The First Tilt - Defining Your Player Personality, Pt. 1 "Am I Ned Stark?"

Welcome to “The First Tilt”, a blog dedicated to helping new players get their bearings in A Game of Thrones LCG. We’ll be covering a wide variety of topics, from what to buy, basic strategies and tactics, and getting acquainted with basic themes. The next three articles are going to be about how to define your personality as a player. Are you a Ned, Shagga, or Jaime? We’re going to discuss what makes these three personalities different, and which category (or categories) you fall into. This week, we’re discussing Neds. So, just sit back on the couch, and let’s talk about your play style.

What is a Ned Stark?

Using the nickname given to Eddard Stark, a Ned player is a player who plays for flavor. A Ned will play a card because it’s their favorite character from the books or show, look for combos that are significant in the books (i.e., Eddard Stark and Ice), and build entire strategies around scenes from the story.

How do I know if I’m a Ned Stark?

That question is easy enough to answer: look at your cards. Were the cards chosen because of what they do or who they are? I’m definitely a Ned. I recently built a Baratheon Night’s Watch deck, based on Dance With Dragons. And now you’re thinking, “Well Ben, that doesn’t necessarily make you a Ned.” Yes, it does. In this deck, I’ve included Selyse Baratheon (Core). She has no real function in this deck, and her ability only benefits me in certain situations, but she’s a part of Stannis’ court. And of course, I have Jon Snow and Ghost in there.

I know that I am a Ned Stark. What does that mean for me as a player?

Well, first and foremost, it means you really enjoy the flavor of the setting and that is great; and in my opinion, Ned Starks have the most fun. They not only love the setting, but when they play, they are going to derive pleasure by simply having their favorite cards on the field. This doesn’t mean you won’t win or lose more, but you may encounter problems depending on the depth of your Ned-lyness. If you hold back because you want a certain combination of characters and attachments on the field or you build decks without any real focus simply to have all of your favorite characters together or (as in my case) you include cards that may or may not benefit your deck but add flavor to it, then you should be prepared to lose a few games (or more). But don’t worry, you’re a Ned Stark, you don’t always play to win, you play to have fun and enjoy the setting.

So, as a Ned Stark, what Houses are good for me? Do I have to play Stark?

Ned Starks are the most flexible players in my opinion. True fans of the setting may enjoy every House and may have a deck built for all of them. Now, some Neds may be slanted more towards Stark (who doesn’t like the Starks, after all?) but Neds can be found in every House. My wife, a dedicated Lannister player, is very Nedly (gee…I never thought I’d say that…) and it shows. We’ve struggled in the past over her including characters she likes over characters that are useful. Every house can have it's own Neds, so you're not restricted to just playing House Stark.

What if I don’t want to be a Ned?

If you have decided you don’t want to be a Ned, then you need to do some real evaluating, looking at your decks and paying special attention to your actions while playing. You need to start with deck building. Go through each and every card and determine its usefulness before including it in your deck. With each card, ask yourself "Am I playing this card because it works in my deck or am I playing it because I like it's flavor?" When you play, watch your actions each turn and take notes if necessary. If you’re holding back because you want Nymeria on Arya Stark, then you are slipping into Ned-lyness.

To sum up, Ned Starks play for the flavor. They like having their favorite characters on the field, and may not always play for effectiveness. Neds are flexible and be accommodated by every House fairly well. Neds may not win a lot, but that shouldn’t matter to the truly Ned-ly.

Next week, we’ll be discussing Shaggas and combo addictions.

Thanks for playing along,
Ben