Doomed Fate 7.2: The Uruk-Hai

After my last victory with Aragorn, Gimli, and Pippin, Pippin was taken captive by the dreadful Uruk-Hai. Frodo parted ways with the company, and Aragorn took his place as the Fellowship hero. This means I get to change Aragorn out for a different hero of my choice without incurring the +1 threat penalty for Campaign Mode.

Last time I played the Uruk-Hai, I talked extensively about how I think Treebeard is the intended choice for this mission. LOTR LCG is a complex, wonderful game that has great replay value. I wanted to stress how I don’t think the developers made the saga only around solo play (and thematic solo play at that), but I do feel (hope) they made it possible to play well in solo mode with thematic characters. There will always be allowances in this game where the mechanics don’t line up with the narrative (like fighting the Nazgul in The Black Riders), but so far it feels like the saga was designed to be thematic-friendly for hero selection.

Part of me is not sold on including Treebeard, so I wanted to explore other options. Who would the thematic choices be to replace Aragorn? I’ve ranked the options in order of what I deem most thematically appropriate:

(1) Legolas. As mentioned, this will mean I have a mono-tactics deck, and I don’t see that EVER winning this scenario with my card pool. I need higher willpower.

(2) Eomer. This would actually be a thematically ideal choice given that it is Eomer and his men who battle the Uruk-Hai, giving Merry and Pippin the chance to escape—not Aragorn and company, who arrive too late. But alas; I don’t have Eomer as a hero to play with yet (he is included in the Mountain of Fire saga expansion).

(3) Treebeard. He never pursued or fought the Uruk-Hai in this battle, but did aid Merry and Pippin in escaping the clutches of Saruman soon after they escaped from the Uruk-Hai.

(4) Theoden. He was under Wormtongue’s influence at this point and was just sitting on his throne in the dark, being old and decrepit.

(5) Eowyn. She was hanging out at Edoras at the time with Theoden. Admittedly, her willpower would be a welcome addition for this scenario.

(6) Dunhere. Thematic in that he was a Rohirrim during this time, but he was not with Eomer during his battle with the Uruk-Hai.

(7) Theodred. This is a weird option, but I felt I should include it because one of the official decks made by Fantasy Flight Games for this expansion includes him with Theoden. Theodred, however, has already died by this point in the books.

I still believe the optimal choice is Treebeard, even though it feels wrong to have him on this quest. Looking ahead a bit, I feel this choice is justified. After The Uruk-Hai scenario, I get to change heroes freely, and then head to Helm’s Deep. After that, I head straight to Isengard, and there is no opportunity given to change heroes. Treebeard most definitely was not near Helm’s Deep, but would have been the most thematic hero to take down Isengard. After Isengard the narrative changes to Frodo’s quest. Long story short, if I don’t play with Treebeard now, I don’t think he will make a thematic appearance in my campaign.

I wanted to write all this because I know there are a lot of new LOTR LCG players interested in thematic playing of the sagas. While I felt The Black Riders and The Road Darkens were perfectly thematic to the books (as best as this game can be), I’m now encountering a scenario that seems impossible to win thematically. Although, as I mentioned last time, that too is weirdly thematic in a sense (Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn never rescue Merry and Pippin… not even close).

So that’s how I justify choosing Treebeard to join Aragorn and Gimli, but on the bright side, Legolas may yet make an appearance! The Treason of Saruman includes him as a tactics ally, so I’ll be sure to put him in my deck.

Let’s get to it.

The Uruk-Hai (easy mode; campaign), attempt 2
Heroes:			Campaign Pool:
Current:    Treebeard    Gimli    Pippin, captive    Aragorn (TToS), +1 threat   Previously Used in Campaign:    Frodo Baggins    Gandalf (defeated)    Sam Gamgee			Boons:    Anduril    Gildor Inglorion    Glamdring    Leaf-Wrapped Lembas    Mithril Shirt    Noble Hero (Frodo Baggins)    Sting   Burdens:    + Followed by Night    Gandalf’s Delay    Overcome by Grief    Shadow of Fear
Card Pool
Core Set (old edition) Celebrimbor’s Secret (AP) Shadow and Flame (AP) + The Treason of Saruman (Saga)			The Black Riders (Saga) The Dead Marshes (AP) The Road Darkens (Saga)
Deck (50)
Allies (21):		Attachments (11):			Events (18):
x3 Elrond x1 Erebor Hammersmith x1 Henamarth Riversong x2 Quickbeam x3 Wandering Ent x1 Beorn x2 Boromir x2 Farmer Maggot x2 Legolas x3 Vassal of the Windlord x1 Veteran Axehand		x2 Ent Draught x2 Protector of Lorien x2 Self Preservation x2 Arod x2 Citadel Plate x1 Horn of Gondor			x2 Entmoot x2 Radagast’s Cunning x2 Secret Paths x2 Feint x2 Hands Upon the Bow x2 Quick Strike x3 Frodo’s Intuition x3 The Three Hunters
Legend
Allies	Allies put into play during the Planning Phase this turn			Activity log. ED: Encounter Deck EE: Enemy from ED EL: Location from ED ET: Treachery from ED EO: Objective from ED SA: staging area >>: engages #: Event card played PA: Player A +: enters play -: exits play ===: Quest Card completed QC: Quest Card //: defeats CA: Character Ability
Attachments	Attachments put into play during the Planning Phase this turn
Threat	Staging Area threat / player threat at beginning of round
Engaged Enemies	Engaged enemies at the beginning of turn (damage tokens on enemy)
Location Log	Location at beginning of turn >> location traveled to this turn during Travel Phase
Setup
Allies	--			SA: + To Isengard! SA: + Ugluk Pippin placed under To Isengard! ED: + Followed by Night ED: + Shadow of Fear Glamdring and Anduril added to PA’s deck +1 starting threat for hero replacement
Attachments	+ Leaf-Wrapped Lembas (Aragorn)
Threat	3 / 30, PV: 10
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet
Turn 1
Allies	+ Quickbeam (I gave him 1 damage to ready him right away)			ET: Strange Weariness Quest: +3 (I used Treebeards character ability to deal him 2 damage and increase willpower by 2)
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 31, PV: 10
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet >>
Turn 2
Allies	--			EL: Plains of Rohan Quest: +5
Attachments	+ Citadel Plate (Gimli)
Threat	3 / 32, PV: 12
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	>> Plains of Rohan
Turn 3
Allies	--			EL: Banks of the Entwash Quest: +5
Attachments	+ Self Preservation (Treebeard) + Arod (Gimli)
Threat	3 / 33, PV: 14
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Plains of Rohan >> Banks of the Entwash
Turn 4
Allies	--			# Entmoot ET: Rest by Night Quest: +6
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 34, PV: 16
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Banks of the Entwash
Turn 5
Allies	--			EL: Eastemnet Quest: +6
Attachments	+ Anduril (Aragorn)
Threat	3 / 35, PV: 19
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	>> Eastemnet
Turn 6
Allies	+ Henamarth Riversong			EE: Isengard Uruk Quest: +7 PA >> Isengard Uruk PA // Isengard Uruk
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 36, PV: 22
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log	Eastemnet >>
Turn 7
Allies	+ Farmer Maggot			ET: Shadow of Fear ET: Rest by Night Henamarth Riversong is defeated Quickbeam is defeated Quest: +5 (damn… 2 progress tokens away, but can’t use Treebeard’s CA due to Shadow of Fear)
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 37, PV: 24
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log
Turn 8
Allies	+ Quickbeam (+1 damage to ready him)			ET: Followed by Night Isengard Uruk put into play engaged with PA ET: Unseen Barrier (FUCKKK this only lets me put up to 3 progress tokens on the quest card, but I need 4 to beat this) Quest: +6, but effectively +3 with Unseen Barrier PA // Isengard Uruk
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 39, PV: 26
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log
Turn 9
Allies	+ Boromir			(This is it… PV will hit 30 at the Refresh phase, assuming it isn’t increased before then.) EE: Uruk-Hai Fighter Quest: +4 (I needed +3, whew) ===QC 1 COMPLETE=== SA: + Uruk-Hai Fighter PA >> Uruk-Hai Fighter Uruk-Hai Fighter >> PA Ugluk >> PA - Arod (from SE) Ugluk // Gimli
Attachments	--
Threat	3 / 40, PV: 28
Engaged Enemies	--
Location Log
Turn 10
Allies	--			EL: The Wold Quest: -2 Uruk-Hai Fighter // Treebeard (there was a nasty shadow effect that would either increase the PV, which would result in automatic loss, or take the attack undefended) Uruk-Hai Fighter // Farmer Maggot PA // Uruk-Hai Fighter
Attachments	--
Threat	0 / 41, PV: 29
Engaged Enemies	Uruk-Hai Fighter Uruk-Hai Fighter Ugluk
Location Log
Turn 11
Allies	--			EL: Plains of Rohan Quest: +3 Ugluk // Aragorn
Attachments	--
Threat	2 / 44, PV: 29
Engaged Enemies	Uruk-Hai Fighter Ugluk
Location Log
===DEFEAT=== Aragorn was slain

 

Reflection

Things did go better this time; I actually caught up with the Uruk-Hai, but I was no match for them. I was so close to losing in so many ways. Damage was accruing on my heroes, and Ugluk can only have heroes attack and defend against him. My threat was at 44 in the end (6 away from loss). The Pursuit Value was at 29 at the end (1 away from loss).

What happened?

I could have used better allies, to be sure. I got Quickbeam right away, but that was my only affordable ally with willpower for some time. My Wandering Ents never showed up, and Elrond only showed his face when my Lore hero was defeated so I could not purchase his temporary willpower.

The treachery cards also hit me HARD, especially on turns 7 and 8.

Was Treebeard the proper choice to replace Aragorn?

He was definitely an upgrade from Legolas, but he did not feel thematic. I echo what I wrote before the game: Eomer would have been a better choice, since he is the one to actually engage the Uruk-Hai. But as I do not have Eomer (well, technically I own Mountain of Fire, but have not added the cards to my pool yet since I am playing progression style), Treebeard will have to do.

 

Most Valuable Cards (MVC)

MVC #1: Self Preservation (Core Set). This card is useful in most games, but paired with Treebeard, this gave me a consistent willpower boost that was needed to catch up to the Uruk-Hai.

MVC #2: Quickbeam (The Treason of Saruman). Honestly, I don’t really prefer him to the Wandering Ent, but with his ability to take 1 damage to ready him as he enters play (Ents enter play exhausted), he was pretty useful. He still has a willpower of 2 like the Wandering Ent, but since he is unique I can only have one in play at a time, where I can have up to 3 Wandering Ents in play at a time. Too bad those Wandering Ents didn’t show up… I even used the Entmoot to attempt to bring them into my hand, and I only caught another Quickbeam.

 

Most Valuable Hero

Aragorn (The Treason of Saruman). His ability to use 2 resources to ready a hero meant I could quest with everyone, and I know I could ready one of my heroes to defend, if needed. In fact, he made Henamarth Riversong’s character ability useless, and I really only used Henamarth to quest (he only has 1 willpower though).

 

Looking Forward

Overall, I am content with my team. Aragorn proved useful with his readying ability; Treebeard with Self Preservation was a great quester; Gimli was an attacking beast like he always is, ready to one-hit anyone. I am most appreciative of Gimli for this scenario. While he was killed this game, I need his attack power to beat Ugluk when the time comes, as only heroes can attack him (or defend against him).

I think if I had better ally draw earlier things would have been a bit better. It's also worth mentioning I did not draw a single Fellowship sphere card. There are 6 total in my deck, and all would have been very helpful for questing. I will tweak my deck and try again.