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1
Metaphysics - The Wall
Aug 13 2012 05:15 PM |
jimpanda
in Game of Thrones
Small Council Metaphysics JimPanda
After a month that involved work changes, moving, and a complete lack of any non phone-based internet, I have once again joined the land of the living. So, without further ado, let’s talk about Armies!At long last, my eternal wait to find a place for one of my favorite cards is over. After months and months of trying (and failing) to wedge King Joffrey’s Guard into every single decklist I wrote up, it looks like there may finally be a home for the protectors of the king everyone loves to hate.Reading the Chasing Dragons spoiler was like Christmas for me, and like Ralphie and his Red Rider BB Gun, my heart lit up when I first saw what would become my favorite card in the set: Manning the City Walls.
Suddenly, visions of a first turn King Joffrey’s Guard or The Burned Men danced in my head, each capable of ruining an opponent’s day very early on in a game. A 2 claim Plot that could potentially be worth 9 gold was very easy to get excited about.
Let’s take a look at a rough cut of a Lannister Army-themed deck, how it can score incredible early-game advantage over an opponent, and how it can employ Lannister’s existing toolbox of events.
Total Cards (60)
House (1)
House Lannister (Core) x1
Agenda (0)
Plot (7)
A City Besieged (CD) x1
All the Gold in Casterly Rock (LotR) x1
City of Soldiers (TBoBB) x1
Fear of Winter (BtW) x1
Manning the City Walls (CD) x1
Muster the Realm! (QoD) x1
The Power of Arms (Core) x1
Character (31)
Mountain Refugee (RoW) x3
Tommen Baratheon (SA) x2
Penny (VD) x1
Lannisport Weaponsmith (Core) x3
Joffrey Baratheon (KotS) x1
The Hound (PotS) x1
Painted Dogs (IG) x3
Ser Amory's Poachers (LotR) x3
Shagga Son of Dolf (DB) x1
Crawn Son of Calor (LotR) x1
Varys (SaS) x1
Ser Arys Oakheart (PotS) x1
Tyrion Lannister (LotR) x1
Ser Addam Marbrand (LotR) x2
The Burned Men (MotM) x3
King Joffrey's Guard (TWot5K) x3
Ser Jorah Mormont (WLL) x1
Location (18)
The Goldroad (LotR) x3
Sunset Sea (LotR) x3
Coin Mint (LotR) x2
Lion's Gate (ASoS) x3
Golden Tooth Mines (Core) x3
High Ground (QoD) x2
Pentos (CD) x1
The Iron Throne (LotR) x1
Attachment (0)
Event (11)
You've Killed the Wrong Dwarf! (Core) x3
A House Divided (WLL) x3
Dissension (QoD) x2
Nightmares (LoW) x3
The Cuts:
Here are some other notable card choices that didn’t make the cut for me. The deck is designed to generate and keep early pressure on your opponent, so all of the cards that made the cut have immediate effects that can create large tempo swings and keep you on the offensive.
Tribeless Vagabond – He gives you a nice discard outlet for an early Burned Men ravaging, and he fills in any icon holes in your early game. He just doesn’t provide enough early pressure to justify his inclusion.
Lord Tyrion’s Host – The main reason I cut this card is that we are already so full up on Military/ Power characters that he doesn’t do enough to justify his cost. Ser Amory’s Poachers are far better in this slot due to their Intrigue icon and possible Stealth capabilities.
Ser Amory Lorch – While we do have some trait manipulation, Ser Amory’s 4 cost is tough to accommodate in a deck that already has a very high curve. His effect can be strong, but we should be winning enough challenges without it.
Paper Shield – This would certainly be a worthy inclusion, just one that I couldn’t find the room for. The events we already have access to are far better in the aggressive, tempo-oriented strategy that the deck is trying to employ.
Price of War/ Die by the Sword – Two very good events that almost make the cut due to Joffrey’s Guard and The Burned Men both having the War Crest. Not enough other characters can support these events, and relying only on those two cards can backfire easily.
Carrion Bird – Stealth can be huge for early military challenges, but I would probably rather have the gold from the Weaponsmith. If the Raven-killing errata hadn’t happened, this little guy would combo well with the Lion’s Gate, but sadly, this effect is very limited for what we need. I could definitely see him in place of the Weaponsmith, depending on your meta's seasonal situation.
Lannisport Brothel – This card is extremely powerful, and I love me some brothel action, but it is very much a Control card that doesn’t provide an immediate tempo boost. Due to the aggressive, early advantage the deck can generate, the Brothel doesn’t make the cut.
Lannisport Treasury – Extra gold is very good for us, but the cost of 2 is prohibitive, especially in a deck with a fairly weak potential set-up. Gold Road is easily superior in this situation.
The Beatdown:
Depending on your match-up (and your opening hand), both King Joffrey’s Guard and The Burned Men make excellent first turn drops with Manning the City Walls. The Wall’s 2 Initiative means that you will often be going second – a position that King Joffrey’s Guard excels in. Kneeling your opponent’s two best characters on turn one and swinging in for a 2 claim Military challenge can be crippling to Aggro decks and Control decks alike. Their 8 strength is hard to beat that early in the game.
The rest of the deck is comprised of cards that synergize well with the deck’s initial strategy. Fear of Winter, the deck’s Restricted card, presents an incredible advantage early in scenarios like this one:
Turn 1: Drop The Burned Men with Manning the City Walls, swinging in for a three claim military challenge, kneeling and blanking problem cards along the way. A turn 2 Fear of Winter helps keep the incredible board position you have gained, while swinging in for yet another three claim challenge.
This deck relies on early, consistent pressure, and all of the cards are meant to put your opponent on their heels quickly and keep them there.
Some other synergies to keep in mind:
- Tommen and Joffrey can facilitate a late game Joffrey’s Guard drop for 4 Gold
- The deck is fairly Clansmen-heavy (including your Refugees); taking advantage of Tyrion’s save, Crawn’s effect, and Shagga’s ability shouldn’t be hard.
- Coin Mint can be used any phase. This can help win Dominance and activate Addam’s passive at critical times. Even when used up, The Mint can be sacrificed to A City Besieged or counted for All the Gold in Casterly Rock.
- The synergy between Lion’s Gate/ You've Killed the Wrong Dwarf and all of our Ally removal (Dissension, Varys, Jorah, Aerys) can create huge tempo shifts early in the game. Decks that rely on Renown characters (like Baratheon Rush, Red Viper-based decks, and The Conclave) can be slowed down severely by The Lion’s Gate as well.
- zordren, bigfomlof and DubiousYak like this
6 Comments
You can probably take advantage of Rhaegar's Harp (BoRF) in two offensive ways and at a reduced cost because of Pentos.
1) Toss it on an opponent's character to give them the Ally/Refugee trait. Use a means of discarding an Ally from play(or Dissension to discard 2 Refugees).
2) Toss it on a relevant non-Army character you control to give them the Army trait for Ser Addam Marbrand's ability.
Perhaps Campfire Mime (RoR) could be helpful in this deck for the Army and Clansman trait. He'd certainly help you enjoy a try at using The Inn at the Crossroads (LotR)(which has made up for its cost two-fold for me). Because Inn at the Crossroads is non-limited and there's a good chance you'll always have 2 or more clansman out, you'd be able to capitalize on that quickly I think. Coin Mint will be a dead card on Setups and this can be played along with any other limited card you have.
What do you think?
I was thinking about a Lannister Army deck, as they have 12 of them from 2-8 gold, and combining with Ser Adam Marbrand and PbtT.
At time I worry the Small Council can read my mind, but then make the idea much better then I ever could
I think that A House Divided will be one of the greatest cards in this deck for dealing with problems, and one I feel enough players haven't seen in use of enough.
Raff the Sweetling (Core) in combo with A House Divided. You can ensure discarding of that specific character in that manner. Of course you'd only do this when you know you have the funds left over to gain effects for having more gold.
Crawn is just another way of building up board presence without sacrificing too many cards. He is not amazing, but he is a big help against discard in general and he can present a huge post-Valar threat if you have a few Clansmen in your discard pile. Even Tyrion, without a Clansmen to activate his save, is a 3 Str tri-con character with Stealth. His Clansmen inclusion ability is also a beating with The Burned Men.
Pentos is really there for the Army reduction, but it has a nice interaction with Jorah Mormont too. Again, with only playing one copy, I really wouldn't rely on it too much to help with out of house cards. It functions much like Kingdom of Shadows does in other Lannister decks - a one cost resource with an extra situational benefit. It is also a Lannister card for the purposes of All the Gold in Casterly Rock. I could see trying a build that plays three and splashes more Targaryen cards like Pike Phalanx.
@NuFenix - I completely agree on A House Divided. This card is completely bonkers against most of the current decks (Maester's, Knights, Ironborn, Asshai, Ally, etc.). there are so many good traits to name. The tempo advantage this card produces with not only getting rid of a character, but denying them a draw as well, is great. There are very few times when it doesn't hit big. Against non-Maester Martell it's not so hot.
With Ser Jorah Mormont (WLL), I would have expected you to also be using Daario Naharis (WLL). Surely the Knight trait will be more prevalent to discard without the need of using other cards to give it such a trait. Perhaps not against Martell and Greyjoy so much however.