IsotopeX (Red) vs VaeVictus (Purple)

Right! Your plan was sound. If it wasn’t Forest’s Favor it would have been Rampant Growth. I was counting on you not drawing either, or discarding it thanks to the Imp. My odds were slim.

It was my first time playing black, and I’ve only heard of the Metamorphosis plan but I had no idea how to execute it. I still don’t :smiley:

Okay, I might take you on with the Mono-White then. I’ve never played against Blue, so it should be fun!

Rolled 18. Be my guest –

Pulling off the Vandy Metamorphosis game is hard because it relies so much on timing. I’ve never gotten it to work well. I really like Black, but I tend to go for the “kill EVERYTHING!” method instead of relying on an Ultimate.

P1T1


StartingHand Workers

STARTING HAND
Arrest
Bluecoat Musketeer
Lawful Search
Porkhand Magistrate
Building Inspector


WORKERS
Porkhand Magistrate


NextHand

Spectral Aven
Manufactured Truth
Reputable Newsman
Traffic Director
Jail


Discard

Lawful Search
Arrest
Bluecoat Musketeer


Tech 0 card(s)
Get Paid - ($4)
Worker - ($3)
Building Inspector - ($2)
Onimaru - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 3, draw 5


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

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Onimaru Lv. 1 (2/3+1A Frenzy 1)
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Building Inspector (1/1 First building costs 1 more)
  • :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

I’m planning on going Law this game purely because I never have before. First turn was obvious, hopefully Oni will give me some ability to disrupt thing early on. Tax and Scribe seem like good starting points.

"

On a side note, what kind of stuff do people usually write in the Thoughts section? Is it supposed to be read when posted, or after the game’s end, or something?

"P2T1


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Bird’s Nest
Sparring Partner


STARTING HAND
Fox Primus
Sensei’s Advice
Aged Sensei
Fox Viper
Grappling Hook


WORKERS
Fox Primus


NextHand

Morningstar Flagbearer
Savior Monk
Safe Attacking
Smoker
Snapback


Discard

Aged Sensei
Sensei’s Advice
Grappling Hook
Bird’s Nest
Sparring Partner


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Summon Rook (2/4) - ($2)
Summon Fox Viper (2/1, sparkshot) - ($0)

Float ($0)
Discard 0, draw 2


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

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Fox Viper (2/1) +1 armor
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :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: 5
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 0
  • Workers: 6
Thoughts

I can’t think of a better opening with White than Rook. Bird’s Nest is just too strong. I need to experiment with the other two, but none seems more useful when going second.

"

It’s considered secret from your opponent while the game is ongoing, and it’s purpose is twofold: a) to let spectators in on the reasoning behind your decisions
b) to keep a record of that reasoning for when you and/or your opponent analyze the game after it ends. It’s often helpful after a game to look back at what worked and what didn’t, and since pbf games usually take several days, it can be difficult to remember what you were thinking when you, for instance, teched your first two cards on turn 2. This can actually also be useful to you during the game, when you’re trying to figure out what to do on your later turns, it can be helpful to look back at what your plans were on your last turn.

That being said, some players don’t bother including thoughts at all. It’s entirely up to you, though I can say that I for one appreciate it when they are included, both as a spectator and an opponent who likes to analyze games after the fact.

2 Likes

Sounds very good. I intend to use it a lot. I’m editing my post to include those now.
Cheers!

"P1T2


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Tax Collector (Tech I)
Scribe (Tech I)


STARTING HAND
Reputable Newsman
Jail
Manufactured Truth
Spectral Aven
Traffic Director


WORKERS
Porkhand Magistrate
Traffic Director


NextHand

Scribe (Tech I)
Arrest
Bluecoat Musketeer
Jail


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($5)
Worker - ($4)
Tech I - ($3)
Spectral Aven - ($1)
Onimaru casts Manufactured Truth on the Building Inspector, turning it into a Spectral Aven - ($0)
Aven Inspector kills Fox Viper from the air
Building Inspector comes back to his senses and starts his bureaucratic work again

Float ($0)
Discard 2, reshuffle, draw 4


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

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Onimaru Lv. 1 (2/3+1A Frenzy 1)
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]: Spectral Aven (2/2 flying illusion)
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Building Inspector (1/1 First building costs 1 more) exhausted
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5

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

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

"

FYI, you forgot to list Rook on your board.

Yes, indeed. I’ll fix it. Also, it has completely slipped my mind that I need to move the killed unit to Discard. I had to tinker with the generated text before posting. It looks good for now, but I will see what happens next turn when I press Draw/Discard.

"P2T2


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Sparring Partner
Bird’s Nest


STARTING HAND
Morningstar Flagbearer
Savior Monk
Safe Attacking
Smoker
Snapback

WORKERS
Fox Primus
Morningstar Flagbearer


NextHand

Sparring Partner
Grappling Hook
Bird’s Nest
Aged Sensei


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Worker - ($5)
Sumnmon Savior Monk - ($3)
Summmon Smoker - ($2)
Rook is feeling nervous.

Float ($2)
Discard 2, reshuffle, draw 4


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

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Savior Monk (2/2) +1 armor
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]: Smoker (1/1)
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Rook (2/4)
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20

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

  • Hand: 4
  • Deck: 4
  • Disc: 0
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 2
  • Workers: 7
Thoughts

I’m not building Tech I because there’s only 1 card that can take advantage of it (Sparring Partner), I may not even draw it, and it isn’t gaming changing at this point because his bird can kill it before it gets to tap. I’m saving gold for a potential big turn with Rook.

"

[details=Read after the match (unless you’re a spectator!)]I’m not sure I agree with the decision to skip Tech I. If you’re certain you won’t be building it, why tech Sparring Partner that turn? Also, if he’s teched Tax Collectors, they’ll swipe that gold in a heartbeat… Though I think that’s less important, since floating 2 isn’t any worse than floating 1 if he doesn’t have two Collectors in hand (and it looks like you’d be floating at least 1 anyway). In general, though,
it’s best to build Tech 1 immediately, if only to get it out of the way. The one way to truly justify waiting is to find a way to kill Building Inspector first,
so if you manage that… Good on you!
[/details]

1 Like

Rook’s got no reason to feel nervous yet.

P1T3


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Overeager Cadet (Tech I)
Free Speech (Truth Magic)


STARTING HAND
Jail
Bluecoat Musketeer
Scribe (Tech I)
Arrest
Tax Collector (Tech I)


WORKERS
Porkhand Magistrate
Traffic Director
Bluecoat Musketeer


NextHand

Jail
Lawful Search
Reputable Newsman
Manufactured Truth


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($6)
Scribe (+ card draw) - ($4)
Worker - ($3)
Tax Collector - ($1)
Tax Collector steals…claims by the due authority of the state, rather…1 gold from you - ($2)
Onimaru kills the Savior Monk, suffer 2 damage
Spectral Aven kills the Smoker from the air
You draw a card

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


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

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]: Tax Collector (2/3)
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]: Scribe (1/3)
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Building Inspector (1/1 First building costs 1 more) exhausted
  • Onimaru Lv. 1 (2/1 Frenzy 1) exhausted
  • Spectral Aven (2/2 flying illusion) exhausted
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5

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

  • Hand: 4
  • Deck: 3
  • Disc: 0
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 2
  • Workers: 7
Thoughts

I didn’t think until after the fact that, with Entangling Vines, he could gank Oni here. It would be a massive investment, though, 7 gold, and that would prevent him from building Tech I for another turn, so I actually wouldn’t mind that much. I plan to suicide the Tax Collector and Scribe doing something useful next turn (they’ve done their jobs) and probably build Tech II.

"

1 Like

Meh… I actually expected Cadets or Spectral Hound.

@Hobusu is right I absolutely should have built that Tech 1 last turn because there was no actual way for me to kill the Inspector this turn. I don’t know what was I thinking.

The question now is how cleanly you’d be able to kill Rook and whether I will have birds left to kill Onimaru next turn.

"P2T3


StartingHand Workers

TECH
Rambasa Twin
Speed of the Fox

STARTING HAND
Snapback
Sparring Partner
Grappling Hook
Bird’s Nest
Fox Viper (from the scavenge kill)


WORKERS
Fox Primus
Morningstar Flagbearer
Fox Viper


NextHand

Aged Sensei
Sensei’s Advice
Safe Attacking
Sparring Partner


Tech 0 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($9)
Worker - ($8)
1 gold for taxes ("“grumble, grumble”") - ($7)
Cast Bird’s Nest - ($5)
Cast Grappling Hook on Tax Collector and move it to Lookout
Rook kills Tax Collector and takes 2 damage
Rook levels 4 times to lvl 5 (3/5) - ($1)

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


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

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]:
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]: Bird 1
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Rook (3/5) exhausted
  • Bird’s Nest (ongoing)
  • Bird 2
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20

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

  • Hand: 4
  • Deck: 6
  • Disc: 0
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 1
  • Workers: 8

"

I decided to try Law this time, I’ve never played that spec before so figured I’d give it a shot. The Scribe draw gave me the Tax Collector, which was a really nice combo.

I decided to post my turn anyway. Do you prefer to continue from here or just go with the new game? (I didn’t think you’d check in the forum before I edited my post…) For me it’s fine either way :slight_smile:

FYI, sacrificing a unit isn’t actually a cost of playing Sacrifice the Weak, and the Pestering Haunt can’t be sacrificed, so there was no reason to play the Javelineer here.

1 Like

Really? Oh yeah, I see. It would have been a cost if it was written something in the lines of "If you sacrifice a unit… the other player sacrifices a unit)

@VaeVictus - no harm done in this case, I don’t think, but @Hobusu’s post was clearly flagged as not to be read (by the players) until after the game. It might have contained hidden information about what @IsotopeX had teched/drawn (although it didn’t), or advice on strategy (although reading the latter probably doesn’t matter in a casual game).

In general, in a PBF game, you shouldn’t read anything that requires a click in order to see it, unless either it is in one of your posts, or a spectator specifically flags it as being for you.

Of course, once the game is over, everything is fair game :slight_smile:

1 Like

Yes, you are right of course but we actually did finish the game. I conceded but then decided to offer to play out a few more turns from that point, for science!

Turns out I can wipe your board and keep Oni alive (barely, but alive). I think there’s really no hope for you now.

P1T4


Tech StartingHand Workers

TECH
Insurance Agent (Tech II Law)
Justice Juggernaut (Tech II Law)


STARTING HAND
Manufactured Truth
Reputable Newsman
Lawful Search
Jail


WORKERS
Porkhand Magistrate
Traffic Director
Bluecoat Musketeer
Reputable Newsman


NextHand

Arrest
Free Speech (Truth Magic)
Overeager Cadet (Tech I)
Justice Juggernaut (Tech II Law)


Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid + float - ($9)
Worker - ($8)
Onimaru casts Manufactured Truth on the Scribe, turning it into a Spectral Aven - ($7)
Manufactured Scribe kills the Bird in Technician, takes 1 damage
You draw a card
Onimaru levels to midband - ($3)
Onimaru and Building Inspector kill Rook
Building Inspector dies, Oni takes 3 damage
Spectral Aven kills last bird, takes 1 damage
Manufactured Scribe breathes a sigh of relief, picks up his pen, and returns to work…but secretly dreams of flying again one day…

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


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

  • :psblueshield: [I]Squad Leader[/I]:
  • :psfist: [I]Elite[/I]:
  • :ps_: [I]Scavenger[/I]:
  • :pschip: [I]Technician[/I]:
  • :target: [I]Lookout[/I]:
    [B]In Play:[/B]
  • Onimaru Lv. 4 (3/1 Frenzy 1) exhausted
  • Spectral Aven (2/1 flying illusion) exhausted
  • Scribe (1/2) exhausted
    [B]Buildings:[/B]
  • :heart: Base HP: 20
  • :heart: Tech I HP: 5

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

  • Hand: 4
  • Deck: 6
  • Disc: 0
    [B]Gold:[/B]
  • Gold: 3
  • Workers: 8
    "

Nicely done! I expected something like that but then decided to give it the benefit of doubt, and to you - the pleasure of finishing up in style.

Should we go another round?

Sure, I’ll stay with Blue.