Having just completed this adventure for the second time, the combat balance is badly off. First time was with my 'tank' (high enough Av to generate misses); second time with my priestess.

1. A lot of Base d12 stat die gave the NPCs an initiative advantage and a damage advantage.
2. The NPCs had more Fate than the entire party combined (Fate of 6 with 4 fate points? x4 or more times?). That makes 4 Adversary level NPCs in one encounter (one was apparently Common, as he got taken out with a single wound).
3. Defences and Skills appear to be based on the Encounter Tier value and not the Base Tier value, resulting in inflated numbers (Moderate defences of 23-24 with Strong of 27?!?! +8/+9 skills?).

Our T 1.6 table struggled to reach the TN required (average +4 to +6 skills) and had a few lucky damage rolls (after luckier to-hit rolls) strung together. We took 11+ wounds (from Massive Damage) over the two combats and inflicted 3 (+1 from a crit).
Also got lucky with the sorceress flubbing nearly every attack roll (lots of 1s).

I used Eye for an Eye four times, got lucky/spent Fate on the casting rolls and then had the two hits negated by Fate (the other two failed to hit by 1 due to Wound penalty). Rolling an average of 19 on 3d10 should have been more than enough.

There are a handful of modules that have tougher than normal fights. Into the Blessed Lands is one. (Desecration & Gleam of Fires also come to mind). I agree the fight is more dangerous than most fight encounters.

I personally do not have an issue with adversaries who have a d12 die for "everything," and who subsequently gain an advantage in initiative and have Fate to burn. I know some other people do. :::shrug:: adversaries are supposed to be able to take on several adventures at once & they don't have multiple runes or other nifty gear as a rule.mi think it sort of works out...at least in my mind. Fundamentally I am okay with somewhat different rules for creating adversaries as opposed to PCs.

Do these guys merit their adversary basis? If they were just bandits the answer would be no. But these guys killed one of the Soldier Saints (even if it was Rohan). Throw in meetings with the Jial and a Razor Claw and its clear to me that these guys are a special brand of trouble.

While fight is rough I don't recall hearing about any PC deaths...