Regional Report: Rochester, NY, June 9, 2012

Typically I play AGoT with a group of three other friends, and we typically play melee. We picked up the game around fall 2011. A few months ago we saw that our local game store, Millenium Games, was hosting a regional on June 9, so we assembled decks and practiced joust a few times. With just this amount of experience (and a bit of OCTGN), three of us participated in our first AGoT tournament, the Rochester, NY regional, against 15-20 other players. Per every post ever regarding first tournaments, we had low expectations. We were shocked when we all finished in the top 8, and I won the whole thing.

One of my friends ran a kneel heavy Lannister PBtT, another ran a Bolton deck (!), and I ran a Baratheon Holy Rush. I found the blueprint for my deck somewhere on the internet, and now I can’t find it again to give due credit. I made a few changes, particularly to plots and most importantly the addition of the Knight of Flowers (SaS). The full deck is posted at the bottom. It’s fairly simple to run and is extremely fast: in play testing, it recorded the only first-turn win that I have ever seen. In fact, I would say it is successful because it is unexpectedly fast. The Power of Faith (KotStorm)+Black Amethysts (MotM)+Melisandre (RotO) = win, because when it seems like victory is far away for your opponent, you let deadly challenges go unopposed.

Here I've tried to include as many round-by-round details as I could remember, but the details may be not exactly right. Six hours of thronesing is a lot to remember. Altogether I had a great time, and I had a pleasure playing against everyone.


Round 1: Martell KotHH

This was a battle that almost went to time as my renown characters were nullified by The Scourge (ODG), Ghaston Grey (FtC), and A Game of Cyvasse (ACoS). I kept unneeded resource locations in hand to combat the Scourge, and I started to turn the tide after two or three Cyvasses and a lucky discard of a 4-cost noble (Arianne, I think) post-Ghaston.

I then proceeded to blow the game by not counting my opponent’s power. In the final round I was sitting at 13 and my opponent won initiative and went first. He had 8 or 9 power on his house, and, without my noticing, 2 renown on Ser Arys Oakheart (PotS). Because I didn’t notice the renown, I let his challenges go unopposed (especially egregious since I had the Knight of Flowers on the table) and lost the game.

My opponent certainly deserves credit, most notably for scourging one of his own characters in order to “discard” Darkstar (PotS) to stop me from winning the game with an unopposed intrigue in the penultimate round.

0-1



Round 2: Lannister PBtT

I played The Laughing Storm (GotC), Edric Storm (Core), and two resource locations in setup, and my opponent played some Lannister weenies, including House Payne Enforcer (MotA). He then flopped Fear of Winter (BtW), and I think I went first. I played the Knight of Flowers. I thought I was safe from the two-claim nightmare, since the Laughing Storm could defend the enforcer’s deadly military challenge, until his one card was Lannisport Tourney Grounds (ODG).

I whittled him down to the enforcer and, I think, a weenie with only an intrigue icon. Then, in my opinion, he made a mistake with his challenges. He intrigue challenged me with the enforcer in order to kneel the Laughing Storm with the Tourney Grounds, and intrigued me again with the weenie. It would have been much worse for me if he had intrigued first with the weenie to kneel TLS, and military challenged with the enforcers. I could have won the deadly challenge with KoF and killed KoF, or let it go unopposed and lost TLS and Edric. Perhaps he thought that what I had in hand was scarier than what was on the table.

Next turn he played Cersei Lannister (LotR), I played Melisandre, and we traded blows. Then, seeing TLS, KoF, and Mel on the table, he sacrificed his Cersei and valared. With a lot of resource locations and Many Powers Long Asleep (RoR) for Mel, I quickly reestablished board control and ran away with the game.

1-1



Round 3: Stark KotR

I was never in this game. His deck was made and played very well. He didn’t fear stopping my deadly challenges with his plentiful cheap characters, and, with card draw due to his agenda and Maester Luwin (FtC), I saw No Quarter (TBC) and Die by the Sword (LoW) about two times each by the second or third round. After he brilliantly played Forgotten Plans (KotStorm) against my second Power of Faith, he took an easy win.

1-2, and thinking I was happy to have at least played well in 1.5 games in my first tournament.


Round 4: Martell Summer

I got off to a fast start in this game with Power of Faith on turns one and two, but the game really hinged on my use of Threat from the East (QoD) in turn 3 when I had superior board position and only one card in hand to his three (so no redraw). With Threat, I managed to discard Red Vengeance (PotS), The Red Viper (PotS), and something else that might have been good. I closed out the game that round with Make an Example (PotS).

2-2


Quarterfinals: Greyjoy Maesters

Both of my friends in the tournament were at 3-1, and I was content to root for them in the top 8. However, after everything was tabulated, it turned out that both of my losses were to players that also made the top 8. I limped in as the bottom seed, and I had the honor of playing against the Greyjoy Maesters deck that had been crushing dreams all afternoon. My opponent was an Ottawan that drove down to Rochester for the tournament, and couldn’t have been friendlier. However, he had just taken down my friend’s previously unstoppable Lannister PBtT, and his wooden house card was plenty intimidating.

I got off to a good start with probably 8 power (including 2 or 3 on Mel and KoF) by the end of turn one or two. Expecting valar, I played Burning Bridges (QoD) to stop his saves (though he may have had only one, Maester Wendamyr (KotS), on the table), but valar never came (and now I know why). I might have been able to get the win that round with a vigilant Melisandre (due to Fanatic (RoR)), but I made a mistake. I knew I could win a military challenge with KoF, so I did that first. Then I didn’t have the strength to get my power challenge past his two The Conclave (CbtC). If instead I had intrigued first with Mel I could have lost the challenge but knelt a character or two (or won, and earned at least 1 renown). The military win would have stood Mel, and I could have brought in a power challenge and dominance. This was all immaterial, however, as Power of Faith next round gave me the win.

3-2


Semifinals: Stark KotR (again)

This rematch with my round 3 opponent would surely have mirrored the earlier match except that this time, via The Hand's Judgement (TTotH), intrigue, and Zealot of the Light (BtW), I managed to cancel or discard No Quarter and Die by the Sword (and sneaky Catelyn Stark (LoW) to boot) instead of getting crushed by them. Another fast start and solid win with Mel, KoF, and Power of Faith.

The only sour note for this game came when casual observers later informed me that we both committed a few rules violations. A few of my lucky discards were thanks to triggering Zealot of the Light when I didn't win dominance, and a few times my opponent drew an extra card from his agenda when I had the same number/more knights on the table. I can only hope that these mistakes canceled out, as I would hate for them to mar a win against a great player with a very solid deck.

4-2


Finals: Martell KotHH (again)

Everything came full circle for the final match, as I faced off against my round one opponent. I should have been eager for revenge, but I wasn’t looking forward to another 8 round slugfest.

Fortunately for me, only one Cyvasse reared its head, my opponent mistakenly attempted to Search and Detain (HtS) Mel when she had an attachment, and the Scourge stayed buried in his deck. I was winning after turn two or three. I needed seven power to win, and I played Power of Faith to his Building Season. He grabbed Ghaston Grey and I took a cost reducer. I went first, and ended up with a table consisting of the Laughing Storm, maybe one of my non-unique holy characters, and my two heroes of the day, KoF and Mel. KoF and Mel had some renownpower on them, and each had R'hllor's Blessing (AKitN) attached for +2 strength each. My opponent ended up with Edric Dayne (IG) (with He Calls It Thinking (PotS) attached), Arys Oakheart, two The Viper's Bannermen (PotS), a House Messenger (PotS), and another weenie …but no Ghaston. I assume he chose to not play Ghaston because he couldn’t afford both Ghaston and the second Bannermen. He probably calculated that he could stop at least two of my challenges if he had a second Bannerman and Edric on the table. This was a fortunate development for me, as I had Heart of the Stag (KotStorm) in hand.

I let him beat Mel’s intrigue challenge with Edric and won a military challenge with Mel and KoF (2/7 power gained through renown). I had 13 strength still standing with Mel, KoF, and TLS. His standing characters with power icons were Arys and the two Bannermen, for 17 strength. I power challenged with Mel, KoF, and TLS, for a total strength of 13, and thankfully he defended with only the two Bannermen (14). I played Heart of the Stag on TLS to win the challenge, and I collected 1 power for claim and collected renown on KoF, Mel, and TLS (6/7 power). The dominance phase gave me the trophy.

5-2

Closing thoughts: winning is fun, and so is free stuff from fantasy flight. I was very happy to learn that none of my opponents were jerks. Most importantly, luck is a good thing. Profound, no?

The deck follows. Axell is in there because I couldn't find my third Dragonstone Convert, and both Martial Laws are there because I couldn't find my third Superior Claim and Make an Example.


House Baratheon
No Agenda

Character (26)
Melisandre (RotO) x3
Acolyte of the Flame (TWH) x3
Bearer of the Light (KotStorm) x3
Intolerant Priest (RoR) x3
Zealot of the Light (BtW) x3
Edric Storm (Core) x2
The Laughing Storm (GotC) x3
Knight of Flowers (SaS) x3
Dragonstone Convert (APS) x2
Ser Axell Florent (WLL) x1


Location (11)
Aegon's Garden (Core) x3
Seat of Power (WotN) x3
Narrow Sea (KotStorm) x3
Shadowblack Lane (Core) x1
Street of Sisters (Core) x1


Event (12)
Superior Claim (KotStorm) x2
Make an Example (PotS) x2
Heart of the Stag (KotStorm) x3
Narrow Escape (KotStorm) x3
The Hand's Judgement (TTotH) x2


Attachment (11)
Black Amethysts (MotM) x3
R'hllor's Blessing (AKitN) x3
Fanatic (RoR) x3
Martial Law (BoRF) x2


Plot (7)
Many Powers Long Asleep (RoR) x1
The Power of Faith (KotStorm) x2
Threat from the East (QoD) x1
Wildfire Assault (Core) x1
Burning Bridges (QoD) x1
Forgotten Plans (KotStorm) x1