Axeman make another attack, and Balin is unharmed. Dwalin (2 defense) defends against this second attack. The shadow card, Grip, grab! Pinch, Nab!, has me deal 1 damage to Oin and Dwalin is unharmed.

Player attack: Thorin (5 attack) and Ori (4 attack) kill the Goblin Axeman (2 defense, 2 hit points). Thorin gains a resource and I draw Fast Hitch. I could use We Are Not Idle in an attempt to draw Gandalf and then use Bilbo’s Magic Ring, but that might make my deck too small for riddles next turn. I Refresh, raising my threat to 48.

The company entered a small cave, which served as a guard room for goblins stationed at the East gate of these tunnels. The gate was open, and Oin saw trees ahead in the moonlight. A fierce goblin captain with an axe was guarding the gate, and with a bellow he charged the company. He swung at Balin, who blocked the blow, and then at Dwalin, who deflected it. He struck Oin with a glancing blow before Thorin and Ori fell upon him, slashing with their deadly, gleaming swords.

Meanwhile, Bilbo was stumped. He began to feel really frightened, which made it harder for him to think. Gollum climbed out of the boat, hissing, “Is it more scrumptious than goblins, my preciouss?” As Bilbo saw Gollum’s eyes coming closer, he wanted to shout, “Give me more time!” His tongue seemed to stick in his mouth, however, and all that came out was a squeal: “Time!” By sheer luck, Bilbo had hit upon the answer. Angry, hungry and tired of the game, Gollum sat down beside Bilbo instead of returning to the boat. “Ask uss a quesstion,” said Gollum, poking at Bilbo’s side to feel how tender it was. “Jusst one more quesstion to guess, my preciouss, yess.”

ROUND 12 (2 threat in staging area, 30/14 progress on 1B, 6/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 48 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 11, Balin – 4, Ori – 5, Bilbo Baggins – 6

Draw: Bofur, Gandalf. Finally! There are currently three cards in my deck, which is enough for at least one riddle.

New Hand: Gloin, Oin (Longbeard Elder), Fili x2, Kili, Dwalin, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), Gandalf, King Under the Mountain x2, Self Preservation, Fast Hitch, Sting, We Are Not Idle x2, Sneak Attack x2, A Test of Will x2, Dwarven Tomb, A Good Harvest.

Planning: I don’t play anything. I’ll sneak attack Gandalf during the quest phase.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 11, Balin – 4, Ori – 5, Bilbo Baggins – 6

Dwarves in play: 13; Ori has 2 damage and Fili, Kili, Nori, Oin, Bifur and Bofur each have 1 damage. Bilbo has 2 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I spend one of Thorin’s resources to Sneak Attack Gandalf, lowering my threat to 43. I commit Gandalf, Nori, Fili, Kili, Oin and Bofur to the quest, for a total of 11 willpower (keeping Thorin, Balin, Ori, Gloin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur and Dori back).

Staging:

Card 1: Not fair! Not fair! The encounter deck seems determined to prevent me from finishing stage two. My best choice is Enemy, since there are currently 15 enemies in the encounter deck of 31 cards. I discard Come down little bird, The Wargs’ Glade and Wild Wargs. All choices would have been equally bad. I remove 2 progress from stage 2B, for a total of 4/9.

Card 2: It Likes Riddles? I’ll take a risk and resolve the When Revealed effect. Hopefully I’ll find a match in the first two cards, and have a guaranteed match for the next riddle with the last card in my deck. (Otherwise I could play Dwarven Tomb and then Will of the West after I spend a Baggins resource to discard the last card of the deck.) I choose 5 and discard Gandalf and Dawn Take You All. I place a progress token on 2B, for a total of 5/9, and discard Goblin Miners and Come down little bird from the encounter deck. I choose Event 0, and discard We Are Not Idle from my deck, which is now empty. I place a progress token on 2B, for a total of 6/9. I’m back where I was before Not fair! Not fair!

Resolution: I have 11 willpower committed against 2 threat, so I place 9 progress tokens on 1B, for a total of 39/14. At the end of the phase, Gandalf returns to my hand. During the Travel phase, I sneak attack Gandalf, lowering my threat to 38 and adding another Sneak Attack to my discard pile. I then use Dwarven Tomb, returning Will of the West to my hand and playing it. My 11-card discard pile is shuffled and becomes my new deck. I then use King Under the Mountain, keeping Narvi’s Belt and discarding Lure of Moria (discarding a Leadership event in case I use Will of the West again). I exhaust Bilbo’s Magic Ring and raise my threat by 2 to 40, giving Bilbo a resource. At the end of the phase, Gandalf returns to my hand. I proceed to Refresh, raising my threat to 41.

Gandalf led the company out the gate. The Misty Mountains towered behind them, and ahead was a gentle slope down into lowlands. “We are not far from the Great River,” said Gandalf. “Beyond that is Mirkwood, home to the Necromancer and many foul things, and then the Lonely Mountain.” “There lies our treasure, and there we will avenge our murdered kin,” said Thorin. “The dragon will be quite a task for you…” The wizard trailed off, looking around. “But where is Bilbo?”

Meanwhile, Bilbo was unsettled by Gollum right beside him, and couldn’t think of a riddle. “Ask us! Ask us!” said Gollum insistently. Bilbo pinched himself and distractedly slipped a hand inside his pocket, feeling the ring he had found earlier. “What have I got in my pocket?” he said aloud. “Not fair! Not fair!” hissed Gollum. “It must give us three guesseses, my preciouss.” Seeing what had happened and not having a better riddle, Bilbo readily agreed. “Handses!” said Gollum. “Wrong,” said Bilbo, who had luckily just taken his hand out again. “Guess again!” Gollum squirmed, hissing, and finally said, “Knife!” “Wrong,” said Bilbo. “Last guess!” Gollum now seemed to be in a frenzy, spluttering and slapping his feet on the floor as Bilbo waited.

ROUND 13 (2 threat in staging area, 39/14 progress on 1B, 6/9 progress on 2B, Active Location – None, 41 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 11, Balin – 3, Ori – 6, Bilbo Baggins – 8

Draw: Gandalf, Lure of Moria. I don’t use King Under the Mountain since I might not draw Dwarven Tomb and I don’t want to run out of my deck, which currently has 7 cards.

New Hand: Gloin, Oin (Longbeard Elder), Fili x2, Kili, Dwalin, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), Gandalf x2, Narvi’s Belt, King Under the Mountain x2, Self Preservation, Fast Hitch, Sting, We Are Not Idle x2, Lure of Moria, A Test of Will x2, A Good Harvest.

Planning: If I get a riddle this turn, I will be able to advance to stage 3. There are 3 1-cost Leadership events in my deck, and Bilbo has enough resources to discard the whole deck. I play Gandalf, lowering my threat to 36.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 6, Balin – 3, Ori – 6, Bilbo Baggins – 8

Dwarves in play: 13; Ori has 2 damage and Fili, Kili, Nori, Oin, Bifur and Bofur each have 1 damage. Bilbo has 2 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit Thorin, Nori, Fili, Kili, Gloin, Oin and Bofur to the quest, for a total of 12 willpower (keeping Balin, Ori, Dwalin, Bifur, Bombur, Dori and Gandalf back). I ready Thorin with Unexpected Courage.

Staging:

Card 1: What’s In My Pocket? I choose Leadership 1 and discard Sneak Attack and Dawn Take You All. I spend Bilbo’s resources to discard Sneak Attack and Durin’s Song. I have three matches, so I place 3 progress tokens on 2B, bringing it to 9/9 and immediately advancing to stage 3. The Lake in the Cavern is removed from the game, I gain control of Bilbo, and I reveal Goblin Driver (3 threat), exhausting Bilbo.

Card 2: (This is still revealed, since the number of cards to be revealed is determined before staging.) The Goblins’ Caves (3 threat).

Resolution: I have 12 willpower committed against 6 threat, so I place 6 progress tokens on 3B, for a total of 6/16. I could use Nori’s ability to win this turn, but that seems anticlimactic and unthematic. I’m hoping to encounter some Wargs or The Wargs’ Glade or Hiding in the Trees. I don’t want to travel back to The Goblins’ Caves, so I proceed to combat with Gollum and the Goblin Driver that engages me.

COMBAT

Enemy attacks: Balin (3 defense) defends against Gollum (2 attack). The shadow card, Goblin Runners, would have Gollum make another attack, but Balin pays a resource to cancel it. The replacement shadow card, Wild Wargs, has no effect and Balin is unharmed. Gandalf (4 defense) defends against the Goblin Driver (2 attack). The shadow card, Goblin Runners, is again cancelled by Balin and the replacement shadow card, It Likes Riddles?, has no effect. Gandalf is unharmed.

Player Attack: Thorin (5 attack) and Ori (4 attack) kill the Goblin Driver (2 defense, 3 hit points). I use the swords’ responses to give Thorin a resource and draw Dwarven Tomb. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping We Are Not Idle and discarding Gandalf. I exhaust Narvi’s Belt to choose Spirit. I then use Dwarven Tomb to return Will of the West to my hand and I play it, shuffling the seven cards of my discard pile into a new deck. I then Refresh, raising my threat to 37. At the end of the round, Gandalf leaves play.

“Time’s up!” said Bilbo. “What’s in my pocket?” “String or nothing!” shrieked Gollum. “Both wrong,” said Bilbo, relieved. “Now how about showing me the way out?” Gollum sat still for a moment, whispering. He didn’t dare attack Bilbo directly, seeing his short sword, but he had a plan. Gollum said, “We must go and get some things first, yes, things to help us.” “Well, hurry up,” said Bilbo, as Gollum paddled off in his boat to a small island nearby in the lake. After a short wait, Bilbo heard a sudden screech. “Where iss it?” Gollum cried. “Losst it is, my precious, lost, gollum!” “Well, so am I,” Bilbo called out, “and I want to get unlost. You never guessed my last question, and you promised.” There was a sudden sharp hiss, and Gollum said, “What has it got in its pocketses?” Bilbo was annoyed at the delay, and didn’t answer. “What have you lost?” he said. “What has it got in its pocketses?” Gollum hissed furiously, paddling wildly back towards Bilbo.

Seeing that Gollum meant to murder him, Bilbo turned and ran blindly down the passage. He put his hand into his pocket as Gollum jumped ashore, and the ring slipped onto his finger. Bilbo tripped on a snag in the cave floor, and in an instant Gollum overtook him. To Bilbo’s astonishment, Gollum passed by without noticing the hobbit. Gollum soon paused, hissing: “Curse the Baggins! We guess what it has in its pocketses. It slipped from us when we came this way last and twisted that goblin squeaker. Where’s the nassty noser? It’s tricksy, it must know the back-door, the way out. But if goblinses catch it, they’ll get our precious present. One of them will put it on, and no one will see him, and he’ll come creepsy and catch us, gollum! If the Baggins has gone that way, we must go quick to squeeze it.” Gollum set off at a great pace, and Bilbo followed stealthily, wondering at this ring that made him invisible. Soon Gollum paused in front of an opening, and whispered, “This is the way to the back-door, yes. But we smell goblinses down there, too dangerouss.” Gollum was blocking the escape, and Bilbo thought it would be just to stab this foul thing that meant to kill him. A sudden wave of pity swept over Bilbo for the dank, lonely existence of the wretched creature, and Bilbo leapt over Gollum’s head into a lower tunnel. He heard a bloodcurdling shriek behind him: “Thief! Baggins! We hates it for ever!”

He ran forward into the cave with the East gate, which was slightly ajar. He tried to escape without alerting a large goblin that was in the cave, but his brass buttons popped off his coat and waistcoat as he squirmed his way through. He heard voices ahead: Gandalf and the dwarves! He sneaked past Balin who was serving as look-out, and heard Gandalf say, “I feel responsible for him. If we can only find him again, you will thank me before all is over.” “And here I am,” said Bilbo, slipping off the ring and astonishing all of them. Just then Balin called out, “Here comes a goblin!” Gandalf, Thorin and Ori ran forward. Gandalf blocked the large goblin’s blow, and Thorin and Ori cut it down. Balin saw a shadowy figure behind the goblin, but when it saw Balin looking at it, it slunk away. “We must get away from here,” said Gandalf. “Killing the Great Goblin may have avenged some dwarves and may help to make the mountains safer, but soon many goblins will be seeking us for vengeance. As we travel, Bilbo can tell us how he escaped from the tunnels.” “And how he got past me,” said Balin. “I take off my hood to you.” Feeling enormously pleased, Bilbo told the company of his adventures with Gollum, but played up his stealthiness and left out any mention of his magic ring.

ROUND 14 (3 threat in staging area, 6/16 progress on 3B, Active Location – None, 37 threat)

PREPARATION

Resources: Thorin Oakenshield – 7, Balin – 2, Ori – 7, Bilbo Baggins – 7

Draw: Sneak Attack, Dawn Take You All. I use King Under the Mountain, keeping Lure of Moria and discarding Gandalf. During the resource phase, I sneak attack Gandalf, drawing Sneak Attack, Dwarven Tomb, and Durin’s Song. My deck is empty. At the end of the phase, Gandalf returns to my hand.

New Hand: Gloin, Oin (Longbeard Elder), Fili x2, Kili, Dwalin, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Nori (Longbeard Map-Maker), Gandalf, Narvi’s Belt, King Under the Mountain x2, Self Preservation, Fast Hitch, Sting, We Are Not Idle x3, Lure of Moria x2, Durin’s Song, Sneak Attack, Dawn Take You All, A Test of Will x2, Dwarven Tomb, A Good Harvest.

Planning: I intend to win this turn. I use five of Bilbo’s resources to play Gandalf, lowering my threat to 32. I play Sting, Fast Hitch, and Self Preservation on Bilbo. I exhaust Self Preservation, completely healing Bilbo. I exhaust Ori and discard Healing Herbs to completely heal Ori. I play We Are Not Idle and exhaust all the other dwarves to give Thorin 12 resources. I play Lure of Moria to ready all dwarves.

Resources after Planning: Thorin Oakenshield – 15, Balin – 2, Ori – 3, Bilbo Baggins – 2

Dwarves in play: 13; Fili, Kili, Nori, Oin, Bifur and Bofur each have 1 damage.

QUESTING

Commit Characters: I commit everyone to the quest, for a total of 25 willpower.

[Staging: The Goblins’ Caves (3 threat). This is an easy win, and (given that treacheries surge) it is the least thematic encounter card I could get. I will allow myself one redo in hopes of a more thematic conclusion.]

Staging, take 2: Hiding in the Trees, which would reduce my willpower to 11. I cancel it with A Test of Will, rather than boosting Nori’s willpower. It surges into Grip, grab! Pinch, nab!, which causes me to add Goblin Runners (1 threat) to the staging area, and surges into Wild Wargs (3 threat). That’s more like it!

Resolution: I have 25 willpower committed against 7 threat, so I place 18 progress tokens on 3B, for a total of 24/16, winning the game.

As the company hurried along under the stars, Bilbo’s spirits began to pick up. He had safely made it out of those horrible caves, and he had a magic ring, an elvish blade, and even a good coil of rope. As they reached the bottom of a slope, Ori applied a poultice to his own side, bandaging a dagger wound. “We’ve made it halfway to the Lonely Mountain,” said Thorin. “Onwards to claim our treasure!” Just then they all heard a long shuddering howl nearby, followed quickly by another. They were in a clearing surrounded by pine trees, and the howls were getting closer. “Wargs,” cried Gandalf. “Up the trees quick!” The company dispersed, finding trees with low branches, and Dori risked being eaten to help Bilbo climb up. The clearing was now full of wargs, and some guarded the occupied trees. Gandalf could understand their language, and heard that they were supposed to meet with goblins here for a raid on a woodmen village. Deciding to act before the goblins arrived, he gathered some pinecones and set them alight with magical fire, throwing them down into the midst of the wargs. Many wargs scattered as their fur caught fire.

Then the goblins arrived. They laughed, seeing the dwarves trapped in the trees, and stacked brushwood at the base of each occupied tree. They made a large ring of smoke and fire that burned ever hotter and closed in on the company. “Fifteen birds in five firtrees, their feathers were fanned in a fiery breeze!” they sang, jeering. As the fire reached the occupied trees, Gandalf, Bilbo and the dwarves climbed to the highest branches. At that moment, the Lord of the Eagles, who had been attracted by the commotion and was on friendly terms with Gandalf, swooped down and seized Gandalf in his talons. Then other eagles flew down, some attacking the goblins and wargs and others catching hold of the dwarves. Bilbo grabbed onto Dori’s legs and was borne away a moment before the flames sprang up to the top of their tree. “Escaping goblins to be cornered by wargs,” thought Bilbo, “and now being picked out of the fire by eagles!” After long, uncomfortable flying, they landed on a huge rock in the Great River, the Carrock, and the company thanked the eagles. Bilbo was glad to leave the Misty Mountains well behind him, until he remembered that they were between him and his homey hobbit hole.

CONCLUSION

That was close: Bilbo almost ended up as supper for Gollum. I can certainly understand why some players are frustrated with the randomness of riddles, but I appreciate that there are ways to reduce that risk. With a strong starting hand, the dwarves were able to handle fairly heavy combat early on. I was able to avoid chump blocking all game, and had seven dwarves in play by round 2! Since the dwarves were doing fairly well and Bilbo already had a damage, I may have made a mistake when I used Gandalf to draw cards in rounds 4, 5 and 6. If I had used Gandalf to lower threat one of those times and used Bilbo’s Magic Ring more often, my deck wouldn’t have thinned as quickly, but I would have had more flexibility with my Baggins resources. I was lucky that Dwarven Tomb and Will of the West were never discarded by a riddle. Not fair! Not fair! was a setback, but managing the composition of my discard pile (in anticipation of playing Will of the West) helped me to complete stage two. With the full company in play and plenty of resources and cards, stage three was effortless. Having escaped a fiery death with the help of the eagles, Thorin and Company will soon discover the poisonous gloom of Mirkwood that awaits them in Flies and Spiders.