Not sure whether to be happy to be P1 in this semi-mirror. At least I’m not facing a P1 Vandy, but will be need to be careful/lucky to keep my hero safe through the first few moves with Deteriorate/Haunt knocking off my Skellies.
Bad starting hand, no 1 or even 2 gold units to drop. Graveyard is only reasonable choice. May force him to tech a nature reclaims which is perfectly fine with me. I have flyers/mimics and basilisks to worry about this game, and will really rely on good timing with deteriorate draws to handle the tiny B threat. Shadow blades will help too. Just realized I could also have gone for a heroe’s hall, but I don’t want to pursue the risky metamorphosis path, and likely force a tower, which would disrupt my potential skelly/necro strat I think would best counter his combo.
Edit- Hero’s hall would not be possible due to multicolor penalty. I think graveyard was reasonable.
For now teching a Tiny Basilisk for hero-killing potential and Bone Collector. Depending how next turn works out, will need to choose between two game plans:
try to press P1 advantage with Balance Tech2. Look to use Garth’s max on T5 to summon a unit with immediate impact (eg Mimic+Zane for 6 hasty atk, or Fairie Dragon+Deteriorate to float-kill a Tech2 unit he just played).
go for Anarchy expecting game to head towards a Tech3 Gunship mirror, with Moment’s Peace giving me a possible edge. Focus on good low cost units in the meantime (Tiny Basilisks, BCs, Monkeys).
EDIT: messed this up badly, forgot about Vandy’s sparkshot. Should simply have patrolled Garth in SQL.
Horrible blunder last turn. I’m left with lvl1 Garth vs his lvl3 Vandy + Graveyard + Javelineer + Haunt, looking pretty terminal after just 2 turns. Only encouragement is I’ve both Tech1s in hand thanks to tech draw.
Going down a card to keep his board clear other than Vandy, want to maximize chance that Tiny Basilisk survives and can kill Vandy next turn. Hopefully he doesn’t get the good draw to play 2 Tech1s, or have Shadow Blade in hand.
STARTING HAND
Poisonblade Rogue
Dark Pact
Shadow Blade
Deteriorate
Summon Skeletons
Sacrifice the Weak
WORKERS
Thieving Imp
Jandra
Poisonblade Rogue
NextHand
Hooded Executioner
Deteriorate
Skeletal Archery
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($7)
Worker - ($6)
Haunt and Javelineer to graveyard, I draw 1
Dark Pact
Shadow blade kills tiny basilisk, you discard card #1/4 - ($3)
Deteriorate skeleton
Stw kills BC - ($1)
Vandy kills Garth and levels to max, doom fizzles
Summon Haunt from graveyard
Float ($1)
Discard 1, draw 1, reshuffle, draw 2
[B]Board Info:[/B]
[B]In Patrol:[/B]
[I]Squad Leader[/I]:
[I]Elite[/I]:
[I]Scavenger[/I]:
[I]Technician[/I]:
[I]Lookout[/I]:
[B]In Play:[/B]
Graveyard 3HP: Skeleton Javelineer
Vandy lvl 5 (4/5)
Pestering Haunt 1/1
[B]Buildings:[/B]
Base HP: 18
Tech I HP: 5
[B]Economy Info:[/B]
[B]Cards:[/B]
Hand: 3
Deck: 5
Disc: 0
[B]Gold:[/B]
Gold: 1
Workers: 8
Thoughts
Shadow blade proved very useful here against tiny basilisk. As did DP. Keeping him low on cards. Teching another DP to help pull me out of my low hand size. Teching a Hooded Exec to counter his tech 2s, particularly potent basilisks if he gets them, or fliers, or just keep his board down. I was originally thinking necro would work against his deck, but not in the current situation with no skellies on board. Maybe as P1? I’m leaning more toward demonology now for dozers to clear board and keep momentum, with maybe some chaos mirror shenanigans. I’m leaving my graveyard open here for a zane kill although that would prohibit tech 2 for him, which I am fine with. Also saves me 1 gold from paying for javelineer, and giving him potential tech/scav bonus to zane. Plan for tech 2 next turn.
After draw- unfortunately whiffed on DP draw. Have some options with hooded exec at least.
Had expected he’d teched a unit + Dark Pact, but Shadow Blade was spot on there. I could probably resign here, but will carry on just in case Moment’s Peace give me a chance.
Ok, did not see him going anarchy. I guess he’ll make a run for gunships? I need Vandy to stay alive at least another turn so I can increase my hand size- although I’m afraid paranoia of metamorphosis threat will lead him to possibly have teched Doom Grasp to take her out. Tower defense will protect from tech 2 haste/stealthy units, unless he happens to have stw and a hasted unit in hand, then I’m screwed. I love that I have gone between considering all three techs in this game~ what a twist of events… Lich’s bargain from him also would hurt, although put him behind for the gunship race that’ll now ensue. Please Vandy survive 1 more turn! (teching 2 hasted/stealth cheap units to take advantage of DP draws if I can pull them off, and keep momentum on my side).
Marauder
Disguised Monkey
Pirate Gunship
Sacrifice the Weak
Tech 2 card(s)
Get Paid - ($8)
Worker - ($7)
Dark Pact
Summon Javelineer from Grave - ($6)
Stw to kill Tank and Javelineer - ($4)
Summon Garth - ($2)
Max Vandy, doom Hooded Exec - ($0)
Hooded Exec takes out Garth, my Garth levels
Vandy and Haunt take out your tech 2
Clutch stw here for hero and tech 2 kill. Garth in SQL requires his zane to max for the kill (or surprise atk), which is an ok trade for me since it’ll cost him 7g and likely leave his board open. Teching another marauder to keep the pressure on, while teching a gunship with hopes I don’t draw it next turn. Even if I do its ok, since I’ll still prevent overinflating my deck. Plan for tech 3 next turn.
I played a really dumb T2. Forgot about Vandy’s sparkshot taking out both patrollers, and also missed the obvious patrol of Garth in SQL rather than behind the lines. Thought I might get a chance to recover with a Tiny Basilisk hero kill when I drew both techs in T3 hand, but your Shadow Blade tech was spot on, think I’d no chance from then on.
Yea that T2 shifted things in my favor quite a bit. It’s really painful sometimes how one misstep can swing the game so much, especially in the early turns. This game can be unforgiving sometimes. I had a lucky T3 with drawing DP and Shadow blade with only 3 cards in hand.
I am not familiar with the design of tourneys here and wasn’t aware its single elimination. I thought there would at least be a 2nd round for us to switch P1/P2, that would seem more fair
The way these have run so far is players stay in the tournament until they have accumulated 3 losses – so everyone plays a minimum of 3 rounds (3 weeks, with new rounds strated once/week). The draw for each round looks to set up pairings that haven’t met so far in the tournament, irrespective of wins up to that point. Think it also tries to even out P1/P2 games for each player, or maybe it just happens that way by chance.
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: Garth lvl 1 (1/3)
[I]Elite[/I]:
[I]Scavenger[/I]: Skeleton Javelineer (1/1)
[I]Technician[/I]:
[I]Lookout[/I]:
[I]Squad Leader[/I]: Garth lvl 1 (1/3)
[I]Elite[/I]:
[I]Scavenger[/I]: Skeleton Javelineer (1/1)
[I]Technician[/I]:
[I]Lookout[/I]:
Base HP: 20
Base HP: 20