The moment I finally opened Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion and dug into its contents, excitement and intimidation set in. Billed as a streamlined intro to the sprawling Gloomhaven franchise, deep tactical gameplay sans the setup and complexity of the original was promised. Even in this more palatable format, though, I would soon learn that in order to succeed, careful planning, teamwork, and adaptability are called for. My first scenario saw me playing as the…