Solo Saturday - Set A Watch - Solo Playthrough

Welcome to our second Solo Saturday, where we are taking up watch and trying to keep the creatures out of our camp. What will the final outcome be?
#GeekCityUSA
#SetAWatch
#RockManorGames

[@Belethor63]

I noted that around 55:00 you use backstab and forget to instantly defeat the bandit. A little bit later you defeat it again.

[@GeekCityUSA]

So I wasn't able to defeat anything the first time I used the ability because my total dice roll for that character wasn't higher than their health.

[@Michael.Virtus]

You choose 1 of them to defeat. You don't add their health points. "Backstab: Reveal two creatures and then instantly defeat one whose health is under your total die roll this round".

[@Michael.Virtus]

I've watched most of the english speaking Set A Watch playthroughs I managed to find on youtube. This is the first lost I see. Until now I was thinking the game is too easy. This session here was over before the last location. Not sure if such a thick horde deck can be survived even with fully healed party, let alone seriously busted one. Beastmaster was actually down, because with 3 exhausted abilities he can't even attack with dice only ("you cannot participate this round" - it's stated in the F.A.Q. section of the Rulebook), so you should've sent him to camp anyway. Yes, Vanquish (camp rune) is very important, because that Horde deck is brutal at the end, even if it's just few extra enemies (your Horde was insanely big). But Vanquish alone can't help because it can be used just rarely, so you need to avoid enemies going to the Horde at all cost (even exhausting abilities with additional uses). But as we saw you were dead even before the Horde came into play. Too much exhausted abilities, probably because of too many missed/skipped opportunities in earlier rounds. The game is a smart puzzle which doesn't allow to much mistakes. I would love to see another playthrough of yours - a sweet revenge.

[@GeekCityUSA]

Hey thanks so much for the feedback! I think I really missed out on a lot of opportunities early on for sure. That absolutely killed me as I got close to the end. I'm wondering if that rule in the FAQ was there in the prototype, if I recall there were a few minor changes between this and the final. I'll have to double check. I'd be all about having a revenge session on this one. :D I really enjoyed this game, and it's been a little while since I've given it a play. Any requests for which heroes to use? I'm open for input. :D

[@Michael.Virtus]

@@GeekCityUSA You should use the heroes you like the most, because all the heroes are great. And in certain situations all of them are amazing. And they are so thematic. For example the Cleric and his great holy powers against Undead and Unhallowed. The Ranger and Wizard with their ranged damage and control. Or the Rogue with his Stay Dead removal (you can remove the Acolytes from the game), strong Backstab or the Poison Blades that can turn two low roll dice into insanely massive damage with enough revealed creatures in the Line. The Beast Master is pretty much the strongest class if played well. And I've realized this even before seeing that the developers were commenting the same. The moment I've tried Beast Master I was amazed by the combos with Forest Creatures. You can Tame them, attack with and then Hunt them back from the Graveyard. You can send them to the top of the Creature deck gaining 1. removing an enemy from the Line, 2. Saving yourself a need to scout next Rest (because you know that a Forest Creature will be at First Position) and 3. You will have a Forest Creature to play around again in the next battle. And not only their combat skills but the Rest abilities are so good. Wizard's Teleport is incredible - you should try to use it every time (basically 2 times per game), so you can fish for the Respite locations. The Warrior with his Axe is a great woodchopper and should be utilized as well. Cleric could do a double Heal with proper roll (basically mass healing 3 ability cards across the board with his default one from resting). Beast Master's Trap is great because instead of scouting to remove a Creature with First Position effect you can prevent the First Position AND make some damage (or even straightway kill the monster). So really whatever Hero you pick it will be great addition to the party. Just use your favorites or start picking them at random. Or do both - pick 1 or 2 of your favorites and pick the others at random. The most important is to keep the Horde Deck at low as possible. Vanquish as often as you can (it needs doubles on roll so it's a matter of luck, but you have one location that gives all dice to be used no matter the roll). If there is a card in the Horde try to Vanquish. Don't allow creatures to go into the Horde (if the Horde is empty you can allow 1 low damage creature and try to Vanquish after). But if you have a 2 damage Creature that is about to enter the Horde, because you don't have any dice left try to exhaust 1 or even 2 abilities (using second time without dice) in order to kill this monster, because if not it will cause you 2 damage (exhausted cards) anyway AND it will go to the Horde on top of that. Scout to avoid Creatures with First Position effect. And never play on just 1 Fire Light. Always plan for 2. First Position effects are devastating. Set A Watch is an amazing game. It's smart and with proper planning it's pretty fair as far as difficulty goes. Or at least on Easy (1 summon) and Normal (2 summons). I am yet to try Hard (3 summons) where the game will probably become... well Hard haha. I am not sure if you realize that one of the developers answered you here (bellow this video) a year ago (look for Mike Gnade - the comment about the "poor rogue", you answered him back). Also Mike announced there will be a stand-alone expansion: boardgamegeek.com/article/33594390#33594390 There will be kickstarter for it in the end of 2020 so you better sign up for the newsletter: rockmanorgames.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=cce2628b0ff1e1aaffa015bfd&id=7440251b89 Or if you don't trust to click on this link, since indeed it looks suspicious haha just go to the Rock Manor Games site and there is a blue button in the center (which leads you to the same link): rockmanorgames.com/ btw I don't have any affiliations with Rock Manor Games or Mike Gade whatsoever, I just love to help popularize a good game and talented developers. I hope to see your revenge Set A Watch playthrough soon. Cheers.

[@lgmhorus]

Both times you summoned an unhallowed at the Desert Ruins you did not exhaust a second card. Also, I think you also can't exhaust a card from a character in camp after a summon, can you?

[@GeekCityUSA]

Correct on both points. I realized that at the end, but at that point I was so beyond defeated, it would have only made me lose a little harder. :)

[@GeekCityUSA]

Mike Gnade - Thanks for clearing that up. I often forget that, and I know better. :)

[@Youtube_Globetrotter]

lets say you have 12 fire (3 monster revealed) let's say the first revealed say -2 fire then you can't longer see the 3:d?

[@GeekCityUSA]

If I recall, once it's revealed it stays revealed, but as the line moves when you defeat monsters, you wouldn't reveal that third one again unless you had mover fire. How are you enjoying the game?

[@Belethor63]

Around 42:00 when you have the Beastmaster in camp, you use one of his dice to defeat a creature. I don't think that is allowed. Also noticed that you forgot to lower your campfire a few times after revealing a new location.

[@GeekCityUSA]

Actually, the Beastmaster has an ability that you can assign a dice to only when they are in camp. In this case it was the "Set Trap" ability that lets them assign that die as damage to the first creature in the first position. Also, I did miss a campfire lowering towards the end.

[@kosterix123]

2:00 the rulebook is terrible, it doesn't say exhaust 1 per hero. When in setup phase must we exhaust?

[@GeekCityUSA]

I have the rulebook from the prototype dated Draft 4 - April 2018, and on page 3 it says under step 2: "*Each player* randomly picks 3 adventurer cards to use for the game. Place these adventure cards on your player board and any additional adventurer cards off to the side. Randomly select an adventurer card to exhaust (flip over)". Since we are doing that for each player, to me that's pretty clear that it's one per hero. It may read different in other versions of the rulebook, I'm not sure if or how that has changed.