White Cloak Arsenal - Recursion

There is a reason you play with certain cards in your deck. Why wouldn't you want to play them again? Bringing cardboard heroes back from the grave like Beric Dondarion can lead to card advantage and mismatches to exploit. However, not all recursion cards are created equal. And some houses have better targets than others. In the world of bringing back that dead don’t forget to check cross house for some particular good beats. My current favorite is Orphan and Recruitment, costs zero to nullify an opponent’s best character.

This is a companion article with The Things I Do For Win - Recursion. Recursion isn't better than card draw. But, it can garner mismatches by broadening your options. A mix of both is ideal. An Orphan is pretty good on its own, but, versus an opponent who has a single giant dude they become invaluable.

To Infinity and Beyond the Wall
There are a subset of cards that are self recursive. Most of them are less than great and with good reason. Being able to fill your hand with gas every turn would be too good. A mystery to me has always been why I don’t play these more often. Granted there are some superstars like Forever Burning and Endless Endurance. But, most of them adhere to the rule of recursion card advantage. They only create card advantage after their second use.

Baratheon 4 out of 5 Gold Hands
Knight of Summerhall (DB)
Royal Entourage (TTotH)
Robert Baratheon (KotS)
Lost Captain (KotStorm)
Pyre of the False Gods (KotStorm)
Mustering Yard (BoRF)
Blackwater Bay (TBoBB)
Small Council Chamber (SaS)
Storm's End Tourney Grounds (TftH)
Highgarden Destrier (APS)
Maester's Tower (HtS) - not recursion but aids it.
To Be a Stag (SB)
See who is Stronger (KotStorm)
Glamor of Fire (ARotD)
Fiery Kiss (ODG)

I play Pyre of the False Gods out house so often I should have my face on it. Combining it with Much and More can create a loop constant digging for your toolbox effects. Also, events that come out of shadows go to your discard pile instead of the bottom of the deck because they are coming into play. The only problem with See Who is Stronger is there isn’t a tutor effect for events…yet. Fiery Kiss is a great example of a card that you don’t need to plan for, just stuff two in your deck and wait until you need that last push FTW. A great target is Shadow Stalker.

If anyone has been tracking some of the streaming games online you can witness the power of Robert and Much and More.

Greyjoy 1 out of 5 Gold Hands
Thrall (CD)
Blackwater Raiders (TftRK)
Weathered Crew (SA)
First Mate (SB)
Aeron Damphair (KotS) - he just won’t die!
Nagga's Hill (ODG)
Isle Garron (APS)
The Shadow of the Isles (TTotH)
Iron Lore (MotA)

There are slim pick’ns here. Iron Lore has been a staple for out of house Rhaynys’s Hill recursion in the house of the kraken. Theon is incredibly interesting. He may be good enough to play out of house. To bolster his undying personality you can stack your opponents deck pre-dominance with a well timed A House Divided.

Blackwater Raiders and Nagga’s Hill depend on your opponent having good cards in their discard pile, which, luckily for Greyjoy they can ship those off like a champ. The warship recursion stuff is too frustrating to talk about. I want it to work, and the warships are getting better and better but besides Longship Iron Victory and Meraxes I can’t condone this build right now.

Lannister 1 out of 5 Gold Hands
Split Loyalties (LotR)
Hugor Hill (VM)
Greedy Councilor (ASitD)
Qyburn (SaS)
Dragonbone Dagger (THoBaW)

House Lannister can’t do everything. Thank goodness. Greedy Councilor was ambush before there was ambush and combos well with Golden Tooth Vaults. Qyburn is a must run in every deck, post Valar this guy is a beating. Hugor Hill doesn’t get the special italics because he doesn’t make every deck due to his ability being static, you have to do it, even if you’d rather intrigue away.

Martel 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
The Prince's Plans (TIoR)
The Shadow of the South (CoS)
Open Market (ASoS)

I can’t push the rating more than two based on the greatest recursion card in the game. The Prince’s Plans is a sick wrecking, not only does it provide an instant plus three card advantage it can be triggered any phase. The errata of it going to the dead pile is prohibitive, unless you drop a Benjen Stark into the mix. While only three cards exist in the pool they are all incredibly versatile.

Open Market allows you to get any card from the discard pile and The Shadow of the South can shut opponents down. My retro pick for this tourney season is The Shadow of the South. What is holding these power houses back is the summer restriction.

Check out the Chinese championship online to see The Prince's Plans completely dominate a game. Seeking out information and researching decks makes you a student of the game (hint at the next article!).

Stark 3 out of 5 Gold Hands
The Weeping Water (OSaS)
Endless Endurance (LoW)
The Kindly Man (VM)
Trident Reinforcements (Core)
Galbart Glover (CbtC)
Split Loyalties

I’m questioning the amazingness of Galbert considering the vast amounts of tutor effects in Stark. My favorite Siege deck involved Galbert, Blackwood, Campfire Lights, and Banner of the North. The Kindly Man is a tier one deck if you use him as a bonus recursion effect. Don’t focus the whole deck on that guy. Build a solid Stark deck, drop him in and it becomes over powering. Endless Endurance doesn’t get the props it deserves. A constant plus two strength that is easy for the house of wolves to get back. The Weeping Water can be a house in a well built Bolton deck.

Targaryen 5 out of 5 Gold Hands
Archmaester Marwyn (CD)
Blue-Lipped Warlock (QoD)
Street Waif (AToT)
Pentoshi Guildmaster (Core)
Viserys Targaryen (Core)
The Womb of the World (ASoSilence)
Rhaenys's Hill (TBoBB)
Lady Daenerys's Chambers (Core)
Dothraki Stallion (APS)
Ride Them Down (ODG)
The Shadow of the East (AToT)
Forever Burning (Core)
Recruitment (VD)
To Be a Dragon (SB)
Ambush from the Plains (QoD)
Maegi's Promise (QoD)

Are you kidding me?!! You might as well call the discard pile what it actually is, cards in hand. Recruitment has been overlooked a bit in my estimation but wow, the in house targets of Jorah and Daario seems pretty great. Out-of-house becomes a nightmare to deal with championing Oakheart and Orphan. Lady Daenerys’s Chamber and Forever Burning has been a staple since a decade ago. Ambush is gaining popularity with the dearth of high initiative plots. Rhaenys’s Hill ends games post Valar or during a pivotal claim two. Hint; Hill plus Twist of Fate is pretty hot.

Even the cards that don’t make the top of the list are game changers in the right build. To Be a Dragon, Blue-Lipped Warlock, and Womb of the World would be well received in other houses. Because I love this line from the last article I have to post it again; Burn decks are becoming gauche. Recursion is the new burn. How New York 2012.

Neutral Plots 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
Pulled from the Rhoyne (VD)
Forging the Chain (FtC)
Many Powers Long Asleep (RoR)

These are all situational to be a main stay. They all have their upside, Pulled keeps the river train going, Forging can build a massive uber character, and Many Powers basically means at least six gold and card advantage, for free.

Neutral Characters 1 out of 5 Gold Hands
Warrior's Sons (LotR)
Lady Stoneheart (MotM)
Builder of the Watch (ASitD)
Jon Arryn (TTotH)

Hmmm, here is another case of interesting possibilities. Every time I try Warrior’s Sons they come out flat, I think it’s the attacking alone restriction. Stoneheart is a must play in a Brotherhood deck but that’s the only real bonus I can see from this pile.

Neutral Attachment 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
Bronze Link (FtC)
A Pinch of Powder (PotS)

Poor Pinch of Powder…you are amazing in theory but terrible in actuality. Bronze link combos well with Pale Steel Link to create loops of destruction; Greyscale, Bastard, and Motley are all viable options. However, that’s a lot of cards to make happen at once.

Neutral Event 3 out of 5 Gold Hands
Old Intrigues (TIoR)
Battle of the Bay (TBoBB)
Retreat and Regroup (SA)
Lie for Your King! (BoRF)
Die for Your King! (AE)
Narrow Escape (KotStorm)

There isn't enough I can say about Narrow Escape. It can create instant card advantage post a military claim two challenge or remove their hand. Lie for Your King! can easily become the next big thing considering the quality of Intrigue Gambits. Retreat and Regroup can benefit several builds that rely on non-uniques. Martell I’m looking at you. Battle of the Bay absolutely doesn't get played right now. After this article I expect it to see the light of day a bit when you look at a single card, Rhaenys’s Hill. Sure, you have some back up for Street of Silk, Seat of Power, the Iron Thrones as well.

As much as I see potential in these cards you can’t build around these cards. Events are still unsearchable outside of Stark’s To Be a Wolf. Remember, recursion is a tool, not a goal. Huh, Stark Siege with Battle of the Bay and Rhaenys’s Hill, seems reasonable. Enjoy!