Game(s) Played:
No, really, the following post has MAJOR spoilers for the Gloomhaven campaign. This has been your spoiler warning.
Gloomhaven #20 – (25) Icecrag Ascent
Game: Gloomhaven
Designer: Isaac Childres
Players: 1 – 4 Players
Playing Time: 30 – 120 minutes (This Play: 120 minutes)
Main Mechanisms: Role Playing, Legacy, Hand Management
Player(s):
"Guys! Fat Cat Bob's playing at the Brown Door tonight. We should go and take in some tunes" chirps Xanna "Master Artificer to the Etherium Crafters".
Splinter's "Karaoke Kingu" eyes light up at the prospect of attending his first concert in Gloomhaven whilst All Might "The Symbol Of Peace" begins counting the coins in his pouch to see how much drinking he can do tonight. Seeing their enthusiasm, Thalia "Heir Of Saint Traft" puts her whetstone away and sheathes her dirks, standing up she smiles and simply says "Let's go have some fun"
We don't usually go looking for trouble. It just tends to hang around where we are
Stopping illicit blood trade might be good for the city but trashing one of the city's popular bars doesn't go down well with the citizenry. Over the next few days, dark faces and open looks of contempt are all that follow our party wherever they go.
"Darn it! I can't even buy a drink without the barkeep asking for a deposit against good behaviour!" curses All Might.
"You know… We could go find that dragon trea… I mean find that dragon, kill it and become heroes again!" responds Thalia cheerily.
"You know, you have a weird obsession with this dragon thingy. But I could do with a little getaway so why not? Being Quatryl is no fun after trashing a Quatryl concert in Gloomhaven" chips in Xanna.
I was right! We have done this Road Event before but the outcome from the option we chose is still the least damaging
Arriving back at the cave that contains the Voice, the party manages to push aside the insistent nagging of the Voice emanating from the cave and continue on up the Copperneck Mountains.
Hounds! We need to find out if chocolate exists in Gloomhaven
The barking of the HOUNDS fills the air as the party comes to a bend in the trail up Icecrag Peak. Opening his eyes, Splinter quietly says "A dozen come". "We won't beat them to the bend, diamond formation now!" bites off Thalia as the HOUNDS come bounding around the bend, pouncing on the party just as they manage to complete their defensive formation.
An auspicious start to our encounter with HOUNDS that usually ends in misery
The simplicity with which one of their leaders is dispatched causes the HOUNDS to be disoriented for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Splinter flings his home made chilli bomb at the lead HOUND which explodes on its muzzle. The HOUND begins to whimper and paw at its nose after inhaling the ground chilli and pepper mix released by the bomb, forgetting the enemies in front of it.
All Might leads the counter charge by leaping over the incapacitated HOUND and drop kicking the next HOUND in line. As the fight rages on, Xanna is busy hammering out what seems to be a mini turret mounted to a shoulder harness. Pulling it on, Xanna proudly declares "Witness the AUTO TURRET and DESPAIR!!!" and quickly makes the turn around the bend, leaving All Might behind to do clean up on the last remaining HOUND. "Oi!!!" shouts All Might at Xanna's retreating back.
When we get back to Gloomhaven, somebody needs to get their eyes checked, drakes are not dragons
Not waiting for the others to show up, Splinter pulls on his INVISIBILITY CLOAK and opens the door into the next room. The next cavern appears to be split into two levels with the party entering at the lower level. The lower level appears guarded by non-flying RENDING DRAKES whilst the higher level has three SPITTING DRAKES guarding the exit.
The RENDING DRAKES don't appear to notice the hidden Vermling but screech out a greeting to the flying SPITTING DRAKES who float over the drop sniffing the air as if they have realized something is not where it should be. Turning over to his nasal senses, Splinter realizes Thalia must have just done a round of seaweed facial treatment the day before, luring the SPITTING DRAKES to the corner Thalia was hiding in beyond the doorway. With realization comes dread certainty as Splinter jumps out of the way, barely avoiding the acidic, projectile spit launched by the SPITTING DRAKES through the doorway. Caught by surprise, Thalia is hit by the acid and takes substantial damage but manages to survive the encounter. Barrelling down the bend, Xanna uses the AUTO TURRET to return fire whilst stopping to help Thalia perform emergency healing on herself.
As the DRAKES concentrate their forces beyond the doorway, All Might leaps into the fray, scattering the DRAKES' formation. As the RENDING DRAKES bunch up to avoid the leaping Inox, Xanna uses her NET SHOOTER and fires a net over the RENDING DRAKES, rending them immobile as they try to tear at the netting. Splinter dodges his way through the melee and as a RENDING DRAKE tries to swipe at him with its tail, he grabs the tail and throws the whole RENDING DRAKE overhand towards the incline upwards to the higher level. The RENDING DRAKE crashes towards the ground only to trigger an thunder trap that stuns it with a burst of electricity.
As the unencumbered SPITTING DRAKES prepare to launch a second volley of spitfire at All Might, he rolls towards his right, swiping up the dropped loot as he goes. This unfortunately puts Thalia back into the crosshairs of the SPITTING DRAKES, although she manages to dodge most of the projectiles. Tapping her BOOTS OF LEVITATION, Thalia jumps across the room (8 hexes) to grab the Treasure Chest in the corner as All Might cries out "NOOOOOOOO…" in bittersweet agony. The Treasure Chest yields a DRAKESCALE HELM much to Splinter's delight as he is very equipment light. His disappointment fuelling the movement of his sword, All Might lashes out at the nearest SPITTING DRAKE.
This was really funny as Moses was so sure he would get anything but a critical miss
As the rest of the party wraps up the remaining DRAKES, Thalia approaches the exit cautiously, noting that the discovery of one trap does not mean there aren't any more in the vicinity. She is rewarded for her poking and prodding by a metallic clink in the sand and she quickly gets down to disarming the trap. Deciding the take the same approach, Thalia melts into the shadows as she opens the door into the final tunnel which is similarly guarded by more DRAKES.
Counting out the coins he looted from the corpses of the DRAKES, Splinter forgets to take cover as the SPITTING DRAKES fire a barrage of projectile spit at him from the cover of the doorway. With no other options, Splinter chooses to sacrifice his chakra (lose an Ability Card) to seal the wounds caused by the acidic projectiles as All Might, Xanna and Thalia take the opportunity of the SPITTING DRAKES taking a breath to reload, to give them the pounding of their short, remaining lives.
With what little strength left, Splinter follows after his fellow party members as they make their way down the tunnel. Pulling his last two Ability Cards, Splinter carefully calculates the distance…
I nearly got pounded in real life for this as anyone exhausted outside the exit point results in total scenario failure
It's THE DRAKE!!! As always we are presented with a moral choice which is sorta wasted on us, moral-less creatures
Now let's cut to the action in real time!
Results Of Game(s)
Winners:
Justin aka Splinter "The Stun Master Returns" – 24 Exp (LVL UP!) & 9 Gold & 1 Tick
Moses aka All Might "Man I wish I had a BOOTS OF LEVITATION" – 18 Exp & 12 Gold & 1 Tick
Gideon aka Thalia "You didn't want it so stop complaining" – 23 Exp & 18 Gold & 1 Tick (+1 PERK!)
Sean aka Xanna "I am Ironman" – 17 Exp & 9 Gold & 2 Ticks (+1 PERK!)
+2 Reputation
We will be back with more Gloomhaven in two weeks' time.
Until next time, keep calm and play better.
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