Making Alliances

Some call it madness and I admit it, its a long shot, but I am consumed by a quest to make a deck using a treaty agenda work. I don't want it to only muddle through though, I want it to actually compete. A fools errand? Oh, perhaps, but I’ll turn some heads while doing it.

This whole debacle probably started a long time ago when I played Magic. Why settle for one colour of mana when you could go for two. That was my thinking. Then, hell, why stop there? Things rapidly got out of hand.

As far as Game of Thrones is concerned, we have all splashed a couple of characters here and there. That isn't anything groundbreaking. But my desire to actually make a working alliance between Houses would never be satisfied by that. You can imagine my glee when I discovered the Alliance plot card. That satisfied me for a while. But eventually it would always come down to the horror of the treaty agendas and the damning realisation that to realise my dream I’m handing someone a 33% head start before the game even begins.

But of course, there is one exception when it comes to the treaty agendas. That is the actual Alliance (QoD) agenda. Now, here is something that whilst giving an advantage doesn't quite serve you up for a second turn defeat like the others.I become obsessed with the idea that this was the key. Here was the stepping stone that would make a grand alliance a possibility. I just needed to settle on which House should mix with which. Most importantly of all, when I did decide who to mix up, I didn’t want it to be completely steam rolled. This had to at least work a little bit.

My decision, and my eventual first creation, came about in two stages.

I attended a joust tournament in Hockley in early August. Having spent a bit of time refining ideas on OCTGN, I elected to take along a Baratheon Knights of the Realm offering. I was fully aware that if the game went beyond three rounds I was in deep trouble. By and large that assessment was correct. Like any rush deck, if presented with some stopping power I would run out of steam, bend and then break. This opinion was reinforced by the perspective of another who I met in the tournament who mentions the deck in this blog.

I love Baratheon you see. Its my favourite house whether in game or in prose and the defeat in the tournament (eliminated before the top 8) wasn't a surprise. I just wished there was a way I could make the deck more reliable, give it a bit more stopping power and be prepared for the moment when the big threat (Stannis) got neutralized through means fair or foul.

I then happened upon something quite surprising in a Crimson and Gold article. Did my eyes deceive me? Someone had actually experienced success with the Alliance agenda? My forbidden fruit had actually been deployed with efficiency?

It was a watershed moment for me. Not only could it work in a big event, Gencon no less, but Baratheon and Lannister was a cracking idea! I set to deckbuilding with renewed enthusiasm and I broke open the dusty tomb that the treaty agendas had been languishing in for what seemed like eternity. The melee tournament in Hockley was approaching by this point and I had to work fast.

Proudly united beneath the Alliance plot card and inspired by the deck that had been deployed at Gencon, this is what I put together. I call the deck “What Might Have Been” in a little indulgence to my Nedly side. I like to think this deck exists in a world where Stannis, not Robert, married Cersei and everyone lived happily ever after.


Total Cards (61)

House (1)
House Baratheon (Core) x1

Agenda (1)
Alliance (QoD) x1

Plot (7)
The Power of Blood (Core) x2
Take Them by Surprise (LoW) x1
Herding the Masses (Core) x1
The Red Wedding (PotS) x1
Mutual Enemies (Core) x1
Lineage and Legacy (KotStorm) x1

Character (30)
Stannis Baratheon (VM) x3
Robert Baratheon (Core) x2
Ser Jaime Lannister (LotR) x1
Eddard Stark (TTotH) x3
Cersei Lannister (LotR) x3
Little Bird (RotK) x3
Maester Cressen (Core) x1
Royal Entourage (TTotH) x3
Joffrey Baratheon (TftRK) x2
Loyal Guard (WotN) x3
Marya Seaworth (KotStorm) x2
Ser Arys Oakheart (PotS) x1
Jhalabar Xho (TWot5K) x2
King Robert's Host (TWot5K) x1

Location (16)
The Iron Throne (LotR) x1
Queen Cersei's Chambers (Core) x1
Seat of Power (WotN) x1
Street of Silk (LotR) x1
Street of Sisters (Core) x1
Street of Steel (Core) x1
Ocean Road (WLL) x1
Lannisport Treasury (LotR) x3
Narrow Sea (KotStorm) x3
Sunset Sea (KotS) x3

Attachment (9)
Widow's Wail (LotR) x2
Devious Intentions (BoRF) x3
Pyromancer's Cache (TWot5K) x3
Formal Petition (PotS) x1

Event (6)
Questioned Claim (AE) x2
Distinct Mastery (Core) x2
Obey the King (KotStorm) x2


There were some changes to the deck that inspired me. This is for a few reasons. Firstly, I wanted to introduce a decoy threat to the table in the form of Jhalabar Xho (TWot5K). Nothing unites a table against you quicker than his ability, barring perhaps Melisandre. But, for the aforementioned Nedly reasons, she wasn’t allowed in. Xho doesn't have a noble crest so wouldn’t benefit from the protection of Power of Blood but his very presence slaps a target on his head that hopefully draws firepower from Stannis and Cersei, the two A listers in the deck.

There are enough saves for the noble characters in the deck that by the time poeple have finished dealing with Xho, I should have enough duplicates and meat shields in place to allow my nobles to keep on trucking.

Secondly, I introduced Joffrey Baratheon (TftRK) purely because, given the melee setting, I figured I would get a lot of payback from his ability. The other two significant changes that I felt really paid off were to include Pyromancer's Cache (TWot5K) and Questioned Claim (AE). Both of these cards were extremely effective given the heightened chance I had of having a King or Queen on the table.

But, enough about all that. How did it get on?

After four preliminary rounds I made it to the final table facing off against House Greyjoy and House Martell. Were it not for some inspired tactics and timely plot choices I would have taken the game by round four. I was so close! I’m proud of advancing as far as I did, but doing it with an Alliance agenda makes me even happier.

There is of course no doubting that running the Alliance agenda still gives up some serious advantage to others around the table. However, there were a few tips and insights I picked up on during the games of the day that are well worth keeping in mind for anyone wanting to give it a go too.

• Don’t sweat it about the advantages the other players are getting. YOU are benefitting far more than they are with every out of house character you play. Your opponents can take an extra two gold per turn. The moment you marshall two out of house characters in your marshalling phase you had doubled the advantage they are receiving.
• Most players will already have a card draw mechanic factored into their deck. For a turn or two people might want to use the ability you offer to draw extra cards. However, sooner or later, their own card draw plan will be in effect and it is likely that they will not be able to use your ability because doing so will go over the draw cap.
• People forget! I lost count of the times people would either completely forget about the text on my plot card, or only remember at the end of the marshalling phase when someone else vocalised what they were doing. By then the extra gold is practically redundant and they may already be at draw cap.

That’s it for this first installment, but rest assured, I’m deck building and testing like a man possessed. There will be many more alliances on the horizon!