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Martell Second Cycle Review (By Brandon Zimmer)

Feb 21 2017 12:00 PM | JoeFromCincinnati in Game of Thrones

Got time for a big ass article about Martell?

Who am I kidding, of course you do!

Brandon Zimmer provides his super optimistic take on how well Martell has fared during this cycle.

I hope you all enjoy it. Please leave your comment below

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Join us for the fifth review of this cycle on February 23rd, when Justin Sengstock, fresh off his store championship returns to give us his opinions on how AMAZING the Targaryen cards for the second cycle are

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https://www.wardenso...brandon-zimmer/

13 Comments

VonWibble

Feb 21 2017 02:18 PM

Have to agree with pretty much that entire article. Sad times for Martell.

Viper's Bannermen had deadly as well as stealth. They were so much better than this Starfall Cavalry it doesn't bear thinking about.

As an aside, 1st edition Starfall Cav were also so much better - 5 cost renown bicon reduced by 1 for each House Dayne character in play.

- Zouavez and JoeFromCincinnati like this

mnBroncos

Feb 21 2017 03:03 PM

I didn't wanna take the time to explain deadly since without deadly was already a significantly better card ha.

- VonWibble, Zouavez and JoeFromCincinnati like this

gr1mdan

Feb 21 2017 03:11 PM

Fingers crossed for some bombs in the next cycle for us.

I'm still positive about what we have and will get next cycle despite some of the utter filth others got

- stagavano likes this

LorasTyrell

Feb 21 2017 04:51 PM

The outlook for Martell is not good in the current meta, but reset decks can always have their saying and in some tourneys even Doran/Lords and Ladies decks are starting to do well. I'll post just a few card-specific comments for the sake of discussion:

I think Battle of the blackwater bay definitely deserves to be mentioned amongst the neutral cards. I have only played a few games with it after it came out, but it's awesome in a meta dominated by dupes and where you want your Valar to be very effective
Venomous Blade is a very good card for Martell right now, imho better than Brandon described it. Though it's overcosted I would still run it in 1x or even 2x in all my Fealty decks, since it becomes a 2 cost there. It has so many targets and I like to consider it not on his own, but in the context of extra attrition in Martell which is a strong thematic (Ghaston, Vengenace, etc...)
On the other hand, i never made much out of Trystane (meh ability, ok icons, most times I prefer Palace Spearmen over him), Elia (3 cost monocon... not always worth it for the extra stealth, but nice in some decks)
Arys is just ok to replace a Palace Spearman as a 1x
Burning on the sand replaces Vengeance in non fealty decks since it's a 0 cost, otherwise Vengenace is a better options also because you don't have to leave the challenge unopposed
Still can't find room for Prince's Pass in my decks as I strongly believe Ghaston Grey always needs to be a 3x and find hard to cut a character to include it. But i guess it can be awesome in the right deck, even if probably not a game changer
Bonus points: In Doran's Name got way, way, way better for a fast recover after Valar

- Ignithas, NikolaP, Zouavez and 1 other like this

mnBroncos

Feb 21 2017 05:39 PM

I will never find room for Battle of Blackwater Bay in any of my decks, sorry but I find it one of the worse plots in the game due to how conditional it is.

Palpa

Feb 21 2017 08:34 PM

Agree on the blade, but I'm currently running reigns and had to cut it, cause at 3 costs it isn't affordable. And yes, 1 Burning and 2x vengeance in non-fealty is an option, though unopposed is a proble!m, not only against Greyjoy but also because of all those "win with 5 or more" triggers.

To me, Martell decks are always Shagga decks and (most) fun to play...as long as you do not expect to win

LorasTyrell

Feb 21 2017 08:35 PM

I will never find room for Battle of Blackwater Bay in any of my decks, sorry but I find it one of the worse plots in the game due to how conditional it is.

I've tried it in a few decks as a replacement for First Snow (crazy, I know, but as you said I really didn't know what to cut). Depends on what you are trying to achieve, if you run Varys and Valar you can use it to wipe the board clean more easily

vszeus

Feb 21 2017 11:01 PM

Great article !

mnBroncos

Feb 21 2017 11:08 PM

Great article !

thanks

gramyotron

Feb 22 2017 11:53 AM

Prince Pass is equally good to Ghaston. 2+2 is minimum for it. Going 3+1 or 3+0 is a crime against Dorne!

First Card that uses icon control for some effect by itself (not as a combo of cards).

Palpa

Feb 22 2017 03:31 PM

First Card that uses icon control for some effect by itself (not as a combo of cards).

I do not agree. It has a non-combo effect on monocons, the rest is a combo (only to exclude teh special case of known.kneelers and multiple same-icon challenges). Besides, I think icon removal IS an effect by itself. And the other icon removal cards work BEFORE the removed icon can do something, the pass only has an effect AFTER the removed icon made something (attack).

EDIT: of course I was talking of "non-kneelers"