All Things Shagga- Making Common Cause

Here we are again with another installment of All Things Shagga. Boy has it been a busy time here on the backend of our bi-weekly column. I'll spare you all the details, but moving is a real pain, as is not having internet for awhile. I know, I know, first world problems, but surely some of you can make common cause with me?

Get it?

Common Cause.

Yes, that's right, this week's entry is built around that new Shagga card, Common Cause! It takes a bit of work to set up, of course, but boy if seeing X claim isn't one of the biggest eyebrow raising, goat loving effects that we've seen this set.

The Cards:

Common Cause- Ok, this one is a gimme, since the deck is built around it. We have to have characters from as many houses as possible to make it awesome, but the potential to have one board wiping military, hand mutilating intrigue, or game winning power for 4+ claim is just too cool.

The Neutral Faction- If we're going to be pushing this as far as we're able to, we're going to need an ability to really splash cards from all of the houses. While Conquesting a couple houses together can give us access to cards a little cheaper and can cover quite a bit of ground with dual house bodies, this is the most clear cut way to make sure that we can take a dip into all six houses at a consistent and reasonable cost.

The Long Voyage- Hey, at this point the former darling of the competitive Jaime player pretty much qualifies as a Shagga card thanks to that errata to make it Neutral Faction only. Since we're playing Neutral, why not go ahead and drop this in? Playing an 85 card deck is a huge, Shagga sounding number, and the added draw engine should help us power into the stuff we want. Which is to say, a rainbow of things. Thankfully, we aren't too picky on which particular things just so long as we have a variety.

The River Plots- I know, I know, it's so blasé these days, but the additional card advantage of these plots plays right back into the theme of just getting a mass of characters from different houses. We're not too picky which ones, but the quantity matters.


Tyrosh- Ok, so I did skew the deck a little bit toward one particular house, but I think it's reasonable to do so in this case. Skewing toward Lannister gives us some great control to muck up the opponent's plan and keep the board in a state where we can push through some huge challenges with Common Cause as well as offering up access to four different house affiliations due to dual house characters. As well, once we land one of the Free City kingdom locations, they chain to reduce each other, which can offset the fact that the Neutral house card won't reduce them.


Thoughts on play:

Much like I alluded to above, this deck actually really wants to be a rainbow control deck. We have a variety of Lannister cards that can help in that area, as well as cherry picking some like Daario Naharis that can provide spot control from other houses. Our event base also uses some of the best neutral control events to hamper our opponent's ability to leverage the early game. Much like most Shagga decks, this one is going to start out slow while we get the pieces in play, and really this one might start of slower than most.

The fact that we are splitting between all the houses means that our curve skews upward, so be sure to focus on getting those resources down early. Desperate Measures can help you find another character that you may need to help fuel Common Cause, but there are times where I might not be afraid to use it to grab another resource to make sure I can keep things flowing. With the early game awkwardness that can happen here, we should likely be down on cards in setup and the first turn or two, which means that Redwyne Straits can be a beast of a card to give us the resources that we need to equalize board presence.

As well, this deck tinkers with the "Neutral Faction only" characters like Shagwell, which help with your curve, and in Shagwell's case provide some very nice and very needed control aspects. We're able to cherrypick a handful of other mercs to activiate him and don't forget that the Campfire Mimes will gain the merceneray trait as soon as they enter play, allowing you to trigger Shagwell to kneel someone!

The Deck:
Total Cards: (85)

House:
Neutral Faction


Agenda: (1)
1x The Long Voyage (TPoL)

Plot: (7)
1x Common Cause (Fire Made Flesh)
1x Crossing the Mummer's Ford (SoW)
1x Crossing the Ruby Ford (RotK)
1x Shores of Ny Sar (VM)
1x Under the Bridge of Dream (VD)
1x Valar Morghulis (Core)
1x Redwyne Straits (FF)

Character: (52)
3x House Bannerman (Fire Made Flesh)
1x Septon Utt (Fire Made Flesh)
1x Zollo (Fire Made Flesh)
2x Shagwell (TCP)
1x Vargo Hoat (TCP)
1x Daario Naharis (WLL)
2x Exiled Knight (TBC)
3x Tribeless Vagabond (OSaS)
1x Brienne of Tarth (PotS)
2x Ghost of Winterfell (AHM)
1x Sansa Stark (AHA)
1x Ser Jorah Mormont (PotS)
1x The Hound (PotS)
1x Theon Greyjoy (PotS)
1x Bronn (Core)
3x Brothel Guard (LotR)
2x Campfire Mime (RoR)
1x Cersei Lannister (LotR)
3x Castellan of the Rock (BoRF)
1x Janos Slynt (THtW)
1x Margaery Tyrell (AToTT)
1x Ser Arys Oakheart (PotS)
1x Tommen Baratheon (SA)
3x Watchful Servant (CD)
1x Gorold Goodbrother (TBG)
3x Island Refugee (RoW)
1x Maester Wendamyr (KotS)
3x Refugee of the Plains (RoW)
1x Arianne Martell (PotS)
2x Spiteful Bastard (VD)
1x The Red Viper (APS)
2x Wildling Bard (CD)

Attachment: (0)


Event: (11)
3x Desperate Measures (TCC)
3x Distraction (Core)
2x Nightmares (LoW)
3x Parting Blow (PotS)

Location: (22)
1x Braavos (VD)
1x Myr (AHM)
1x Norvos (VD)
3x Tyrosh (AHM)
1x Volantis (VM)
1x Street of Sisters (Core)
1x Street of Steel (Core)
1x Shadowblack Lane (Core)
2x The Kingsroad 23 (FaI)
1x The Kingsroad 29 (FaI)
1x Flea Bottom (TGM)
1x River Row (QoD)
3x The Searoad (KotStorm)
2x The Roseroad (KotStorm)
2x Vale Rookery (TRS)



Till next time, have fun, and don't be afraid to cut off someone's manhood with a 6 claim challenge!