[details=“Thoughts”]This is one of the worst starting hands I could draw. I wish that I was going second in this matchup, but the goal here is going to be to overrun him with blooming ancients at T2. I like how this strategy lines up against his win conditions, since I’m flooding the board against omegacrons, and will have birds against air.
Early on I need to just try and hold serve while getting value out of birds. [/details]
Starting Hand
Tiger Cub Young Treant Verdant Tree Forest’s Favor Rampant Growth
Ugh, what a horrible split. I’m not a fan of Rich Earth, but I think it’s probably the only reasonably play here. Treant isn’t terrible I guess, but I think RE might be better here.
Hmm, interesting response. I expected him to respond to my econ play by being more aggressive, not by responding in kind. I think this works well for me. I got my RE down first, so I’m a gold up due to that, and I have P2 natural econ advantage, and he doesn’t have a lot of board presence. I can match his board, but I have 1g float and a hero. I lose Cal to Arg + FF & RG, which would be sad, but that means no Tech 1 units next turn, which I’m okay with, and it would also cost him his Prospector.
Patrolling Tiger Cub in Elite to stop him RG his Prospector and killing it in SQL, then killing my prospector with his cub. He can trade here, but as I’m ahead on board and econ, I’m ok with straight trades.
[details=“Thoughts”]Forgot to put thoughts for last turn. I was kind of surprised that he went rich earth against me for two reasons: 1) I think he needs to be putting early pressure on me. I don’t think he wins the T2 battle, even though he gets there first. 2) It opens the door for me to play my own. If he doesn’t do that, then assimilate is really good value.
It would be nice to YT here, but I don’t want to draw my rampant growth or bone collector. Instead I’ll float I guess.
Birds should provide a lot of value here. If he wants to spend resource to kill Rook right now I’m ok with that. I’m not sure which route he’ll go at T2, but I don’t see any of them lining up well against BA + spam.[/details]
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($8)
Worker
Huntress - ($6)
Cal casts Rampant Growth on Prospector - ($4)
Prospector deals 2 damage to Rook after armor
Cal kills Rook, midbands
Tech II - Future - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 1, draw 3
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]:
[I]Elite[/I]:
[I]Scavenger[/I]:
[I]Technician[/I]: Huntress (3/3, Anti-Air)
[I]Lookout[/I]:
[B]In Play:[/B]
Rich Earth
Merfolk Prospector (1/1)
L3 Calamandra (3/4)
[B]Buildings:[/B]
Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Future)
[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
Hand: 3
Deck: 0
Disc: 5
[B]Gold:[/B]
Gold: 0
Workers: 8
Thoughts
Hmmm, birdies… I guess BCs would have been worse
I think there are three interesting lines here. I’m pretty sure I want Huntress and to worker, and Panda is the only card I’d really think about workering in this situation. The big question is whether we build Tech II this turn.
If I go for Tech II, then I can either just play Centaur and patrol, leaving him with Rook and Bird’s Nest in play. Or I can go for the aggressive option, and Rampant Growth my Prospector to get a kill with Cal. That leaves me with a patrolling Huntress to make the birdies’ life difficult and a L3 Cal.
Alternatively, I can midband and RG Cal, and end with a L5 Cal, but that leaves me 1g short for Tech II, and Feral Strike is far more threatening with Tech II up.
I think I like the Tech II and dead Rook line best. Given I’m building Tech II (and not maxing Cal), double Omega seems like the obvious tech here, although I’ll get to tech another 2 cards before reshuffling unless he kills my Huntress.
[details=“Thoughts”]Kind of an interesting choice here between a 4/1 bird and a bone collector. Given that I’ve got 2 bodies to block with, I’m going to be a little greedy and take the bird.
From here on out I need to make sure not to get rolled by omegacrons and I should be okay I think.[/details]
Tech
Blooming Ancient, Oversize Rhino
Starting Hand
Forest’s Favor Rampant Growth Bone Collector Young Treant
Gold + f (10)
Worker (10)
Tier II - Growth (6)
Arg (4)
Rampant Growth on bird #1 (2)
Forest’s Favor on bird #1 (0)
tap prospector for a gold (1)
Bird #1 kills huntress
Bird #2 kills prospector
Discard 1, Draw 3
STARTING HAND
Young Treant
Ironbark Treant
Forest’s Favor
Rampant Growth
Omegacron
WORKERS
Verdant Tree
Spore Shambler
Playful Panda
Ironbark Treant
NextHand
Huntress
Omegacron
Rampant Growth
Tiger Cub
Discard
Merfolk Prospector
Forest’s Favor
Young Treant
Huntress
Feral Strike
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($8)
Vir - ($6)
Vir peeks at top card
Omegacron - ($4)
Worker
Tower - ($1)
Cal kills Wisp
Float ($1)
Discard 2, draw 4
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]:
[I]Elite[/I]:
[I]Scavenger[/I]: L1 Vir (2/3)
[I]Technician[/I]:
[I]Lookout[/I]:
[B]In Play:[/B]
Rich Earth
L3 Calamandra (3/4)
Forecast Omegacron (9/7, 6 time runes)
[B]Buildings:[/B]
Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Future)
Tower HP: 4
[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
Hand: 4
Deck: 1
Disc: 5
[B]Gold:[/B]
Gold: 1
Workers: 9
Thoughts
Well, that’s a nasty twist. And I was beginning to feel quite confident…
Still, I (luckily!) got an Omegacron from the tech draw, so that makes things a lot better. I can move into a position where I’m threatening quadruple Omegas next turn unless he shuts down my Tech II. I built a tower here to force the birds to trade if he does try and take down Tech II. He may decide he wants Cal instead, but I think that’s fine.
nah, mate, is just that his luck is simply unbelievable. He fetched the nest immediatly, then he had righ FF and RG, the only way to make the birds survuve, and then in just 3 cards he get both the BA and LB.
I think it’s a pretty tough matchup for him is the bigger deal. His paths to victory involve running me over with Calamandra or gibbing me with omegacron.
I agree, I think it’s much less about luck and much more about primary win conditions of the decks. Omegacron had a rough time against lichs bargain, and aside from maxing Cala for feral strike, Jadiel’s deck isn’t going to close the game many other ways
Good Question. I saw 4/1 bird on Mooseknuckles board and just took it at face value, but you’re right, it should have been a 2/1. I would have played very differently if I hadn’t thought he could kill a tech building with flying on T5.
I think it’s too late to fix now though - I’ll be more vigilant in future!
What would you have done differently on your turn 4, just out of curiosity? Looking at your hand, I think regardless of whether the birds are pre-equipped to break tech 2 or need the BA buff Moose ended up getting anyway, your play was pretty great given the situation. You think you would have instead maxed Cala + FF and stealth to break the tech 2?
I’m not sure. I think I wouldn’t have built the Tower. For some reason, I didn’t feel like BA was a threat at the time, although looking back now I have no idea why.
In hindsight, I think destroying T2 was the right play. Partly to shut down T2, but also because getting his base to 18 makes a big difference to my win condition. With both Omegacrons on the table, 20g is an auto win which can’t be stopped by destroying anything short of my base. I wasn’t far off that this game, and one more turn might have been enough.
The other potential line is to summon double omega on t4, and kill tech 2. That leaves me at only 4 workers though (or 5 workers and only 2 cards), and I’m not sure I can get through lichs bargain (much in the way I struggled against you)
I think I agree that hindsight 20/20, FF + Cala Max + Stealth kill tech 2 Growth probably leaves you the best chance to do omegacron shenanigans for the win.
And yea, Lich’s Bargain is about as good as it gets for shutting the Omegacron plan down XD
[I]Squad Leader[/I]:
[I]Elite[/I]:
[I]Scavenger[/I]:
[I]Technician[/I]:
[I]Lookout[/I]:
Base HP: 20