Fire and Blood - Hunting in the Night Lands

With very mixed feelings, I'm proud to present my very last regular edition of Fire and Blood. I'm not retiring from Thrones or even from the online community. I am retiring from posting every other week with my half-baked thoughts on my favorite house in the Game of Thrones universe, but rest assured that we are working to fill your deep hunger for all things Targ with some great writers. In the next installment, you can expect to hear a great GenCon recap from one of the players who made the cut with the House of the Dragon, so I'll go a bit light on GenCon material today.

But first, since this is my column and my very last time writing it, I'd like to issue some shout-outs to those who have helped me in my career arc from extra n00b to competent player. Obviously, the Tulsa meta deserves a mention, since they are probably the best group of players to play with anywhere in the nation, especially the Team Covenant guys who deserve extra props for what they do for the community at large. I'd also like to thank Twn2dn, whose posts, while more infrequent these days, gave me great insight into this house and its strengths. Darknoj, who shares my Shagga streak and helped me hone my Dragon deck, is a great bastion of the OCTGN community and has my thanks as well. Jef Chefo inspired me to think wider in our house, and Alquimista has been great in sharing his insight. Doulos2k has been a great partner to learn with and compete with, but perhaps the biggest thanks should go to Nathan Bradley, the jedi master to my padawan. You guys are all awesome and I thank you so much.

For my final article here, I'm so excited to pontificate about one of my pet decks. Taking a page from Kennon's life, FFG decided to peek into what I was brewing and then hit it with the Restricted LIst and errata before it even got good, but just like Kennon I promise to rise above and keep on working this deck until I win Worlds with it. Or something like that. Of course the deck that I am speaking of is a Dothraki Aggro deck. This deck has taken a few iterations, hitting a Regional win in Imrahil's hand's in the West out of TLV, but that day is happily gone. That leaves us with a few realistic choices of agenda: Kings of Summer, Heir to the Iron Throne, House of Dreams, or No Agenda. I put up a blog on the Team Covenant site a while back about the Dothraki Dilemma (http://teamcovenant....uzhannon/?p=133), and though I no longer stand by every thing I wrote there I will make a few points about agendas:

1. Summer is so hard as a choice now that it is restricted.
2. House of Dreams isn't great since there's nothing amazing to Dream for and most of your key cards are going to be 3 cost, hurting setups even more.
3. Heir to the Iron Throne remains a dream of mine, but today is not that day. We need a few more cards to fit it.
4. No Agenda is amazing in the current environment with the Fleets and Flanks everywhere (notably also two of the cards that can stand up to our Aggro) and the Braided Screamers (AToTT) are simply too good to pass up. I think that No Agenda is the definitive choice for this decktype right now.

And what decktype is that? Well, I'm glad you asked. It's the type of deck that looks to leverage superiority in the board and in military challenges into debilitating claim on the opponent's board position. Then, using events to make those challenges worse, this deck looks to keep swarming and hitting after the reset. Bascially, it's an old school Stark deck out of the House of the Dragon using some great Targ-only tools for card advantage, resilience after the Valar, and board control. Basically, it's the type of deck I've always dreamed of playing--aggressive rather than reactive, offensive rather than defensive.

CHARACTER BASE

So, given that we are going No Agenda, let's take a look at our character base. There will be some key cards, then some hard choices, then some filling in around the edges. Here's what I'm currently settling on as the key cards of the deck:

3x Braided Screamers: They were errataed since they are amazing. Pro Tip: They are still amazing. 4 for 5 with a War Crest is exactly what we need. Repeatable card advantage is just so worth it every time.

3x Drogo's Horde: You'll be playing these guys for 2 or less almost every time with the aggressive Dothraki mindset that I will outline for us in this post. 6 for 6 with deadly is awesome. Add a War crest and No Attachments but weapon and it gets even better. Against the ever present threat of Burn, these guys will stand up well.

2x Khal Drogo: While all the versions of the Khal are great, I think that the one out of the Queen of Dragons box is the way to go in my particular deck style. The search for extra cards upon death keeps your horde coming, especially after the reset--typically an Aggro decks' bane.

2x of the Unique bloodriders, Aggo, Rakharo and Jhogo: I really have to thank intrepid user Stephftw for opening my eyes about these guys (more of Steph's great ideas in the plot section). I was a strict 1-of Aggo and Rakharo and a 3x Jhogo man for a long time. Sure, you can quibble about the ratios, but the fact remains that Aggo and Rakharo each give the deck something it otherwise lacks--either hand assault or power grab. There's plenty of Dothraki that do Aggro things, but only these guys add more. I also ended up cutting the third Jhogo since the amount of cards you see really is quite crazy. There's not usually a need for a third of him.

3x Blood-Crazed Screamers: Simply awesome. Though they are super vulnerable, their ability to let you hit a second challenge is so amazing. Notice that they likewise will allow Aggo and Rakharo to trigger twice, since they don't have to be participating to use their ability--yet another reason to run them 2-of.

SOLID INCLUDES

Basically, do a search for Dothraki and stick them in there. No, really, it's about that easy. Here's some ones that have out-performed my expectations so far:

Bitter Crone: Not only an INT icon, but also removing the ability to cheat claim with dupes or to save at all is just awesome. Anything that bones Greyjoy is a great card in my eyes. I hate those guys.

Dothraki Handmaiden: Great for setup and buffing a challenge, not so great in INT challenges herself. I do like how you can grab her from a Screamer trigger and easily put her right into play.

Refugee of the Plains: Though I resisted for a while, these guys are now my restricted card of choice. Great for setup, great for triggering Jhogo or Incinerate, and great STR for cost.

Horseback Archers: It's always nifty to win a challenge you weren't supposed to, and they can help trigger Bloodriders alongside. They can be infuriating to be against, that's for sure.

Dothraki Outrider: when first printed I thought the renown was great, but now I see that the Stealth is what really matters.

ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

So I did overstep when I said that you should stick all Dothraki in. Here's some that shouldn't make your cut:

Killer of the Wounded: Though there's not really a good 2 cost alternative, the Killer just doesn't offer enough. Maybe if he also had a keyword....

Horseback Hunters: Ick.

Khaleesi's Faithful: melee only. So there's that, but this is a Joust deck. I would really like to run this card and Wedding Feast and actually have it work, but maybe in the future.

NON-DOTHRAKI OPTIONS

Some players use only Dothraki characters, and that's actually viable now. However, doing so leaves a gaping hole in your INT icon slot and Targ has quite a few cards that deserve a look. Here's a few that I think work pretty well:

Griff: 3 cost tricons are never bad, especially when they can't die. If you're running attachments, his agenda ability helps; if you're not then you just might get an invulnerable claim soak guy. Not too shabby.

Ser Jorah Mormont/Daario Naharis: The War crest goes a long way, the Tricon helps a ton, the great keyword is enough, and then the targeted discard just rules. Daario can be dead more often than Jorah, true, but against a Quentyn deck or most Bara decks he is amazing.

Pike Phalanx: What a great card this is. Raising claim is so scary to your opponents, especially with a Blood-Crazed Screamer in play. Hopping your claim 2's to a claim 3 is fantastic; not many boards can survive two claim-3 mil challenges in one turn.

Daenerys Targaryen: Renown and a high-STR INT icon as well as a buff to your other cards is pretty OK.

Black Hatchling/Brown Ben Plumm/Disgruntled Merc: these guys are all great for setup and fill a niche in their own way. The Mercenary is amazing if you'll be going first a lot--trigger your Phalanx on a POW challenge and either win UO or kneel defenders for your MIL challenges. If you're not, he's less good. Brown Ben is the ultimate setup chud and the Hatchling is great cost/STR and another INT icon

Herald of the East: Great to search up a Screamer or a Khal if you need it. It's also great to put something on top of your deck, then play a 3-cost guy and put that just searched card in your hand with the Braided Screamers' ability. INT icon is a bonus, but not as setupable as I'd like.

LOCATION BASE

I run basically just resources in this deck. To that I've added 1x Meraxes and 1x Womb of the World for additional card advantage. I've considered a Meereen Tourney Grounds, a Meereenese Fighting Pit or two, or something like that, but end up spending the slots on characters.

A few Dothraki-type locations deserve mention as well. Vaes Dothrak is so seductive. Its ability is so good, but the 3 cost is so prohibitive. If you're playing House of Dreams, I think this is the right choice, but it just costs too much in practice for me to include it.

Others also have mentioned Hall of Dragons to add a keyword or a Trait to a character who needs it. I've found my Dothraki to be dense enough that I don't mind not having the ability to add traits and since we care most about MIL challenges, the deadly matters less than it does on others. Perhaps if it wasn't so expensive then I might like it better, cause the effect sure is handy.

EVENTS/ATTACHMENTS

For our events, I'm looking for a few things. First, I want things that make what our deck does actually count. That would be MIL challenges. Next, I want things that add resilience or card advantage. Finally, I want things to help my deck do what it does if my opponent has a counter. Here's some great options, as well as some I think aren't up to snuff. I consider this first group cards that you probably should include:

Die by the Sword/Price of War: These are basically the definitive cards that make MIL challenges count extra. I've toyed with the ratios of each many different times, even excluding Die By at times since I have so much other kill, but you really can't go wrong here.

Incinerate: Great for problem characters (especially INT ones like Cersei or even King Stannis). With your board as it is, you can burn even 5 STR guys commonly. Just a great card.

Deadly Khalasar: This is awesome for making MIL challenges count. Even the threat of it can make people kneel extra on your challenges on defense since they don't want those Dothraki standing again.

Blood Magic Ritual: Since the errata, the singular best card to use this with is Khal Drogo (QoD). Bringing him back do die again is amazing. The second best card is likely Braided Screamers, conveniently both in this deck. This is still a great card and its setup-friendliness means I run it at 2x.

For the cards that help ensure you can win challenges, we've got a few choices. I've found that the best way to lose challenges is to Armies, who will have enough STR to block you, or via challenge control, for which we have unfortunately little answer (curse you Martell HH!)

Aggo's Bow/Jhogo's Whip/Rakharo's Arakh: Dothraki only, these are all GREAT when they work. They are a bit expensive, and sometimes don't work quite as well as we'd hope. Against an Army, however, these guys are boss. Either remove that bad boy from the challenge or just straight kill it with the Bow. Even a timely STR boost works pretty well. The Arakh on Drogo before he dies is also a slick trick worth mentioning. I find that the Bow, then the Arakh, then the Whip have utility but try to find space in that order. I may be cutting down to just Aggo's Bow, but it's also worth noting that these work really well with Griff as well as protecting from a few of the nastier effects in the game, like Hatchling's Feast, Castellan of the Rock, or Bear Island.

Overwhelming Numbers: This card will help you win challenges since they'll need an Army to defend. Unfortunately, the cards that will block you most often are indeed Armies (Bannerman, Fleets, NCF, and the like) so this doesn't help quite enough in MIL challenges for my taste. It does, however, make INT challenges sail through if you can line up two Dothraki INT icons (sometimes easier said than done)

Paper Shield/Hand's Judgment: Cancel can save your bacon, but I believe in trying to push through my own effects in an Aggro deck. Too much Burning on the Sand can really hose you, so this is more of a meta call. It is also very satisfying to cancel a cancel of your Incinerate.

There's also a few that just sadly aren't that great.

Ride Them Down: I used to run this, thinking the speed it gave me would help and the ability to recur it would help me trigger Negotiations at the Great Sept. Since that card was restricted, there's just not quite enough utility here. It's close, and if we had a bit more renown, I'd give it another look, but in practice you're not winning with speed but rather board control and this doesn't give you any of that, sadly.

Wedding Feast: Fun card, but much more of a melee card IMO. Not right for this deck.

PLOTS

Lots of choice here. For me, I'm looking for resources, high claim, initiative, and a few meta plots. We've got seven to fiddle with; here's what I always toss around:

Reset: You need one. Don't kid yourself. Just put Valar in and stop getting fancy with Wildfire.

Power of Arms: Makes your high STR even higher, and great to counter a Valar if you have Khal Drogo in play.

Breaking and Entering: The downside will hit you more than your opponent, but a 3-4-2 is nothing to sneeze at.

Men of Pride: You remove a few of your own keywords, but four gold! Look at that!

Muster the Realm: Five gold and a strangle on your opponent. Yep, works a treat. Since you're running quite a few armies, this should be able to be used pretty often.

Dry Season: One of my favorite tricks. If you build with a few more Unique resources than usual then this just rules. Flea Bottom, Street of Silk, Khal Drogo's Tent, and Tyrosh all fit the deck very well. And don't forget Great Pyramid of Meereen! The 5 initiative put this over the top for me.

Twist of Fate: Scary, but a GREAT valar counter.

Forgotten Plans: who doesn't need to cancel a Cersei's Scheme or a Threat from the North?

After the Mummer's Ford: This is another of Steph's ideas. At first I scoffed, but then she showed me the light. Imagine someone who can control your MIL challenge...your turn is just over, right? Well, not with this. They'll have to control TWO challenges, which is much tougher. You also will get two triggers from your Bloodriders and this can just be devastating with Deadly Khalasar. If you've raised your claim, then so much the better! The five initiative is also pretty solid.

Mutual Cause/Siege of Riverrun: Good old decent stat plots. Probably not quite good enough to make it here.

Song of Summer: 5-5-1 is good. If your opponent is using Summer, so much the better.

So that's basically the thought in the deck. I'll post my current list here, though I'd make a few changes to it based on my latest testing. I also haven't looked at the latest pack to see what fits--I'm hoping for some Dothraki in this cycle though. We are RIGHT on the cusp of being very hard to deal with and I'd love to hear your thoughts below on either your own build or on my particular list.

Total Cards (61)

House (1)
House Targaryen (Core) x1

Agenda (0)

Plot (7)
The Power of Arms (Core) x1
Valar Morghulis (Core) x1
Men of Pride (THoBaW) x1
Forgotten Plans (KotStorm) x1
Muster the Realm! (QoD) x1
After the Mummer's Ford (KotS) x1
Dry Season (CbtC) x1

Character (34)
Aggo (RoR) x2
Bitter Crone (IG) x2
Blood-Crazed Screamer (MotM) x3
Braided Screamers (AToTT) x3
Dothraki Handmaiden (DB) x3
Dothraki Outrider (AToTT) x2
Drogo's Horde (IG) x3
Jhogo (OSaS) x2
Khal Drogo (QoD) x2
Rakharo (IG) x2
Griff (CD) x2
Black Hatchling (DB) x1
Pike Phalanx (QoD) x1
Daario Naharis (WLL) x1
Ser Jorah Mormont (WLL) x1
Refugee of the Plains (RoW) x3
Horseback Archers (QoD) x1

Location (16)
Street of Sisters (Core) x1
Street of Steel (Core) x1
Flea Bottom (TGM) x1
Khal Drogo's Tent (Core) x1
Summer Sea (PotS) x3
River Row (QoD) x1
Ocean Road (WLL) x1
The Womb of the World (ASoSilence) x1
Meraxes (TBC) x1
Eastern Fiefdoms (Core) x2
Great Pyramid of Meereen (AHM) x1
Street of Silk (LotR) x1
Tyrosh (AHM) x1

Attachment (4)
Blood Magic Ritual (TCC) x2
Rakharo's Arakh (IG) x1
Aggo's Bow (RoR) x1

Event (7)
The Price of War (KotS) x2
Incinerate (VM) x3
Nightmares (LoW) x2


Thanks again for reading. It's been a pleasure and I'll see you around on the boards!