Whew… I only realized after posting my turn that there was a specific combo that might let you kill Grave that turn. Glad you either didn’t have it or didn’t see it! 
Probably will be a while before I can take my next turn, but I doubt it’ll be too complicated.
If I’m thinking what you’re thinking, I didn’t have enough money for it.
What I think would work is Spectral Aven & Manufactured Truth on the Mirror. It doesn’t target, so neither Aven nor Mirror dies from attempting it, and it only costs 3 gold.
I could be making more terrible mistakes, but at least I’m guaranteed to learn something from this one way or another!
TECH
Martial Mastery
Rambasa Twin
STARTING HAND
Morningstar Flagbearer
Savior Monk
Grappling Hook
Snapback
Fox Viper
WORKERS
Fox Primus
Fox Viper
Smoker
Rambasa Twin
Morningstar Flagbearer
Grappling Hook
Sensei’s Advice
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
Build Tech I - ($4)
Recruit Savior Monk - ($2)
Level Grave to Lv. 3 - ($0)
Aged Sensei gives Grave advice and +1 ATK/+1 armor
Grave safely kills Traffic Director
Float ($0)
Discard 3, reshuffle, draw 5
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: Grave Stormborne Lv. 3 (3/4+a) (Sparkshot, readiness)
[I]Elite[/I]:
[I]Scavenger[/I]: Savior Monk (2/2) (Healing 1)
[I]Technician[/I]:
[I]Lookout[/I]:
Base HP: 20[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
[details=Thoughts][spoiler]Let’s do the progressing decklist thing again like in my game with payprplayn:
One thing I’m noticing is that it’s easy for White to end up with a higher than normal ratio of spells to units. I’m not decided on a particular Tech II, but I’ll want to keep that in mind. I’ll probably tech Sparring Partner and Reversal if Grave lives, but if he doesn’t I’ll probably add another Tech I instead of Reversal.[/spoiler][/details]
P1T3
TECH
Spectral Flagbearer (Tech I)
Scribe (Tech I)
STARTING HAND
Lawful Search
Jail
Reputable Newsman
Porkhand Magistrate
Brave Knight (Tech I)
Spectral Aven
WORKERS
Bluecoat Musketeer
Arrest
Porkhand Magistrate
Spectral Aven
Manufactured Truth
Spectral Hound (Tech I)
Traffic Director (1/1+1A untargetable)
Scribe (Tech I)
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Lawful Search of your hand, I draw a card - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Brave Knight - ($1)
Float ($1)
Discard 3, draw 2, reshuffle, draw 3
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: Brave Knight (3/3 returns to hand readiness) [I]Elite[/I]: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Mirror (0/1) [I]Technician[/I]: Building Inspector (1/1 Buildings cost 1 more) [I]Lookout[/I]: Mirror (0/1) Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
TECH
Sparring Partner
Reversal
STARTING HAND
Grappling Hook
Sensei’s Advice
Morningstar Flagbearer
Smoker
Rambasa Twin
WORKERS
Fox Primus
Fox Viper
Smoker
Safe Attacking
Grappling Hook
Snapback
Martial Mastery
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
Recruit the Rambasa Twins, who I’ll call Mario and Luigi - ($2)
Grave casts Grappling Hook on Brave Knight to drag it to Elite
Grave attacks the Lookout Mirror and Sparkshots Building Inspector to kill both, you draw 1 card
Aged Sensei kills the remaining Mirror, you gain 1 gold
Float ($2)
Discard 2, draw 3, reshuffle, draw 1
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: [I]Elite[/I]: Savior Monk (2+1/2) (Healing 1) [I]Scavenger[/I]: Rambasa Twin Mario (3/2) [I]Technician[/I]: Rambasa Twin Luigi (3/2) [I]Lookout[/I]: Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
[details=Thoughts][spoiler]Decklist as of this turn:
Got rid of all the Mirrors and the Building Inspector, so now he only has Quince and Brave Knight to deal with Grave and four units on my side. I’m expecting Overeager Cadets to come out, but there’s not much I can do about that at the moment. I’m still not sure which Tech II to go with, but I’m not yet committed. Let’s see which one he goes with first, shall we?[/spoiler][/details]
P1T4
TECH
Spectral Hound (Tech I)
Free Speech (Truth Magic)
STARTING HAND
Spectral Hound (Tech I)
Manufactured Truth
Traffic Director (1/1+1A untargetable)
Scribe (Tech I)
Spectral Aven
Spectral Flagbearer (Tech I)
Jail
WORKERS
Bluecoat Musketeer
Arrest
Porkhand Magistrate
Traffic Director
Building Inspector (1/1 Buildings cost 1 more)
Lawful Search
Spectral Hound (Tech I)
Manufactured Truth
Reputable Newsman
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($8)
Technician and Scavenger rewards - ($9)
Worker - ($8)
Spectral Hound - ($7)
Spectral Flagbearer - ($6)
Tech II (Truth) - ($2)
Scribe + draw card - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 3, draw 2, reshuffle, draw 3
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: Brave Knight (3/3+1A returns to hand readiness) [I]Elite[/I]: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Spectral Hound (3/3) [I]Technician[/I]: Scribe (1/3) [I]Lookout[/I]: Spectral Flagbearer (2/2) Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
Your Tech II isn’t listed in your post above.
TECH
Whitestar Grappler
Doubling Barbarbarian
STARTING HAND
Martial Mastery
Snapback (discarded for MM)
Safe Attacking
Grappling Hook
Sparring Partner (drawn from MM)
Reversal (drawn from MM)
WORKERS
Fox Primus
Fox Viper
Smoker
Sensei’s Advice
Morningstar Flagbearer
Martial Mastery
Snapback
Whitestar Grappler
Doubling Barbarbarian
Reversal
Grappling Hook
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($10)
Grave casts Martial Mastery; I discard one, draw 2, and look at your hand
Grave casts a Grappling Hook that gets drawn to some random Flagbearer, but it turns out to be an Illusion. - ($9)
NOW Grave can Reversal the Brave Knight in peace, doing 2 damage and disabling it (not in Peace, though – that’s Oni’s thing) - ($6)
Research Safe Attacking - ($5)
Mario stomps Scribe, you draw 1 card
Aged Sensei gives Luigi advice on how to use the Poltergust more effectively, giving him +1 ATK/+1 armor this turn
Luigi sucks up Spectral Hound and takes 1 damage, you gain 1 gold
Grave strikes down Quince, taking 1 damage and gaining 2 free levels
Savior Monk bashes your Tech II with his crystal thing, dealing 2 damage to it
Build Strength Tech II - ($1)
Recruit Sparring Partner - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 0, draw 2
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: Grave Stormborne Lv. 5 (3/3+a) (Sparkshot, readiness) [I]Elite[/I]: [I]Scavenger[/I]: [I]Technician[/I]: Sparring Partner (2/2) [I]Lookout[/I]: Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5 Tech II HP: 5 (Strength)[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
[details=Thoughts][spoiler]Decklist as of this turn:
That was an extremely lucky hand and Martial Mastery draw! Aside from the 1 HP Brave Knight that I disabled, his board got wiped (though sadly, I couldn’t break his Tech II). I decided to go ahead and build my own Tech II despite being unable to get the units next hand so that I can get Setsuki out next turn. That way, I’ll be able to use her maxband and maybe a Surplus to get out of this card hole I’ve dug myself into… Oh yeah, I grabbed Doubling Barbarbarian for defense and synergy with Sparring Partner, and Whitestar Grappler for a targeting ability that’ll help even if he has Macciatus in play later.[/spoiler][/details]
@IsotopeX, everything should be legal now. I rolled back to right before I had cast Reversal, and tried to keep my decisions as close to the original as possible.
Yeah, I give at this point. Flagstone Dominion just isn’t for me, I think.
It’s definitely tricky, and in this case I got the perfect hand to diffuse your board. I know there’s some people who love blue here, so they might be able to give pointers if you ever want to try again. I think @Leontes was one of them? In any case, the general consensus seems to be that blue is the trickiest monocolor to use because it requires predicting the opponent’s plan more than any other faction.
I was summoned to this thread so forgive me, but you cast Reversal on BK with a Lookout Flagbearer in play…
Ah, I knew that was too smooth! @IsotopeX, I can fix my turn if you want. Probably would have to skip breaking Tech II, so you might have a better chance at a comeback.
@Leontes, if he decides to keep going, could you give some pointers after it’s over?
Sure, if you could put up an updated turn, let’s see if I can extricate myself.
Sure, I can probably help a bit. My Codex is massively rusty though so anything I say might be kind of dated. But perhaps it’ll help!
I’ve corrected the last turn, and it was impossible to break your Tech II. Feel like you have a fighting chance now?
Probably not, but here’s the best I got.
P1T5
TECH
Macciatus The Whisperer (Tech II)
Reteller of Truths (Tech II)
STARTING HAND
Lawful Search
Reputable Newsman
Spectral Hound (Tech I)
Building Inspector (1/1 Buildings cost 1 more)
Manufactured Truth
Jail
Spectral Aven
WORKERS
Bluecoat Musketeer
Arrest
Porkhand Magistrate
Traffic Director
Building Inspector (1/1 Buildings cost 1 more)
Reteller of Truths (Tech II)
Free Speech (Truth Magic)
Spectral Flagbearer (2/2)
Manufactured Truth
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($8)
Worker - ($7)
Scavenger - ($8)
Spectral Hound - ($7)
Oni - ($5)
Onimaru casts Lawful Search on your hand, draw card - ($4)
Reputable Newsman speaks out against education and cost 1 spells/upgrades - ($2)
Spectral Aven - ($0)
Float ($0)
Discard 2, draw 1, reshuffle, draw 3
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: Spectral Hound (3/3 illusion) [I]Elite[/I]: [I]Scavenger[/I]: [I]Technician[/I]: Reputable Newsman (0/3) [I]Lookout[/I]: Spectral Aven (2/2 flying) Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
I’m not quite ready to take my next turn, but you’re still missing your Tech II (which should be at 3 HP) and Brave Knight should be at 1 HP.
Yes, both of those things are true.
TECH
Whitestar Grappler
True Power of Storms
STARTING HAND
Sensei’s Advice
Morningstar Flagbearer
WORKERS
Fox Primus
Fox Viper
Smoker
Sensei’s Advice
Martial Mastery
Whitestar Grappler
Reversal
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($8)
Savior Monk heals 1 damage each from Grave and Luigi
Worker - ($7)
Recruit Setsuki and level her to max - ($0)
Sparring Partner spars with Grave
Grave, now at 4/5, kills Spectral Hound and takes 3 damage
Luigi vacuums up all of your Newsman’s papers, causing him to die from despair; you draw 1 card
Mario runs under Aven and stomps Onimaru and takes 1 damage, giving Grave 2 free levels and healing him
Aged Sensei and Savior Monk hit your Tech II for 3 damage, breaking it and dealing 2 damage to your Base
Float ($0)
Discard 1, reshuffle, draw 3
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: Grave Stormborne Lv. 7 (5/6+a) (+1/+1, Sword) (Sparkshot, readiness) [I]Elite[/I]: [I]Scavenger[/I]: [I]Technician[/I]: [I]Lookout[/I]: Base HP: 20 Tech I HP: 5 Tech II HP: 5 (Strength)[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
[details=Thoughts][spoiler]Well, if nearly destroying his Tech II last turn wasn’t enough for a concession, actually destroying it and getting two heroes to max level might do it. I don’t think he can kill Grave in one turn, and I noticed that most of my deck cycle that isn’t in play costs 3 gold, so I went ahead and grabbed True Power of Storms and another Grappler. Between Setsuki’s bonus 2 cards and Martial Mastery (which I did get in my next hand, thankfully), it should be easy to activate without even hurting my cycling too much.
If he doesn’t want to maim Grave, Aven can kill either of the Twins, Sparring Partner, Sensei, or Savior Monk. It’s a non-trivial decision, since the Twins have the most attack power, the Monk is my only way of healing my heroes, and both Sparring Partner and Sensei can let them hit harder. If I were in his position I’d probably go for Sparring Partner to keep Setsuki from becoming a 4/5 with swift strike, but it’s a really tricky position to be in…[/spoiler][/details]
And that’s really it.