9 replies to this topic

[Karolo82]

Unless i'm doing something terribly wrong i don't think it is possible to beat second scenario from the Core Set using just one 50 cards deck based on core set cards.

i tried with Aragorn,Gloin and Gimili hoping for some good start(and fight) but the Mountain Troll was hitting me round after round raising my threat level enormously fast. Defending against the Troll attack would mean loosing one of the heroes. There was no chance to slower the threat level advance as i needed heroes to be ready to cope with the Troll(and some nasty serpent too by the way...). The game ended after a couple of rounds with the threat level reaching 50. So it seems like being undoable.

If would like to play solo games rather comfortably would i need all the cards that have been printed so far? (including missing cards from the Core Set?)

[TrueLolzor]

I struggled with this scenario in my times of only core set too. Took me like 20 games to win for the first time and this time it felt like pure luck.

[14Shirt]

Playing with just one core set on any scenario above the first one is a lesson in frustration, I'm afraid. I learned this the hard way. I've only had success solo after buying a second core set, a couple of the major expansions, and a handful of chapter packs. Now I can successfully beat difficulty 5 challenges (haven't tried a 6 yet). While the game advertises solo play, it takes a lot of cards to pull that off with any regularity. This would only change if they decided to release more level 1-2 challenges, but I don't see that happening.

[dboeren]

I would suggest that you try playing 2-fisted. One player with two decks, in other words.

[Whitman]

Don't despair, Karolo. It can be done. I beat Journey on my second attempt, using just one core set. I was running Eowyn, Dunhere and Gimli. My deck was 27 spirit cards (i.e. all of them minus Power in the Earth), 20 tactics cards (I took out everything that cost 3+ resources, except the archers -- Citadel Plate might be better, but it would take a long time to play with just one tactics hero and no resource fixing), plus 3 copies of Gandalf.

Blade of Gondolin on Dunhere is great in this quest, as there are 12 orcs in the encounter deck.

[Tragic]

This is very doable, though it is hard. These games are designed for expansions. While they sell them as stand alone games, they really aren't. I often get asked about this and when I get the time I'll do a play though for a single core in Anduin.

[Jhaelen]

Unless i'm doing something terribly wrong i don't think it is possible to beat second scenario from the Core Set using just one 50 cards deck based on core set cards.

Well, if all you have is a single core set, then why are you using a 50-card deck? The scenarios in the core set were meant to be played using the smaller, pre-built decks.
dboeren also offers good advice, since the scenarios in the core set and at least the first AP cycle were quite clearly balanced with two players in mind.

I've been playing two decks solo until the advent of the Heirs of Numenor. At that point I felt that the balancing had obviously changed again to use a single player as the point of reference.

[Whitman]

Well, if all you have is a single core set, then why are you using a 50-card deck? The scenarios in the core set were meant to be played using the smaller, pre-built decks.

I may be wrong, but I think the starter decks are only intended for Passage Through Mirkwood. Have you tried playing the other 2 scenarios with only the starter decks?

[Karolo82]

Thanks for the feedback.

I decided to make a simulation of a two players game using two 50 cards decks from the single core set and although i haven't succeeded in beating the second scenario so far i now find the game playable and even enjoyable.

As a last resort i can always play in an easy mode, i guess.

[Jhaelen]

I may be wrong, but I think the starter decks are only intended for Passage Through Mirkwood. Have you tried playing the other 2 scenarios with only the starter decks?

Of course. I actually managed to beat all core scenarios with them - just don't ask how many attempts it took to win the third one!