Hmm, Truth could be a problem with this deck. My only cheap targeted cards are Deteriorate, Thunderclap, and, uh, Appel Stomp. Assimilate means I can’t make use of Graveyard or Mythmaking safely. I’ve got very little anti-air, just Cloud Sprites and Birds, unless I play Skeletal Archery and it doesn’t get stolen, so Future could also be awful. On my end, I’ve got various ways to get lots of little guys out quickly, so maybe Grounded Guide is the first Tech II choice to shoot for here. Luxury pick is adding Skeletal Lords for really big Skeletons. Two Step + Barbarbarians is nice, but that risks Assimilate too.
Get paid - ($4)
Worker - ($3)
Garth - ($1)
Garth makes a Skeleton - ($0)
Pestering Haunt
Discard 3, draw 5
Lookout: Skeleton 1/1 (resist 0+1)
Garth L1 1/3
Pestering Haunt 1/1 (unstoppable, can’t go above 1 attack, can’t patrol, can’t be sacrificed)
Base HP: 20
Hand: 5
Skeleton Javelineer
Jandra, the Negator
Graveyard
Skeletal Archery
Sacrifice the Weak
Deck: 0
Discard: 3
Thieving Imp
Deteriorate
Summon Skeletons
Card count check (opponent-viewable)
Expected: 10
1 on board
5 in hand
0 in deck
3 in discard
1 in workers
Total: 10
I think Vandy is stronger than Garth, so I feel confident I have the early game advantage, which I’ll try to capitalize on by deploying the Graveyard+Haunt combo while disrupting his deployment of the same. I’m less confident about the midgame, as there’s some inherent awkwardness in the interactiong between Meta and Quince, and Virtuosos + Graveyard is an infamous combo, but I’ll try to capitalize on my early advantage to create space for late game success.
STARTING HAND
Sacrifice the Weak
Skeletal Archery
Thieving Imp
WORKERS
Poisonblade Rogue
Skeletal Archery
NextHand
Summon Skeletons
Deteriorate
Skeleton Javelineer
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Worker - ($5)
Vandy kills SQL
Haunt trades with Lookout, replay from Graveyard
Thieving Imp, discard #4 of 5 - ($2)
Tech I - ($1)
Float ($1)
Discard 1, draw 2, reshuffle, draw 1
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader:
Elite:
Scavenger: Thieving Imp (2/2)
Technician:
Lookout:
In Play:
Graveyard (3)
L1 Vandy Anadrose (2/2) Sparkshot
Pestering Haunt (1/1)
Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 3
Deck: 4
Disc: 0
Gold:
Gold: 1
Workers: 7
Thoughts
This is when things start getting dangerous. I can’t realistically ensure Vandy’s survival… at best I can make it a little less convenient to kill her… though honestly I’d rather she die than lose the Graveyard for the moment. As such, I’ll prioritize building my Tech I over midbanding her in a maybe futile attempt to keep her alive. Considering all the unit destruction/sacrifice mechanics on both sides here, I’m going for resilient units… Glaxx and Gargoyles, and I’m prioritizing Glaxx since Gargoyles can’t defend.
Graveyard
Summon Skeletons
Sacrifice the Weak
Skeletal Archery
Thieving Imp
Thieving Imp discard: 1
Skeletal Archery
Thoughts
Digging for a Bone Collector with Garth’s midband would be nice here, but if it whiffs I’d be out of gold and in trouble. Although, with no haste to worry about, nothing to take a Soul Stone if I kill the Imp, then maybe not. Nimble Fencers up next, then I’ll shoot for Necromancy, try to bring in Grounded Guides with Skeleton Lords.
I’m worried about Shadow Blade here, but not patrolling or going in Technician probability ends in Garth getting killed too. I might need him alive if I suddenly need to get rid of a Twilight Baron, or something.
Teched cards: 2
T2: 2 x Bone Collector
T3: 2 x Nimble Fencer
Get paid - ($6)
Worker - ($5)
Skeleton Javelineer spends javelin rune, safely hits Thieving Imp for 1
Garth kills Thieving Imp, you get a gold, takes 2 damage
Midband Garth - ($2)
Sacrifice the Weak
Gilded Glaxx
Jandra, the Negator
Gilded Glaxx
Discard
Skeleton Javelineer
Deteriorate
Gargoyle
Gargoyle
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float + Scavenger - ($9)
Worker - ($8)
Midband Vandy - ($6)
Haunt takes Bone Collector’s armor
Vandy kills Bone Collector
Maxband Vandy - ($4)
Thieving Imp from Graveyard, discard #4 of 5 - ($1)
Float ($1)
Discard 2, draw 4
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader:
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician: Thieving Imp (2/2)
Lookout:
In Play:
Graveyard (3)
L5 Vandy Anadrose (4/5) Sparkshot, Resist 1
In Graveyard:
Pestering Haunt
Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 4
Deck: 0
Disc: 4
Gold:
Gold: 1
Workers: 8
Thoughts
No Virtuosos? Interesting. I can’t afford to fetch and play Shadow Blade and also replay the Imp, so I’ll go for a physical beatdown, somewhat reluctantly. Shame I didn’t draw a Glaxx… I’d have much more confidence in those as a defender than in the Imp, and I’d be able to buff it with Vandy’s Maxband without worrying about the dooming effect. On a related note, WTF was I thinking patrolling as Scavenger instead of Technician with a hand size of 3??? Hmm… I was thinking about getting more gold-efficient harassment, and that I wouldn’t need cards in hand so much with the Graveyard at my disposal, but in hindsight, I think that was a big mistake.
Deteriorate
Pestering Haunt
Bone Collector
Nimble Fencer
Skeletal Archery
Thieving Imp discard: 1
Nimble Fencer
Thoughts
Fine so far, I think. 3 gold lets me fetch the Fencer, kill the Imp, destroy the Graveyard. Remaining 3 gold goes on Bone Collector and Skeleton. Teching in a Nether Drain for Vandy while she has no Metamorphosis partner, otherwise I should be fine to go for Skeletal Lord.
Teched cards: 2
T2: 2 x Bone Collector
T3: 2 x Nimble Fencer
T4: Nether Drain, Skeletal Lord
Get paid - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
Garth maxbands, fetches a Nimble Fencer - ($3)
Nimble Fencer kills Thieving Imp, you draw, takes 2 damage
Garth destroys your Graveyard, Thieving Imp and Pestering Haunt go to discard
Bone Collector - ($1)
Garth raises a Skeleton - ($0)
Discard 2, draw 4
Squad Leader: Bone Collector 3/3+1A
Technician: Skeleton 1/1
Garth L7 3/4
Nimble Fencer 2/1 (2 damage, haste)
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Hand: 4
Sacrifice the Weak
Skeleton Javelineer
Nimble Fencer
Skeletal Archery
Deck: 1
Summon Skeletons
Discard: 5
Bone Collector
Nether Drain
Skeletal Lord
Deteriorate
Skeletal Archery
Card count check (opponent-viewable)
Expected: 10 + 6 teched = 16
2 on board
4 in hand
1 in deck
5 in discard
4 in workers
Total: 16
Gold: 0
Workers: 8
4 x start
T1: Poisonblade Rogue
T2: Jandra, the Negator
T3: Graveyard
T4: Pestering Haunt
There it is… but off of a Garth revive? I’m guessing he teched one Fencer and both Starlets, leaving the other Fencer available for his maxband… but if he’s burning his maxband on a tech I unit, I suspect he’ll try to use Nether Drain to downgrade Garth to trigger it again later. Either that or he was just desperate to take down the Graveyard and that was the only way to do it. Once again, though, I didn’t draw the most helpful card from my deck, I’d much rather have Deteriorate than StW or this Gargoyle. Oh, well. I’ve already teched in my sticky units, so now what? I guess I should pass on the 2nd Glaxx and go for the tech-up, despite risking Vandy’s life to do it… otherwise I risk boxing myself into a corner, and a damaged Demon-Vandy is less valuable than a healthy one anyway, I guess? Hmm… no, on second thought, hasty Virtuosos could allow him to chew through my defense and break the Tech II even if I build it, so I guess I have to turtle up… but then what to tech? I should probably take some Vandy spells, but since they’re fetchable, I’m a bit hesitant… guess I’ll just early-tech some tech II stuff.
Cool combo, if you’ve teched what I think you have.
P1T5
Starting hand: 5
Sacrifice the Weak
Skeleton Javelineer
Nimble Fencer
Skeletal Archery
Thoughts
Silly mistake to put the Bone Collector in front there. Guessing Nekoatl’s going for an early Metamorphosis, since those Gilded Glaxxes will stay standing when it kicks in. I’d have 3 gold left over if I teched up, enough for a Tower or Nimble Fencer + Skeleton Javelineer. Or Summon Skeletons, but that effectively gets me a single Skeleton. I’m not sure either of those leave Garth / Tech II alive, I’ll delay and build Tower + Fencer to take out a Glaxx. Nekoatl can afford to worker + Tech up, but that leaves him with just a Glaxx and Vandy on the board, with no gold to save the Glaxx. I think I’m fine with that. Teching another Skeletal Lord. Do I go straight for Grounded Guides? No, I don’t have the Skeleton count. A Necromancer, then, unless I want a Wight for Vandy first. No, I want a Necromancer now before I begin such a long deck cycle.
Making Sacrifice the Weak a worker, not great, but at current Skeleton attrition rates I’ll need Skeletal Archery’s long range to build up my forces. I might replace the former with Death Rites later, anyway.
Teched cards: 2
T2: 2 x Bone Collector
T3: 2 x Nimble Fencer
T4: Nether Drain, Skeletal Lord
T5: Necromancer, Skeletal Lord
Get paid - ($8)
Worker - ($7)
Nimble Fencer #2 - ($5)
Garth raises Skeleton #2 - ($4)
Skeleton Javelineer - ($3)
Tower - ($0)
Nimble Fencers trade with Technician Gilded Glaxx, you draw
Garth hits Gilded Glaxx for 3, takes 3 damage
Skeleton #1trades with Gilded Glaxx, you get a gold
Discard 1, draw 1, reshuffle, draw 2
So he did tech the other Fencer… but now both are gone, and his Garth is too weak to pull the Nether Drain trick. I guess the Glaxxes provoked him more than I expected, but that’s fine, they did their job. I’m gambling that with that small hand size, he won’t be able to kill Vandy next turn… but I’m not particularly optimistic. If she does survive, however, 3-hero Meta is a go. If she doesn’t, I’ll hope I can keep a Void Star alive… and in hindsight, I probably should have lead with Hives against Necromancy’s sacrifice weakest mechanics, but oh well.
I think I just trade heroes here, so I’m not dealing with Metamorphosis on top of Future II, which will be heavy going on its own. I have no way to deal with air right now, especially since I’ll need to discard Archery this turn. I might have to build a Tech lab next turn to fetch Leaping Lizard or Grounded Guide. Xenostalker is also really dangerous when I’m trying to mass Skeletons. Only other option is Death Rites or Bird’s Nest later on.
I’ll summon a Skeleton to draw first, see if I get a better combat/worker option.
Teched cards: 2
T2: 2 x Bone Collector
T3: 2 x Nimble Fencer
T4: Nether Drain, Skeletal Lord
T5: Necromancer, Skeletal Lord
T6: Bird’s Nest, Grounded Guide
Get paid - ($9)
Tech II Necromancy - ($5)
Garth summons a Skeleton - ($4)
Garth sacrifices the Skeleton to draw
Deteriorate
Deteriorate the Thieving Imp
Skeleton Javelineer throws a Javelin to kill Thieving Imp, you draw
Nimble Fencer - ($2)
Nimble Fencer trades with Vandy, levels fizzle
Garth hits your Tech II down to 3
Worker - ($1)
Discard 1, draw 3
Garth L7 3/1 (3 damage)
Skeleton Javelineer 1/1
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 5 (Necromancy)
Tower HP: 4
Hand: 3
Thieving Imp (got made a copy of Skeletal Archery for a few turns, oops!)
Skeletal Lord
Bone Collector
Deck: 5
Nether Drain
Skeletal Lord
Bone Collector
Necromancer
Nimble Fencer
Hmm, looks like I’ve had two copies of a starter card for a few turns when I wrote it over another one, just when they got reshuffled together for a new deck. I’ll randomise which one is the copy and put the original card back in, it wouldn’t have changed anything so far.
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($12)
Worker - ($11)
Void Star - ($6)
Graveyard - ($4)
Sirus Quince - ($2)
Vir Garbarean - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 2, reshuffle, draw 4
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader: L1 Sirus Quince (1/3A)
Elite: Mirror Illusion (1/1)
Scavenger: L1 Vir Garbarean (2/3)
Technician: Void Star (5/4) Flying, overpower
Lookout:
In Play:
Graveyard (3)
Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Tech I HP: 5
Tech II HP: 2 (Future)
Heroes’ Hall HP: 4
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 4
Deck: 8
Disc: 0
Gold:
Gold: 0
Workers: 11
Thoughts
Yep, really wishing I had gone with HIves first. I’ll try to use a Mirror Illusion to screen sacrifices, but I don’t expect it to work. Using Graveyard as a backup and Vir to help protect the Tech II.
Hmm, I think I’ll resign here, GG. I made the very bad decision of workering Sacrifice the Weak so have no real way to deal with Void Stars this deck cycle, putting the Bone Collectors in Squad Leader over Skeletons was also a bad idea. Your turn to start.
GG WP. I’m not sure it’s fair to call workering StW a bad decision, as it seems like a natural choice given how the game was progressing? Though it would have been really bad for me if you were able to play it on that last turn, granted, I don’t know if it was worth keeping over your other available cards. IDK though, this is a really weird matchup, so it’s hard to say for sure. Looking forward to see how game 2 plays out!
P1T1
StartingHand Workers
STARTING HAND
Skeleton Javelineer
Sacrifice the Weak
Graveyard
Pestering Haunt
Deteriorate
I’m generally not a fan of P1 Graveyard openings, but with the Haunt also in hand, maybe it won’t be so bad, as I’ll be able to attack something and replay it on P2, probably?
I was going to go for the Skeleton strategy again, but Nekoatl’s gone low on cards with a slow start, so I’ll try to punish by starting with Thieving Imp, and keeping Skeletal Archery over Summon Skeletons. Maybe go into Rook first for Thunderclap and to stand up against Vandy, I’m not sure yet.
Get paid - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Thieving Imp, you discard card #3 of 4 - ($1)
Skeleton Javelineer - ($0)
Discard 2, draw 4
STARTING HAND
Poisonblade Rogue
Summon Skeletons
Thieving Imp
Skeletal Archery
WORKERS
Skeleton Javelineer
Skeletal Archery
NextHand
Dark Pact
Jandra, the Negator
Sacrifice the Weak
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($6)
Worker - ($5)
Thieving Imp, discard #1 of 4 - ($2)
Haunt damages Imp, replay from Graveyard
Vandy Anadrose - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 1, draw 1, reshuffle, draw 2
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader: L1 Vandy Anadrose (2/3A)
Elite:
Scavenger: Thieving Imp (2/2)
Technician:
Lookout:
In Play:
Graveyard (3)
Pestering Haunt (1/1)
Buildings:
Base HP: 20
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 3
Deck: 4
Disc: 0
Gold:
Gold: 0
Workers: 6
Thoughts
He didn’t drop a hero, which means I can safely patrol Vandy as SQL. This is a strong deployment, but I can’t afford it and a tech I, but considering the hand destruction he’s deploying, it makes sense to lead with Dark Pact anyway.
Looks like you forgot to mark your Tech I HP in your spreadsheet, and also I just realized that I forgot to pay the multicolor tax on my Tech I during game 1 and thus wouldn’t have been able to afford Vir on turn 6. Sorry about that. Guess I’ve been playing too much monocolor lately.
P1T3
Tech StartingHand Workers
TECH
Gargoyle
Gilded Glaxx
STARTING HAND
Jandra, the Negator
Sacrifice the Weak
Gilded Glaxx
Summon Skeletons
Poisonblade Rogue
Summon Skeletons
Jandra, the Negator
Deteriorate
Gargoyle
Dark Pact
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Dark Pact my base
Worker - ($5)
Imp kills Javelineer
Haunt kills Imp, replay from Graveyard
Midband Vandy - ($3)
Vandy breaks Graveyard
Tech I - ($1)
Float ($1)
Discard 3, draw 2, reshuffle, draw 3
Board Info: In Patrol:
Squad Leader:
Elite:
Scavenger:
Technician:
Lookout:
In Play:
Graveyard (3)
L3 Vandy Anadrose (3/4) Sparkshot, resist 1
Thieving Imp (2/1)
Pestering Haunt (1/1) Unstoppable
Buildings:
Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5
Economy Info: Cards:
Hand: 5
Deck: 3
Disc: 0
Gold:
Gold: 1
Workers: 7
Thoughts
Even if I Dark Pact twice, I won’t trigger a reshuffle this turn, which means I can take tech I units and still have time to build my Tech I before I draw them. Since I’m in a dominant board position, I don’t need to double up on Glaxx, so I’ll take a Gargoyle as well, for balanced offense and defense. It’s worth giving him a card to break his Graveyard, because Graveyard improves card efficiency, so I’ll go ahead and do that… just gotta be sure to save $2 for my worker and Tech I. … Whiffed on both Deteriorate and the second Dark Pact… bummer. I can still break it, but now I also have to pay to midband Vandy before she’s even taken any damage, which is disappointing, but it should be fine, I think…
No worries! But man, I really need to learn how to deal with early Vandy here.
P2T3
Starting hand: 3
Skeletal Archery
Poisonblade Rogue
Deteriorate
Technician draw
Jandra, the Negator
Thoughts
Ugh. Vandy openings. Well, looks like I’m drawing the Fencer and the Two Step together, at least. Going down on cards again to get a clean reshuffle, hoping to tech up next turn with all that spare gold.
Teched cards: 2
T2: Nimble Fencer, Two Step
T3: Grounded Guide, Leaping Lizard
Squad Leader: Poisonblade Rogue 2/1+1A (armour-piercing and - rune damage on attack)
Jandra, the Negator 3/3 (overpower, non-demon allied units die on death)