My very first game last night, (using the beginners 4 pt):

Dungeon: Shadow Elf, Goblin Thief, Gravaxin, Lamia Anguine, Damsel.
Crawler: Leather Armor, Great Sword, Phase, Resurrect, Very Resourceful
Adventurers: Gold Dwarf, Thief, Stormcatcher, Wood Elf

Reading/studying the rules/tutorials and then playing the game was helpful, but there is no substitute for hands on play time I quickly realized. "Much to learn young grasshopper" came to mind..

I first started looking up the various attributes the enemies were wanting to get me with, trying to decipher what I was up against. Could you point out where my understandings might be off?

1)Gravaxin: Bolster: So that would only take effect if another Gravaxin were in the mix correct? +1 attack power
-Leap: protects against area attack
-Pin: if the attack connects the lead adventurer becomes activated and locked

2)Shadow Elf: Enfeeble: Since this was the first encounter there were no dungeon cards in the grave. So I assumed the target was 0+1 meaning the lead adventurer would not be able to use resources.
-Melee (Supernatural) wasn't sure how to defend against that but we answered that on a different topic.

3)Goblin: Stealth: Can't be the target of a wound (except under certain conditions)
-Steal: If the dungeon attack succeeds I lose one permanent
-Bolster (Goblin): I assumed that if ANY Goblin card were in the mix the +1 attack power would activate?

4)Lamia Anguine: Drain 1: Dungeon attack succeeds I drain 1 crawler card from my deck
Pin: So I had two cards with Pin. I assumed that they were both targetting the lead character and if the attack broke my defense it just meant only he would be pinned once.

5)Damsel: adds +1 Stamina to all characters

*My initial reaction*

I had to really try to win Damsel since it was one of my quests. I also did not want my lead adventurer to get locked and activated by Pin.

Since it was my first game I was spending time looking up the attributes and that overwhelming feeling set in. It was late at night, probably too late to be trying to wrap my head around my first encounter but I really wanted to play.

1)Phase: I had some confusion about how defense works against supernatural and other types so I wasn't sure how to make use of this. I think that has been clarified to me now from another post.

2)Ressurect: wasn't much use to me at this point

3)Great Sword: I intended to use this to attack, even though I couldn't boost it with my current party

4)Very Resourceful: I intended to use this one as well.
-Unboosted-Lock a target dungeon card: I assumed that meant I could lock any card I was up against
-Boosted-Lock a target dungeon card AND a 0 cost dungeon card.
I could boost this card with my wood elf and that was my plan. I wasn't sure which ones to lock though I knew the Gravaxin would be one of them.
Thought the Shadow Elf would be a good target as well so my Gold Dwarf would be able to use his resource (stop Enfeeble by locking Shadow Elf).

5)Leather Armour- Seems straight forward, +1 stamina per attacker. My confusion came with counting the attackers. If I had two attackers locked with Very Resourceful would those 2 still count toward the +1 per attacker or were they locked and therefore no longer considered attackers.

The Damsel angle. If I attacked and gave a wound to Lamia Anguine, under normal circumstances, would be killed and put into the grave but with Damsel's +1 stamina for characters the Lamia would survive I assumed. Now what happens when the encounter ends, Damsel is put into the dungeon grave. Lamia remains for the next encounter I assume, but with one wound. So that would mean I would still have to wound her again in the next enconter before she was vanquished correct?

It was around that point that I started to think I might not have enough to attack and defend successfully. My confusion with using Phase and defending against Melee Supernatural was I think the root of my problem. Now I know that with Phase I could disregard the harm damage and focus only on the Supernatural attack value power struggle.

I had started this game late into the night, maybe 3am. My brain was fried. After about an hour of reading and contemplating (and occasionlly snoozing) I closed down the dungeon and vowed to return again when I'm better rested.

Hey Lazareth,

Damsel on the first draw - yikes! Sounds like you were really close on figuring out the encounter, let's see if I can help out with this encounter!


Correct.


Correct.


This only locks down the highest resource on the target Adventurer.


Yay!


Can't be targeted in Combat if there is another valid target, but can be targeted otherwise!


Permanent Equipment card.


The goblin in question would have to have Bolster (Goblin). For instance the Goblin Conjurer does not have this ability.


Correct!


Actually they stack. In this case, the Primary Target would be Activated (once) and given 2 Lock Tokens.


Correct! If the Shadow Elf were to leave play her Enfeeble would cease to work.


Correct, and excellent question. The attackers only relates to those Characters that are able to attack, so it would be +2 not +4.


Actually, it only raises the Lamia's Stamina, not her Life Score. So she would still be sent to the grave after 1 Wound.


Rest will probably help and hopefully the clarifications have!

Good luck with the encounter!

Thank you very much for taking the time to go thru that with me. Quite an intricate puzzle each encounter can become I see. Very well designed game, thought provoking. Once I get through a few games and get better acquainted with the terms I'm sure I'll catch on.

"Actually, it only raises the Lamia's Stamina, not her Life Score. So she would still be sent to the grave after 1 Wound."

A clear sign that I was far too sleepy to be attempting a dungeon crawl.

Thank you for not giving up and checking with us on the game play.

Each encounter is indeed a puzzle and that's what makes the game replayable.

I went through the deck looking up the attributes, checking to see if I understood them. I'm still using the starter deck so I haven't started studying the other decks yet. I see topics for Delay Inevitible and Greenknee/Mummy so I should be able to find the answers I need there for those trickier cards.

I did find one that I thought I needed a little example with.

Ogre: 1) Reach+2 (harm): I believe I understand the distance mechanic. He would get an attack bonus of +2 if I couldn't play a card that meets or exceeds "reach".
2) Simple -2. This is the one I needed a hand with. Could you give a quick example of that power in play please?

Absolutely, no trouble at all!


Correct, if you play the Short Bow or Staff you equal his Distance which negates the +2 bonus to his Power.


A quick example would be, if you played "Defend" or "Charge", these are Tactic cards and you would reduce the Ogre's attack Power by 2. If you were to play both, you would lower his attack Power by 4!

Ah that is good news indeed as the Ogre has quite a high attack level. Thanks again.

I'm going to jump in here real quick, if that's alright
So I was reading in the rulebook about distance, just want to make sure I have the concept down. So I can still attack guys with ranged or thrown with a melee attack, however they would get the bonus to their power as stated on their card, right? On the other hand, if I were to have equal or better than their distance,(for example if they had a character with thrown +2, and I had an adventurer with thrown) would he get the bonus?
Thanks
stea1th4

Correct!


No, they would be striped of their bonus!

An example would be the Goblin Conjurer, she's only a 1/0 creature normally, but since she has ranged attacks she can blast you from afar and gains a +2 bonus to her attack power. If you're also able to blast her from a distance, say with Flaming Fury, she doesn't have much of an advantage any more.

Cool, thanks! I think I have it now.