[details=Thoughts]I’ve recently been playing some games as mono-black against EricF and he stomped me pretty thoroughly in both. I think I’ve identified a couple mistakes that I’ve made and will hopefully be better prepared for this tournament as a result. Tower is much better than I initially wanted to give it credit for, as is Theiving Imp. Jandra is probably not as good as I’d like her to be. And I need to do a better job of protecting my heroes.
As for this game in particular, I’m not familiar with the black v. red matchup at all. Not sure which spec I should be looking at. Not going to start teching away skeletons just yet, but I’m leaning towards Disease.[/details]
Collect 4 gold (4)
Worker (3)
Play Thieving Imp, causing you to discard a card at random (0)
Pass the turn, discard 3, draw 5
I wanted to get Graveyard in play early this game. With the early double Bone Collector tech, I imagine I’ll have some casualties and Graveyard will help me keep units on the board and thin my deck simultaneously if I can keep it out. A maxband Jaina could ping it down in one turn, but she’s pretty fragile at 3 hp, so I think I could capitalize on that if Pointy decides to drop that much gold into her for that purpose. I thought about spending all my gold just to avoid a pillage, but I wanted to draw up to five cards.
Collect 5 gold (5)
Start construction on my Tech I (4)
Worker (3)
Play Graveyard (1)
Pass the turn, discard 3, reshuffle, draw 5
STARTING HAND
Scorch
Bloodrage Ogre
Mad Man
Makeshift Rambaster
WORKERS
Pillage
Bloodrage Ogre
NextHand
Nautical Dog
Careless Musketeer
Scorch
Bloodburn
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Worker - ($5)
Attack Bombaster into Thieving Imp, Bombaster goes to discard - ($5)
Attack Jaina into Thieving Imp, sending Imp to your Graveyard - ($5)
Play Makeshift Rambaster - ($3)
Rambaster attacks your Graveyard and destroys it - ($3)
Build Tech I - ($2)
[details=Starting Hand]Bone Collector
Sacrifice the Weak
Skeleton Javelineer
Deteriorate
Bone Collector[/details]
[details=Tech]Doom Grasp
Nether Drain[/details]
Thoughts
Okay, so my Graveyard got blown up immediately. At least I forced him to play a Makeshift Rambaster to do so. In the short term it’s an even trade, but that Rambaster isn’t really going to help him much in the coming turns, especially since it can’t patrol. With 2 Bone Collectors on the board, I think I’m in a pretty solid position to get aggressive and pump out a skeleton army. Tech II still undecided, however I’m liking what Garth’s spells bring to the table at this time.
Collect 6 gold (7)
Play Bone Collector A (5)
Play Bone Collector B (3)
Worker (2)
Summon Garth (0)
Pass the turn, discard 2, draw 3, reshuffle, draw 1
Patrol Zone: Squad Leader: Bone Collector A (3/3 + A) Elite: Scavenger: Technician: Bone Collector B (3/3) Lookout:
Garth is threatening a maxband, potentially dropping a freshly-aqcuired Tech II unit on the board next turn, and I should have enough chump blockers on the board to keep him safe until then. I thought about going all in on skeletons, but there’s a lot of potential burn coming out of red and I don’t like the chances of survival for any Skeletal Lords.
Collect 7 gold (7)
Worker (6)
Garth summons a skeleton (5)
Bone Collector A attacks and kills Jaina, making a Skeleton in the process. Garth gains two levels.
Level up Garth once to reach level 4, midband (4)
Start construction on Tech II Demonology (0)
Pass the turn, discard 3, draw 5.
Patrol Zone: Squad Leader: Bone Collector B (3/3 + A) Elite: Scavenger: Skeleton Token B (1/1) Technician: Skeleton Token A (1/1) Lookout:
In Play:
Garth Torken lvl 4 (2/4)
Buildings:
Base : 20
Tech I: 5
Tech II Demonology: 5
STARTING HAND
Gunpoint Taxman
Charge
Bombaster
Mad Man
Gunpoint Taxman
WORKERS
Pillage
Bloodrage Ogre
Bloodburn
NextHand
Kidnap
Charge
Kidnap
Scorch
Bamstamper Lizzo
Draw a card from Technician - ($0)
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($11)
Play Gunpoint Taxman - ($9)
Play Gunpoint Taxman - ($7)
Careless Musketeer pings away Scavenger Skeleton, my base takes 1 and you gain 1 gold - ($7)
Begin Constructing Tech II (Fire) - ($3)
[details=Tech]Blackhand Dozer
Terras Q, the Shackled[/details]
Thoughts
I’m running a bit behind on cards, but between skeletons and Dark Pact, I should be able to refill my hand pretty quickly. The big concern that I have now is potentially having to deal with a Kidnapping. He would probably have to summon Drakk on the same turn he cast it, though. I might use Garth to bring in a Voidblocker next turn just for that purpose. Fire spec doesn’t scare me as much as Anarchy might have, though. I’m expecting to see some Bamstamper Lizzos in the near future, but I’m just not sure that he can keep up with the tempo I’ve got going.
Collect 8 gold (9)
Play Graveyard (7)
Summon Vandy (5)
Maxband Garth, bringing a Blackhand Dozer from my discard into play (2)
Play Nether Drain. Garth loses two levels, going down to level 5 midband, and Vandy gains two levels, going to level 3 midband (1)
Play Deteriorate on your SQL Gunpoint Taxman
Bone Collector B attacks and kills your SQL Gunpoint Taxman, dying in the process. He goes to the Graveyard and is survived by a Skeleton Token.
Worker (0)
Patrol Zone: Squad Leader: Skeleton Token A (1/1 + A) Elite: Scavenger: Skeleton Token B (1/1) Technician: Lookout: Blackhand Dozer (7/6)
[details=More Thoughts][spoiler]He could potentially Flame Arrow either Garth or Vandy to death, but that’s a heavy investment that would leave him with a Jaina who is still pretty squishy. He could also try trading his Taxman into my Blackhand Demon with either some spell support or a Bamstamper Lizzo, but that still puts me up in the long run, considering he would be spending at least one card and a nice chunk of gold where I got the BHD for no cards out of hand and only 3 gold–plus he would go to the graveyard, ready to be summoned again.
If I want to be really greedy, I could try to build a Tech III this turn, threatening a 3-hero Metamorphosis or a Zarramonde. Or I could just stay at Tech II and build a Heroes Hall to threaten the Vandy ult. Hmm. Things to consider.[/spoiler][/details]
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($11)
Exhaust Careless Musketeer to ping away Scavenger Skeleton, you gain 1 gold and my base takes 1 dmg - ($11)
Gunpoint Taxman takes out SQL Skeleton and steals your one gold - ($12)
Summon Drakk - ($10)
Play Kidnapping on Blackhand Tyrant, paying 1 extra gold for Resist - ($5)
Blackhand Tyrant takes out Vandy - ($5)
Drakk levels twice to lvl 3 - ($5)
Play Bamstamper Lizzo and deal 3 to Blackhand Dozer, sending it to your GY - ($1)
Trigger Dozer’s ability and send my Careless Musketeer to discard - ($1)
Attack your Graveyard with Makeshift Rambaster and send it and its buried cards to discard - ($1)
Worker - ($0)
[details=Starting Hand]Skeletal Archery (worker)
Nether Drain
Dark Pact[/details]
[details=Tech]Voidblocker
Shadow Blade[/details]
Thoughts
Well, I certainly didn’t expect a Kidnapping quite that soon. That went poorly for me. I could have used Nether Drain to sap a couple levels from Drakk, but then I would have had one gold left that he probably could have stolen with his Taxman, and I would have been down a card anyways. Hopefully the Voidblocker and Tower can buy me a little time. Unfortunately, Terras Q looks completely unplayable now. Probably going to end up workering him. At this point, surviving until Tech III seems like my best bet.
Collect 9 gold (9)
Garth summons a skeleton, then sacrifices it for a card (8)
Level Garth up twice. Garth hits maxband and yanks a Voidblocker out of my discard pile. (6)
Worker (5)
Play Bone Collector (3)
Build a Tower (0)
Pass the turn, discard 2, draw 4
Patrol Zone: Squad Leader: Voidblocker (2/6 + A) Elite: Scavenger: Technician: Bone Collector (3/3) Lookout:
In Play:
Garth Torken lvl 7 (3/4)
Buildings:
Base : 20
Tech I: 5
Tech II Demonology: 5
Tower: 4
STARTING HAND
Molting Firebird
Mad Man
Nautical Dog
Bombaster
WORKERS
Pillage
Bloodrage Ogre
Bloodburn
Scorch
NextHand
Doubleshot Archer
Bombaster
Mad Man
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($9)
Max band Drakk - ($6)
Play Molting Firebird, it receives haste from Drakk’s ability - ($2)
Molting Firebird flys over patrollers to attack your tech 2 for 5, destroying it and dealing 2 to your base - ($2)
Trigger Molting Firebirds ability, dealing one to all of your units and heroes - ($2)
Play Nautical Dog - ($1)
Bamstamper Lizzo trades into Voidblocker - ($1)
Trigger Voidblocker’s ability and exhaust Nautical Dog - ($1)
Play Mad Man - ($0)
Mad Man trades into your Bone Collector, you draw a card - ($0)
Gunpoint Taxman trades with Garth - ($0)
Makeshift Rambaster attacks your Tech 1 for 4 - ($0)
Drakk desroys your Tech 1, your base takes 2 - ($0)
You’re fine. All units arrive “ready” - they just can’t attack or use an ability with the “tap” symbol in the cost.
Voidblocker has you exhaust as an effect of his ability, so using a fresh unit for it is OK.
[details=Starting Hand]Doom Grasp
Summon Skeletons
Deteriorate
Terras Q, the Shackled
Banefire Golem[/details]
Tech
No tech.
Thoughts
To say that went really poorly is a dramatic understatement. Hindsight is 20/20, but I should’ve skipped playing a worker and instead used Nether drain on Drakk and played Orpal as a chump blocker. I’m in a pretty terrible position right now, but maybe I’ll be able to claw my way out? First things first, I had to kill that Firebird. Next, I gotta find a way to deal with Drakk. His maxband is seriously powerful.
Collect 10 gold (10)
Summon Orpal Gloor (8)
Maxband Orpal (3)
Play Summon Skeletons (0)
Sacrifice one skeleton to place a -1/-1 rune on your Rambaster, killing it and triggering Orpal’s maxband ability, which places a -1/-1 rune on Molting Firebird and your Nautical Dog. Nautical Dog dies.
Play Deteriorate on Molting Firebird, killing it.
Rebuild my Tech I
Pass the turn, discard 3, draw 5
Makeshift Rambaster
Nautical Dog
Mad Man
Molting Firebird
Cinderblast Dragon
Cinderblast Dragon
Gunpoint Taxman
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - (9)
Worker - (8)
Play Doubleshot Archer, it gains Haste from Drakk’s ability - (5)
Doubleshot Archer attacks Orpal for 5 and deals 3 to your base - (5)
Summon Zane - (3)
Play Mad Man - (2)
Mad Man trades into Orpal, Zane levels to 3 - (2)
Level Zane to mid band - (1)
Zane takes out Technician Skeleton, we both draw a card - (1)
Drakk attacks your base for 3 - (1)
Squad Leader: Thieving Imp (2/2 + A)
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:
: 20
Base HP: 20
[I]Technician[/I]:
Base HP: 20