Card Game DB
Sign In
Create Account
Welcome to Card Game DB
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!
Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!
2
The Things I Do For Win - Targaryen Knights of the Hollow Hill Burn
Jun 29 2012 05:05 PM |
clu
in Game of Thrones
Small Council The Things I Do For Win clu
Removing threats from the board is king. Stopping challenges mid-phase causes opponent fits. The pure card economy afforded to the house of dragons is embarrassing. The reason this deck doesn’t keep dominating top eights is finding the right amount of resources needed to keep it running smoothly.The House that Influence Built
There are few other builds demanding the worse agenda available. The Knights of the Hollow Hill (MotM) has several drawbacks http://www.cardgamed...rigger-on-r184. However, it avails the ambush keyword and massive one for x’ing.
The Hatchlings' Feast (ASitD), Forever Burning (Core), Dragon Knight (TBC) during Threat from the North (PotS) turn create card advantage scenarios. Even when these cardboard rock stars aren’t terminal they still stop challenges, namely intrigue, which is the name of the game for control decks.
The Knights of the Hollow Hill basically gives you four resources. Skipping the setup phase is awful. A Targ player is relying on superior card play power to lay out more threats over a long period of time.
To keep the influence train on track there are several options these days.
Kingsroad Fiefdom (QoD), Eastern Fiefdoms (Core), Summer Sea (PotS), and The Red Keep (TftRK) supply enough resources. I’m really interested in the new sextet locations. The agenda keeps you from using gold production but a reduction to the right trait, out of house card (note: they say card, not character), and adding one influence seems to fit in the wheelhouse.
Relevant Ambush Keywords
Dragon Knight (TBC)
Flame-Kissed (Core)
Queen's Knight (TWot5K)
Dragon Thief (AE)
Horseback Hunters (ASoSilence)
The Dragons
Ambush cards I didn’t name just aren’t that good, they cost too much for the effect that you garner. The dragons are even a stretch and Horseback Hunters only get thumbs up with Illyrio in the deck.
Ok, you are already losing before the game begins. Other decks have spent five gold and drawn deeper into their money cards. To circumvent a bad day there are a couple options. The First Snow of Winter (ODG) can nullify quick starts by bouncing two gold cost or lower dudes back to their hand. A brutal follow up is Rule by Decree (Core). Any card advantage they might have earned through setup is lost.
The Many Faces of Death
There are five builds of a successful burn deck; maesters, shadows, jumpers (ambush), summer, and hybrids that use a couple elements from afore mentioned beaters. Maester abuses the agenda to quickly setup into aggro with Lead Link (CbtC) and offers the choice of Outwit (TIoR). Shadow has the most shear character rendering combos with The Dragonpit (TftRK) and Assassins. Jumper creates a mind boggling juggling act for your opponent to guess what is going to happen during challenges with Queen’s Knight and Magister Illyrio (VM). Summer has the most consistent build with the bonus gold and the best burn card in Field of Fire (QoD). The best tournament deck blends elements from most of these arch types into a balanced war machine.
Be fore warned, a strong burn deck is incredibly hard to play over several hours because you must identify the correct threat each turn. Targeting intrigue icons early is key. Also, feel free to let renown characters live until it doesn’t suit your needs.
Cherry Picking the Whitecloak Arsenal
When assembling a thematic deck I look for monster one for twos that flip the outcome of a turn. Repeatable strength reduction is a time honored tradition to controlling games. The more terminal effects you can input means less times dealing with a trouble card. Another appealing aspect to burn is appearing weak while several cards lay hidden ready to gack the opposition. Outside of burn, Targaryen brings the heat with a bit of trait hate, Ser Jorah Mormont (WLL) and Daario Naharis (WLL) drop opposing knights and allys while bringing tricon goodness to bear.
Repeatable Arsenal
Forever Burning (Core)
Flame-Kissed (Core) (with Lady Daenerys's Chambers (Core))
Meereen Tourney Grounds (ODG)
Magister Illyrio (VM)
Pyat Pree (QoD)
One Shot Arsenal
Dragon Knight (TBC)
The Hatchlings' Feast (ASitD)
King's Landing Assassin (SaS)
Ser Jorah Mormont (WLL)
Daario Naharis (WLL)
Incinerate (VM)
Arguably the worse card in the selected cards is Incinerate. It requires a couple like traited characters to be in play and only kills one dude. The bonus is the ability to flat out escort Voltron to the dead pile on its own if the right conditions are met, attachment or not.
The most important card given to Targ in the last year is Meraxes (TBC). It grants card draw plus a bonus to control decks by adding dominance wins not normally available. Jhogo (OSaS) is a military challenge threat and card draw. The added two to initiative shouldn’t be ignored from the agenda to cash in on Bay of Ice (KotS).
I love recursion. I love it even more when they power my wins. Lady Daenerys's Chambers (Core) keeps Flame Kiss in the fray. Card advantage through recursion is still card advantage. Reusing your best cards is amazing. Ambush from the Plains (QoD) triggers most of your come-into-play characters and sticks Illyrio, Jhogo, and Pyat Pree back on board. Threat From the North nixes Street Waifs. I’d like to add Womb of the World but I’m thinking that’s for another deck.
Location Control
There is very little in-house hot sauce here besides the auto-include Viserion (QoD). Looking outside the confines the East leads to the salty shores of Greyjoy. Newly Made Lord (TftH) may be the most powerful location control card in the game. The passive effect refuses to be canceled and bombs out most threats out there. To keep the playing field level Fleeing to the Wall (Core) is a must play. Remember to target the Lanni Iron Throne early.
Attachment Control
I’ve already tagged Dragon Thief as a jumper and their dual use of attachment control is unparalleled. The best repeatable control is Meereenese Brothel (BtW) bolstered by the main theme of the deck.
There Are No Men Like Me
Keeping pressure on the opponent can come in many forms. Since the deck is a kill/burn theme, playing Rhaenys's Hill (TBoBB) is a no brainer. Spending four gold on three characters is good. Spending four gold to seal the win with renown characters is priceless. Aegon's Hill (TTotH) fuels the other hill and forces opponents to play characters when they are trying to save up for one last rush. Free Cities Mercenaries (TBoBB) provide a power rush of your own should you need it. In mirror matches they should prove too big to burn.
Total Cards (60)
House (1)
House Targaryen (Core) x1
Agenda (1)
Knights of the Hollow Hill (MotM) x1
Plot (7)
Retaliation! (ASoSilence) x1
Rule by Decree (Core) x1
Search and Detain (HtS) x1
The First Snow of Winter (ODG) x1
Threat from the North (PotS) x1
Valar Morghulis (Core) x1
Shadows and Spiders (LotR) x1
Character (26)
Newly Made Lord (TftH) x2
Viserion (QoD) x1
Ser Jorah Mormont (WLL) x1
Pyat Pree (QoD) x1
King's Landing Assassin (SaS) x2
Jhogo (OSaS) x1
Dragon Thief (AE) x2
Dragon Knight (TBC) x2
Queen's Knight (TWot5K) x2
Daario Naharis (WLL) x1
Magister Illyrio (VM) x2
Horseback Hunters (ASoSilence) x1
Free Cities Mercenaries (TBoBB) x2
Rakharo (IG) x1
Killer of the Wounded (QoD) x2
Khal Drogo (Core) x1
Black Hatchling (DB) x1
Varys (SaS) x1
Location (21)
Eastern Fiefdoms (Core) x3
Meereen Tourney Grounds (ODG) x2
Meereenese Brothel (BtW) x1
Meraxes (TBC) x3
Rhaenys's Hill (TBoBB) x2
Summer Sea (Core) x2
The Red Keep (TftRK) x1
Kingsroad Fiefdom (QoD) x2
Aegon's Hill (TTotH) x1
Bay of Ice (KotS) x2
Volantis (VM) x1
Lady Daenerys's Chambers (Core) x1
Attachment (3)
Flame-Kissed (Core) x3
Event (10)
Ambush from the Plains (QoD) x2
Incinerate (VM) x3
Forever Burning (Core) x2
The Hatchlings' Feast (ASitD) x3
I’d like to say a quick thanks to Ben Terpstra, Lucas Reed, and John Bruno for helping me get this to print on time and the countless hours of misery against this deck type.
Jerod Leupold started playing AGOT during the release of Flight of Dragons and declared his allegiance to Greyjoy. He cut his teeth playing in the MN, MO, and WI regionals trying to build dominant characterless or recursion decks. He has placed first in one lowly attended regional, second in four others, and top eighted in two out the four GenCons he has attended. For one year he was the number one ranked limited player. He currently resides in Iowa City and is proud to be a part of the Knights of the Corn meta.
During the years of 2005-2011 he was the owner and tournament organizer for Critical Hit Games that ran magic events on a weekly basis including being asked to host the state of Iowa championships twice. He has been a tournament player for several ccgs including 7th Sea, L5R, Spoils, and is the current King of the Hill champion of the 2011 GenCon Invasion tournament.
- Reager likes this
21 Comments
You're running almost enough Shadows to make Dragonpit worth it. I just tricked out a burn deck with Dragonpit + Lyanna Stark to make non-uniques really feel the hurt. Add to that the fact that Killer of the Wounded basically won't have to kneel anymore (he kneels, is reduced by Lyanna, stands for his own response) and it is pretty nasty. There seem to be more good ways to burn than there are card slots.
A question also: when Valar Dohaeris and others become legal, will stacking the Free Cities locations work to discount each other? SInce they have all the house symbols, can Volantis discount Braavos, for example?
This deck is hard to play against since you never know what to expect to be thrown at you during challenges, and you need to overextend in the attacks; although playing the deck yourself is not an easy task either
You need a good deck to make top eight. You need good match ups in the top eight to make a championship.
You could sub in Pyromancer's Apprentice but that card is becoming worse with every new cool resource location.
@mathiasfricot: I've never had Titan's Bastard work consistently enough to have it garner a slot. For some reason Forever Burnings never end up in my hand at the same time as he does. Since there isn't a setup he has greater appeal for this deck/agenda but I'd rather keep to more powerful characters.
I have to say that I disagree that KotHH is the worst agenda out there. If it were, so many people would not be playing it at regionals. It's the second most played agenda. If you play it out of the right house then it is VERY good. Try to run it out of Stark, Lannister, or Bara and sure, you'll faily miserably.
This is probably a good challenge for Mathlete or Dobbler if they haven't already come up with something.