My Four Player Campaign – From the Shire through Isengard – Part I

by Grant "pfcamygrant" Ellis

One of the more exciting and thematic approaches to the Lord of the Rings Living Card Game is the ability to write your own adventure through your individual experience of the traditional narrative. You can craft a campaign that emphasizes the iconic elements from Tolkien’s written word, while exploring alternative scenarios in which other character combinations take part in the quest to destroy the One Ring and break the Shadow.


Currently, four of us are trekking across the land of Middle-Earth, experiencing loss and treachery; feeling the weight of the Ring and increasing burdens upon us. We have reached the gates of Moria, and have entered the mines. In preparation for the coming expansion (which by the time of publication will be in my hands) we are attempting to press through the next two scenarios and make way for Isengard.  This week I will bring you up to speed as to where we are at in our current campaign card pool: Who Are We Playing, Who Has Fallen, and What Burdens and Boons We Have Earned along the Road.

The Back Story and The Build-Up

The adventure began with Frodo being led by a group of Dwarves, some Riders of Rohan, several small Hobbits, and the high elves Elrond and Glorfindel, traveling with a lone Dunedain Warden. While evading the Nazgul and making their way toward Bree, the odds grew against them, as fortune forsook the dwarves. Left to face the Witchking and the Nazgul at Weathertop, we saw the mightiest sons of Durin fall in combat. Their departure led to the advent of Aragorn, Gimli, Son of Gloin, and Legolas join the Fellowship. After reaching Rivendell, Elrond joined the Hobbits as an ally and Gandalf the Grey claimed Glamdring and his Staff to lead the company to Mordor.

The company has reached the West-gate and opened the Doors of Durin… a Journey in the Dark is set to begin.



The Decks – Hero Selection, Earned Boons, and Earned Burdens

Fallen Heroes

Three heroes have fallen.

Thalin, Thorin Oakenshield, and Dain Ironfoot all met their ends in The Lord of the Rings Part 2 - A Knife in the Dark. Thus a permanent +3 to each players starting threat is added at the start of each Campaign Quest.

Earned Burdens:

Over the course of the current campaign, we have earned the following Burden cards:
Gandalf's Delay
Panicked!
Fear of Discovery
Weight of the Ring
Lust for the Ring

Hero Selection:
When examining our  current decks, it is important to give a brief synopsis of each player and their experience level in the game:

The Three Hunters

Brandon – Brandon is an independent game developer who I’ve worked with on a variety of endeavors over the course of six years. Brandon enjoys the idea behind Gizmo Decks that have complex systems, provided those systems can come online quickly.He also celebrates theme, so he appreciates a deck that is consistent with Tolkien's vision. Brandon is a very giving player, often sacrificing for the good of the team (hence his dwarves falling upon weathertop.) Brandon has currently assigned Aragorn the Skilled Healer Boon and is running a Mono-Tactics Three Hunters Deck, swapping Leadership Aragorn for his Tactics counterpart. With the Treason of Saruman upon us, Brandon is working on what thematic deck he will conceive next in order to continue the campaign.

 See this deck on CardGameDB.

Key Cards: Blade of Gondolin, Rohan Warhorse, Khazad Khazad, Dwarven Axe, Secret Vigil, Rivendell Blade, Straight Shot

Ride of the Rohirrim

Chloe – Brandon’s wife Chloe is a game enthusiast who enjoys the cooperative aspects of the Lord of the Rings LCG. She has played the least amount of sessions, being pulled into the campaign fairly quickly, but is rapidly developing as the powerhouse of the group. She is running a duo-sphere Spirit/Tactics deck with a Rohan theme. Led by Eowyn, Eomer, and Dunhere, her Rohirrim are fearless and effective. She has added the Tireless Ranger Boon to Eomer and last adventure gave him Anduril (combo’d with Firefoot) so we saw the deadly results of his elevated defense. The advent of Herugrim, from The Treason of Saruman, will take this deck up a notch.

Key Cards: Eomund, Firefoot, Spear of the Mark, Steed of the Mark

A Hobbit Walking Party

Eden – My wife Eden has a deep background in both console games and exposure to a wide variety of card and board games. Being that she values friendship and cheer above hoarding gold and treasure, it is fitting that she run a Hobbit deck. Pippin, Merry, and Sam join forces in a combined effort of ruthless efficiency and low threat cost.  Eden has elected to attach Valiant Warrior to Merry and typically plays Sting on Sam.

Key Cards: Hobbit Cloak, Bill the Pony, Barliman Butterbur, Dagger of Westernesse, Fast Hitch

Return of the Queen?

Grant – I am the writer of this blog, the record keeper, and drift between Gollum-like obsession for the game and the steadfast dedication of some of the other more respectable characters. In fact, I’m the probably the Boromir of the group, if anything. I am currently running a Willpower-heavy trio built around Gandalf, Spirit Glorfindel, and Idraen. The emphasis is on breaking locations, getting as many progress tokens on them as possible, and to eventually set Gandalf up for a triumphant return Beyond All Hope as we approach Isengard.
 See this deck on CardGameDB

Key Cards: Gandalf's Staff, Asfaloth, Light of Valinor, Northern Tracker, Greyflood Wanderer,

Conclusion

Campaign modes are exciting, challenging, and thought-provoking. As the card pool continues to expand, the decks exist in a state of constant flux, with the possibilities and variations increasing exponentially every year. We’ve experienced thrilling highs and humbling lows as we’ve entered the West-gate. Part 2 will chronicle our playthrough and experiences within the Mines.

Want to join the conversation? Please sound off in the comments below, or let us know on our forum!

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WWPD4VETS 2015 is over! Thanks to all who supported our efforts!

Alright guys! As a community we managed to raise $3,796 bucks for the Wounded Warrior Project! That's awesome! Thanks to absolutely everyone who donated and a special thanks to our anonymous donor who matched donations dollar for dollar. You guys are the best!

The WWPD4VETS tournament at Game Vault was a blast- many people seemed to really enjoy the "ultimate re-roll" tokens they could buy for a buck. And now, here's some pics from the various WWPD4VETS goingsons. We hope to see you next year!

We were honored by Brigadier General Glenn Goddard's gesture. He presented us each with his challenge coin- a memento that will be proudly displayed in my house for the rest of my life!

 The tournament getting underway at the Game Vault.

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Bolt Action - Review: Warlord Games Metal Senegalese

For those of you that have followed our site, listened to any of our podcasts or seen any one of my several thousand Facebook posts you would be aware that the French are my favorite force in Bolt Action. There is just something about the underdog that attracts my interest, and in the tabletop game of Bolt Action no force is the butt of more jokes than the French.

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Bolt Action - Bolt Action Radio Episode 35

Bolt Action Radio number thirty-five brings together Anf, Bryan and Judson for a bit of a reunion. Recently, the two goulash lovers had released an unofficial supplement for the game - a much needed expansion for the Hungarian army list! Together with Judson, they go over what first drew them to their Hungarian addiction. After, they delve into a bit of the research involved in uncovering additional units for the nation, and how the history made its way onto the page. Be warned - listening to this episode will probably compel you to start a heavily-mustachioed new army!





If you would like the  direct link to this episode... You can find it here.

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Pushing Panthers

By Sean "Throckmorton" Sarah

I loves me some German armor. They're sleek, futuristic looking, over engineered hunks of metal with a nasty rep. From the lowly Panzer II to the mighty Jagdtiger and King Tiger, I love to collect, paint and run German tanks of all shapes and sizes. Not only that, but their paint schemes are legitimately interesting and are a nice break from the drab green of the allies.

At the top of my list of favorite looking German armor things is the Panther. She may not be the most popular tank to take in our beloved hobby but man alive is she a sweet sweet ride. And, aside from the King Tiger, few other tanks have as much paintability and variety of look, especially in late war.

I love this tank so much it's literally what got me into the game. The first 15mm models I painted were Panthers. The first lists I ever built were based off Kursk for MidWar and KG Bake for Late War. So, needless to say I'm a fan.

Thus, when I got my sweet new Grex Airbrush rig I decided I should christen it with some new (and some repainted) Panthers!

The Last Legion, my late late war panthers.

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Star Wars - Making Space Mats for Star Wars Armada and X-Wing!

I like space mats. I've come to like felt over other options for two main reasons. It's "non-slip," so bumping the table doesn't result in units sliding, and dice don't go skidding into oblivion. The biggest reason for me, however, is that felt isn't reflective. I have a well lit game room so I can produce battle reports, and the glare on vinyl mats is just horrendous, which will totally negate their beauty!

For some reason, I felt the urge to learn how to make space mats! I watched tutorials on painting stars and nebulae with an airbrush and went to town. I ordered 10 yards of black felt, and a number of airbrush colors I did not own (you never need purple when you do historicals!). Here is my rough attempt at a guide--very rough. I've gotten my technique down pretty well now, and hope to sell a few handmade mats in the future. If you're interested in having one custom made, shoot me an email at Steven [at] wwpd [dot] net.

First, measure out the mat. This roll is 10 yards by 2 yards, so cutting 3' off the end is pretty simple. I am, however, hilariously bad at using scissors so I asked my wife to help get clean cuts.

We weighted down the fabric and used a guide to ensure we stayed true to the measurement.

Next, I use white to add as many stars as I can handle. I try to vary the size and spacing, but this stage is the most difficult for sure!

Next, I add gas clouds. These are much more faint in person, which adds some nice depth. I am using very bright lights here which really bring them out. I am still deciding whether I want to do the clouds first or the stars first. Having them very faintly go over the stars is kinda neat since it colors them some.

Once I've done the main white stars, I randomly pick some out and lightly spray color over them to give them some depth.

The most basic mat--just gas clouds and stars.

Wider view.

Finally, I decided it needed more texture, so I tried various methods to get small/distant stars. In the end, I used a Sonicare toothbrush with an old head to do it! Dip it in white paint, wipe off the excess, and flick that bad boy on!

That additional texture doesn't print well, but looks awesome in person.

In the wider shot it looks a lot better!

Another mat from beginning to end.

Here's a mat with nebulae from beginning to end. I start with gas clouds.

Next, I add a white base where the nebula is going.

Then, I do my nebulae with alternating colors. Please note it is nowhere near this bright in person--the camera is adjusting for white balance and so the colors look hilariously bright! In person, it's much more subdued.

Now it's time for the small/distant stars!

I really like the effect the Sonicare provides!

Now I take the white and add stars with the airbrush.

Finally, I color in some of the stars. Again, the colors are way brighter in this picture than they are in person!

The nebula looks much more like this in person.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to making more!

Want to join the conversation? Please sound off in the comments below, or let us know on our forum!

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Bolt Action - AAR: May the Fourth Be With You (Star Wars Special)

In honor of May the Fourth, this year I decided to bust out my old collection of Star Wars Miniatures from Wizards of the Coast (no longer in production ... sad) and play some Star Wars Bolt Action.

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Star Wars Armada - Battle Report: Outer Rim Rendezvous

"Captain Baxtorious, I am sending you back to the sector to route out any rebels that may be hiding there.  The Inquisitor will be joined by Captain Sula and the Dominatrix.  I know that your lost Tie Fighters have not been replaced, but you will have to make due without them, time is of the essence." 

"Yes, Lord Vader."

"ISB, reports that the rebel forces hiding in area plan on rendezvousing with a large attachment of X-Wing fighters for a refit in a few days time.  The Inquisitor and Dominatrix will crash this rendezvous."

"Sir, we have dropped out of hyper speed, senors are picking up three ships.  It appears to be two corvettes and a frigate."

"How many fighter squadrons lieutenant"

"Five Sir, all X-Wings."

"Contact the Dominatrix, deploy our Ties."

"Sir, enemy ships coming into range."

"Prepare to fire tactical."

"Sir, enemy fighters are engaged with our Ties and the Dominatrix is taking fire from the corvettes."

"Stay calm Lieutenant, the battle has just began."

"Sir, the Dominatrix reports that one of the Corvettes is trying to make a break for that small outpost."

"Focus fire on the frigate, the Dominatrix can handle the corvette."

"Sir, two of our four Tie squadrons have been eliminated."

"Tell the crew to prepare the defenses for fighter attack."

"Sir, senors indicate the frigates shields are down."

"Tell the Dominatrix to put a volley of laser fire into the frigate from its starboard batteries."

"Sir, the frigate has been eliminated."

"Excellent.  Damage control report."

"Sir, we have breaches in our port and aft shields.  Minor hull breaches on multiple decks."

"Send repair crews to repair the most significant damage.  I need every hand .... (BOOM!!!)

"What was that?"

"Sir, our main shield reactor is off line, shields are completely down."

"Get a crew on that immediately ensign."

"Yes sir."

"Sir, enemy corvette approaching from the starboard side."

"Fire at will tactical."

"Sir, we got her."

"While we are repairing the shields make sure those fighters don't get through and someone tell the Dominatrix to catch that corvette."

"Sir, the corvette is just sitting there outside of our range."

"They are probably repairing themselves."

"Sir, they cant possibly be thinking about taking on two Star Destroyers."

"Misplaced ideologies can make people do some irrational things ensign.  Plus their hyperdrive might be down."

"Sir, they are charging head long at the Dominatrix."

"Looks like our rebel friends are gluttons for punishment."

"Sir, we are closing in on the corvette."

"Fire the assault missiles, I am tired of these games."

"Lord Vader,  the rebel force has been eliminated." 

Want to join the conversation? Please sound off in the comments below, or let us know on our forum!

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