by JimZam
the_spiral wrote:
(Experience level: Played a couple of 2-player games (including the introductory scenario) and a couple of solo games. No experience of previous Thunderstone. So fairly new to the game.
Howard, thanks for your 3 session reports, I hope you will do more. I'm in exactly the same situation as you w/r/t this game.
Intentions: To perform a solo play each of the three scenarios included in the rulebook.
I'm in process of doing the same, just finished my first.
My ground rules:
Since there are no persistent characters in the game, there's no reason to treat it like an RPG.
Since there are no persistent characters in the game, there's no reason to treat it like an RPG.
I'm a very story-oriented person so I'm going to try something a little different here, although I played the first scenario straight up until the very last hand-draw. I'm mulling some ideas for a more RPG-style run-through of the scenarios. I have both expansions.
Episode 1: Tower of Corruption
How I intended to play it: To stay dwarf-focused, making use of the Dwarven Bear Hammer, and to use Whetmages to level up, minimizing Village turns.
How I intended to play it: To stay dwarf-focused, making use of the Dwarven Bear Hammer, and to use Whetmages to level up, minimizing Village turns.
Oh yeah!
What actually happened:
In the early-to-midgame, this plan worked beautifully.
Around 2/3rds of the way through, this plan began to unravel.... My Whetmages had fallen behind.... They weren't appearing enough to level up other heroes, and crucially, couldn't level each other up.
In the early-to-midgame, this plan worked beautifully.
Around 2/3rds of the way through, this plan began to unravel.... My Whetmages had fallen behind.... They weren't appearing enough to level up other heroes, and crucially, couldn't level each other up.
Good comment about the Whetmages, I also had too few of them and none of them ever were able to level each other up although they did an okay job leveling other heroes.
I was sure I'd failed. So many high level monsters had escaped me. What would the final tally show?
Scores
Monster score: 59
My score: 68
Miraculously, I had pulled it off.
Scores
Monster score: 59
My score: 68
Miraculously, I had pulled it off.
My final score reflects yours: Monsters 59, Heroes 61.
The entire battle came down to whether I could kill Stram.
Lessons learned for future sessions
1. If you're going to use a Whetmage strategy, it's better to buy too many than too few.
2. If you're destroying Regulars instead of levelling them up, you need to buy more heroes to make up the balance.
3. Sacrificing heroes should be approached with caution. It may be better to let a monster breach than give up a hero, particularly if there is a risk of level blockading.
1. If you're going to use a Whetmage strategy, it's better to buy too many than too few.
2. If you're destroying Regulars instead of levelling them up, you need to buy more heroes to make up the balance.
3. Sacrificing heroes should be approached with caution. It may be better to let a monster breach than give up a hero, particularly if there is a risk of level blockading.
I didn't buy any Regulars and I was left with just one at the end. Not sure I would buy more though because they might end up clogging the deck. Close call either way. I definitely allowed monsters to breach rather than losing heroes.
Anyhow thx again for the report and the inspiration for me to get going on this game solo, which is an interesting way to play it. Sorry if the formatting above looks a little goofy but I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to the technical side of posting here. :p