The Whitecloak Arsenal - Draw, Fistful of Cardboard

The White Cloak Arsenal- Draw, Fistful of Cardboard
Drawing more cards than your opponent does NOT mean you win the game. It is merely a tool to (hopefully) give you more options than your opponent. Having options gives you more potential to win. The game is over when one player has their decision tree choices reduced to zero. This can be in the form of how they initiate challenges, trigger an ability, or play a card. While sometimes I can’t control the first two aspects, I can supplement decks with enough draw to keep a fist full of cardboard.

This is a companion article with The Things I Do For Win- Draw and Jaime C-c-c-combo. Drawing lots of cards is only a goal if the deck has a plan for those cards. Combo decks thrive on the ability to get all the pieces of the puzzle together as soon as possible. So, when thinking about putting together a combo deck, make sure to add a dash of draw.

Recursion is another form of drawing cards that will be addressed in the next article.

Baratheon 1 out of 5 Gold Hands

Ghost of Winterfell (AHM)
Watcher of the Nightfire (AHM)
Renly Baratheon (TRS)
Lucky Bones
Claw Isle (EB)

Ruby of R'hllor (KotStorm)
R'hllor's Blessing (AKitN)
King Robert's Debt (OSaS)

The Battle at the Wall (EB)

Tutors
Herald of the Stag (SB)
Bound by the Light (DB)
Abandoned Forge (AToT)

Watcher of the Nightfire is the only one of the bunch that might, MIGHT, bring consistent draw to the Bara table. Otherwise it’s all hokey religion tricks. This is the worse house by far.

Greyjoy 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
Aeron Damphair (VM)
Euron Crow's Eye (TGM)

Longship Black Wind (CbtC)
Longship Silence (ASoSilence)
The Seastone Chair (BtW)
Fishmonger's Square (TftRK)
Longship Iron Victory (KotS)
Besieged Shipyard (EB)
Scurvy (TftRK)
Drinking the Sea (TBoBB)

Kingsmoot (KotS)

Tutors
Herald of the Sea (SB)
Aeron Damphair (KotS)

In a discarding deck Greyjoy can peel cards off the top with the best of them. Euron makes the list because he is huge and provides draw, sometimes. But, nothing beats the staying power of Longship Iron Victory. If you are not running at least x2 of LIV in every deck that has characters you need to start.

Neither of the Damphairs is consistent turn after turn but I have seen a pretty good HoD Seastone Chair deck here and there.

Lannister 5 out of 5 Gold Hands
Futile Gestures (VM)

Hornvale (EB)
Golden Tooth Mines (Core)
Doubting Septa (LotR)
Gold Cloaks (AToT)
Tommen Baratheon (SA)
Qyburn's Informers (Core)
Tyrion Lannister (Core)
Grand Maester Pycelle (Core)
Insidious Ways (Core)
Widow's Wail (LotR)

Rich Lands and a Keep (LotR)
Vale Scavenger (MotM)
Summer Tax (ASoS)
Pyromancer's Cache (TWot5K)

Tutors
Lion Herald (SB)

An embarrassment of riches. Tommen is so good he makes most of my decks reguardless of my house affiliation. What keeps the goodness coming is even the less good cards would be instantly played in other houses. Qyburn’s Informers, Insidious Ways, and Widow’s Wails would rate very high for Bara and Greyjoy. As it is they pale in comparison to Pyromancer’s Cache.

Martel 3 out of 5 Gold Hands

Quentyn Martell (VD)
Informed Acolyte (TIoR)
House Dayne Skirmisher (PotS)
Dornish Paramour (TTotH)
Flea Bottom Scavenger (AToT)
Desert Exiles (SA)
The Bastard of Godsgrace (EB)
House Messenger (PotS)
The Viper's Bannermen (PotS)

Outthought (ARotD)
Bronze Shield (BtW)
Oberyn's Guile (MotA)

Tutors

Herald of the Sun (SB)
Palace Spy (WotN)
No Use For Grief (DB)

There is an incorrect belief that Martell can rival Lannister in drawing cards. This is untrue. The best card to get more cards is House Messenger. I want to highlight Viper’s Bannermen but their cost is too prohibitive to be dropped in every deck much less take the restricted slot. I like Quentyn, Acolyte, Skirmisher, Paramour, and Scavenger but they only fit in certain builds. Paramour and her ugly trait may be the only one you could take a flier on. Oberyn’s Guile peaks my interest quite a bit, however, I don’t plan on losing too many challenges.

Palace Spy may be the most underused card with the advent of The East locations. Knights of the Hollow Hill can you hear me know? I can’t imagine this guy in Targ or Lanni.

Stark 4 out of 5 Gold Hands
Ghost of Winterfell (AHM)
Ser Kyle Condon (APS)
The Blackfish (LoW)
Guard at Riverrun (LoW)
Eddard Stark (TTotH)
Sansa Stark (Core)
Maester Luwin (FtC)
Ser Brynden’s Guile (HtS)
The Dreadfort (DB)
Storm Dancer (AToT)
Gates of Winterfell (CtB)
Harrenhal (ODG)
Poisoned Coin (THoBaW)
The Weasel's Way (TIoR)

Tutors

Wolf Herald (SB)
Depleted Host (SA)
Jeyne Westerling (ASoS)
Maege Mormont (AHM)
Widow's Watch (GotC)
Campfire Lights (CtB)
Winterfell Kennels (Core)
To Be a Wolf (SB)
Bran the Builder's Legacy (Core)

Good Luwin look at the length of that list! Kyle Condon and Harrenhal made their debut in a MO championship deck and haven’t looked back. The Blackfish triggers whether he participates or not. To Be a Wolf may be the best tutor card ever made in LCG. The Dreadfort is the most questionable card highlighted because you need Boltons, who gives a hot pie? In that deck it is stupid good.

I foresee Maege getting a lot of time in the sun pretty soon. Jeyne can grab any king and should seriously be considered out of house for Bara. Campfire Lights was a center piece of a Seige of Winterfell deck for me repeatedly killing Lucas Blackwood. Kennels can fetch up Riders just as well as puppies.

Targaryen 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
Company of the Cat (THoBaW)
Jhogo (OSaS)
Maegi Crone (BtW)
Rich Lands and a Keep (LotR)
Meraxes (TBC)
Meereen (QoD)
Vaes Dothrak (IG)
Hrakkar Pelt (RotO)
Tears of Lys (AToT)
Pentos (EB)
Xaro's Home (Core)

Tutors

Herald of the East (SB)
Khal Drogo (QoD)
Red Warlock (ASoS)
Dance With Dragons
Harried by Dragons (VM)
Rhaegal (Core)

Targ may only have two solid card draw options but they are auto plays. Meraxes sees play in every Greyjoy and half of the Bara decks I play. It’s that amazing. I just don’t feel right about giving Targ a higher score based on one card.

Neutral Agendas 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
Knights of the Realm (KotStorm)
Kings of Summer (ASoS)
House of Dreams (ARotD)

All three of these suffer from the same affliction. They all appear amazing when working, however, they can be the death knell when they aren’t. While I have played with successful builds using the agendas you have to completely change your approach. The agenda is dictating a lot of the card choices. Not saying these can’t work at all. But, you can’t just throw on the agenda to a deck and expect to win. Be wary of House of Dreams, the opportunity cost is much higher than you realize.

Neutral Plots 3 out of 5 Gold Hands
Counting Favors (Core)
Shores of Ny Sar (VM)
Spending the Winter Stores (QoD)
At the Gates (GotC)
Family, Duty, Honor (LoW)
A Time for Ravens (ACoS)
Summoning Season (Core)
Building Season (Core)

If it weren’t for the popularity of seasons and maesters this list would bottom out at a one. It’s incredibly difficult to justify any of the other plots unless it’s tutoring up a x3 of a card in the deck. There are many other options for the most powerful cards in the game. If I can reach out to newer players real quick; never, never, never run Summoning Season, whatever you get will be trumped by something your opponent just got. You are better off adding draw or one of the heralds.

At the Gates is so good it raises the rating by two because it does everything; in essence a six gold plot, thins the deck, and puts a character into play. I’m actually surprised I don’t see Counting Favors more, especially in Knight of the Hollow Hill builds.

Neutral Characters 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
Ghost of High Heart (WLL)
Satin (WLL)
Jack-be-Lucky (OSaS)
Val (RotO)
Dolorous Edd (TWH)
Gilly (RoW)
Samwell Tarly (TRS)

Ghost of High Heart always begins in my deck and will only lose its slot if she gets forced out by more efficient draw. Samwell is still a staple in seasonal decks by useless otherwise. Gilly is a must run in summer. Val is flat out amazing and I predict a return of her seeing playing time. Burn decks are becoming gauche. Recursion is the new burn. How Australia 2012.

Neutral Location 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
Bay of Ice
Hollow Hill (ASoSilence)
King's Landing (SaS)
The Gift (EB)
The Neck (EB)
The Land Beyond the Wall (EB)

Hmmm, it looks like a ton of work has to be done to your deck to utilize these. King’s Landing is the singular most powerful draw engine in the game but takes a large focus of a deck. Bay of Ice can backfire. With the advent of Knights of the Hollow Hill it’s a little more secure. Hollow Hill is fast becoming my personal favorite due to the ability to splash out of house goodness these days.

Neutral Attachment 2 out of 5 Gold Hands
Tourney Lance (TftH)
Seal of the Crown (APS)
Valyrian Steel Link (HtS)
Court Advisor (PotS)

Man, those master decks are good aren’t they? The others are totally playable but really need to be worked into a holistic deck theme to make them worthwhile. Odds are you would be better served playing a one cost character with an intrigue icon.

Neutral Event 3 out of 5 Gold Hands
Beware of the Sphinx (GotC)
Whispers from the Hill (ASoSilence)
Ill Tidings (IG)
Nightmares in the North (RotO)
The Sword in the Darkness (ASitD)
The Dragon's Tail (PotS)
Parting Blow (PotS)
Cannot be Bribed, Cannot be Bought (SaS)
Much and More (AHM)
Wolf Dreams (LoW)
Yoren's Task (BtW)
Muster (Core)

Many of these are self-explanatory. Much and More is not for every deck but can certainly be dropped into many, combo loves this card. Parting Blow is a personal favorite of mine. There are a handful of characters that bounce in and out of play in each house that make it playable in every house, Carrion Birds and Syrio work well with it too. Ill Tidings is another pet of mine when combined with Samwell and A Time for Ravens.

A current fascination of mine is Much and More, Ser Brynden’s Guile, Luwin, Dragon’s Tail, Seal of the Crown, and Pyre of the False Gods. You can cycle through an insane amount of cards. The problem? What am I looking for to make all this worthwhile?