Bootagot's Tournament Round Review

Hey my name is Bart I live on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. If you wish to skip the ‘g’day mates’, and my background on entering into the thrones community; scroll down to ‘Round 1’.
I stared playing thrones about 18 months ago, as an alternative to magic. I started Magic in RotE and quit in R2R; was just over the cost, lack of REAL reward (at least in Australia) and the direction the game was going. Magic was my first experience at that type of game and I was instantly hooked as it was a new kind of competitive outlet (My name is Bart and I am a competitive player… Hi Bart). Then my gf told me about the HBO TV show (I loved LotR as a child, so she assumed I like everything with swords and knights etc… I do), either way instantly hooked, immediately started reading the books (hurry up Martin I am not accepting another Jordan). Reluctantly got into the LCG (cost of GoT + MtG scared me at the time) and I haven’t looked back.

Since thrones I have got into LotR, just got into SW and considering Netrunner (FFG games are super sweet and super cheap compared to magic). Also props to 2Champs1Chump; summer is coming; Smugglers den; cardboardofthering (podcast and youtube channel) and everyone else that contributes their time, it is awesome what everyone does for the community and it is good to see FFG is finally rewarding those members by providing spoilers to share on their respective shows… I still think they should support it even more because it really does generate interest and help the game stay relevant when FFG new boards remain barren for weeks on end.

So the point of this article is in reference to the OCTGN tournament that Dennis Harrison (props) from AGOTCARDS has organised (Tiny also has one for SW: props again). I thought I would write a weekly article of my progress through the tournament and share my wins, defeats and ultimate victory (hopefully) with you all. Eventually I would love to record a game and commentate as I play, so people can really discuss my line of plays and tell me how **** I am, but until then I hope you enjoy the written piece.

Round 1 – Jeff (Canadian) – Lannister – TLV – Clansman
The game started fairly well for me, Jeff took a mulligan into a two card flop: Timmet and fiefdoms; while I had a 4 card flop: boatswain, Long Ship Iron Victory (LSIV) and 2 economy cards. One thing I have learnt from playing TLV is in order to take advantage of the card draw you need a solid economy, otherwise your hand can get choked. So with Jeff’s two card flop I knew he had expensive guys or an event heavy hand, either way my game plan was to choke his resources and stem the flow of bodies, while I build up my board position to valar into 1,000,000 saves (Yay GJ TLV…).

1st & 2nd Plot: Over the first few plots Jeff added no locations to his board (a Lanni without gold who would have thought), but did amass an angry bunch of clansman and they were hungry for some Calamari. His board was something like a couple of vagabonds, Timmet, Lord Tyrions Host, Chella and various other ragged hill men. I could control his economy and hand but I didn’t have enough MIL characters to control his rowdy mob. PLAN: stem the bleeding until a beneficial valar. However things were looking bad: 3 v 10

3rd plot: he killed long ship victory and his only location fiefdoms with City Besieged. I remember going I am going to Valar next turn I have 3 saves he has nothing, so I would just defend this turn. I made a mistake by playing fishwhiskers as claim fodder (had numerous other chums) even though I had no warship, knowing I was going to valar… which I regretted. 4 v 13

4th plot: I Valar saving Wendamyr (dupe), Murenmure (iron cliffs), Euron Crow’s Eye (Wendamyr), wiping his board (no locations or characters), but he knelt out my team with city of spiders (copying city of sin). Jeff lost everything, notably Timmet with 4power on him. I drew long ship victory and not much else (kicking myself for not keeping fishwhiskers, I had 1 gold left and everything ). I think he managed a Painted Dogs, which proceeded to give me a beating, losing Murenmure and Wendamyr in the process. Not a great start to my come back. 4 v 11

5th plot: I am still on the plan of economy choke and building incremental advantage (yea the advantage I just lost). One of my plays involved playing Alannys and using her ability, into to be a Kraken, into Alannys again to stop fiefdoms and two Narrow sea activations; keeping him to only adding a Lord Tyrion Host to the board. A military challenge with Euron kills his two guys, he narrow escapes, then serves me up a return serve of violent quiche killing Alannys … nice play. So I am left with Euron against his two clansmen.

6th plot: I knew he was going to city of soldiers my 5str Euron (risen from the sea from earlier on), my thoughts were well I could Negotiation and hopefully draw into another Risen from the sea and blow him out. But I didn’t want him to have a fresh hand on a two claim plot, and I knew he would only have 1 plot left which I knew would be valar (it wasn’t), and I would rather have a new hand and a 2 claim plot against valar, and I don’t mind if he has a new hand with valar as his plot. So I don’t negotiations he kills my Euron. 10 v 11

7th plot: I negotiation he outwits (guess I was wrong NO valar), I draw into a god hand: Baelor, blockade, Carrion, Victarion, NML, and Iron mines etc. I play almost my entire hand. I then MIL with Carrion bird and Victory clearing up his board. A power grab with Victorian gaining 4 power. There was a bit of an issue I was at 10 he was at 11. I added 4 power (script said 4) but I only went to 12??? After some discussion my opponent who was extremely reasonable said let’s just call it 13 because he said you were on at least 9. 13 v 9

8th plot: After my awesome new hand and marshal phase last turn I felt I was finally in the driver’s seat and it was time to close out the game. Rise of the kraken from me, against his Manning the city walls. I drew Asha and played her, Jeff actually had an explosive marshalling, but I gave Asha stealth and crashed in for the unopposed intrigue, winning 16-9.

It was an awesome game, against a great opponent who was a real pleasure to play. The first few plots power scores may be incorrect (6-8 are correct) but at one stage I was on 3 and he was on 13 with Sitting the Iron throne in the bin, but thankfully no gold and my captured Cog to lock him out of dominance. Let me know your thoughts on the article. Longer or shorter? More or less detail? Screen shots? Whatever you want really. Thanks for reading; I hope it wasn’t too boring.