Crimson and Gold - No Agenda, No Problem

In the past year there have been three indisputably dominant decks: Targ KotHH, Greyjoy TLV, and now Martell Quentyn. Each combined a perfect blend of card advantage, board control, and late-game aggressiveness. Today we’re going to discover how Lannister can emulate that recipe with a No Agenda deck.

First let’s establish what card advantage, control, and aggression look like in practice.

Targ KotHH
As an example, you can view Bruno’s 2012 World Championship decklist here and watch the final match here.

For card draw, the Targaryen deck relied on Street Waif (AToT), Jhogo (OSaS), Company of the Cat (THoBaW), Bay of Ice (KotS) and Meraxes (TBC). Targ doesn't have that many options compared to some Houses, but the ones it does have are repeatable.

Targ KotHH could muck with an opponent’s plans primarily through burn like Threat from the North (PotS), Magister Illyrio (VM), Meereen Tourney Grounds (ODG), Flame-Kissed (Core), and The Hatchlings' Feast (ASitD), but it also utilized other means of control like The First Snow of Winter (ODG), Search and Detain (HtS), Viserion (QoD), and Aegon's Hill (TTotH).

Then to close out the game and actually win challenges, Khal Drogo (Core), Young Griff (VD), Long Lances (THoBaW) and Rhaenys's Hill (TBoBB) did work by stealthing, standing, and jumping in unexpectedly.

Greyjoy TLV
For an example, check out my Regional-winning decklist here.

The Greyjoy deck gained extra cards with The Long Voyage (TPoL), Negotiations at the Great Sept (TPoL), Bay of Ice (KotS), The Reader (TGF) and Longship Iron Victory (KotS). The agenda, of course, was the primary method as it fired every turn without fail.

Greyjoy TLV canceled everything in sight with GOT=CbtC]Maester Murenmure[/GOT], Alannys Greyjoy (ODG), and To Be a Kraken (SB). It blanked opposing threats with Nightmares (LoW), it discarded troublesome locations with Newly Made Lord (TftH) and Captain of the Iron Fleet (TGM), and it shrugged off military claim and kill effects with saves from Maester Wendamyr (KotS), Moqorro (VD), The Iron Cliffs (HtS), and Risen from the Sea (KotS). All of these aspects together made it frustrating to play against.

Finally, the Greyjoy TLV deck could turn up the heat in a hurry. It had a non-kneeler in Asha Greyjoy (WLL), a claim-raiser in Victarion Greyjoy (RotK), stealth in Baelor Blacktyde (TIoR) and Iron Fleet Captain (CD), and strength boosts from Naval Escort (ASitD). Meanwhile several two-claim plots like Rise of the Kraken (KotS), Twist of Fate (APS), and Victarion's Scheme (TPoL) ensured that every challenge made an impact.

Martell No Agenda / Quentyn
You can view a close guess at the Gencon-winning decklist here and watch video of the finals match here.

For card advantage, Martell relies on The Viper's Bannermen (PotS), House Messenger (PotS), and Dornish Paramour (TTotH) until Quentyn Martell (VD) himself shows up. The Summer version would include Samwell Tarly (TRS) and Gilly (RoW) .

To limit an opponent’s effectiveness they run cancels like He Calls It Thinking (PotS), Sunspear Tourney Grounds (ODG) and maybe Paper Shield (QoD). To bounce or kneel an opponent’s best characters they have Ghaston Grey (FtC) and Lost Oasis (AToT), with Greenblood Merchant (ARotD) stripping an icon off whatever is left.

Then Quentyn decks can push their advantage with characters that participate in multiple challenges via the vengeful keyword or through other cards effects likeTo the Spears! (PotS) and either The Red Viper (PotS) or The Red Viper (APS). They have a claim-raiser in Arianne Martell (PotS) and great keywords from Ser Gerris Drinkwater (CD), Ser Archibald Yronwood (CD), and Ser Cletus Yronwood (TCC). This deck, live Greyjoy TLV, also packs several two-claim plots like Men of Pride (THoBaW), Breaking and Entering (LotR), and Manning the City Walls (CD), and often uses them early to widen its advantage.

Lannister No Agenda
At this moment in time, with a new cycle just beginning and a new FAQ expected before Worlds, No Agenda is one the best options for Lannister players – possibly the best option. The card draw and control elements are much the same as any Lannister deck, but No Agenda gains access to a tremendous army, House Clegane Brigands (AToTT), that can participate in multiple challenges with high strength and a war crest – thus providing the needed aggression that Lannister decks often lack.

Let’s take a close look at two recently successful decklists and keep in mind how they achieved card advantage, control, and aggression.

Poland’s Flea Bottom Fracas 2013 First Place:
The decklist can be found in the comments section of this article.

For card advantage, you can’t help but notice Grand Maester Pycelle (Core). He’s a seldom-used card that counters Martell’s numerous reveal effects as well as Desperate Measures (TCC), Naval Reinforcements (RotK), Val (RotO), Maester Luwin (FtC), Braided Screamers (AToTT), Dance With Dragons (Core), and Jeyne Westerling (ASoS) among others. Frankly, Pycelle’s inclusion was a brilliant meta call that will no doubt be copied in the future. But Pycelle was just the tip of the iceberg. A full playset each of Pyromancer's Cache (TWot5K), Golden Tooth Mines (Core) and Tommen Baratheon (SA) round out the card advantage engine and nearly ensure that you’ll hit the draw cap every turn. Three Summer Sea Corsair (RotK) mixed in for good measure adds a reveal of our own (circumventing the draw cap), and he lays the foundation for a shadows subtheme.

Control effects in Lannister are usually reliant on kneel, at least to some extent. Here we find Enemy Informer (Core), Alchemist's Guild Hall (TBoBB) and Lannisport Brothel (Core), which are supplemented by other forms of character control like The Iron Throne (LotR), Enslaved (THoBaW) andA House Divided (WLL), and location control from Pyromancer's Apprentice (TBoBB)). I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the plot lineup too, which is chock full of Cities for versatile, on-demand control.

Now card advantage and control are great, but we have to remember that they’re only a means to an end. Eventually you’ll need to translate your superior board position into power gain through unopposed challenges, claim, dominance, renown, or card abilities. This particular decks packed a couple of two-claims plots in City of Soldiers (TBoBB) and City of Spiders (TftRK), but it also ran more aggressive characters than a customary Lannister deck. We already touched on the Brigands, but there’s also Tyrion Lannister (CoS), Ser Jaime Lannister (Core), and Fleet from The Arbor (RotK) – all of which have either stealth or deadly to push through challenges.

Gencon Top 16:
I mentioned Jim’s deck briefly in my last article, but since then he’s posted the entire decklist.

Jim’s draw package included Doubting Septa (LotR) and Widow's Wail (LotR) in place of the Cache, which freed up the restricted slot for Pentoshi Manor (AHM) – a top notch, repeatable challenge control effect. Otherwise Jim favored location control like Chella, Daughter of Cheyk (Core) and Condemned by the Council (AToT) over kneel, probably to combat influence-heavy Targ jumper decks. To win challenges he had stealth from Syrio Forel (TftRK), Ser Kevan Lannister (VM), Chella, and Tyrion, plus deadly from House Payne Enforcer (MotA) and the Fleet, and finally strength boosts from Painted Dogs (IG) and Widow’s Wail.

Final Thoughts

Lanni No Agenda has made strides, but even with the Brigands it still trails Quentyn decks in the last component – aggression. To cover this flaw some variations run Die by the Sword (LoW) and Terminal Schemes (LotR) to remove major characters and then run over the rest with beefy armies. Others turn to more soft control like Penny (VD) and Volantis Inn (AHM) – because it’s hard for an opponent to defend when all his characters are knelt, or he doesn’t have any in hand to play after losing intrigue challenges every turn. Overall I’m convinced that Lanni No Agenda can be solid, and as displayed at the Flea Bottom Fracas, a little ingenuity can push it over the top.