Casual petE ([Discipline]/Necro/Blood) vs holytispon (mono-Black)

I don’t actually think I can dig myself out of this hole. Bring on the Crashbarrows.

"P2T6


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Metamorphosis
Wight


STARTING HAND
Skeletal Archery
Bone Collector
Skeletal Lord
Doom Grasp
Summon Skeletons


WORKERS
Thieving Imp
Jandra, the Negator
Poisonblade Rogue
Skeleton Javelineer
Summon Skeletons


NextHand

Deteriorate
Necromancer
Bone Collector
Blackhand Ressurector


Discard

Doom Grasp
Skeletal Archery
Skeletal Lord
Metamorphosis
Wight


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($9)
worker - ($8)
Float - ($9)
Garth - ($7)
Summon Skeleton - ($6)
Bone Collector - ($4)
Doom grasp, sac a skele to kill Drakk, my base takes 1, Vandy maxes - ($0)
Vandy dooms my bone collector and your skeleton
Vandy kills your skeleton, takes 3 damage
Pestering Haunt pings your base

Float ($0)
Discard 2, draw 4


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Bone Collector (5/5)A (doomed)
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]: Garth L1 1/3
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Pestering Haunt
  • Vandy L5 4/2, resist 1
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 9
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5
  • :heart: Tech II HP: 5 (Necromancy)

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 4
  • Deck: 4
  • Disc: 5
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 0
  • Workers: 10
    "

P1 Turn7


[details=StartingHand Workers][spoiler]
STARTING HAND
Rambasa Twins
Crashbarrow
Sensei’s Advice
War Drums


WORKERS
Morningstar Flagbearer
Fox Viper
Smoker
Fox Primus
Aged Sensei
Safe Attacking


[/spoiler][/details]

Tech 0 card(s)
Get Paid - ($10)
Sacrifice 2 workers to keep Octopus
Crashbarrow, kills Bone Collector - ($7)
Sensei’s Advice on Octopus and Saviour Monk - ($5)
Saviour Monk kills Garth
Octopus deals 9dmg breaking your Base

GG !

GG. I wonder what it takes to make Necro tech work. Seems very slow. In any case - very fun game.
I went for it because it seemed to me that the way to deal with ephemeral hasted attackers is having a ton of stuff in the patrol zone but couldn’t get the numbers up there. Perhaps I should have gone for Lich’s Bargain? I considered it and it seemed crazy. Then I saw the FSX finals game where multiple copies were played repeatedly and thought- hmm. But with you having so many hasted overpower - you would have broken my base much more easily.

It’s a difficult deck to face as P2, since you get Grave pressure early followed by hasty Blood damage. Think playing Graveyard early didn’t help you in that situation, no immediate impact on the board and its benefits come to you a bit too late. Maybe would have gone for Demonz rather than Necro. Voidblocker gives you a great answer to Crashbarrows, then you can use the punchy attacking units at the risk of Kidnapping, or try for Tech3.

On for another with the same or different deck? I’ll stick with Discipline/Necro/Blood.

I kind of wanted the Necro tech for it’s tech 3 - which seems the best part of the package - but couldn’t get to it. You’re probably right about Graveyard - just seems like such a good card - and I definitely didn’t tech the right way, I only teched the tech 2 units when I built tech 2 and couldn’t get them the next turn. It’s a beginner’s mistake, but it takes a little while to get the right rhythm going.

I’d love to play again, but I’m not sure I’m the best opponent to test your deck - I’m still kind of learning things. If you want, I’ll try to counter it with Necro-Future-Anarchy.

Sure, your turn to start. Casual games are all about learning and trying things out, so no worries at all on that count.

On the Tech2 card timings, there are really two different approaches. One is to start doing this the turn before you make the Tech building – typically teching Tech2 cards on your T3, expecting to build Tech2 on T4. That will usually allow you to play at least 1 Tech2 card on T5. Alternative is to start teching Tech2 cards T4, and you’ll most likely start playing them T6. Trade-off is that in the first approach you have to decide a turn earlier what your spec choice is going to be, and you have more/better information by doing it a turn later. eg as P2, the second approach allows you to react to what spec P1 chooses. I often go for the earlier timing, but see a lot of the more experienced players go for the later timing more often than not. This is because many decks are already playing strongly with good Tech1 units + spells, and there’s less hurry than it appears to be bringing on the Tech2s.

With the decks you’re playing, you also have the option to time Garth hitting maxband on T5, then you can summon your Tech2 of choice from discard, including the 2 cards you teched that turn.

1 Like

I do love Garth. I see your point there about the timing. I think it takes a lot more planning ahead than I can currently do (because I’m still learning the cards etc.) to really be able to do that. Information warfare is the territory of skilled players. The other point is that if you tech on T4, you might as well build your tech2 on T5 - so you have a choice between teching earlier or later, but what I’ve been doing is half here and half there. of course, there’s the counterclaim that if you don’t build your tech 2 on T4, you’re telling your opponents you don’t have tech 2 units yet, which you may not want to.

Anyways… I’m still figuring things out. I only have vague game plans as of now.

GLHF

"P1T1


StartingHand Workers

STARTING HAND
Graveyard
Thieving Imp
Pestering Haunt
Skeleton Javelineer
Summon Skeletons


WORKERS
Graveyard


NextHand

Deteriorate
Skeletal Archery
Poisonblade Rogue
Jandra, the Negator
Sacrifice the Weak


Discard

Summon Skeletons
Skeleton Javelineer
Pestering Haunt


Tech 0 card(s)
Get Paid - ($4)
Worker - ($3)
Thieving Imp, you discard card 3 - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 3, draw 5


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]:
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Thieving Imp (2/2)
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]

[B]Buildings:[/B]

  • :heart: Base HP: 20

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 5
  • Deck: 0
  • Disc: 3
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 0
  • Workers: 5
Thoughts

Start by hitting his hand giving him tough choices. If he goes for Grave, he’ll have a harder time getting back his card draw. If he goes for Garth, than he’s off his game plan already.

"

As P2 you get $9 on T5, which is always enough to worker and to play and max Garth. As P1 you’re 1 gold short – so if you want to do this you need to float $1 into T5 or to already have Garth on the board.

P2 Turn1


[details=StartingHand Workers][spoiler]
STARTING HAND
Aged Sensei
Safe Attacking
Fox Primus -> discard to Imp
Morningstar Flagbearer
Grappling Hook


WORKERS
Morningstar Flagbearer


[/spoiler][/details]

[details=NextHand][spoiler]
Fox Viper
Savior Monk
Smoker
Snapback


[/spoiler][/details]

[details=Discard][spoiler]
Safe Attacking
Fox Primus
Grappling Hook


[/spoiler][/details]
Tech 0 card(s)
Get Paid - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Grave - ($2)
Aged Sensei - ($1)

Float ($1)
Discard 2, draw 4


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Grave (2/3 + 1)
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]: Aged Sensei (1/1)
    [B]In Play:[/B]

[B]Buildings:[/B]

  • :heart: Base HP: 20

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 4
  • Deck: 1
  • Disc: 3
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 1
  • Workers: 6

[details=Thoughts][spoiler]


May need an answer to Void Stars later on in this game. Tech 2 Discipline for YLDs + a Tower? Or Blood with Shoddy Gliders + a way to add an extra atk (Drakk mid, Sparring Partner)? Both specs with a tech lab (though I can’t use a Tower in that case)? Or removal, eg Executioner, Doom Grasp.

[/spoiler][/details]

"P1T2


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Doom Grasp
Bone Collector


STARTING HAND
Skeletal Archery
Deteriorate
Poisonblade Rogue
Jandra, the Negator
Sacrifice the Weak


WORKERS
Graveyard
Jandra, the Negator


NextHand

Bone Collector
Pestering Haunt
Skeletal Archery
Skeleton Javelineer
Doom Grasp


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Garth - ($2)
Deteriorate on Sensei - ($1)
Skeleton - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 3, reshuffle, draw 5


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]:
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]: Thieving Imp (3/2)
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Garth L1 (1/3)
  • Skeleton (1/1)
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 5
  • Deck: 4
  • Disc: 0
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 0
  • Workers: 6
    "

P2 Turn2


[details=Tech StartingHand Workers][spoiler]
TECH
Bone Collector
Bone Collector


STARTING HAND
Smoker
Savior Monk
Fox Viper
Snapback


WORKERS
Morningstar Flagbearer
Fox Viper


[/spoiler][/details]

[details=NextHand][spoiler]
Bone Collector
Aged Sensei
Fox Primus
Sensei’s Advice


[/spoiler][/details]
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
Saviour Monk - ($4)
Grave to mid - ($2)
Grave kills Imp
Tech 1 - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 2, draw 1, reshuffle, draw 3


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Saviour Monk (2/2 + 1)
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Grave lvl 3 (3/1)
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]

[B]Buildings:[/B]

  • :heart: Base HP: 20
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 4
  • Deck: 5
  • Disc: 0
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 0
  • Workers: 7

[details=Thoughts][spoiler]


Also thought of delaying Tech1 build too for Grave -> mid -> kill Imp -> max -> Sword kills Garth, which leaves me with 4/5 Grave vs his 1/1 Skeleton. Think line played looks better for me if he doesn’t have STW in hand, and a little worse (but still decent) if he does.

[/spoiler][/details]

There are so many things going on, I’ve already made several changes to my game plan. And that’s not good, ain’t it?

"P1T3


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Lich’s Bargain
Death Rites


STARTING HAND
Skeletal Archery
Doom Grasp
Skeleton Javelineer
Pestering Haunt
Bone Collector


WORKERS
Graveyard
Jandra, the Negator
Skeleton Javelineer


NextHand

Summon Skeletons
Deteriorate
Sacrifice the Weak
Poisonblade Rogue
Bone Collector


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Worker - ($5)
Doom Grasp, kill Grave, level Garth - ($1)
summon a skeleteon - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 3, draw 4, reshuffle, draw 1


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]:
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Skeleton (1/1)
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Garth L3 (1/3)
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 5
  • Deck: 6
  • Disc: 0
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 0
  • Workers: 7
Thoughts

Lots of thoughts on what to do with the last gold - can make a Skeleton, build Tech 1 or midband Garth. Actually, I can’t build tech 1 because I’m a multi-color deck and that would cost me 2. I’m still learning - this is actually the first time I have ever played multi-color. I can either build a skele or midband Garth so I won’t be able to draw card. That means I can’t play that Pestering Haunt becuase that would mean I would go down on hand size. So the question is - do I prefer to have a skele in Scav or do I prefer to have Garth as 2/4 and closer to max?

"

P2 Turn3


[details=Tech StartingHand Workers][spoiler]
TECH
Crashbarrow
Land Octopus


STARTING HAND
Sensei’s Advice
Bone Collector
Aged Sensei
Fox Primus


WORKERS
Morningstar Flagbearer
Fox Viper
Aged Sensei


[/spoiler][/details]

[details=NextHand][spoiler]
Smoker
Grappling Hook
Bone Collector


[/spoiler][/details]

[details=Discard][spoiler]
Sensei’s Advice
Crashbarrow
Land Octopus


[/spoiler][/details]
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + scav - ($8)
Worker - ($7)
Bone Collector - ($5)
Drakk - ($3)
Fox Primus - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 1, draw 3


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Bone Collector (3/3)
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Fox Primus (2/2)
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]: Saviour Monk (2/2)
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Drakk lvl 1 (1/3)
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 3
  • Deck: 2
  • Disc: 3
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 0
  • Workers: 8

[details=Thoughts][spoiler]


That was an expensive way to remove Grave – think he netted me $3 overall, on top of which my P2 economy is worth another $3 so far. I’m bringing out Drakk + Bone Collector + Fox Primus for firepower to keep board control. Brings the hand down to 3, but next turn I can level up Drakk + build Tech2, the following turn max Garth for a Crashbarrow or Ogre Recruiter. Another decent line looks to be Bone Collector and Tech2 this turn, max Garth for a Crashbarrow next turn.


[/spoiler][/details]

"P1T4


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Gilded Glaxx
Xenostalker


STARTING HAND
Sacrifice the Weak
Deteriorate
Poisonblade Rogue
Summon Skeletons
Bone Collector
Skeletal Archery


WORKERS
Graveyard
Jandra, the Negator
Skeleton Javelineer
Poisonblade Rogue


NextHand

Death Rites
Doom Grasp
Thieving Imp
Lich’s Bargain
Pestering Haunt


Discard

Gildad Glaxx
Xenostalker
Summon Skeletons
Sacrifice the Weak
Deteriorate
Bone Collector
Skeletal Archery


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
midband Garth - ($5)
sac skele to draw a card
summon skeletons - ($2)
Tech 1 - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 4, draw 5


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Garth L4 (2/4)A
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Skeleton (1/1)
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]: Skeleton (1/1)
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]

[B]Buildings:[/B]

  • :heart: Base HP: 20
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 5
  • Deck: 0
  • Disc: 7
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 0
  • Workers: 8
Thoughts

I think I’m already toast. I’ve put all my eggs in the Garth basket and I can’t really protect him now. I’m going to let him die and try to race to Tech 2 now instead.

"

P2 Turn4


[details=Tech StartingHand Workers][spoiler]
TECH
Crashbarrow
Kidnapping


STARTING HAND
Bone Collector
Grappling Hook
Smoker


WORKERS
Morningstar Flagbearer
Fox Viper
Aged Sensei
Smoker


[/spoiler][/details]

[details=NextHand][spoiler]
Snapback
Safe Attacking
Land Octopus


[/spoiler][/details]
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($8)
Worker - ($7)
Bone Collector and Saviour Monk kill Garth, I gain a Skeleton, Drakk to lvl 3,
Drakk kills scav Skeleton, you gain $1
Fox Primus kills tech Skeleton, you draw
Bone Collector #2 - ($5)
Tech 2 Blood - ($1)

Float ($1)
Discard 1, draw 2, reshuffle, draw 1


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Bone Collector #2 (3/3 + 1)
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]: Skeleton (1/1)
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Drakk lvl 3 (1/2)
  • Bone Collector #1 (3/1)
  • Fox Primus (2/1)
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5
  • :heart: Tech II HP: 5

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 3
  • Deck: 5
  • Disc: 0
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 1
  • Workers: 9

[details=Thoughts][spoiler]


Looking close to GG

[/spoiler][/details]

"P1T5


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Gunpoint Taxman
Gunpoint Taxman


STARTING HAND
Thieving Imp
Pestering Haunt
Lich’s Bargain
Death Rites
Doom Grasp
Sacrifice the Weak


WORKERS
Graveyard
Jandra, the Negator
Skeleton Javelineer
Poisonblade Rogue
Pestering Haunt


NextHand

Deteriorate
Skeletal Archery
Summon Skeletons
Xenostalker
Bone Collector


Discard

Sacrifice the Weak
Death Rites
Doom Grasp
Lich’s Bargain
Gunpoint Taxman
Gunpoint Taxman


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($8)
Worker - ($7)
Scav - ($8)
Tech 2 future - ($4)
thieving imp, discard card 1 - ($1)

Float ($1)
Discard 4, draw 5


[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]:
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Thieving Imp (2/2)
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]

[B]Buildings:[/B]

  • :heart: Base HP: 20
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5

[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]

  • Hand: 5
  • Deck: 1
  • Disc: 6
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 1
  • Workers: 9
Thoughts

Yeah, not much to do.

"

I’m not sure there’s a lot of reason to keep at this for much longer but if you feel like it, go ahead and do your next turn… but it’s pretty much GG.

P2 Turn5


[details=StartingHand Workers][spoiler]
STARTING HAND
Snapback -> discard to Imp
Safe Attacking
Land Octopus


WORKERS
Morningstar Flagbearer
Fox Viper
Aged Sensei
Smoker


[/spoiler][/details]

Get Paid + float - ($10)
Discard to Imp
Drakk to max - ($7)
Land Octopus - ($4)
Skeleton trades with Imp
Octopus, 2xBone Collectors, Fox Primus and Drakk deal 24dmg breaking your Base

GG!

Think you lost this one when you Doom Grasped Grave. Cost was $6 (including Skeleton you sac’d and scav bonus I earned), way too inefficient to get rid of a hero on 3/1. You could say the cost was $4 since you got 2 free levels on Garth, but Garth wasn’t going to survive my next turn to be able to benefit. I was a bit lucky you didn’t have StW in your T3 hand, would have given you a much cheaper Grave kill.

I’ve played almost no games with black starter, but faced it plenty of times. Although Imp is regarded as a good P1T1 open, I’m often happy to see it as P2. Particularly when my deck has a starting hero like Grave or Rook that gives good value when you sink $$ into it as you rebuild the hand size. Danger for P1 is the 2/2 Imp falls quickly to the Hero (as in this game), then P1 has lost $3 of value with little/no offset, on top of the $2-3 of Econ advantage that P2 has earned by then.

2 Likes

Previously I’ve workered Imp, but I’ve seen some top players starting with it. I guess I thought it could be good to drop you on cards since you’re going for such a quick start. As for the Doom Grasp, as I was thinking about it - you’ve invested 2 in the hero and 2 gold to level him up - so my spending 5 gold on killing him means you lose the four you’ve invested and I get two free levels. Of course, I meant to keep Garth alive - I teched almost exclusively stuff for him, and he did survive the next turn. But on T4 I didn’t get the doom grasp to kill Drakk or the Lich’s Bargain I was hoping for - and I was toast. I’m not saying my build was ideal, because it’s probably crap - but I didn’t see it as a certainty that Grath wouldn’t survive the next turn. If I get Lich’s Bargain, my guess is that I take control over the board and then hopefully can max Garth to do Death Rites and a free summon in two turns. At least, that was the plan - didn’t work out well.
Thanks for the game though!