And here we are again, for another Into The Deep blog post. Last time we looked into weapon and gear loadouts, to get you on your merry way to dungeon delving successfully. Today we shall look into the scenarios themselves. Specifically, the three linked scenarios that make up the Into the Deep Challenge.
A hard fight, this challenge will put even the most prepared crews to the test, for with victory is given the mountain hold, kingship and the riches thereof. To help you achieve this, I will look into what you should expect from each mission and how best to deal with the challenges ahead.
The Challenge "Into The Deep" is found in the core rulebook (pg 111.). It can be played as a standalone challenge with a few adjustments to normal play, (such as going in solo if you so dare...) or as a part of your usual campaign. For the sake of this article we will be looking at the challenge as the culmination of a campaign. You have fought many battles, and won your clan and crew both riches and glory, now its time to put them to the final test - claim the mountain.
To commence the challenge as part of a campaign, two players must both agree to taking up the challenge and have at least 20 gold crowns combined banked (think of it as a tax). Also whilst not a 'requirement' it is very much encouraged that you have as many able warriors as possible before you go in (observing normal crew limits). Because once you go Into the Deep you must either complete it in its entirety or turn back and start again if you fail, furthermore injuries you sustain in each of the scenarios bars those warriors from participating in the subsequent ones. Keep your wits about you!
It is recommended that you take some experienced warriors into this challenge if possible. A Thane with the Immovable Trait can hold a corridor with the certainty that they will not be dragged off into the darkness, nor will they allow the monsters to flood past them.
Likewise, a Thane with Scout (or a Buldahr Hurler) can be invaluable in the coming scenarios, either giving knowledge of where danger lies, or providing tactical options.
If you gain any advances during your campaign, consider choosing a Tactics Trait for your warrior. Beast Hunter, Monster Hunter, and Teamwork can all give an edge against the foes you are about to face. While Fire Master and Pathfinder can help keep your crew alive.
Support Traits are also offer useful advantages for this challenge. Eyes of the Abyss puts your Warrior on a level field with monsters in the dark, while the various shooting traits can help you thin the enemy before the Fight Phase.
Okay, lets look at each of the scenarios.
The First steps - No Way out
Hard fighting lies ahead of you, the first steps into the dark will be a fight for your lives. No Way Out (pg. 84) has a simple objective...survive, kill all the monsters on the field and you win the day. In this scenario you will be battered and beaten from all angles (and some unexpected ones too) as hordes of monstrous creatures bash down your defenses.
Red = Player Entrances
Green = Monster Entrances
Yellow = Doorways
Star/square = Object spawn locations
To survive this onslaught, you and your companion crew must work as a team (no backstabbing in these halls!).
When the game starts, depending on what you have rolled in the setup stage you will have various objects in the room with them. These can and should be used to full effect to swing the fight in your favour, barricading an entrance with a pile of crates and barrels to slow an attack, taking the high ground on top of a table, or bracing doors with furniture to give it a bit more strength and lasting power before the door is breached for example.
Doors will also be generated during this initial step, either being secured, unsecured or ancestors forbid...no door. Your plan should take this into account. As mentioned before, brace unsecured doors and barricade door-less entryways first as these can hold the tide back even just for one turn. Giving your crews time to thin assault from another direction. You could also bring a master key to the challenge, allowing you to secure a door without having to roll a craft test. This can be a godsend in such a small map, allowing more time to prepare/fight the foe. If you don't use it, you can make use of it in the next scenario.
Prioritizing targets - such as large monsters - is a must. They all are converging on the entrances, and will smash them down eventually. So dealing with the big ones before they turn your crew into Dwarven soup is advised.
Utilize Reach/Ranged attacks here, which means making sure you keep avenues open for Ranged and/or Reach Weapons to be used. Getting more attacks in per round will swing the odds in your favour. If you have abilities such as "Supporting Fire" (able to shoot through friendly models on a Club card drawn) they should be used every turn possible.
The mission alternates between scheduled events and the basic event table, so you know what is coming in turn 2,4,6 but turns 1,2,5 etc are a mystery. Use this to your advantage. Clear out areas, and prepare before the known events arrive, and pray for good card outcomes on the unknown turns.
You might find that as the battle flows it is beneficial to open the 'floodgates' a little. Widen the battle-line so more than 2 (or 3 if applicable ranged weapon skills) can get hacking and slashing. Letting in monsters from the first turn possible, drip feeding them to your crew will allow you to manage risk and deal with the deluge piecemeal. Rather than all at once at a later turn (especially as monsters will spawn inside the room in later turns when the floor collapse event occurs). Your ally is the strength of Dwarves and the 4 turns of light, use it, Before you are plunged into darkness and overwhelmed!
They're in the Walls! - Crucible
Well done, you have survived the thunderdome and driven the monsters back, but they will return.
Now is the time to take the fight to them, as you have found where most of the monsters are pouring out from. Nothing a liberal application of Copperbrow explosives can't deal with...
Crucible (pg.88 ) is a doozy, and like 'No Way Out' is simple in premise. You have 5 turns of light and must make your way down into the depths, fight through monsters as they appear in the hallways to get to the breach in the wall and seal it for good. Simple enough yes? NO!
Red = Player Entrance
Green = Monster Entrance/Objective
Yellow = Doorways
Green Circle = Unexplored rooms (Monster events)
Fun fact, this mission was the first scenario created (and originally supposed to be first mission might I add) that we play-tested when developing the rules way back in the original draft...It hurt...a lot
The difficulty of this mission is that each room you enter (green dots) for the first time will be a flip of a card from your deck to see what flavour of monster pain you have uncovered. Monsters can range from Swarms to Beasts and in multiple numbers too - so advancing too quickly will cause mobs to appear faster than you may be ready for. Advance too slowly and the darkness will eventually come, extinguishing all hope.
"I see something in the dark..." "Get moving we don't have time!"
Monsters will continue to spawn at the breach you're supposed to close as well, making their way through the underhalls toward your warriors, impeding your progress. Additionally, difficulty is increased via Monster Surges! When you flip a card during the event phase and it is a spade, you must draw an additional event and if either is a Monster Event, you must play both at the same time!
If things were not hectic enough, the individual monsters may arrive from your own player entrance behind you! They are swarming from everywhere.
To deal with this mission requires close coordination with your ally. Move up in lockstep and clear rooms methodically and efficiently. Ensure that light sources have Line of sight down the hallways to illuminate the monsters within and keep the fight in the favour of your crews. Reach Attacks, Barge and high attack/agility warriors are recommended - choose well which Dwarves fight and which carry the explosives.
You might have noticed there are limited hallways to the objective, if the main rout is clogged up in a melee you could choose to take an alternative route. But beware! This could cause even more monsters to come at you, and if you're already in a pickle its quite a risk, however if you get unlucky it could be your only option. A final word, this scenario is intended to be a difficult mission, significantly more so than the prior one. If your finding the difficulty of this too hard the book gives a suggestion to make it easier for you and your crews.
Belly of the Beast - Lair
You have survived the waves of cretins from the deep. You have sealed the entrance to their nest with fire and brimstone, and come out alive - hopefully with most of your crew. Now its time to end the Hold's nightmare from a darker age, onto the Hellion.
If you kill the Hellion, you win. Not just the game, but the whole campaign! The mountain has been cleared of the dark overlord within and Dwarves can once again make it their home and bask in the wealth and glory of the mountain.
Red = Player Entrance
Green = Monster Entrance
Yellow = Doorways
Red Star = Unlit Braziers
Yellow Star = Brute Monster Deployment Hellion Image = Hellion Deployment
The Hellion is a dangerous foe that leads the denizens that have taken root in this Dwarfhold. It is a boss battle, so you will be dealing with the Hellion and the numerous Monsters trying to defend their overlord via both Scheduled Events and Basic Events each turn!
Ye gads! that is a lot of Monster action, I hope you're prepared.
This scenario gives you 4 turns of light to deal with the Hellion , not long but take note of the 2 Braziers within the main room. Braziers do not go out when the torches burn out so get those things lit asap to give you a healthy spread of light when needed.
Though the monsters are all ones you will be familiar with by this point in the campaign - Swarm, Brood, Brute and Beast types - this scenario adds one more, the Hellion. These types of monstrosities are ancient twisted beings who now lead the denziens of the deep into dwarfholds. Torch and Shield campaign books will detail new and unique variants, but the Core Rulebook comes with one called the Croaker. If this is not your first time completing a campaign you can substitute in alternative Hellions or create your own as the great foe!
You might think that you have nary a chance at taking down this beast, fret not! For the Croaker, whilst dangerous, can be beaten. How so? Well, for one in this fight you get the benefit of outnumbering it (well, so long as you have not lost too many crewmen in the previous scenarios), use that action economy surplus you have.
The Croaker can only do so much damage to you. Split your crew into two groups, one for crowd control having models with Swords, Hammers, Armoured Warriors with Shields and Greatshields to hold the line, or Warriors with Paired Weapons. The crowd control group is there to kill lesser monsters and keep the way clear for the Hellion squad, whose job is to focus fire the Hellion down.
Hand pick your Hellion squad from models equipped with weapons that have the 'Brutal' trait such as axes, heavy/great weapons for +1/+2 strength and ranged/reach attacks to wear it down. Also, heroes with Valor can help enormously.
Overall, your chances of beating the beast depend on how well you have done in the preceding scenarios. Many Dwarves make light work, but few Dwarves and you are in trouble.
One final note, beware the Acidic Belch and don't bunch up your warriors too much. As the Hellion actions are determined by a mini deck that gets built at the start of the game, it is likely the hellion will get at least one Acidic Belch off. If you are too close together you can lose half a crew in a blink.
Hopefully with these tips and every ounce of luck, you will taste victory! Congratulations, with the Hellion of these halls dead, the monsters will scurry to the deep dark of the halls and retreat into the ancient abyss. Dwarves will be able to reclaim their home and the riches within... Not so fast, the game is not over yet! For whilst the Into the Deep challenge is completed cooperatively, there can only be one king under the mountain. Either, one side concedes and bows to the crew leader of their ally, or you fight to the death with neither side willing to let go of the chance to become rich and powerful beyond their wildest Dwarf dreams.
The challenge finishes up the campaign, if you were unsuccessful, craft alternative strategies and play styles and try again!
If you were victorious, it is time to start another campaign, swap out Monsters and Hellions for alternatives that will be added in further campaign books, or add your own twists and create your own unique Hellion. The choice is yours. We at Grimskald would love to see and hear of your campaign exploits, what dastardly monsters you have created, your hobby and your trials in the deep. So come on in, and join our Facebook community group and discord.
As always,
Take a torch we are going in!
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